Ramadaan: Month of Worship and Jihaad

zAk · **Ramadaan: Month of Worship and Jihaad -** 09-07-2005

Ramadaan: Month of Worship and Jihaad

Shaykh Saalih Aal Taalib

Ramadaan 6, 1424 (October 31, 2003)

All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of all the worlds. Peace and blessings of Allaah be upon the Messenger, his household and companions.

Fellow Muslims! Fear Allaah and be dutiful to Him. Allaah says,

“O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him, and speak (always) the truth. He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger (peace be upon him), he has indeed achieved a great achievement (i.e. he will be saved from the Hell-fire and will be admitted to Paradise).”

(Al-Ahzaab 33:70-71)

Dear brethren! Seasons of blessings are an opportunity for a Muslims to do righteous deeds and become among the successful. Many are the rewards set-aside for these blessed seasons and many are the sins that are forgiven in them. O Allaah! We ask You of Your blessings; we hasten to win Your forgiveness and pleasure. Make us succeed in doing righteous deed and accept them of us and make our lives end with good deeds.

Brethren in faith! Thank your Lord for making it possible for you to witness this Ramadaan and praise Him for making it easy for you to fast and perform the night prayers. Allaah says,

“Say: "In the Bounty of Allaah, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islaam and the Qur’aan); - therein let them rejoice." That is better than what (the wealth) they amass.”

(Yoonus 10:58)

Ramadaan is the month of mercies and blessings. It is a month in which gates of Paradise are open and gates of Hell are closed. It is the month that comprises the Night of Decree (Laylatul-Qadr), which is greater than a thousand months. Whoever fasts in this month and performs night prayers in it, his past sins will be forgiven. It is a month in which Allaah liberate many from Hell. Allaah says,

“O you who believe! Observing the fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become pious.”

(Al-Baqarah 2:183)

Ramadaan is the month of the Qur’aan. Allaah says,

The month of Ramadaan in which was revealed the Qur’aan, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong).”

(Al-Baqarah 2:185)

During the month of Ramadaan, Angel Jibreel used to study the Qur’aan with the Prophet. The righteous predecessors would also leave the hadeeth and devote all their time for the Qur’aan whenever Ramadaan came.

Ramadaan is a month of Taraaweeh and night prayers. It is month of fervent hope for Allaah’s blessing and fear of His punishment. It is a month in which sins are forgiven. Ramadaan is a month of memorable events and victories. It is the month in which the battle of Badr that Allaah called ‘the Day of Criterion’ was fought. It is in the month of Ramadaan that Makkah was won for Islaam when Islaamic Monotheism was proclaimed, polytheism was destroyed, the idols were removed and the slogans of the days of ignorance was eliminated.

The speech that the Messenger of Allaah made on that day was a proclamation of Tawheed, in which he said,

[Laa ilaaha illallaah wahdah, nasara ‘abdah, wa a‘azza jundah, wahazzamal ahzaaba wahdah.]

Meaning: “There is no deity worthy of being worshipped except Allaah alone, He helped His slave, gave victory to His hosts and single-handedly defeated the allied forces.” The banner of justice, pardon and magnanimity was raised and the landmarks of the religion of Islaam were consolidated.

Ramadaan has been a month of victories during the course of the shinning history of Islaam. Will the Muslims then understand the spirits of this month in terms of worship, Jihaad, high-mindedness and diligence? Ramadaan is an opportunity for this Ummah to reexamine itself, to review its relationship with his Lord and to identify its faults. The whole of Ramadaan is lesson on Islaamic Monotheism and directing all acts of worship to Allaah alone. It is an opportunity to seek for Allaah’s help. It is also an opportunity to foster unity and remove schism. This is the real spirits of Ramadaan.

Dear brethren! Mouth odour of the fasting Muslim is more pleasant with Allaah than aroma of musk. Fasting and recitation of the Qur’aan intercede on behalf of one who observes them. The fasting Muslim has two occasions of joy: when he breaks his fast and when he finally meets his Lord. Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim narrated that the Messenger of Allaah said, “If a man fasts for a day in the cause of Allaah, Allaah will keep his face from Fire for a distance of seventy years.”

Fasting breeds piety as reading the Qur’aan brings light of guidance into hearts. Fasting helps to suppress the lust and desires. The fasting Muslim has a supplication that will not be rejected. Allaah says,

“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.”

(Al-Baqarah 2:186)

During Ramadaan, souls become pure and minds become refined. It is a month in which the poor are consoled. Ramadaan is the month of charity especially in these days that Da‘wah work is being attacked. The sincere Muslim will never fail to make his charity reach those who need it either personally or through one of the reliable charity organizations. Al-hamdulillaah! These organizations are many in Muslim countries.

Fellow Muslims! When a Muslim witnesses a blessed season, he starts by examining himself and reviewing his deeds so that he might not commit what will prevent his righteous deeds from being accepted. If not, what is the benefit of a deed from which reward is expected but which eventually brings curse? Allaah has warned against a people with humble and exhausted faces who will burn in an intensely hot Fire.

Let the Muslim endeavour to actualize monotheism and adherence to Sunnah in all his acts of worship. Let him shun shirk which is the greatest obstacle to the acceptance of deeds and let him keep away from innovation. Allaah does not accept a deed that is not based on Sunnah. It should also be borne in mind that if an innovation is established, it is at the expense of a Sunnah.

So be sincere to Allaah in your religion and free yourselves from stains of sins. Wash away your sins with repentance and seeking forgiveness, for sins are obstacles to righteous deeds.

Dear brethren! Of the things that reduce the reward of fasting is bad conduct, grumbling about fasting or showing the impact of that in behaviour as if one has been visited with a calamity. Backbiting, lying, oppressing the Muslims verbally or physically are also some of the things that reduce the reward of fasting. The Prophet said, “He who does not keep away from false statements, illegal actions and ignorant behaviour, Allaah is in no need of his abstention from eating and drinking.” (Al-Bukhaaree) He also said, “When anyone of you is fasting, he should not engage in obscenities or shout. And if anybody insults him or fights him, he should say: ‘I am fasting’.”

You fasting Muslims! The purpose of fasting is to condition the soul on obedience of Allaah and to purify it and teach it patience. If the body is denied some permissible things during fasting, the limbs have greater reason to be prevented from forbidden things. Indeed, Ramadaan period is too precious to be wasted in watching immoral programs. Were there nothing worse than wasting of time in watching those programs, it would have been an enough reason to condemn it. But the channels are in a serious competition with Satan in order to spread mischief and prevent people from remembrance of Allaah and prayers.

Dear Muslim brother! Listen to the call of your Lord Who is calling you to repentance. Allaah says,

“And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.”

(An-Noor 24:31)

Hasten to repentance that Allaah may forgive you. Beware of putting in your book of record today what you will not like to see tomorrow. And the greatest respite cannot be achieved without toil.

Dear fasting Muslims! There are blessings in the nights of Ramadaan when Allaah descends to the nearest heaven. Make a lot of supplication and seek forgiveness. For many are supplications on account of which eternal success is written in your credit. There is also an accepted supplication when you break your fast at sunset. Perform a lot of good deeds in this month and move closer to your Lord for He calls you to Paradise. Allaah says,

“Allaah calls to the home of peace (i.e. Paradise, by accepting Allaah’s religion of Islaamic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds and abstaining from polytheism and evil deeds) and guides whom He wills to the Straight Path.”

(Yoonus 10:25)

Dear brethren! The Muslim must learn the affairs of his religion and how to worship his Lord. He must know the rules of each of worship before he does it so that he can worship his Lord upon certain knowledge.

Fasting is obligatory on every adult, sane Muslim. It is therefore not compulsory upon a minor. If he can however fasts, he should be encouraged to do so in order to make him used to it. Attention must be paid to early adulthood especially in girls. As for insane and senile, they are excused from fasting and feeding. Likewise, fasting is not obligatory on an old or terminally ill person who cannot fast. But each of them needs to feed a poor person in lieu of each day he does not fast. As for a sick person who hopes to recover, he is allowed not to fast but he should make up for each day after he is cured.

Equally, the pregnant, the breastfeeding woman and the traveller are also allowed not to fast, but they need to make for each day later. Fasting is not obligatory upon the woman in menstruation or postnatal period, and if any of them fasts, her fasting is not valid. They will have to make up for the missed days later. If any of them becomes clean before Fajr prayer even shortly, her fasting for that day is valid if she makes the intention, even if she takes her bath after the appearance of the dawn.

From dawn to sunset, the fasting Muslim should refrain from all that could render his fasting invalid like eating, drinking, taking nutritional injection and engaging in sexual intercourse. But using drugs that are not nutritional like eye, nose and nasal drops does not invalidate fasting. Any Muslim who eats or drinks forgetfully while fasting should complete his fasting and he is liable to nothing.

Engaging in sexual intercourse in daytime invalidates fasting and makes the perpetrator liable to major expiation in addition to repentance. Masturbation during daytime is also an invalidator and the perpetrator should make for that day later.

There is nothing wrong in mere kissing that is free of lust. Likewise, wet dreaming does not invalidate fasting.

Another invalidator is cupping, though there are difference among the scholars concerning that. But the Muslim must be on the safe side as regards his fast. If the fasting Muslim is injured or has nasal bleeding, that does not invalidate his fasting.

All these things render fasting invalid only if they are done intentionally and knowingly.

The fasting Muslim should also endeavour to follow the Sunnah in breaking his fast as soon as the sun sets and in delaying his Sahoor. He should make a lot of remembrance of Allaah, recitation of the Qur’aan and supplications. He should also attend the obligatory prayers in congregations with the Muslims. He should endeavour to attend Taraaweeh prayers, for they are performed only for countable days. Very soon, the sincere worshippers will congratulate themselves when they will earn the reward of their good deeds and when Allaah will tell them,

“Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days past!” (Al-Haaqqah 69:24)

Mujaheedah · **Re: Ramadaan: Month of Worship and Jihaad -** 09-22-2005

Masha'Allah..good to read!

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zAk LI's Weirdest Status: Offline Posts: 20,041 Reputation: 38712 Rep Power: 91 Join Date: Jan 2005 Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Ramadaan: Month of Worship and Jihaad - 09-07-2005 Ramadaan: Month of Worship and Jihaad Shaykh Saalih Aal Taalib Ramadaan 6, 1424 (October 31, 2003) All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of all the worlds. Peace and blessings of Allaah be upon the Messenger, his household and companions. Fellow Muslims! Fear Allaah and be dutiful to Him. Allaah says, “O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him, and speak (always) the truth. He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger (peace be upon him), he has indeed achieved a great achievement (i.e. he will be saved from the Hell-fire and will be admitted to Paradise).” (Al-Ahzaab 33:70-71) Dear brethren! Seasons of blessings are an opportunity for a Muslims to do righteous deeds and become among the successful. Many are the rewards set-aside for these blessed seasons and many are the sins that are forgiven in them. O Allaah! We ask You of Your blessings; we hasten to win Your forgiveness and pleasure. Make us succeed in doing righteous deed and accept them of us and make our lives end with good deeds. Brethren in faith! Thank your Lord for making it possible for you to witness this Ramadaan and praise Him for making it easy for you to fast and perform the night prayers. Allaah says, *“Say: "In the Bounty of Allaah, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islaam and the Qur’aan); - therein let them rejoice." That is better than what (the wealth) they amass.”* (Yoonus 10:58) Ramadaan is the month of mercies and blessings. It is a month in which gates of Paradise are open and gates of Hell are closed. It is the month that comprises the Night of Decree (Laylatul-Qadr), which is greater than a thousand months. Whoever fasts in this month and performs night prayers in it, his past sins will be forgiven. It is a month in which Allaah liberate many from Hell. Allaah says, *“O you who believe! Observing the fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become pious.”* (Al-Baqarah 2:183) Ramadaan is the month of the Qur’aan. Allaah says, *The month of Ramadaan in which was revealed the Qur’aan, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong).”* (Al-Baqarah 2:185) During the month of Ramadaan, Angel Jibreel used to study the Qur’aan with the Prophet. The righteous predecessors would also leave the hadeeth and devote all their time for the Qur’aan whenever Ramadaan came. Ramadaan is a month of Taraaweeh and night prayers. It is month of fervent hope for Allaah’s blessing and fear of His punishment. It is a month in which sins are forgiven. Ramadaan is a month of memorable events and victories. It is the month in which the battle of Badr that Allaah called ‘the Day of Criterion’ was fought. It is in the month of Ramadaan that Makkah was won for Islaam when Islaamic Monotheism was proclaimed, polytheism was destroyed, the idols were removed and the slogans of the days of ignorance was eliminated. The speech that the Messenger of Allaah made on that day was a proclamation of Tawheed, in which he said, *[Laa ilaaha illallaah wahdah, nasara ‘abdah, wa a‘azza jundah, wahazzamal ahzaaba wahdah.]* Meaning: “There is no deity worthy of being worshipped except Allaah alone, He helped His slave, gave victory to His hosts and single-handedly defeated the allied forces.” The banner of justice, pardon and magnanimity was raised and the landmarks of the religion of Islaam were consolidated. Ramadaan has been a month of victories during the course of the shinning history of Islaam. Will the Muslims then understand the spirits of this month in terms of worship, Jihaad, high-mindedness and diligence? Ramadaan is an opportunity for this Ummah to reexamine itself, to review its relationship with his Lord and to identify its faults. The whole of Ramadaan is lesson on Islaamic Monotheism and directing all acts of worship to Allaah alone. It is an opportunity to seek for Allaah’s help. It is also an opportunity to foster unity and remove schism. This is the real spirits of Ramadaan. Dear brethren! Mouth odour of the fasting Muslim is more pleasant with Allaah than aroma of musk. Fasting and recitation of the Qur’aan intercede on behalf of one who observes them. The fasting Muslim has two occasions of joy: when he breaks his fast and when he finally meets his Lord. Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim narrated that the Messenger of Allaah said, “If a man fasts for a day in the cause of Allaah, Allaah will keep his face from Fire for a distance of seventy years.” Fasting breeds piety as reading the Qur’aan brings light of guidance into hearts. Fasting helps to suppress the lust and desires. The fasting Muslim has a supplication that will not be rejected. Allaah says, “And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.” (Al-Baqarah 2:186) During Ramadaan, souls become pure and minds become refined. It is a month in which the poor are consoled. Ramadaan is the month of charity especially in these days that Da‘wah work is being attacked. The sincere Muslim will never fail to make his charity reach those who need it either personally or through one of the reliable charity organizations. Al-hamdulillaah! These organizations are many in Muslim countries. Fellow Muslims! When a Muslim witnesses a blessed season, he starts by examining himself and reviewing his deeds so that he might not commit what will prevent his righteous deeds from being accepted. If not, what is the benefit of a deed from which reward is expected but which eventually brings curse? Allaah has warned against a people with humble and exhausted faces who will burn in an intensely hot Fire. Let the Muslim endeavour to actualize monotheism and adherence to Sunnah in all his acts of worship. Let him shun shirk which is the greatest obstacle to the acceptance of deeds and let him keep away from innovation. Allaah does not accept a deed that is not based on Sunnah. It should also be borne in mind that if an innovation is established, it is at the expense of a Sunnah. So be sincere to Allaah in your religion and free yourselves from stains of sins. Wash away your sins with repentance and seeking forgiveness, for sins are obstacles to righteous deeds. Dear brethren! Of the things that reduce the reward of fasting is bad conduct, grumbling about fasting or showing the impact of that in behaviour as if one has been visited with a calamity. Backbiting, lying, oppressing the Muslims verbally or physically are also some of the things that reduce the reward of fasting. The Prophet said, “He who does not keep away from false statements, illegal actions and ignorant behaviour, Allaah is in no need of his abstention from eating and drinking.” (Al-Bukhaaree) He also said, “When anyone of you is fasting, he should not engage in obscenities or shout. And if anybody insults him or fights him, he should say: ‘I am fasting’.” You fasting Muslims! The purpose of fasting is to condition the soul on obedience of Allaah and to purify it and teach it patience. If the body is denied some permissible things during fasting, the limbs have greater reason to be prevented from forbidden things. Indeed, Ramadaan period is too precious to be wasted in watching immoral programs. Were there nothing worse than wasting of time in watching those programs, it would have been an enough reason to condemn it. But the channels are in a serious competition with Satan in order to spread mischief and prevent people from remembrance of Allaah and prayers. Dear Muslim brother! Listen to the call of your Lord Who is calling you to repentance. Allaah says, *“And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.”* (An-Noor 24:31) Hasten to repentance that Allaah may forgive you. Beware of putting in your book of record today what you will not like to see tomorrow. And the greatest respite cannot be achieved without toil. Dear fasting Muslims! There are blessings in the nights of Ramadaan when Allaah descends to the nearest heaven. Make a lot of supplication and seek forgiveness. For many are supplications on account of which eternal success is written in your credit. There is also an accepted supplication when you break your fast at sunset. Perform a lot of good deeds in this month and move closer to your Lord for He calls you to Paradise. Allaah says, “Allaah calls to the home of peace (i.e. Paradise, by accepting Allaah’s religion of Islaamic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds and abstaining from polytheism and evil deeds) and guides whom He wills to the Straight Path.” (Yoonus 10:25) Dear brethren! The Muslim must learn the affairs of his religion and how to worship his Lord. He must know the rules of each of worship before he does it so that he can worship his Lord upon certain knowledge. Fasting is obligatory on every adult, sane Muslim. It is therefore not compulsory upon a minor. If he can however fasts, he should be encouraged to do so in order to make him used to it. Attention must be paid to early adulthood especially in girls. As for insane and senile, they are excused from fasting and feeding. Likewise, fasting is not obligatory on an old or terminally ill person who cannot fast. But each of them needs to feed a poor person in lieu of each day he does not fast. As for a sick person who hopes to recover, he is allowed not to fast but he should make up for each day after he is cured. Equally, the pregnant, the breastfeeding woman and the traveller are also allowed not to fast, but they need to make for each day later. Fasting is not obligatory upon the woman in menstruation or postnatal period, and if any of them fasts, her fasting is not valid. They will have to make up for the missed days later. If any of them becomes clean before Fajr prayer even shortly, her fasting for that day is valid if she makes the intention, even if she takes her bath after the appearance of the dawn. From dawn to sunset, the fasting Muslim should refrain from all that could render his fasting invalid like eating, drinking, taking nutritional injection and engaging in sexual intercourse. But using drugs that are not nutritional like eye, nose and nasal drops does not invalidate fasting. Any Muslim who eats or drinks forgetfully while fasting should complete his fasting and he is liable to nothing. Engaging in sexual intercourse in daytime invalidates fasting and makes the perpetrator liable to major expiation in addition to repentance. Masturbation during daytime is also an invalidator and the perpetrator should make for that day later. There is nothing wrong in mere kissing that is free of lust. Likewise, wet dreaming does not invalidate fasting. Another invalidator is cupping, though there are difference among the scholars concerning that. But the Muslim must be on the safe side as regards his fast. If the fasting Muslim is injured or has nasal bleeding, that does not invalidate his fasting. All these things render fasting invalid only if they are done intentionally and knowingly. The fasting Muslim should also endeavour to follow the Sunnah in breaking his fast as soon as the sun sets and in delaying his Sahoor. He should make a lot of remembrance of Allaah, recitation of the Qur’aan and supplications. He should also attend the obligatory prayers in congregations with the Muslims. He should endeavour to attend Taraaweeh prayers, for they are performed only for countable days. Very soon, the sincere worshippers will congratulate themselves when they will earn the reward of their good deeds and when Allaah will tell them, *“Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days past!”* (Al-Haaqqah 69:24) __________________ My advice to you is get married: if you find a good wife you'll be happy; if not, you'll become a philosopher. -Socrates

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Mujaheedah º°LI Senior°º Status: Offline Posts: 465 Reputation: 531 Rep Power: 20 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: South America Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Ramadaan: Month of Worship and Jihaad - 09-22-2005 Masha'Allah..good to read!