"Surely, the true religion in Allah's sight is Islam" (3:19)
This is why I love Ramadhan!
Shukran to the writer
Morale: Don’t rebuke any1 who turns up at mosque in Ramadhan only
Via: Shaykh Abdul Raheem
Love Ramadan for others just as you love it for yourself and rather than rebuking or scolding someone, make sincere du’a for them.
By Khalid Baig
Fasting during Ramadan was ordained during the second year of Hijrah. Why not earlier? In Makkah the economic conditions of the Muslims were bad. They were being persecuted. Often days would go by before they had anything to eat. It is easy to skip meals if you don’t have any. Obviously fasting would have been easier under the circumstances. So why not then?
The answer may be that Ramadan is not only about skipping meals. While fasting is an integral and paramount part of it, Ramadan offers a comprehensive program for our spiritual overhaul. The entire program required the peace and security that was offered by Madinah.
Yes, Ramadan is the most important month of the year. It is the month that the believers await with eagerness. At the beginning of Rajab — two full months before Ramadan — the Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, used to supplicate thus: “O Allah! Bless us during Rajab and Sha’ban, and let us reach Ramadan (in good health).”
During Ramadan the believers get busy seeking Allah’s mercy, forgiveness, and protection from Hellfire. This is the month for renewing our commitment and re-establishing our relationship with our Creator. It is the spring season for goodness and virtues when righteousness blossoms throughout the Muslim communities. “If we combine all the blessings of the other eleven months, they would not add up to the blessings of Ramadan,” said the great scholar and reformer Shaikh Ahmed Farooqi (Mujaddad Alif Thani). It offers every Muslim an opportunity to strengthen his Iman, purify his heart and soul, and to remove the evil effects of the sins committed by him.
“Anyone who fasts during this month with purity of belief and with expectation of a good reward (from his Creator), will have his previous sins forgiven,” said Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. “Anyone who stands in prayers during its nights with purity of belief and expectation of a reward, will have his previous sins forgiven.” As other ahadith tell us, the rewards for good deeds are multiplied manifold during Ramadan.
Along with the possibility of a great reward, there is the risk of a terrible loss. If we let any other month pass by carelessly, we just lost a month. If we do the same during Ramadan, we have lost everything. The person who misses just one day’s fast without a legitimate reason, cannot really make up for it even if he were to fast everyday for the rest of his life. And of the three persons that Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam cursed, one is the unfortunate Muslim who finds Ramadan in good health but does not use the opportunity to seek Allah’s mercy.
One who does not fast is obviously in this category, but so also is the person who fasts and prays but makes no effort to stay away from sins or attain purity of the heart through the numerous opportunities offered by Ramadan. The Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, warned us: “There are those who get nothing from their fast but hunger and thirst. There are those who get nothing from their nightly prayers but loss of sleep.”
Those who understood this, for them Ramadan was indeed a very special month. In addition to fasting, mandatory Salat, and extra Travih Salat, they spent the whole month in acts of worship like voluntary Salat, Tilawa (recitation of Qur’an), Dhikr etc. After mentioning that this has been the tradition of the pious people of this Ummah throughout the centuries, Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi notes: ” I have seen with my own eyes such ulema and mashaikh who used to finish recitation of the entire Qur’an everyday during Ramadan. They spent almost the entire night in prayers. They used to eat so little that one wondered how they could endure all this. These greats valued every moment of Ramadan and would not waste any of it in any other pursuit…Watching them made one believe the astounding stories of Ibada and devotion of our elders recorded by history.”
This emphasis on these acts of worship may sound strange — even misplaced — to some. It requires some explanation. We know that the term Ibada (worship and obedience) in Islam applies not only to the formal acts of worship and devotion like Salat , Tilawa, and Dhikr, but it also applies to worldly acts when performed in obedience to Shariah and with the intention of pleasing Allah. Thus a believer going to work is performing Ibada when he seeks Halal income to discharge his responsibility as a bread-winner for the family. However a distinction must be made between the two. The first category consists of direct Ibada, acts that are required for their own sake. The second category consists of indirect Ibada — worldly acts that become Ibada through proper intention and observation of Shariah. While the second category is important for it extends the idea of Ibada to our entire life, there is also a danger because by their very nature these acts can camouflage other motives. (Is my going to work really Ibada or am I actually in the rat race?). Here the direct Ibada comes to the rescue. Through them we can purify our motives, and re-establish our relationship with Allah.
Islam does not approve of monasticism. It does not ask us to permanently isolate ourselves from this world, since our test is in living here according to the Commands of our Creator. But it does ask us to take periodic breaks from it. The mandatory Salat (five daily prayers) is one example. For a few minutes every so many hours throughout the day, we leave the affairs of this world and appear before Allah to remind ourselves that none but He is worthy of worship and of our unfaltering obedience. Ramadan takes this to the next higher plane, providing intense training for a whole month.
This spirit is captured in I’tikaf, a unique Ibada associated with Ramadan, in which a person gives up all his normal activities and enters a mosque for a specific period. There is great merit in it and every Muslim community is encouraged to provide at least one person who will perform I’tikaf for the last ten days of Ramadan. But even those who cannot spare ten days are encouraged to spend as much time in the mosque as possible.
Through direct Ibada we “charge our batteries”; the indirect ones allow us to use the power so accumulated in driving the vehicle of our life. Ramadan is the month for rebuilding our spiritual strength. How much we benefit from it is up to us.
Source: Al Balagh
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Regardless which timetable or country you follow for moon sighting, don’t begin Ramadhan with backbiting & ill thoughts of others.
Don’t stand around masajid gossiping about timetables & Saudi Arabia. It will not benefit anybody & only waste your valuable time.
If we can learn to detach ourselves from our phones this Ramadhan, it will be a great achievement & a major spiritual breakthrough.
Make a habit in Ramadan to sit in gatherings of a scholar in your area. Carry it on after Ramadan. Constant reminders are refreshers of Iman.
Some spend 1st couple of days in constant Ibadah in Ramadhan & then experience burnout. Exert yourself in moderation with breaks & rests.
Allocate some Qur’an time, Dhikr time, reading time, dua time, family time, rest time in your Ramadhan schedules.
Just as a farmer needs to make an effort to prepare the land for plantation by clearing the shrubs & weeds, then softening the soil & tilling it, planting the seeds & ensuring the proper irrigation & fumigation etc until the day of harvest, we too need to prepare for the month of fasting by leaving all sin, softening our hearts, increase our acts of worship etc. Without this we would not reap the fruits of this month.
Mufti Ismail Menk
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10 Beneficial Tips to Prepare for Ramadhan
by Shaykh Abdul Raheem hafizahullah
1. To fast some days in the month of Sha’baan
This will get you in the system, and then fasting will become easy. The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam used to fast in the month of Sha’baan perpetually.
2. Sincere tawba & Istighfaar
It cleanses the heart so the NOOR and Barakah of Ramadhan can enter the heart
3. Pray
We should start praying 5 times a day with Jamaat and Takbeere Ulaa
4. Zakat
We should calculate our Zakat and pay in Sha’baan, or you can pay it gradually throughout Ramadhan
5. Giving Up Sins
We should give up all our bad habits before Ramadhan starts. If we don’t, they will carry on in Ramadhan too.
6. Have Great Terms With Close Ones
Forgive one another, help one another, advise one another. Spring clean the heart
7. Qaza
If you have missed any fast from last Ramadhan, make up for them before Ramadhan starts. Also make up for any salah, kafaraa etc..
8. Plan Your Daily Schedule
This will help you throughout Ramadhan to be productive and regular in your ibadaat
9. Dua
The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam used to make this Dua:
اللهم سلمني لرمضان وسلم رمضان لي وتسلمو مني متقبلا
10. Social media
Minimize it, only use it for Necessity. This will help you focus to worship Allah more.
Transcribed by Ali Qaisar from Shaykh’s ‘Preparation for Ramadhan’ lecture delivered on 07/05/17
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6 Do’s and 6 don’ts of Ramadhan:
1. Do perform Salah with showq, zeal. Fardh with first takbeer, Taraweeh full 20 Rak’ats , tahajjud, Sunnate muakkadah and nawaafil with punctuality. (Ladies should try to pray Salah at home and in the beginning time, don’t delay till end time)
2. Do keep all fasts properly; Don’t miss a single fast. Don’t break any fast. Learn masaail of sawm.
3. Do calculate zakat and give it properly. Give nafil sadaqah. Be generous. Spend! Allah will spend on you.
4. Do recite as much Quran as you can. During the day, in the morning, at lunch time after Asr, and during the night.
5. Do be punctual of Dhikr. Tasbeehaat, Kalima Tayyeba, Astaghfaar, & Durood shareef.
6. Do make lots of duas. For yourself, your family, friends & for the whole ummah.
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6 Don’ts are as follows.
1. Don’t use the the Tongue unwisely. Avoid swearing, backbiting, slandering, accusing, quarrelling, etc. Smoking is also a sin of the mouth. Ramadhan is a good time to give up smoking. Nicotine patches don’t break the fast. So seek help from them if need be.
2. Don’t use the eyes unwisely. Refrain from the sin of the eyes. Don’t watch movies, dramas, etc. If you have to interact with the opposite gender at work, be modest, Lower your eyes. Eye contact has a huge effect on the heart & mind.
3. Don’t listen to stuff you shouldn’t be listening to. Control your ears. Songs and music corrupt the soul, and are detrimental to one’s spirituality. Don’t listen to gossip. Leave that gathering where backbiting starts.
4. Don’t fornicate or commit adultery. If someone has this habit, they should give it up in Ramadhan. Make sincere tawba and never go back to it. Avoid pornography and masturbation. Refrain from actions which lead to spiritual destruction.
5. Don’t earn haram nor consume haram. Make sure your income and your food are both 100% halal. If one has a habit of consuming alcohol or drugs, give it up! If there is any haram income coming in, give it up in Ramadhan. Filter it out.
6. Don’t waste time on tv, on computer, on mobiles, on social media etc. Time is our most valuable asset. Protect it and use it wisely.
May Allah give us Tawfeeq to behave properly. May Allah give us Tawfeeq to welcome Ramadhan in the way it deserves. May Allah bless us with His special Qurb and Muhabbat. May Allah be pleased with us all. Ameen
Note: The above is a Summary of yesterday’s talk by Shaykh Abdul Raheem, in Zakaria masjid, Bolton, UK.
Many of us have been counting the days remaining up to the holy month of Ramadan. Five days, four, three, two and the next thing you know here it is. For a believer the name of this month “Ramadan” gives the thought of joy, rewards and a feeling of Allah’s mercy. Truly, this is a season that should be awaited for. Anticipations and emotions for this month are not sufficient. This holy month requires action and activity. It is about altering our timetables and schedules, it demands us to train ourselves to attain Taqwa (fear of Allah or devotion to Him) which in turn, is the element to carry us successfully through the ongoing journey towards the hereafter (akhirah).
But let us ask ourselves have we really prepared for this month? Are we ready to dedicate more time for our spiritual revival ? During the month of Ramadan the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) would stay awake in the nights worshipping Allah, awaken his household and increase in worship. (Bukhari, Muslim). Even though we may have experienced many a Ramadans but every Ramadan must be treated as a once in a lifetime opportunity since we have no idea whether we will live till the next Ramadan. Let us look at a few ahadith concerning this holy period.
Increased Rewards & Forgiveness
What are the rewards of good deeds in the month of Ramadan? The reward of every Fardh (compulsory) act is multiplied seventy times while every Nafl (optional) act earns the reward of one Fardh out of Ramadan. (Ibn Khuzaymah). It is important to understand the latter aspect in its proper perspective. Tahajjud (Nafl Salah in the last third of the night) is an extremely great ibadah (worship). Great virtues have been narrated for this Salah. However, a lifetime of tahajjud cannot equal one Fardh of Fajr Salah! Yet in the month of Ramadan Almighty Allah grants us the reward of a Fardh action for every Nafl performed.
The fish in the sea seek forgiveness for those fasting until they break their fast . Allah decorates His Jannah (Paradise) every day and then says, “The time is near when My pious servants shall cast aside the great trials and come to me.” (Musnad Ahmed)
When Ramadan arrives, the gates of Paradise are flung open, the doors of the Hellfire are closed and the Shayateen are imprisoned. (Bukhari)
Fasting
All good deeds are for the one who renders them, but fasting. Fasting is exclusively for me (Allah). (Bukhari)
The odour of the mouth of a fasting person is sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk.(Bukhari)
Fasting is a shield, as long as the fasting person does not tear it up (by disobedience) (Nasaee).
Iftar
Not a single prayer made by a fasting person at the time of breaking the fast is rejected. (Ibn Majah)
The Nights of Ramadan
Whoever stands in prayer and worship in (the nights of) Ramadan, with Iman and with sincere hope of gaining reward , all his previous sins are forgiven. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Laylatul Qadr (The Night of Power)
Whoever stands in prayer and worship in the night of power with Iman and with sincere hope of gaining reward , all his previous sins are forgiven. ( Muslim)
Look for the night of power among the odd numbered nights of the last ten days of Ramadan. (Mishkat)
Learn the Dua for Laylatul Qadr ahead of time so you are prepared for reciting it often in the last 10 nights of Ramadan.
I’etikaf
The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) observed I’etikaf for ten days every year in the month of Ramadan. In the year he passed away he observed it for twenty days. (Bukhari)
On the last night of Ramadan the fasting Muslims are forgiven. (Musnad Ahmed)
Conclusion
It can be well comprehended from the above that during this month of Ramadan, Almighty Allah makes it easy for us to acquire His blessings, mercy and forgiveness. There can be no better time to attain this than this blessed month. All that is required on our part is to create in our hearts the desire, ambition, devotion, zeal, eagerness and that we exert increased efforts to acquire the pleasure of Almighty Allah.
While one should engage to the maximum in good deeds, the purpose of Ramadan must be kept foremost in mind, which is to acquire Taqwa. Thus together with the maximum amount of righteous actions one must totally refrain from all sins. We should ensure that no act of disobedience is committed. This abstinence in itself is a worship. One month of strictly conducting oneself in this manner will Insha-Allah have the effect of enabling one to live the next eleven months in a similar manner in the complete obedience of Allah. Thus, can we afford to waste this time? Can we still have time for “loafing?” Is it possible for a person who values Ramadan to spend hours eating? or loitering around after taraweeh feasts and gatherings?, or have time for any other idle pursuits? Can we afford to spend valuable time glued to the airwaves listening to the opinions and views of one and all, whereas that time could have been used to at least recite the Holy Quran or send Durood upon our beloved Prophet (p.b.u.h.)? And entertainment? How can it be possible? The last thing that any Muslim who values Ramadan should be bothered about is, who somewhere in the world is whacking a little red ball all over a field or who is kicking a ball between two posts! Let alone comedy or other shows!
Let us really make this Ramadan a profitable one that brings change in our life. We leave you with a quotation of the honorable Mufti Zubair Bayat:
All the “T’s” of Ramadan must be kept in mind so that when Ramadan comes, “everything is to the T!”. These “T’s” are: Tilawah, Tahajjud, Taraweeh, Tasbeehat, Tadharru’ (fervent Dua), Tatawwu’ (Nafl Ibadah), Tasahhur (eating Sehri/Suhoor), Taubah (repentance), Tawadhu (humility) and Tafakkur (contemplation). May Almighty Allah make this Ramadan a turning point in the life of the long-suffering Ummah. Aameen.
Jami’yyatul Ulama Canada
When we know we are to attend a wedding, we begin to plan and prepare from days and even weeks in advance. We pay much attention to detail so that we arrive to the function on time, are dressed up smartly with clean/ new shoes, have organised a place to stay, eat carefully so as not to ruin our clothing and so on. In a similar way we prepare and plan for other important events, functions, interviews etc.
However, when it comes to approaching our Islamic duties/ obligations we do so little in advance, especially for Ramadan. For some reason we feel we can flick a switch and become great pious personalities overnight. In fact, while this may work short term, in the long term you will more likely ‘burn out’ and return to your former self or in a worse condition. Is it not true afterall that in the middle of the month Ramadan the Masjid halls during taraweeh are at half capacity to what they were in the first few days??
Therefore it is much better we prepare and plan for our deeni activity, much like we do for the dunya ones and inshallah in this manner we can make the most of the blessed month of Ramadan and remain consistent upon the a’maal we adopt.
Anyway, with Ramadan due to start soon I thought it would be good to make a list of things in preparation for Ramadan. Please leave your comments and suggestions as well, via the comments below.
A small request I make is that if a brother or sister becomes more religious simply for the month of Ramadan, then rather than shooting our mouth off, saying he/ she is a hypocrite and its only for Ramadan etc, why don’t we give gentle words of encouragement so they might continue their virtuousness even after the month of Ramadan. Why should we be so mean to taunt them about what we THINK is only temporary on their part?
If we were to step back a moment and realise that this is the last Ramadan we will see in our lifetime, how would we spend it? How many Muslims do you know of who aren’t around this year to see Ramadan?
Death we know can come to us at any time, yet we still remain so ignorant of the blessing of the time now given to us to be utilised by Allah the Almighty.
I pray Allah gives, first of all me, and all Muslims the ability to utilise the month of Ramadan and safeguard ourselves from the punishment hereafter, Ameen.
by Brother Ahmed
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