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Once more Ramadhan is coming to us
with all its blessings. Blessed are those who could welcome this holy month.
Last year there were many with us to welcome and to bid farewell. But now they
are under the earth. And can we take a share in the next Ramadhan? Allah knows
best. A
Muslim does not doubt in that the best of all months is Ramadhan and the
virtues of Ramadhan are out of limitation. But where he fails is in exploiting
the moments in Ramadhan as they deserve. May Allah help us in utilizing the
blessed moments of the month in all kinds of virtues by which we can escape in
the hereafter. What is Ramadhan? Ramadhan
is the ninth month of Hijra Calendar. There are many opinions as to the origin
of the name Ramadhan. According to some of the linguists, the word Ramadhan means
that which is setting ablaze. This literal meaning is very near to the
technical sense. Ramadhan is the month which burns the sins of the believers.
Ibnu Asakir (in his Tareekh) has reported a Hadeeth from Sayyida Aisha. She
asked to the messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam “Why Ramadhan is
named so?” He told “In the month of Ramadhan Allah will forgive and burn the sins of the
believers” Some
scholars opine that it is Karaaha (undesirable) to use the word Ramadhan
without using Shahr (month), that is to say the month of Ramadhan. According
to Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani the five letters in the word Ramadhan
(Ra-Ma-Dh-A-N) are indication to five ideas 1-
Ra (Ridhwanullah) – The Pleasure of Allah 2-
Ma (Mahabbatullah) – The love of Allah 3-
Dha (Dhamanullah) - The protection of Allah 4-
A (Ilfullah) – The nearness of Allah 5-
N (Noorullah) The light of Allah Fasting
in the month of Ramadan is one of the 'pillars' of the Islamic faith. No proof
is required to establish its being obligatory (wajib) and one denying it goes
out of the fold of Islam, because it is obvious, like Salat, to the
learned and the unlettered, the elderly and the young. It was declared an
obligatory duty (fardh ) in the second year of the Hijra upon each and
every Mukallaf (one capable of carrying out religious duties, i.e. a
sane adult). In
the month of Ramadhan the reward for the virtues will be doubled into ten to
seven thousand times. Why was Ramadhan distinguished from other months of a
year by this great position? Because, Ramadhan is the month of the revelation of The Holy Quraan Allah says: شَہۡرُ
رَمَضَانَ
ٱلَّذِىٓ
أُنزِلَ
فِيهِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ
هُدً۬ى
لِّلنَّاسِ
وَبَيِّنَـٰتٍ۬
مِّنَ
ٱلۡهُدَىٰ
وَٱلۡفُرۡقَانِۚ
فَمَن شَہِدَ
مِنكُمُ
ٱلشَّہۡرَ
فَلۡيَصُمۡهُۖ
وَمَن ڪَانَ
مَرِيضًا
أَوۡ عَلَىٰ
سَفَرٍ۬
فَعِدَّةٌ۬
مِّنۡ
أَيَّامٍ
أُخَرَۗ
يُرِيدُ
ٱللَّهُ
بِڪُمُ
ٱلۡيُسۡرَ
وَلَا
يُرِيدُ
بِڪُمُ ٱلۡعُسۡرَ
وَلِتُڪۡمِلُواْ
ٱلۡعِدَّةَ وَلِتُڪَبِّرُواْ
ٱللَّهَ
عَلَىٰ مَا
هَدَٮٰكُمۡ
وَلَعَلَّڪُمۡ
تَشۡكُرُونَ
(١٨٥) Ramadhan is the month during which the Quran was revealed,
providing guidance for the people, clear teachings, and the statute book. Those
of you who witness this month shall fast therein. Those who are ill or
traveling may substitute the same number of other days. Allah wishes for you
convenience, not hardship, that you may fulfill your obligations, and to
glorify Allah for guiding you, and to express your appreciation. (Al
Baqara:185) From the above evidence we can understand that the prime
reason for the greatness of the Ramadhan is the revelation of the Quraan in it.
And it is known to everyone that the Time is honoured by the great events that take place. So really the month of Ramadhan is the anniversary
of the revelation of The Holy Quraan which is the main guide for the humanity. The door of Heaven is opened Imam Ahmad and Imam Nasa’i reported a Hadeeth from Aboo
Huraira Radhiyallahu anhu. He told: The messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alaihi
wasallam would give glad tidings to his companions at the coming of the Month
of Ramdhan. He would tell them: ”جاءكم
شهر رمضان شهر
مبارك كتب
الله عليكم صيامه
فيه تفتح
أبواب الجنة
وتغلق فيه
أبواب الجحيم
وتغل فيه
الشياطين
وفيه ليلة خير
من ألف شهر من
حرم خيرها فقد
حرم" The blessed month of Ramadhan came to you. Allah has
prescribed to you the fasting of that month in which the doors of heaven will
be opened and the doors of Hell will be closed and the Satans will be shackled.
And in the month there is a night which is better than a thousand months. If
one is prevented its virtue, he is prevented (all virtues). And in another Hadeeth we can read this: "لو
يعلم الناس ما
في رمضان
لتمنت أمتي أن
يكون رمضان
السنة كلها"
“If the people know what is in Ramadhan my Ummah will
wish all the year to be Ramadhan” The special door of Al-Rayyan Imam Muslim and Imam Bukhari reported: The messenger of
Allah Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam told: " إن في
الجنة بابا
يقال له
الريان يدخل
منه الصائمون
لا يدخل منه
غيرهم " “There is a door in Heaven told Al Rayyan. Only
the Saa’imeen (those who take fast) will enter through it. No one else
will enter through that door” The multiplication of the reward In the Month of Ramadhan the reward of the virtues will be
multiplied into many times, as it is described by The messenger of Allah
Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam. He told that the (reward of) the virtue will be
multiplied into ten to seventy thousand times.
Lailatul Qadr Another feature of The Ramadhan is that it is honoured with
a night which is more blessed than a thousand months. It is clearly stated in
Sura al Qadr: إِنَّآ
أَنزَلۡنَـٰهُ
فِى لَيۡلَةِ
ٱلۡقَدۡرِ (١)
وَمَآ
أَدۡرَٮٰكَ
مَا لَيۡلَةُ
ٱلۡقَدۡرِ (٢)
لَيۡلَةُ
ٱلۡقَدۡرِ
خَيۡرٌ۬
مِّنۡ أَلۡفِ شَہۡرٍ۬
(٣)
تَنَزَّلُ
ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةُ
وَٱلرُّوحُ
فِيہَا
بِإِذۡنِ
رَبِّہِم
مِّن كُلِّ
أَمۡرٍ۬ (٤)
سَلَـٰمٌ
هِىَ حَتَّىٰ
مَطۡلَعِ
ٱلۡفَجۡرِ (٥) We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of
Power: And what will explain to thee what the night of power is? The Night
of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein come down the angels and
the Spirit by Allah's permission, on every errand: Peace!...This until the rise
of morn! Salat Taraweeh There is a special prayer in the Ramadhan known as Salat Taraweeh
which is done after the Isha prayer till the time of Subh. Taraweeh is done in
twenty Rak’as with ten Salaams as it was done by the Salaf as
Saliheen and is the custom even now in the two Harams (Masjid al
Haram and the Haram in Madeenah). There came a lot of Hadeeth in the virtue of this
supererogatory Salat. The messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam
told: من
قام رمضان
إيمانا
واحتسابا غفر
له ما تقدم من
ذنبه Who ever stands
(praying) in Ramadhan with belief and expecting the reward, his past sins will
be forgiven. Different Adkars in Three TENS of Ramadhan The first ten of Ramadhan is for seeking the mercy of Allah.
The second ten is the month of the forgiveness and the last ten is for seeking
the protection from the Hell and entrance to the heaven. The Dikr أشهد
أن لا اله الا
الله أستغفر
الله وأسألك الجنة
وأعوذ بك من
النار is general for whole
Ramadhan. And there are special Adkar for each ten of Ramadhan. The Dikr specially
prescribed for the first Ten is اللهم
ارحمني يا
أرحم
الراحمين And for the second ten اللهم
اغفر لي ذنوبي
يا رب
العالمين And for the last ten اللهم
اعتقني من
النار وأدخلني
الجنة يا رب
العالمين اللهم
انك عفو تحب
العفو فاعف
عني New moon of Ramadan The fasting of Ramadan will be obligatory with the
sight of new moon at the last of Sha’aban or with the completion of 30th
of Sha’aban. The Messenger of Allah told: You
take fast for the sight of it (new moon of Ramadan) and avoid fast for
the sight of it (new moon of Shawwal). If it (sky) is clouded you complete the
30th of Sha’aban. (Saheehul Bukhari) Then the fast will be obligatory on an individual if he
personally sees the new moon and with the sight of one whom he trusts. And the
fasting will be obligatory on all the people of the area by the confirmation of
the sight of new moon near the Judge (Qadhi) by one witness. Likewise is the
case with the successive news about the sight of the new moon. If the sight of the new moon is confirmed in a place the
Hukm will be generalized to the near places (not remote places). If one travels
from the place of sight to a place where the new moon was not confirmed, then
he has to join with them in the last of the month (i.e., he has to take fast
though he completed thirty) and should contradict them in the first of the
month (i.e., he should not cut fasting, but has to continue his fasting). If the people did not see the new moon of Shawwal after the
completion of 30th of Ramadan they have cut the fast (and celebrate
Eid), if they began fasting by any evidence of the Sharee’a (i.e., by the sight
of a just man or by the completion of 30th of Sha’aban). But if they
began fasting by the word of unjust (but they trusted him) they should not cut
fasting. The basis of the confirmation of the new moon is depended
upon the sight, and not on the existence of moon on the horizon. So there is no
consideration for the opinion of the astronomer or mathematician. And no one
should follow them in this regard. So, everyone is expected to try to get the
sight of new moon at the last of the month. At the sight of the new moon it is
recommended to say الله
أكبر اللهم
أهله علينا
بالأمن
والايمان
والسلامة
والاسلام ربي
وربك الله
هلال رشد وخير What is Saum/Fasting? According
to Imam Razi the literal meaning of Saum is to keep abstinent from a thing.. The
technical meaning given by Imam Navavi to Saum is the avoidance of a
person the particular things in particular ways in particular times (Sharh
al-Muhadhab) The
fasting is not a particular worship to the Ummat of the messenger Muhammad
Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam as it is clearly stated in the Holy Quraan (2:183) يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
ٱلَّذِينَ
ءَامَنُواْ
كُتِبَ
عَلَيۡڪُمُ
ٱلصِّيَامُ
كَمَا كُتِبَ
عَلَى
ٱلَّذِينَ
مِن
قَبۡلِڪُمۡ
لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ O ye who believe! Fasting is
prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn)
self-restraint On whom the fasting is obligatory The fasting of Ramadhan is obligatory on all the Muslims who
are mature and pure (from the impurities) and able to fast. So the fasting is
not obligatory on the unbeliever (originally) and the child and the insane and
the disabled. But the apostate should regain the fasting after returning to
Islam. And it is obligatory on the guardians to command the child to take fast
if he reaches seven and should beat on the avoidance if he reaches 10 years. The disabled is one who suffers
great difficulty if he takes fast by the reason of old age or illness which is
not expected to be cured. Then he has to pay one Mudd (around 800
ML/650gm) of local food item for each day of avoidance. And the Haaidh (one who
is in menstrual period) and Nufsa’a (on who is with the blood after delivery)
are forbidden to take fast and if they take it will not be valid and they have
to regain it later.,_.___ |
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