The Official Ramadan Thread. Ramadan 1432 A.H/August 2011

['Abd-al Latif]

Sincerity & Devotion in Ramadan - Muhammad Al-Jibaly




Sincerity & Devotion in Ramadan - Questions & Answers






A brief introduction for Muhammad Al-Jibaly :

- Acquired a sound knowledge of al-Albānīs fiqh and methodology through personal contact with the Shaykh and an extensive study, indexing, and teaching of his works
- Studied and maintained strong friendship with most of the late Nāsir ud-Dīn al-Albānīs prominent students from Syria, Jordan, and other countries (1983 to current)
- Authored many original books and articles in various areas of fiqh, `aqīdah, manhaj, da`wah, etc.
- Lectured at many conferences and seminars, in North America and around the world.
- Taught a large number of modern and classic treatises.
- Chaired al-Qurān was-Sunnah Society of North America (1991-1997)
- Headed Dar ul-Arqam elementary school in Arlington, Texas (1997-1999)
- Widely known in the West for his strong support of the Sunnah and the guidance of the Salaf
- Personally known by many of the `ulamā of Sunnah in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, and other countries.

He has also authored many books such as, The Quest for Love & Mercy, Life in al-Barzakh, The Dreamer's Handbook, Knowing Allah, and many more.

['Abd-al Latif]

A Simple Ramadan Program


'Abdullah Yusuf 'Azzam

{"O you who believe! Fasting was prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become pious. Fast for a fixed number of days, but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number should be made up from other days. And as for those who can fast with difficulty, they have to feed a poor person. But, whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him. And that you fast, it is better for you if only you knew."}


[al-Baqarah; 183-184]

"It is, as the Lord of Glory Said, a fixed number of days. Rather, it is a fixed number of hours! The month of Ramadan is either 720 hours, or 696 hours, and every minute of it has a price and a value. The Salaf and the Companions - may Allah be Pleased with them - used to await these days of Ramadan from the year to year, as it has been reported in a narration that the Companions used to say, when Rajab had arrived: "O Allah, assist us in worshiping You in Rajab and Sha'ban, and allow us to witness Ramadan."

Because Ramadan is the annual occasion of the cleansing of the soul, spirit, and body, its effect on the human spirit and body is not that profound. The acts of worship of the soul are many, and as much as the body receives its share of pain during the course of its worship, it will receive its share of light. That is why Jihad is the uppermost peak of Islam; because it is the most painful and difficult of the acts of worship. Its reward is greater, its effect on the soul deeper, and its result in building the spirit and in ingraining Tawhid in it is great.

Therefore, there are acts of worship dealing with one's wealth. However, its effect on the soul is usually less than the effect of an act of worship dealing with the body. So, Zakah has a deep effect on the soul, as it purifies it from covetousness. However, you cannot truly sympathize with the poor person unless you feel his pain, live as he lives, and starve as he starves. If you starve, then you feel your body becoming stronger and more durable. At that time, you become joyous that you were able to sacrifice something and purify yourself from covetousness.

Jihad is the same way: Jihad with one's wealth does not purify one's soul in the same way as Jihad with one's self does. And because of this, Islam did not relieve any of the Companions of the obligation of Jihad with his self, no matter what his position in society, and no matter how good his reputation, such as in the case of 'Uthman.

And the Salaf - may Allah be Pleased with them - would calculate Ramadan by the minute. They were praying behind Ubayy bin Ka'b - and 'Umar bin al-Khattab was praying Tarawih behind him - and they would require sticks to support themselves on as a result of his long standing in the prayer, and the Companions would say: "We fear that we will miss the suhur praying behind Ubayy, and we fear that the Fajr time will come, causing us to miss the Blessed Meal - they used to refer to suhur as the Blessed Meal - so, let our children rush to prepare the meal."

And it was reported from some of the Tabi'in, and those who came after them, in regards to their Qur'an and prayer, that some of them would complete reciting the Qur'an sixty times in Ramadan, and this was specifically narrated in regards to al-Imam ash-Shafi'i; he used to complete it once during the day, and once during the night. Some of them would complete it once during the night and day, and others would complete it once every three days, until they reached the last ten days, in which they would seclude themselves in the mosque, completing it once a day.

And to complete the Qur'an in a day is easy, if we keep in mind that to recite the Qur'an slowly (tartil) takes about 24 hours, and a quicker recitation takes about ten hours. It is possible for the one who has memorized the Qur'an to complete one juz' in 20 minutes, allowing him to complete all thirty juz's in ten hours. I was told by Abu al-Hasan an-Nadawi: "I saw my teachers, and some of them would not speak at all in Ramadan. Rather, they would only engage in worship; either Qur'an or prayer. If someone were to speak to them, they would count out their words, and calculate them by the minutes and seconds."
So, Ramadan consists of fasting and prayer.

Because of this, the Salaf, such as al-Imam Malik, would seclude themselves until the time of giving a class, saying: "Verily, Ramadan is for praying and reciting the Qur'an." Some of them would say: "Ramadan is praying, giving charity, and reciting the Qur'an."

And in Ramadan, the gates of Paradise are opened, and the gates of Hell are shut, and the devils are chained up. This is something that actually happens, as one of my trustworthy friends who used to have contact with the jinn - but has since repented - informed me:

"When I would ask the jinn who I would work with to relay to me any news, they would say: "We are inactive in Ramadan." I used to think that they were believing jinn, as they would pray and fast with me. However, I realized from their answer, that they were devils (i.e., disbelieving jinn).

Later, after an experiment, I confirmed for myself that they were disbelievers: I requested from them one day that they heal my cousin, so, they said: "She will not be cured unless she puts on a cross."

So, I said to them: "You really are devils. You are from the disbelieving jinn."

They said: "We are from the believing jinn."

I said: "From now, we have nothing to do with each other."

They said: "We will hurt you, then."

I said: "I dare you to try to hurt me. We will meet at midnight at the graveyard, the most secluded and frightening place I can think of," and at midnight, I made ablution and prayed two rak'ahs, and went to the graveyard. I did this for three nights in a row, but the jinn were unable to even come near me."
So, it is something physical, not simply metaphoric. The devils are chained, and they are unable to move about and cause evil between the people. The major jinn are the ones who are chained, while the minor devils are left to move about.

And Ramadan is the Ramadan of Jihad, so, I advise everyone of you to not fall short in a single day in Ramadan.

I was in Qatar, or the Emirates, and I was told: "The brothers in America called, asking if you could go spend the last ten nights with them." I said: "Subhan Allah! I spend the last ten nights in America, and I leave Jalalabad, Qandahar, and Kabul erupting? The hour in these places is better than standing in prayer for sixty years, and I go and enter America, even if in Ramadan?" And because of this, for the duration of my stay here, especially in the last five years, I always loved to spend every Ramadan outside of Peshawar, and to not enter Peshawar unless it was necessary. I would spend it either in the training camp in Sada, Jadji, or any other place, so that it would be written for me as a Ramadan of ribat, and the Ramadan in the land of ribat is a thousand times better than Ramadan outside of the land of ribat, as the Prophet said: "Ribat for one day in the Path of Allah is better than a thousand days in any other place, even if one were to fast all day and pray all night." [Reported by at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i]

So, brothers, whoever of you stays in Peshawar, then let him comply with the following daily program:

Do not stay up late in Ramadan, as Ramadan is the time of praying, fasting, and seeking Allah's forgiveness during the morning hours. So, break your fast in your homes on some dates or water, or in the mosque, and provide some dates and water in the mosques for those who might break their fast there, and glad tidings to the one who provides food for the one breaking his fast: "Whoever provides food for the fasting person, then, he will have the same reward as the fasting person, without the fasting person's reward being diminished at all," even if it is only on a piece of a date, so, for this, let the competitors compete for this great reward.

I was in Qatar, and some of the good-doers said to me: "We wish to provide food for a thousand fasting Mujahidin for all of Ramadan. How much does each Mujahid require in Ramadan?" I said: "He requires three Qatari riyals or dirhams." Suddenly, a check was being written for 90,000 Qatari riyals, with him saying:"This is the cost of food for a thousand Mujahidin in Jalalabad, and I ask that you alert me of its arrival." When it arrived the next day, I was surprised to hear the phone ring, with him telling me: "The money for the food of two thousand more is on the way. Feed them rice and meat, as they are the best of foods."

Comply with this program, and it is easy: break your fast in the mosque, then pray the Maghrib. Return to your homes, eat as much as Allah has Willed for you to eat, and after that, make istighfar while you are awaiting the time for 'Isha'. Then, pray the 'Isha' and Tarawih in the mosque, then, return to your homes. Eat the suhur, and be particular about this time. In addition to it being a blessed meal, the best time to make istighfar is in these early morning hours.
So, after the suhur, rush to make ablution and perform some Tahajjud, and increase in your connection with the Lord of Glory: "Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven during the last third of the night, Asking: 'Who will call on Me so that I may respond to him? Who is asking something of Me so I may give it to him? Who is asking for My forgiveness so I may forgive him?'"

So, take advantage of these times - the early morning hours - in which an answered supplication is almost certain.

{"Those who are patient, those who are true, the obedient with sincere devotion in worship to Allah, and those who spend in the Way of Allah, and those who pray and beg Allah's Pardon in the last hours of the night."} [Al 'Imran; 17]

{"They used to sleep but little by night, and in the hours before dawn, they were asking for forgiveness."} [adh-Dhariyat; 17-18]

So, when the Fajr time enters, go to the mosque and pray there. And try, if you do not have work, to not sleep during the time between Fajr and sunrise: "For me to sit with a group of people after the morning prayer, remembering Allah - the Mighty and Majestic - until the Sun rises is more beloved to me than freeing four slaves from the children of Isma'il..." [Reported by Abu Dawud]

After this, go and rest until midday. From midday until 'Asr, attend to the needs of your family.

Try to generally decrease in eating, drinking, and consuming sweets, keeping in mind that you are surrounded by widows, children, and orphans who are unable to afford plain rice. Set aside your sweets, bread, and rice for such people.

Your women are also in need of cleansing their souls, and they are in need of freeing themselves for the recitation of the Qur'an and worship. Their preoccupation with preparing food is a preoccupation from the essential activities of Ramadan; it is a preoccupation from istighfar, recitation, and worship. So, if you pray the 'Asr, and you have no other obligations to keep you busy, seclude yourself in the mosque until the Sun sets, and indulge in the recitation of the Qur'an: "...and for me to sit with a group of people after the 'Asr prayer, remembering Allah - the Mighty and Majestic - until the Sun sets is more beloved to me than freeing four slaves from the children of Isma'il."

So, when it is time for Maghrib prayer, pray it, and return to your home.

This is a program that anyone can follow, either most or all of it. Pay close attention to these days, in particular, and pay attention to these hours. In Ramadan, there is no time for 'he said, she said,' or watching television, or socialization. Do not visit one another in your houses during the nights of Ramadan, as this constitutes wasting and theft of time of this blessed month. There is the mosque in which you are able to meet and chat in after praying Tarawih, and any of your brothers who need something from you, your meeting place is in the mosque, and your place of departure is the mosque. Do not preoccupy the people with your presence in their homes during the nights of Ramadan..."

['at-Tarbiyah al-Jihadiyyah wal-Bina'; 3/86-93]

['Abd-al Latif]

Ramadhan in History

'Abdul-Hakim Quick

The Message, Canada, January 1997

All praises to Allah, Lord of the worlds. He who revealed in His Glorious Qur'an, "O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those who came before you that you may keep your duty to your Lord (having taqwa)," (2:185). And may blessings and peace of Allah be upon His last Messenger Muhammad ibn Abdullah, forever.

O you who believe, Ramadan is a sacred month wherein Almighty Allah is constantly testing His creation and giving humanity the opportunity to achieve infinite, endless Bliss. Fasting is a complete purification and a means to developing the consciousness of Allah's presence. The consciousness of Allah (Taqwa) is a protection against the schemes of Shaitan, and the suffering of this world. Allah has informed us that,

"Whoever keeps his duty to Allah (has taqwa),
He ordains a way out for him and gives him sustenance from where he imagines not. And whoever trusts in Allah, He is sufficient for him.
Surely Allah attains His purpose. Allah has appointed a measure for everything." (65:2)

Many Muslims today have a misconception about fasting and the activities of a fasting person. They go into a state of semi-hibernation, spending most of their daylight hours in bad. If they fear Allah, they wake up for prayer, but then return to sleep immediately. This unnatural sleep makes them become lazy, dull-witted and often cranky.

Ramadan is actually a time of increased activity wherein the believer, now lightened of the burdens of constant eating and drinking, should be more willing to strive and struggle for Allah. The Prophet, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, passed through approximately nine Ramadans after the Hijrah. They were filled with decisive events and left us a shining example of sacrifice and submission to Allah.

In the first year after the Hijrah, the Prophet, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, sent Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib with thirty Muslim riders to Saif al Bahr to investigate three hundred riders from Quraish who had camped suspiciously in that area. The Muslims were about to engage the disbelievers, but they were separated by Majdy ibn Umar al-Juhany. The Hypocrites of Madinah, hoping to oppose the unity of the Muslims, built their own masjid (called Masjid ad-Dirar). The Prophet, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, ordered this masjid to be destroyed in Ramadan.

On the seventeenth of Ramadan, 3 A.H., Almighty Allah separated truth from falsehood at the Great Battle of Badr. The Prophet, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, and 313 of his companions set out to intercept a caravan of their own goods that had been left in Makkah. It was led by Abu Sufyan himself, and estimated at 50,000 dinars. They were met, instead, by a well-equipped army of the nobility of Quraish, intend on putting out the light of Islam. Despite being outnumbered three to one and appearing weak and unseasoned, the Muslims defended their faith with a burning desire to protect the Prophet and meet their Lord through martyrdom. Allah gave them a decisive victory on this day of Ramadan, that would never be forgotten.

In 6 A.H., Zaid ibn Haritha was sent to Wadi al-Qura at the head of a detachment to confront Fatimah bint Rabiah, the queen of that area. Fatimah had previously attacked a caravan led by Zaid and had succeeded in plundering its wealth. She was known to be the most protected woman in Arabia, as she hung fifty swords of her close relatives in her home. Fatimah was equally renowned for showing open hostility to Islam. She was killed in a battle against these Muslims in the month of Ramadan.

By Ramadan of 8 A.H., the treaty of Hudaibiyya had been broken and the Muslim armies had engaged the Byzantines in the North. Muhammad, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, felt the need to strike a fatal blow to disbelief in the Arabian Peninsula and conquer the city of Mecca. Allah has declared His Sanctuary a place of peace, security and religious sanctity. Now the time had come to purify the Ka`bah of nakedness and abomination. The Prophet, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam set out with an army having more armed men than al-Madinah had ever seen before. People were swelling the army's ranks as it moved toward Makkah. The determination of the believers, guided by the Will of Allah, became so awesome that the city of Makkah was conquered without a battle, on 20 Ramadan. This was one of the most important dates in Islamic history for after it, Islam was firmly entrenched in the Arabian Peninsula. During the same month and year, after smashing the idols of Makkah, detachments were sent to the other major centers of polytheism and al-Lat, Manat and Suwa, some of the greatest idols of Arabia, were destroyed.

Such was the month of Ramadan in the time of the Prophet, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam. It was a time of purification, enjoining the good, forbidding the evil, and striving hard with one's life and wealth. After the death of the Prophet, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, Muslims carried on this tradition and Allah used the true believers to affect the course of history. Ramadan continued to be a time of great trials and crucial events.

Ninety-two years after the Hijrah, Islam had spread across North Africa, Iran, Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria. Spain was under the tyrannical rule of King Roderic of the Visigoths. Roderic had forced his six millions serfs and persecuted Jews to seek the aid of the Muslims of North Africa in order to be delivered. Musa ibn Husair, the Umayyad governor of North Africa, responded by sending his courageous general Tariq ibn Ziyad at the head of 12,000 Berber and Arab troops. In Ramadan of that year, they were confronted with a combined Visigoth army of 90,000 Christians led by Roderic himself, who was seated on a throne of ivory, silver, and precious gems and drawn by white mules. After burning his boats, Tariq preached to the Muslims warning them that victory and Paradise lay ahead of them and defeat and the sea lay to the rear. They burst forth with great enthusiasm and Allah manifested a clear victory over the forces of disbelief. Not only was Roderic killed and his forces completely annihilated, but also Tariq and Musa succeeded in liberating the whole of Spain, Sicily and parts of France. This was the beginning of the Golden Age of Al-Andalus where Muslims ruled for over 700 years.

In the year 582 A.H., Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi, after battling with the Crusaders for years, finally drove them out of Syria and the whole of their occupied lands in the month of Ramadan. The Muslim world was then destined to meet one of its most frightening challenges.

In the seventh century A.H. the Mongols were sweeping across Asia destroying everything that lay in their path. Genghis Khan called himself "the scourge of God sent to punish humanity for their sins". In 617 A.H., Samarkand, Ray and Hamdan were put to the sword causing more than 700,000 people to be killed or made captive. In 656 A.H., Hulagu, the grandson of Genghis Khan, continued this destruction. Even Baghdad, the leading city of the Muslim world, was sacked. Some estimates say that as many as 1,800,000 Muslims were killed in this awesome carnage. The Christians were asked to eat pork and drink wine openly while the surviving Muslims were forced to participate in drinking bouts. Wine was sprinkled in the masjids and no Azan (call to prayer) was allowed. In the wake of such a horrible disaster and with the threat of the whole Muslim world and then Europe being subjected to the same fate, Allah raised up from the Mamluks of Egypt, Saifuddin Qutz, who united the Muslim army and met the Mongols at Ain Jalut on 25th of Ramadan, 458 A.H. Although they were under great pressure, the Muslims with the help of Allah, cunning strategy and unflinching bravery crushed the Mongol army and reversed this tidal wave of horror. The whole of the civilized world sighed in relief and stood in awe at the remarkable achievement of these noble sons of Islam.

This was the spirit of Ramadan that enabled our righteous forefathers to face seemingly impossible challenges. It was a time of intense activity, spending the day in the saddle and the night in prayer while calling upon Allah for His mercy and forgiveness.

Today, the Muslim world is faced with drought, military aggression, widespread corruption and tempting materialism. Surely we are in need or believers who can walk in the footsteps of our beloved Prophet, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, the illustrious Sahabah, Tariq ibn Ziyad, Qutuz, Salahuddin and the countless heroes of Islam. Surely we are in need of believers who are unafraid of the threats of the disbelievers, yet kind and humble to the believing people; Muslims whose fast is complete and not just a source of hunger and thirst.

May Allah raise up a generation of Muslims who can carry Islam to all corners of the globe in a manner that befits our age, and may He give us the strength and the success to lay the proper foundations for them. May Allah make us of those who carry out our Islam during Ramadan and after it, and may He not make us of those who say what they do not do. Surely Allah and His Angels invoke blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad. O you who believe, send blessings and peace to him forever.

['Abd-al Latif]

- Ramadan Pointers -

Shaikh (Dr) Haitham Al-Haddad

The bounties and opportunities of Ramadan are many and unlimited yet the number of days we have to take advantage of it are few and limited.

Patience

…those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure!¹

Patience is inseparable from the purpose of Ramadan. Scholars mention four areas where patience is required: fulfilling acts of obedience to Allah; refraining from prohibitions; bearing trials and tribulations; and preserving one’s heart and intellect from misguidance. Fasting allows us to exercise and develop all these types of patience.

For Days Passed By!

Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days past!²

Al-Hasan al-Basri is reported to have said, ‘The Hur al-'Ayn will say to a wali of Allah whilst reclining with her by a river of honey and being presented with a cup, "Allah looked upon you on a very long hot day, experiencing severe thirst and so Allah boasted about you before the Angels saying, 'Look at my slave, he has forsaken his wife, desire, pleasure, food and drink for my sake and for what is with me, bear witness that I have forgiven him!' So he forgave you that day and wed me to you".'

The All-Seer

The fasting day is much longer this year and it will get even longer with the years to come. This creates more difficulty for everyone, especially those at work. It is important to realise that we are all under the watchful gaze of the One who is above us all and that He is reserving our reward for us and soon enough we will find that reward with great happiness and joy. This is a matter we should often remind ourselves of throughout the day especially when we feel the pangs of hunger; when we fast all the while being conscious that Allah is watching us, our rewards multiply.

A Private Affair

The fast is a secret between the slave and his Lord, no one knows about the difficulty and hardship the fasting person is going through except Allah. He is the one who determines the reward, and His bounty is unlimited! Allah’s Messenger said, ‘Every action of the son of Adam is given manifold reward, each good deed receiving ten times its like, up to seven hundred times. Allah the Most High said, 'Except for fasting, for it is for Me and I will give recompense for it, he leaves off his desires and his food for Me.' Fasting is a type of communication with Allah just as prayer is. It is as though we are calling out to Him, ‘I am only doing this action that no one knows about except for you. And this action that I do, even though I am doing it, it belongs to you.’

Striving to Win

Abu Musa al-‘Ashari is an example of one who came before us who truly understood the rewards and virtues of fasting and would love to increase his worship of Allah. He said, ‘Allah decreed upon Himself that whoever goes thirsty for Him on a hot day, that He would grant him water on the Day of Judgement.”³ Abu Musa would often fast and choose days that were hot and long.

The Highest Objective

O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain taqwa (piety).⁴

We fast in order to attain taqwa. One scholar defined it in the following manner, ‘Taqwa is to act in obedience to Allah, upon a light from Allah, hoping for reward from Allah; and to abandon disobedience of Allah, upon a light from Allah, fearing punishment from Allah.’⁵

The Glorious Qur’an

“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong).”⁶

It is almost as though Allah is telling us that we should shift our focus and efforts during the holy month of Ramadan to reading the Qur’an. This is what some of the past scholars did as they would stop delivering lectures and answering questions. Many of them completed it dozens of times during this blessed month. This is a great opportunity for us to become more proficient in our recitation and ponder much over the Quran.

Translating Guidance

We should read the Quran with its translation as this will help us to understand what Allah is saying to us and will aid us in learning the Arabic words that appear in the Quran often. Reading the Quran is not enough; we must understand and ponder over it. This is why Allah said it is guidance for mankind so that we know what is right and what is wrong. Only when we know what is being read can we take it as a source of guidance. An easy step to take in this regard is to simply select a small portion of your daily recitation and read the English whilst following the Arabic. By doing this every Ramadan one can really build up their Quranic Arabic vocabulary.

Intimacy of Tawheed

“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near. I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me. So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.”⁷

This verse is among the same set that commands us with fasting; as we read the words of Our Lord and comply with what is asked from us, we should also ask Him what we need and want from Him. We should feel close to Allah in this month more so than any other month. As Allah speaks to us through his words in His book, we should speak to Allah in our supplications.

Whenever people questioned the Prophet about a matter and Allah addressed it in the Qur’an he would start by saying, ‘Qul’ (Say) Yet, when Allah was asked about Himself as in this ayah, he did not say, ‘Qul’. This shows us that we do not need to go through anyone to reach Allah and ask of Him, emphasising the greatness and importance of His Oneness. This also shows us how close Allah is to us. Allah also expresses His nearness to us by attaching the slave to Himself, ‘And when My slave asks you.’ This also shows the great heights a human being can reach by being a slave of Allah. Other verses refer to the slave as though they are distant and many, whilst here the slaves are being addressed as being near and as one individual.
So we know how close Allah is to us and that He promised to respond to His slave. Now imagine that this slave is fasting and the Prophet has told us that the supplication of the fasting Muslim will not be rejected!⁸. The bounties and opportunities of Ramadan are many and unlimited yet the number of days we have to take advantage of it are few and limited.

Let us make this Ramadan different to all our previous ones. They say that actions speak louder than words, so let your actions (worship) therefore be as though you are speaking to your Lord.

^{__________________________________________________ _________}
Notes:

source: www.islam21c.com


[1] Surah Al-Zumar verse 10
[2] al-Haaqqah verse 24
[3] Al-Bazzar and declared hasan by Al-Albani in Sahih al-Targhib, Vol 1 pg 412
[4] Surah Al Baqarah, 2:183
[5] Talq Ibn Habib, related by Ibn Abi Shaybah in Kitaab al-Iman (no. 99)
[6] Surah Al Baqarah, 2:185
[7] Surah Al Baqarah, 2:
[8] Al-Tirmidhi

['Abd-al Latif]

Ramadan: The Month of Deeds


By Uthman Khan

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said “On the first night of Ramadan, the devils and rebellious jinn are bound in chains; the gates of Paradise are opened until not a single gate remains closed.

All praise belongs to Allah the Most High, who created both life and death as a test to see who is foremost in deed. Through His infinite mercy He blessed mankind with selected times and seasons in which the best deeds are made obligatory and the reward for good deeds is multiplied.

Allah, the Most Wise, prescribed the third pillar of Islam, fasting, in the second year after the hijrah of the final Messenger (peace be upon him). Fasting is obligatory upon every sane Muslim adult, Allah the Most High says, “O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain taqwa.”^[1] Taqwa is defined as “the consciousness of the soul to fulfil what Allah the Most High has commanded and abstain from what He has prohibited”^[2]. Fasting is therefore a means towards achieving a level of self-restraint. The scholars of tafsir (exegesis) mention various behaviours that are restrained by fasting including eating, drinking, fulfilling one’s desires, being angry and disobeying Allah the Most High in general. Sufyan Al Thawri said, “The reason for the title muttaqin (those who have taqwa) is that they leave that which is not left”. Ibn al-Qayyim said “The objective behind fasting is to restrain the soul from desires (for food, drink, and sexual relations), divert it from its normal circumstances, tame the strong desires, prepare it to attain the happiness and benefits (from fasting), and purify it from its untamed state. By experiencing the intensity of hunger and thirst, one is reminded of the condition of the hungry stomachs of needy people.”^[3]


The Prophet (peace be upon him) said “On the first night of Ramadan, the devils and rebellious jinn are bound in chains; the gates of Paradise are opened until not a single gate remains closed. The gates of Hell are bound shut until not a single gate remains open. Then a caller calls out, ‘O desirer of good, go forth! O desirer of evil, restrain yourself! Allah is emancipating people from the Fire every night’.”^[4]

On the last day of Sha’ban, the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave a sermon and said, “O people! A great and blessed month has approached you, a month containing a night better than a thousand months. Allah has made fasting in its days an obligation and prayer in its nights a (recommended) voluntary act. Anyone who seeks nearness to Allah in this month through any virtuous act will be like one who carried out an obligatory act at another time (outside of Ramadan), and whoever performs an obligatory act in this month will be like one who performed seventy such acts at another time. It is the month of patience, and the reward for patience is Paradise. It is the month of equality, the month in which the wealth of the believer is increased...”^[5]

With the reward for obligatory acts multiplied, one must exert to perform them in the best of manners, and with the reward for voluntary acts multiplied one must hasten to perform good deeds. Ramadan is without doubt a golden opportunity for the one who seeks to be absolved from the Hell fire and the one who yearns to dwell in Paradise, wherein they will have all that they desire.

Many Muslims assume that when Ramadan comes they will endeavour to become obedient Muslims and do the maximum possible good deeds for the whole month. If you imagine the reality as a graph, what happens is that you start off with a peak and then the influx of deeds becomes difficult for so many reasons, so you trough or lull for much of this precious month. You then try a bit harder at the end to try to catch laylat-ul-Qadr (the night of decree), but even then you may sleep some nights and even miss some obligatory prayers! This approach to Ramadan is not correct will repeatedly fail. The Messenger (peace be upon him) and his companions would pray, fast, and be obedient to Allah all year round. In Ramadan, like other special times in the year, they would maximise their efforts to excel in good deeds.

Ramadan should be used as a platform to change lives, every day should get increasingly better, the case being even more so each and every year. Allah the Most High loves those deeds that are done with consistency, because they represent a Muslim’s personality, and they are the deeds that will pave the path to Jannah(paradise). Prior to Ramadan, Muslims must perform the obligatory acts, otherwise they will be punished for their negligence after this life. The obligatory acts should be supplemented with voluntary acts that are part of one’s daily routine. Once Ramadan arrives then that is the time to exceed beyond your normal deeds with more voluntary acts and increase them in a gradual manner. Then whoever can perform i’tikaaf (confinement of oneself to the mosque) they spend all of their time in good deeds until the end of Ramadan, while those who cannot, exert themselves to spend their days performing good deeds and their nights in prayer. After celebrating Eid al Fitr, the six fasts of Shawwal should be performed and good deeds should remain part of our routines until the following Ramadan.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would perform various good deeds in Ramadan. Some of the deeds that have been mentioned in association with fasting and Ramadan will now be mentioned, all of which are highly recommended acts of worship to be performed.

Allah the Most High combined fasting with eight other deeds when He described the successful believers “(The believers whose lives Allah has purchased are) those who repent to Allah (from polytheism and hypocrisy, etc.), who worship Him, who praise Him, who fast (or go out in Allah's Cause), who bow down (in prayer), who prostrate themselves (in prayer), who enjoin (people) for Al-Ma'rûf (i.e. Islaamic Monotheism and all what Islaam has ordained) and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds and all that Islaam has forbidden), and who observe the limits set by Allah (do all that Allah has ordained and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which Allah has forbidden). And give glad tidings to the believers.^[6]

Ramadan is also the month of Quran as Allah the Most High said “The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong)”^[7]. Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah said “Fasting and the Quran will intercede for a slave on the day of judgement, the fasts will say, ‘my Lord I prevented him (or her) from food and desires so let me intercede’, and the Quran will say, ‘I prevented him (or her) from sleeping at night so let me intercede’, then they will intercede”^[8]. It was said that the salaf would spend the days of Ramadan reading the Quran^[9], and the importance of studying the Quran cannot be emphasised enough. A single ayah recited with contemplation (tadabbur) may be better then reciting many ayaat (verses) of the Quran without contemplation. Scholars differed regarding whether it is better to recite more or recite less with contemplation. Although as isolated deeds they both may be equal, the latter will benefit you for the rest of your life and thus the effects of understanding the Quran will elevate you further in the Hereafter. Abu Jumrah once said to Abdullah ibn Masud ‘I am fast in my recitation and perhaps I would recite the Quran once or even twice in a single night’, Abdullah (ra) replied ‘For me to recite one surah is more pleasing to me than if I did that which you do, if you do so then make sure that you recite so that your ears hear what you recite and your heart pays attention.’^[10]


Ibn ‘Abbas (ra) narrated “Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) was the most generous of people and he was the most generous in the month of Ramadan, when Jibreel would meet him. Jibreel used to meet him every night of Ramadan to teach him the Quran.”^[11] This hadith emphasises the need to be generous in giving all kinds of charity in Ramadan, in addition to studying the Quran. It is also important to feed others, especially those with less. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said “whoever gives a fasting person (food or drink to break their fast), they will have similar to the reward of the one who fasted, without any decrease for the one who fasted.”^[12]


It is upon us all to fear Allah, and direct our best efforts in and out of the month of Ramadan towards obeying Him. Allah the Most High commanded us “So keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can; listen and obey; and spend in charity that is better for yourselves. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, then they are the successful ones.”^[13] No one is burdened with more than they can take, however it is through the performance of good deeds and the attainment of taqwa that we will earn the reward prepared for the muttaqeen.

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Notes: Source: www.islam21c.com


[1] Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183

[2] Mu’jam al-lughatul-fuqahaa, Dar An-Nafaes

[3] Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah, Zaad al-Ma’aad, Maktabah Al-Risalah, Volume 2, pp27-29

[4] Sunan al-Tirmidhî 618 and Ibn Maajah 1632; authenticated by Sheikh Albaani

[5] Sahîh Ibn Khuzaymah 1887

[6] Surah At-Taubah 9:112

[7] Surah Al-Baqarah 2:185

[8] Ahmed 6337

[9] Muhammad ‘Arif, Siyaam As-Saaliheen, pp30-32

[10] Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah, Zaad al-Ma’aad, Maktabah Al-Risaalah, Volume 1, pp327-329

[11] Saheeh al‐Bukhari 1716; 3290, Muslim 4268

[12] Ahmed 16419; Tirmidhi 735; Ibn Maajah 1736; Ad-Daarimee 1755,

[13] Surah At-Taghaabun 64:16

[birkah]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdx12AB1IdI&feature=player_embedded

• What does Sihr-magic have to do with Suhoor (meal before closing fast)? Sihr is done in the darkness of the night and is hidden. Suhoor is the meal which is eaten at the darkest portion of the night (it is Sunnah to delay to the last minute, to the point that Prophet SAW commanded the Sahaba to keep eating until the last minute).
• What is the point of Ramadan? It is meant to upgrade you. If you not praying Fard then you need to start doing that and continue that. For others, 10/12 Sunnah Ar-Ratibah, and for those doing that, then Taraweeh/Tahajjud should serve as training for the rest of the year.
• The point is to upgrade. Once you are upgraded to a higher salary, would you like a lower salary? Why would you destroy all the good habits after Ramadan?
• Each Ramadan is a time to come closer and closer and closer to Allah, just as you are coming closer and closer and ever closer to your death.
• You body needs food and drink. Yet we give that up during the day. If we can give up a necessity, can we not give up our sins?

Once Hassan Al-Basri RA passed by a group of people who were laughing, joking, and entertaining themselves. So Hassan RA said, this is a month of racing, and we are in the middle of the race. Either you have won the race or you have lost the race (there is no way for us to know that we have won the race, especially in the middle, hence we have not won the race). If you have lost the race, what are you doing laughing?

I encourage everyone to listen to the lecture, especially the advice in the last 30 minutes. Ramadan is not over, and there is still much we can do. Also, if you make notes please email them to me at [email protected]

[alhamdulilaah]

Ramadan's Budget

[alhamdulilaah]

Diary of a fasting person