Family Theater presents Peter Lynn Hayes, Mary Healy, and Gigi Perot. From Hollywood, the Mutual Network in Cooperation with Family Theater presents Medicine Man starring Peter Lynn Hayes and Gigi Perot. To introduce the drama, here is your hostess, Mary Healy. Only Lefano. Family Theater's only purpose is to bring to everyone's attention a practice that must become an important part of our lives if we ought to win peace for ourselves, peace for our families, and peace for the world. Family Theater urges you to pray. Pray together as a family. And now to our transcribed drama, Medicine Man starring Peter Lynn Hayes as Oli and Gigi Perot as Shandy. The time is noted for bringing out the strange and unusual. But this beautiful spring day has really outdone itself. Chugging down a country highway near the thus far peaceful settlement of Jason Corners is an amazing and dilapidated vehicle which appears to be a combination of trailer, carnival wagon, and calamity. On its outsides are banners proclaiming the miracle attributes of Harris Hersuit Heotonic. And from its insides sounds the voice of the miracle worker himself. Mr. Oli Harris. Oh, give me the road, the wide-winding highway Let me be free to come and go my way and I'll travel along the way. Hey, oh, no, Bedelia, don't you do it now. Oh, Bedelia, darling, you can't leave me stranded this way right smack in the middle of the highway crossroads. Just like a woman, you sure got a mind of your own. Nothing for me to do but get out and give you a little attention. Let me take a little inventory here, let's see. Still got the engine, same old mess of nuts and bolts. Who are you talking to, mister? Oh, well, howdy young lady, where'd you come from so sudden? I asked first, who are you talking to? Why, Bedelia, that's who. Who? Bedelia, here. She's my flying carpet, sort of home away from home and kind of a way of making a living, all sort of rolled into one. You're kind of crazy. You don't believe in flying carpets? Ain't no such thing, never heard of one. You've never heard of a flying car... Look, let me put it this way then. Bedelia's a kind of a store, sort of a... And I'm a kind of a traveling salesman, sort of. Selling what? Like the sign says here, heresies, heresuit, hair tonic. Beautiful water that grows hair on stone makes a billiard ball shaggy.  Oh, no, I'm not. Well, maybe it's gilding the truth, giving folks confidence like the flying carpet. It's a good kind of pretend, sort of. What's pretend? What's pretend? Well, look, young and pretendin' is seein' you as a beautiful fairy princess. Me? I got red hair and freckles. Your shining red hair is like copper. Sprinkle with stardust. Your skin is white as milken. And that looks good against your dress because it's made of rainbows. You know, sort of shimmering pink lavender, wonderful. You're crazy. And wings. Mustn't forget them, they're sort of misty blue. Delicate as cobwebs, but strong as steel, for they carry you ever so far wherever you want to go. Where I want to go? Yikes! I still think you're crazy, mister. Hey, wait a second, come back here.  She could sure use some pretendin'. Hey, you there. Get that contraption out of the way. I'm tryin', mister, but you see I... Can't you see you're interrupting traffic in four different directions? Well, we're trying to move, mister, but look. Golly, they're coming at us from all sides. What a time for a traffic jam. What a time to sell tonic. Badilia, we got ourselves an audience. Some of those fellas in the cars look like they could use some hair. I'll just step around back here and let your skirt down. And there now, we're open for business.  Just what do you think you're doing? Doin' you a favor, mister? Yes, indeed.  Now look, if you don't get this infernal machine off the highway... Well, pardon me. Just let me get up here to my little piano, mister, and you'll forget your troubles. Listen, folks. Music soothes the savage beast, or so they say. So gather round, bring every frown. Let Olly sing him away. Now listen, you listen to me now. You listen to me. Listen, think you got trouble? The world got you down? When you're doing the best that you can? Forget it, boy. Wrap it up. And bring it to the medicine man. Now you look here, you've got one minute. One minute to get out of town. One minute for an encore, thank you. Don't mind if I do. Brother, is you hairless, bald as an egg? Then it's time to run fast as you can. Rejuvenate your scalp lock. Don't listen to your friend's knock. Just listen to the medicine man. I was singing, and you're vanishing hair troubles with Harris' hair suit hair, tiny. I have plenty of bottles here for every one of you, enough to grow a bumper crop of tonsorial abundance. Harris, you've had your warning. Oh, come on, mister, I was just trying to... Since you refuse to cooperate, I'll have to take legal steps. Why, because I was trying to drum up a little business? Not on my highway, you won't. Your highway? Well, maybe I can help, Mr. Jason. You? And just what do you think you can do about this public nuisance, Miss Dean? Well, the man has evidently had a breakdown, Mr. Jason. Now, Mr. Harris, you get behind the wheel, and I'll get behind you, and we'll be off the road and under that grove of trees in no time. And I'll have him out of the city limits in no time. Now, get busy some of you, man. Help Miss Dean get this medicine man off the public highway. This Harris man's a menace here at Bass. The nerve of him to set up sharp on the highway intersection. We haven't built Jason Corners into its present state of prosperity to have it invaded by a hobo, a medicine man who lives by his wits, selling that fake hair tonic to the first gullible man who comes along. I'll get out to the crossroads right away, Mr. Jason. You're absolutely right. What kind of Harris that's going on? Like you said, especially before election. Of all the thrills that's known to man, there is no thrill to match it. It's the thrill you get from a common itch whenever you chance to scratch it. Oh, wonderful, simply wonderful, Mr. Harris. You should do more with your music. And you should do more with your smile, Miss Cynthia. What? Well, look, it brightens up your whole pretty face. It's just because I helped you a little. You don't have to compliment me. Oh, but look, I never... I know what you think. What everybody thinks. Cynthia Dean, plain music teacher, all made. You? What's the matter with the females in Jason Corners?  Well, then you meant what you said? Well, sure I did. I really wouldn't have said it if I didn't. Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Harris. Make it only. It's shorter, nicer, sort of... I shouldn't bet my bad humor on you. Not me. I'm in good company. Well, thank you. And Bedelion, me? Well, we couldn't have picked a better camp and ground than you pushed us onto here under these trees for good shade, close to a brook for good water down yonder, closer to the road for good business. Oh, you're not planning to stay here. I'd like to, Miss Cynthia. Pretty country, and Jason Corners is my kind of town. 3,500 population, the AutoMap said. You heard Mr. Jason. He ordered you out of town. Yeah, yeah, Jason. Say, just who is he? Just all of Jason Corners. His grandparents settled in this valley, built the mills, built the town, and the Jason family's owned about everything in it ever since. Well, then what's he so high and mighty about? What do you mean? Well, this Jason fella was just lucky enough to be born into a certain family, that's all. What's he done himself to Crow about? Well, he really has advanced business in town. He's smart, modern, and contributes to all the charities, especially the Jason Corners orphanage. He founded that. It looks to me like Mr. Jason's got enough to keep himself busy without paying me much, Miss Cynthia, so, uh, but deal you and me, we'll just sit right here until she gets ready to move on. Oh, she better get ready right now, then. Hello, Sheriff Bass. Sheriff? Howdy, Miss Dean. You, uh, Mr. Harris? Uh, only Harris, Sheriff. My friends all call me only. You got a license? License? Driver's license? Why, sure, Sheriff. I know the law, and I... I mean a doctor's license. Doctor? No, I... You call yourself a medicine man, don't you? Oh, sure, but that's just a sort of a gag. It helps me sell my hair, Tonic. So, you got a vendor's license? Vendor? What are you talking about? Well, you must be joking, Sheriff Bass. Never was more serious in my life, Miss Dean. This Harris' character has got to get out of Jason's Corners within 24 hours. I don't know if, but deal, you can be patched up in that length of time. Well, Mr. Harris isn't a criminal. Quite the opposite. He helps people, and attains them, sings. Better change his tune in 24 hours or he'll be singing a prison song in our jail. Better get busy, Mr. Medicine Man. Oh, wait, pal. Sheriff Bass, please listen. Oh, use, Miss Dean. He's got to go, and if you're smart, you won't take up with this fellow so much. I thought I was going to like Jason Corners. I'm going right into town and see Mr. Jason. Oh, no, Miss Cynthia. If your bass was quite right on that score, you mustn't get messed up in my troubles. But it's so unfair. Oh, one town's as good as another, I guess. I'll just mosey along with Bedelia's permission, of course. What's that? Only one thing more could happen, and that would have to be Bedelia's motor falling out. Let's see. That's just what did happen. Oh, no. How is your Jason Corners jail, Miss Cynthia? You seem to understand the seriousness of your situation. Sure I do, but what can I do? And when I can't do nothing, well, I sing. Oh, you're hopeless. No, ma'am, one thing I have got is hope. Oh, good heavens, that reminds me. I'm due at the orphanage to give the children their music lesson, but right after I'll go to my garage man. Maybe he could fix up Bedelia in time. Don't fret yourself, Miss Cynthia. Just go along, forget you ever met me, but remember one thing. Yes? Keep smiling. Oh, it's you again. Where have you been all this time? Hiding under them bushes.  They don't like Ole and Jason Corners.  You what?  Like your music, like your songs? My name's Shandy Jones. Well, that's the first good news I've had all day. Come on up here and tell me more, Shandy. Okay. Can I play your piano? Bet you can. You know how to play? Sure. Say, that's real fine now. You liked it? I wouldn't surprise me a bit if you grew up to be a concert pianist. What's that? Well, it's a fella, or in your case, a lady, who goes around the country playing piano for folks and making them happy. Like you do, Mr. Harris? Yeah, like I do, Shandy. I like that. Well, you keep practicing. See, work real hard, honey, and someday you will. You'll see. No, I won't. Well, what's the matter with you? Of course you will, if that's what you really want. I can see you now. Coming out on the stage in a beautiful evening dress. You're a wonderful artist, very talented, very famous. Now the lights come down, the orchestra leader raises his baton. Every eye is on you, baby. You go to the concert grand piano, you sit down, you put your hands on the keys, nod at the leader and begin playing. Shandy. Shandy, honey, what's the matter? It's so beautiful, but I won't never be no concert piano. Who says so? Mr. Jason says so. Oh, how'd he get into this? He runs the orphanage. Orphanage? Or what's that got to do with the... Oh. Yeah, I live there, Mr. Harris. I'm an orphan. Well, what's wrong with that? Lots of folks are orphans and grow up to be famous. But Mr. Jason says we gotta grow up to be cooks and maids and things. No, he does, does he? I think I'll have a talk with Mr. Jason. That's no good. I had a talk with Mr. Jason. Well, that's why I keep running away. I'm running away from the orphanage now. Oh, now hold on there.  But I'm going to. Unless you take me with you, Mr. Harris. Me? Oh, Shandy, that's no life for a little girl. I've got a better idea. I can go with you? No, but for a little while, you go back to the orphanage. No, I'll never do it, never. Shandy, you listen to me. Yeah, Mr. Harris. Sometimes we can't always do the things we like right away. It takes a little more time, maybe. So meantime, we do what we have to do. By going back to the orphanage? By going back to the orphanage. They take care of you there, Shandy. Keep you warm, feed you good, and you'll see the day will come when you can do what you want and be what you want. Okay, Mr. Harris. But you got to take me back. Me? Well, you said I shouldn't go roaming around alone. Holy.  All right, little partner, let's go. I'm Jeannie, the record that's who I am. It's true I am the record.  Round and round I flew. I'm the tallest man in the world. Thank you, thank you, young ones. You're the best audience I've had in a long time. But I sure can't sell you any hair, Tony. You didn't love this. Well, really, Miss D. Oh, Miss Snide, this is Mr. Harris who found Sandy Jones in return. I guess that was the information given me. Shandy wasn't honestly trying to run away, ma'am.  And when that happens, well, you know how spring affects everybody, especially young folks. I hardly think you're qualified to advise in this matter, Mr. Harris. Child psychology is a highly specialized field. Oh, now that's where you're dead wrong, Miss Snide. What? Well, wrong sort of, that is. It is natural to seek over psycho. Whatever they try to do to young ones nowadays, put a smile in this place, a dream over there, and a tear right here, and add them all up like a problem in arithmetic. You won't come out with the right answer that way. Young ones need understanding and love. Lots of love. Lots of tomy rot. Mr. Jason. Seems you insist on making a nuisance of yourself, Harris. Luckily, Sheriff Bass saw you and the child heading this way to the orphanage. Wouldn't call that luck, Mr. Jason. Time's running out, Mr. Harris. You and your jalabi better be out at Jason's corners before your 24 hours separate. You'll be in jail. Oh, what, this man is a criminal? No, not unless you call giving happiness, goodwill, and friendliness criminal, Miss Snide. We could all learn a lesson from this, this medicine man as you call him, Mr. Jason. We could all use more tolerance, understanding, and human sympathy in Jason's corners, especially here in the orphanage. You trying to tell me how to run my charities? No, no, no, Mr. Jason, Miss Cynthia's smarter than that. Well, should it? Well, first place, there's no such thing as charity when it comes to taking care of children. That's something that comes from your heart. Second place, Miss Cynthia was just sticking up for the underdog, like most women folk do. But you and me know I'm no underdog, Mr. Jason. I've got my health, got my music, got my hair tonic. I'm free to come and go as I please, and if I can get the deal you're going on, I've got to go on business. Now, just see that you keep on going. We don't tolerate tramps here in Jason's corners. I'm no tramp, Mr. Jason. But I know it riles you every time you set eyes on me. Never thought you'd be here at the orphanage, but Shandy wouldn't come off herself alone. Oh, that child, she'd go to China alone. Go, maybe, but coming back, that's another thing. Well, I'll be going now. No, Mr. Harris, you can't. Mr. Jason. Shandy Jones, you keep quiet now. You caused enough trouble. Don't bother, Mr. Jason. But I've got to talk to him this night because everybody's wondering what kind of a reward Mr. Jason's going to give Mr. Harris. What reward? To him? For bringing me back. You always give people something for bringing me back when we run away, Mr. Jason.  You figured it would help me. Sure, Mr. Harris, I'd do anything for you. I love you. Well, Mr. Jason? Sheriff Bass, what are you standing around here for? Well, I thought I was... Well, go get back to your duty. But, Mr. Jason, what about... Oh, go away. He can stay, Mr. Jason. That's the reward you could give him. Mr. Harris can stay? Yes, child, yes, yes. Oh, Mr. Jason, thank you. Thanks, Mr. Jason. But on the edge of town, mind you... Oh, yes, sir. I can't have that housing contraption of yours if it ever runs again littering up the city streets. I wouldn't leave my grove of trees if you paid me. And no peddling in that hair tonic of yours from door to door, huh? No, sir. They come to me or they don't get it. Oh. Oh, only I'm so happy for you. See, um, Harris... Yes, Mr. Jason?  It seems to me I'm beginning to get a little thin right up here.  But, uh, Mr. Jason, in return for your generosity, I'm going to give you a bottle free with guaranteed results providing. Providing what? Providing you don't punish Shandy in no way at all. Oh, Mr. Harris. Oh, but we must. She'll run away again if we don't. Oh, no. She'll run away again if you do, Miss Snyden. And if she does run, it'll only be as far as the medicine man. Mr. Jason, you do understand. You know he prescribes the best medicine of all. Love. Hmm. Know something, Shandy? What, Mr. Harris? Just you pretend hard enough, and I'll pretend hard enough. And someday, real soon, maybe you'll have a real father and mother, a family, all your own. This is Mary Healy again. You know, as I was listening to and watching the orchestra during the show, I was reminded of something I once read about the art of violin making. A violin maker must select his woods with great care and age them patiently and skillfully. And then he must select the varnishes that give his violin the most beautiful finish and, at the same time, seal the pores of the wood to ensure pure, perfect tone from the finished instrument. For no matter how beautiful the flaming or masterful the carving, unless the instrument can serve its eventual purpose well, it can have no real value. The right kind of work and the best ingredients must go into each violin in order to have the right kind of tone come out. There is a similarity between making violins and raising a family. If parents want their children to grow up correctly and have complete and happy lives, they must see to it that they have the right ingredients, a good home life, an environment rich in love, a measure of security, and most important of all, a familiarity with God. Family theater urges you to pray together as a family, to secure these things for yourselves and for your children. For through family prayer, you bring God into your home. You invite His blessings on yourselves and your household, and you ensure that measure of security and environment of love that comes with family unity. For the family that prays together stays together.  From Hollywood Family Theater has brought you Medicine Man starring Peter Lynn Hayes and Gigi Perot. Mary Healy was your hostess. Others in our cast were Irene Tedrow, Jean Bates, Bill Johnstone, and Leo Cleary. The script was written by Virginia M. Cook with music composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman. Am was directed and transcribed for Family Theater by Joseph F. Mansfield. This series of Family Theater broadcasts is made possible by the thousands of you who feel the need for this type of program, by the mutual network which has responded to this need and by the hundreds of stars of stage, screen and radio who give so unselfishly of their time and talent to appear on our Family Theater stage.  This is Tony LaFranco expressing the wish of Family Theater that the blessing of God may be upon you and your home and inviting you to be with us next week when Family Theater will present The Flying Dutchman starring Jeff Chandler and Lisbeth Scott. Join us, won't you? This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.


I mean, respected brothers and sisters, we begin by praising Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, God Almighty as He is most worthy and deserving of all praise. We ask Allah and we ask Allah alone to guide us, to prevent us from being misguided and from misguiding others. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to forgive us of our shortcomings, our sins, those we have committed knowingly and those that we have committed unknowingly. And we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to bless His noble Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah, sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallam. Respected brothers and sisters, by the fadlah of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala we find ourselves in the month of Ramadan and before we know it in the flash of an eye what seems already, almost a week has passed and depending on when you started, this is either your sixth or fifth fast already and that is the nature of Ramadan that we often contemplate how we're going to survive or how we're going to cope with having to give up food and drink for a 30 day or 29 to 30 day period of time and when the month finally arrives it starts passing us in the flash of an eye, in the blink of an eye and that is to say that time regardless of how time passes the month of Ramadan is an opportunity for us to reflect upon our own relationship with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Ramadan serves as I have often said as a barometer, as a gauge by which we can year after year measure and gauge where we are with regards to our relationship with that which is most important namely Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala God Almighty, His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the Book of Allah and the Book of Allah and that is what the month of Ramadan affords us. It affords us this opportunity to measure or gauge where we are and by the fuddle of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala by God's grace that not only are we afforded an opportunity a time a moment in time to reflect on where we stand with Allah where we are with regards to our relationship to things that are most important it also allows us an opportunity to recalibrate ourselves we will find by very nature of who we are as human beings we will find deficiencies in where we are with regards to our relationship with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in fact we should find deficiency because it's always a work in progress you should never we should never be satisfied satiated with where we are with the status quo where we are with regards to the things that as I said are most important and so by the fuddle by the fuddle of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala Ramadan is not only that moment to measure it also affords us a catalyst a means by which we can expedite we can expedite this opportunity that we have these fleeting days as we talked about at the very beginning these moments that pass us these are those special moments that Allah has given us to recalibrate where we are with regards to our relationship with Allah to his book to his messenger subhanahu wa ta'ala so Ramadan is not only a barometer a gauge but it is also a catalyst by which we can increase in our devotion and inshallah by God's will that that becomes then habitual that then becomes a habit that we can carry that is something those habits that we form in this blessed month of Ramadan are those things that we can carry outside of the month of Ramadan I want to turn our attention now and focus on the particular verses in which Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala speaks about fasting in particular and speaks about the month of Ramadan in particular in specifically Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala discusses these things alludes to them certainly in several places in the Quran but primarily we turn to surah al-baqarah verse 183 and this is the verse that we have often heard ya ayyuhal ladina aminu taqallaha ya ayyuhal ladina aminu Qutb alaykum al-siyam oh you who believe fasting has been prescribed to you Ya ayyuhal ladina aminu Qutb alaykum al-siyam kama Qutb alal ladina min qablikum la alakum tat takoon that it was prescribed to those who came before you that it is a legacy that you follow that the fast is a legacy that you follow la alakum tat takoon so that you may attain God consciousness so that you may attain taqwa and then the verses continue and then surah the verse in 184 the verse that proceeds that follows right after then speaks about the mechanics of the month of Ramadan speaking referring to those opportunities or those moments that cause a pause in a person's fast perhaps because they are traveling or because they are ill then you can make up those fast but it ayyam al-ukhar that you can replace them with another day if you are sick or if you are traveling and then verse 185 says shahru Ramadhan al-lady unzila fi al-Quran khudallil nas wa bayinati min al-kuda wa al-Fuqan that the month of Ramadan is the month in which the Quran is revealed and this is a side point because I want to focus on something else but nonetheless it is important to note here that when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala mentions shahru Ramadhan the fast or the the month of Ramadan in particular specifically it does so in the context of not fasting or it does so in the context of fasting but it inextricably that it inextricably links and connects the month of Ramadan to what? Nazila of the Quran, tanzil of the book of Allah because shahru Ramadhan is shahru Quran that the month of Ramadan is the month of the Quran and this is why whether it's the thorough way prayer whether it's our habitual practices that we should have which is to recite the book of Allah as much as possible to increase in our tilawa of the Quran again as I mentioned at the outset to increase in our relationship with the book of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala but these four verses brothers and sisters and then the verse continues in or the verses continue 186 and we'll come back to that if we are afforded time but these verses in particular I would submit to you present the overarching aims and objectives of Islam in total these verses Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala begins by talking about fasting fasting as a legacy as I said those as a practice that was that was as a ritual that was practiced to in with communities before us the Jews and the Christians and other faith communities have remnants of a fasting tradition in fact even within the Muslim community the early Muslim community of the Prophet sallallahu it was evolutionary it didn't begin as a fast of Ramadan it evolved into that it began as fasting particular days that were made mandatory and so on but then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala whenever he legislates something this is again the father of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala whenever he legislates something he also provides for us a crewment of benefit and prevention of harm jalbal masalih waddarbal mafasid this is what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is doing here he is presenting for us clear benefit that is presented and this is one of many but inextricably linking and tying the month or fasting as a ritual practice as an act of Ibadah with what with the benefit that we accrue so that we may attain God consciousness and there are many innumerous benefits in addition to that but the overarching aim and objective of fasting is what to further our relationship our God consciousness with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala our taqwa with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala that ability that we have or that we should cultivate knowing that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is aware of all that we do and every action that we have our intentions and where they lie that is what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala that is our relationship with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala so it presents in the very verse itself a benefit that we can accrue at this time the second lesson that we learned with these verses is found in the following verse 184 where Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us that if you are fasting or excuse me if you are ill or if you are traveling the stress of travel then you can replace that day you can make up the fast by fasting on a yaman on another day and this again underscores a very important principle of Islam and that is that when the when circumstances dictate when during times of distress and difficulty ease is desired facility facility is desired that we must facilitate things for people make things easy and we'll come back to this point because the following verse mentions this explicitly and so in times of difficulty if you are traveling if you are ill if you are sick unable to fast because of those reasons there are obviously many other reasons as well where one can make up the fast on another day because when in times of difficulty ease should be facilitated things and matters should be facilitated and as I said these are lessons brothers and sisters important to note not just within the context of Ramadan or within the context of fasting but overarching aims and objectives of life as a whole how Islam addresses the needs and the realities of our human condition it does so by giving us clear benefit providing us clear benefit for why we do the things that we do number one number two it provides us ease and facility in times that are difficult and challenging this is how Islam deals with the human condition and then we get to verse 185 Shahru Ramadan eladhi unzila fee Hill Quran Allah begins that's that verse that the month of Ramadan is the month in which the Quran has been revealed telling us in signifying for us that there are times there are spaces that are more sacred than others Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is singling out a month Shahru Ramadan eladhi unzila fee one on he is specifically mentioning a verse a month by name because there are certain times there are certain places that are more sacred than others and the reason I mentioned that brothers and sisters is because in a modern world in a world in which everything has to be rationally has to be rationally rationally contemplated that Islam has to make sense it has to appeal to my rational ability and that has a time in a place that's not not undervaluing that it is important to rationalize to think things up that is very important in our tradition but not at the expense of what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has made or I could say rational thought not at the expense of the metaphysical those things that are beyond human contemplation and human reason there are times of the year there are places and individuals who are more sacred than others that's just the reality again of our tradition that's what our tradition is telling us and we as moderns tend to devalue these things oh it's not important that particular time who says that time is important the time of Juma for example they say that when the khatib sits between the two khutbas that this is a time with the answer this is a time where we should supplicate to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala there are times throughout the day times in the middle of the night times during the last 10 days of Ramadan right a time in a place that is more sacred than others so the idea of the sacred the very idea and the existence of places and beings and human beings and others and time that is more sacred that we should seek the company of those who are those individuals the Awliya of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala those who are who are the Arafeen those who know Allah and are closer to him and emulate beautifully the example of our beloved subhanahu wa ta'ala so as moderns as much as we have a difficulty in right and again we have pros we religion has to everything has to be rationally acceptable and has to be gate viewed within the gauge of science and reason alone and anything that doesn't make sense with science or reason is rejected as being superstitious this approach to this approach to religion is wrong and misguided and it is certainly not an approach to religion that we have and that informs our tradition so sacred places sacred times and then the verse continues so the verse 185 specifically you read Allah become a user while I read them become a user going back to that point as I mentioned earlier Allah desires for you in all matters facility in ease he does not desire you for you difficulty in hardship our approach to that religion our approach to our tradition should be informed within the lens of Rahmah with the realm with within the lens of compassion and mercy the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam his example his us what on Hassanah his beautiful example was one of what Rahmah to the alameen in mercy and compassion for all of creation you read Allah become a user while I read them become an answer the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam echoed this very sentiment in the had a Dini you saw that indeed this religion this being this way of life this this religious tradition of ours in total is one of ease in facility not a difficulty and so as a community as a community do we facilitate things for others or do we make things worse do we make things difficult right do we hold people by certain standards or mo or molds that unless they meet those standards or molds they're not welcomed in our community oh you look a certain way or I should say you don't look a certain way right you're not wearing the colors right it's almost tribal right and you're rejected you're not welcomed in this space you're not welcomed here because you don't look a certain part or you look different or perhaps you pray a little different because you follow a different legal school this can happen it may not happen here but the fact that our spaces must be ones in which people are welcomed and especially in this month of Ramadan that our doors open where we return to the message if we haven't all year to engage in tarawih to share and break bread with our community members that this is an opportunity for us to reflect on this very important lesson that do we open doors of facility and ease and close the doors that make things difficult and harsh for the people right that is our goal as leaders that is our goal is as community members that is our goal as being members of this society in this society that do we facilitate others to learn and to come and to benefit from what Islam has to offer from what our community has to offer this is these are those lessons that are that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is reminding us when he is referring and speaking in particular about the month of Ramadan and about the fasting that occurs within it I pray that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gives us all the ability to contemplate the many blessings that Allah has afforded us in this month of Ramadan but not only to contemplate them but to benefit them benefit from them immensely may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala allow us to take advantage of all of the rahmah and the blessing and the forgiveness that descends from the heavens that literally rains down from the heavens in this blessed month of Ramadan may each opportunity each moment maybe maybe maybe be given the opportunity to make it special and profound and meaningful and and have meaningful change in our lives in this blessed month of Ramadan