CLASS - 6

MERITORIOUS ACTS DURING RAMADAN

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MERITORIOUS ACTS DURING RAMADHAN

  

The Night Prayer or Tarawih Prayers

Allah's Messenger ﷺ has encouraged offering prayer at night regularly. This prayer is known as the 'night prayer' (Qiyamul-Layl) or (Tahajjud). During Ramadhan this prayer is also call Tarawih. It is allowed to offer the Tarawih, at any time starting from the conclusion of' Isha (Night) prayer until the commencement of the Fajr (Dawn) prayer. The Prophet ﷺ always prayed eleven Rak'ahs (units of prayer) for the optional night prayer, whether it was during Ramadhan or any other time of the year but it is allowed to pray more than 11 Rakahs InshaAllah. 

Narrated Ibn Umar: Once a person asked Allah's Apostle about the night prayer. Allah's Apostle replied, "The night prayer is offered as two Rakat followed by two Rakat and so on and if anyone is afraid of the approaching dawn (Fajr prayer) he should pray one Raka’ and this will be a Witr for all the Rakat which he has prayed before." (Bukhari Volume 2, Book 16, Number 105)

Two groups have gone to extremes with regard to this matter. The first group denounced everyone who prays more than eleven rak’ahs and said that doing so was bid’ah. The second group denounced those who do only eleven rak’ahs and said that they are going against scholarly consensus (ijmaa’). 

Let us listen to what Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

Here we say that we should not go to extremes or be negligent. Some people go to extremes in adhering to the number mentioned in the Sunnah, and say that it is not permissible to do more than the number mentioned in the Sunnah, and they aggressively denounce those who do more than that, saying that they are sinners. 

This is undoubtedly wrong. How can they be sinners, when the Prophet ﷺ, upon being asked about night prayers, said that they are to be done two by two, and he did not specify any particular number? Of course  the one who asked him about the night prayer did not know the number, because if he did not know how to do it, it is even more likely that he did not know the number. And he was not one of those who served the Prophet ﷺ so that we might say that he knew what happened inside his house. Since the Prophet ﷺ told him how to do it but did not say how many times, it may be understood that the matter is broad in scope, and that a person may pray one hundred rak’ahs then pray Witr with one rak’ah. 

Tarawih, is a voluntary prayer by which a true believer intends to seek the pleasure of Allah and draw near to Him. The Prophet said ﷺ:

"Whoever performed the night prayer in Ramadhan with sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven." (Al-Bukhari) 

Al-Tirmidhi (806) narrated that Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: 

“Whoever prays qiyaam – i.e., Taraweeh – with the imam until he finishes, it will be recorded as if he spent the whole night in prayer.”  Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi. 

Giving Charity And Donations

One of the good deeds of this blessed month of Ramadhan is charity and benevolence, which is more virtuous than during the other months. The goal of giving charity and donations is to attain the pleasure of Allah(S.W.T).

“And whatever you spend in good, it will be repaid to you in full, and you shall not be wronged.” (Quran 2:272)

Narrated by Ibn Abbas, "The Prophet ﷺ was the most generous amongst the people, and he used to be more so in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel visited him, and Gabriel used to meet him on every night of Ramadan till the end of the month. The Prophet ﷺ used to recite the Holy Qur'an to Gabriel, and when Gabriel met him, he used to be more generous than a fast wind (which causes rain and welfare). (Bukhari)

Increasing One's Recitation of The Qur'an

The blessed month of Ramadhan is the month of the Qur'an, in which reciting the Qur'an according to one's ability is strongly recommended. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited the Qur'an with the utmost concentration and deep contemplation of its meanings. For Ramadhan is the month in which the Qur'an was revealed. Allah (S.W.T) says interpretation of the meaning is: -

"The month of Ramadhan, in which the Qur'an was revealed; a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong)." (2:185)

Ramadan was the month in which the Qur’an was first revealed so it is the month of the Qur’an. We should devote much of this blessed month reciting the Qur’an.

Az-Zuhri Radi Allahu anhu used to say upon the coming of Ramadan, “It is only about reciting the Qur’an and feeding the poor.”

Abdur-Raziq Radi Allahu anhu said, “When Ramadan came, Sufyan Ath-Thawri would give up all acts of (voluntary) worship and devote himself to the recitation of the Qur’an.”

But for many of us the Qur’an has gathered a lot of dust since the last time we picked it up.

As Ramadan is fast approaching we must blow off the dust and start to build a close relationship with the Qur’an for it will intercede with us on the day of judgement:

“Recite the Holy Qur’an as much as we can for It will come as an intercessor for its reciter’ on the Day of Judgement” (Muslim)

 

The Recitor will be in the company of Angels: ‘Aa’ishah Radi Allahu anha related that the Prophet ﷺ said: 

“Indeed the one who recites the Quran beautifully, smoothly, and precisely, will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels. As for the one who recites with difficulty, stammering or stumbling through its verses, then he will have twice that reward.”  (Bukhaari & Muslim)

There are Ten Rewards for Every Letter Recited from the Quran in normal times but in Ramadan these rewards are multiplied:

“Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allaah, he will have a reward, and this reward will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that ‘Alif, Laam, Meem’ (a combination of letters frequently mentioned in the Holy Quran) is a letter, rather I am saying that ‘Alif’ is a letter, ‘Laam’ is a letter and ‘Meem’ is a letter.” (At-Tirmithi)

Narrated by Ibn Abbas, "The Prophet ﷺ was the most generous amongst the people, and he used to be more so in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel visited him, and Gabriel used to meet him on every night of Ramadan till the end of the month. The Prophet ﷺ used to recite the Holy Qur'an to Gabriel, and when Gabriel met him, he used to be more generous than a fast wind (which causes rain and welfare). (Bukhari)

So what better time for us to get into the habit of reciting the Qur’an than to begin to do so right now. We should recite the Qur’an with its meanings and try to understand and implement it into our daily lives.

We should set ourselves realistic targets for how much we should begin to recite each day for e.g. we will recite some pages a day, half a juz (chapter), or 1 juz etc. We should recite however much we can manage and then build up gradually and aim to finish reciting the whole Qur'an at least once in the Month of Ramadhan

 

Increase Taqwa

Everyone must endeavor to the best of his ability to fear Allah ~ with a conscious heart. In order to generate such a fearful mind, the best method is to recite the Noble Qur'an with due concentration, understanding, and contemplation of its meanings. Moreover, while reciting the Qur'an, he should reflect upon the supreme Omnipotence and absolute Majesty of Allah (S.W.T).

  •  "Fear Allâh and Allâh teaches you". (2:282)

  •  "And they fall down on their faces weeping and it increases their humility.'' (17:109)

  •  "The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur'an) are recited unto them, they increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone)." [Al-Anfaal (8):2]

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet ﷺ said, "The fire will not touch a man who weeps out of the fear of Allâh until the milk returns to the breasts. .............". (at-Tirmidhî (hasan sahîh), an-Nasâ'i and al Hâkim (sahîh)) 

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah will give shade, to seven, on the Day when there will be no shade but His. (These seven persons are) a just ruler, a youth who has been brought up in the worship of Allah (i.e. worships Allah sincerely from childhood), a man whose heart is attached to the mosques (i.e. to pray the compulsory prayers in the mosque in congregation), two persons who love each other only for Allah’s sake and they meet and part in Allah’s cause only, a man who refuses the call of a charming woman of noble birth for illicit intercourse with her and says: I am afraid of Allah, a man who gives charitable gifts so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given (i.e. nobody knows how much he has given in charity), and a person who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes are then flooded with tears.” [Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Vol. No. 1, Hadeeth No. 629]

This Month should be used to get ourselves in that mould so that we can InshaAllah be Mindful of Allah through out the year and all our Lives.

 

Repentance

The month of Ramadan is a great opportunity for returning to Allaah The Almighty with repentance. It is the month of mercy, erasing mistakes, expiating evil deeds, salvation from Hellfire and attaining Paradise. The fortunate person is he who knows this and hastens to the actions that draw him near to His Lord by turning to Him in repentance, seeking forgiveness and feeling regret for all his slips and sins.

If one does not repent in Ramadan, then when will he? If one does not repent when the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hellfire are closed and devils are chained up, then when will he repent? When will he give up committing sins?

It is the month of repentance, forgiveness, salvation form Hell fire and the Prophet ﷺ said: “May his nose be rubbed in the dust, a man for whom Ramadan comes and then goes before he is forgiven!” [At-Tirmithi; Al-Albaani: Saheeh]

  

Seclusion in the Mosque (I`tikaf)

One of the special deeds of Ramadhan is I`tikaf. Performing I`tikaf means to confine oneself in seclusion in a mosque for the purpose of worshipping Allah alone, leaving every worldly and personal affair. The mind of the person who observes I`tikaf concentrates exclusively on the goal of pleasing Allah (S.W.T). He is engaged in various types of worship, repentance, and beseeching Allah's forgiveness. He offers as many voluntarily prayers as he can, saying words of remembrance and invocations, etc. to Allah (S.W.T). In this sense, practicing I`tikaf is a combination of many acts of worship.

 Narrated Abdullah bin Umar: Allah's Apostle used to practise Itikaf in the last ten days of the month of Ramadan. (Bukhari)

 Narrated 'Aisha R.A. : The Prophet ﷺ used to practice Itikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan till he died and then his wives used to practice Itikaf after him. (Bukhari)

 So Itikaf is also allowed for Sisters unlike what is believed now a days. 

 

Searching for Laylatul-Qadr

(the Night of Decree)

The Night of Decree (Laylatul-Qadr) is more virtuous and meritorious than one thousand months. It is the night of Ramadhan in which the Qur'an was brought from the highest heavens down to mankind. Allah ~ says in the Noble Qur'an interpretation of the meaning is: -

"Verily, We have sent it (this Qur'an) down in the Night of Decree (Al-Qadr). And what will make you know what the Night of Decree is? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months." (97:1-3)

This night occurs every year during one of the five odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadhan. The exact time of its occurrence is unknown. The only thing that is clear concerning its time is that it occurs during the last ten nights of Ramadhan. Many scholars hold the view that it fluctuates from year to year between the odd nights of the last ten nights. This means that one year it may occur during the 21st night (for example) and the next year it may fall on the 27th night. One of the possible reasons behind its concealment is that a true believer should endeavor in worshipping Allah during those odd numbered nights so as to attain all the rich reward and virtue of that tremendous time.

Allah's Messenger ﷺ has described its superiority and said: "Whoever prays during the Night of Decree, with firm belief and expecting a reward for it, his previous sins are forgiven." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

In other words, whenever you endeavor in worshiping in the odd nights of the last ten nights, then you will definitely attain the virtues of the Night of Decree.

 

Recite the following Dua in Laylatul Qadr

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: I asked: "O Messenger of Allah! If I realize Lailat-ul-Qadr (Night of Decree), what should I supplicate in it?" He ﷺ replied, "You should supplicate (the dua below).

“‘اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي‘
Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul-‘afwa, fa’fu ‘anni
O Allah, You are Pardoning and love to pardon, so pardon me”
— [At-Tirmidhi]

What can a woman who is menstruating do on Laylat al-Qadr?

A woman who is menstruating may do all acts of worship apart from praying, fasting, circumambulating the Ka’bah and doing i’tikaaf in the mosque. 

It was narrated that the Prophet ﷺ used to stay up at night during the last ten nights of Ramadaan. Al-Bukhaari (2401) and Muslim (1174) narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “When the last ten nights of Ramadaan came, the Prophet ﷺ would refrain from marital relations, stay up at night and wake his family up.”  

Staying up at night is not only for prayer, rather it includes all kinds of acts of worship. This is how the scholars interpreted it. 

  • Al-Haafiz said: “Staying up at night” means staying up to do acts of worship. 

  • Al-Nawawi said: spending the night staying up to pray etc. 

  • He said in ‘Awn al-Ma’bood: i.e., in prayer, dhikr and reciting the Qur’aan. 

As is stated in the Hadeeth quoted by Bukhari & Muslim stated above, praying qiyaam is the best act of worship that a person can do on Laylat al-Qadr.

Because the woman who is menstruating is not allowed to pray, she can spend the night in doing other acts of worship apart from prayer, such as: 

  1. Reading or reciting Qur’aan (from Memory). Click here to read details about women reciting Quran during Menses.

  2. Dhikr – such as saying Subhaan-Allaah, La ilaaha illa-Allaah, al-Hamdu Lillaah, etc. She can repeat the words “Subhaan-Allaah wa’l-hamdu Lillaah, wa laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar (Glory be to Allaah, praise be to Allaah, there is no god but Allaah and Allaah is Most Great)” and “Subhaan Allaah wa bi hamdihi, subhaan Allaah il-‘Azeem (Glory and praise be to Allaah, glory be to Allaah the Almighty)” etc.

  3. Istighfaar (praying for forgiveness), by repeating the phrase “Astaghfir-Allaah (I ask Allaah for forgiveness).”

  4. Du’aa’ (supplication) – she can pray to Allaah and ask Him for what is good in this world and in the Hereafter, for du’aa’ is one of the best acts of worship. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Du’aa’ is ‘ibaadah (worship).” (Tirmidhi; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani).

 

Performing `Umrah During Ramadhan

Performing 'Umrah (lesser pilgrimage to Makkah) in Ramadhan is especially virtuous because it is equal in reward to Hajj (the major pilgrimage to Makkah).

The Prophet ﷺ said:"Umrah in Ramadhan is equal (in reward) to Hajj -or he said "equal to (performing) Hajj with me." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

  • May Allah open the Harmain (Makkah & Madinah) for all of us during Ramadan (Ameen Ya Rubb)

 


 TIPS FOR TEST

  1. Do not have to memorise the Ayahs & the Hadeeths word for word but remember the Message.

  2. Remember the acts.

  3. Memorize the Dua to recite in the last nights of Ramadan.


ASSIGNMENT

There will be an Assignment Question asked in the Test. Marks will be given based on the following: -

  1. During this week make plans amongst your family and/or friends about Ramadan. Include in it the three things mentioned below. - 5 Marks

    • a) How to help feed the poor. (if you can afford to) - try feeding 30 ppl so its like one per day.

    • b) Plan and identify at least one more Surah that you will Memorise from the Quran.

    • c) Select a few Sunnahs that you have not been following and plan to start implementing it in Ramadan (implementing right away would be even better).

    Do not take this wrong, our intention is to generate this thought process of taking Ramadan seriously, to serve the community and earn more rewards. Of course it is not for the marks but take this as a motivation to start planning and speak to a few of your family members & friends about this so they are also motivated to do this with you and you both push each other to achieve it InShaAllah. May Allah make it easy for everyone and accept it from us all.

  2. Inform atleast 15 people about LEARN ISLAM.

    We have 25 different free online courses for adults www.LEARN-ISLAM.org/short-courses and also courses for kids aged 7-10yrs & 11-15yrs www.LEARN-ISLAM.org/kids-courses - 5 Marks.

  3. Pray for the ease of all the poor & oppressed Muslims and pray that Allah opens the doors of His houses (Masjids) for all of us and give us all the Hidayah to fulfill the rights (by visiting them often and loving to spend time over there, etc)


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