April 2020
5 Things About Ramadan
Here are some facts about this holy month:
- Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is a month of daily fasting, in which Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sexual activities from dawn to sunset. Fasting is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility, and spirituality and is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of God. During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds.
- The name “Ramadan” had been the name of the ninth month in Arabian culture long before the arrival of Islam; the word itself derived from an Arabic root rm, as in words like “rami’a” or “ar-rama’ denoting intense heat, scorched ground and shortness of rations.
- The most prominent event of this month is fasting. The fast is intended to be an exacting act of deep personal worship in which Muslims seek a raised awareness of closeness to God. The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the inner soul and free it from harm. It also allows Muslims to practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate; thus encouraging actions of generosity and charity (Zakat).
- Ramadan is also a time when Muslims are to slow down from worldly affairs and focus on self-reformation, spiritual cleansing, and enlightenment; this is to establish a link between themselves and God through prayer, supplication, charity, good deeds, kindness and helping others. Since it is a festival of giving and sharing, Muslims prepare special foods and buy gifts for their family and friends and forgiving to the poor and needy who cannot afford it; this can involve buying new clothes, shoes and other items of need.
- As compared to the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan vary, moving backward about ten days each year depending on the moon. Hila’l (the crescent) is typically a day (or more) after the astronomical new moon. Since the new moon indicates the beginning of the new month, Muslims can usually safely estimate the beginning of Ramadan. There are some disagreements each year on when Ramadan starts.
Lavatat Aur Hum Jins Parasti Kay Nuqsanat
Welcoming Ramadan
ABU HURAIRA (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of Jannah (Paradise) are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and satans are chained.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
The gates of Jannah are opened in this month because lots of righteous deeds are performed and as an encouragement for those who seek Allah’s reward. The gates of Hell are closed because fewer sins are committed by believers. The Satans will be chained so they do not have the chance as in other months to whisper into the hearts of believers and misguide them.
Allah has prescribed fasting upon all nations. He said:
“O you who believe! fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious).” (Qur’an, 2:183)
If fasting were not a great act of worship, and the reward was not so great, Allah would not have prescribed it on all nations.
Atonement of sins.
Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “He who observes the fast of the month of Ramadan out of sincerity and hope for the reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven.” – (Bukhari)
That is, when fasting is observed out of belief and without resentment to it as an act of worship or doubt in its reward, Allah will forgive the past sins of the one who observes it.
Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying: “Allah said: All the deeds of Adam’s children belong to them, except fasting, which belongs to me and I will reward it. Fasting is a shield (against Hell and against sins). If one of you happens to be fasting he should avoid sexual relations with his wife and should avoid quarreling. Should someone fight or quarrel with him let him say, ‘I am fasting.’ By Him in Whose hand my soul is, the smell from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than that of the musk.” (Bukhari and Muslim). It is a shield because it safeguards the believer from vain talk and wrongdoing, and hence it protects him from Hell.
Of all the good deeds, Allah has favored fasting to be greatly rewarded by Him and distinguished it with prestige when it is observed with the pure intention to please Him alone.
Fasting is so meritorious for a believer that he will have two occasions of joy. The first is at the time of breaking his fast when he enjoys the bounties of Allah because he has been favored with Allah’s mercy to observe the fast while many others have been deprived of this great blessing. He will rejoice in the second occasion when he meets his Lord and enjoys the abundant reward for having observed fasting. In addition to this, fasting intercedes with Allah on behalf of the believer on the Day of Judgment.
Who should fast and who should not?
Fasting is obligatory on the mature sane and healthy Muslim. Those who are immature (i.e. young children) are encouraged to fast. People suffering from a terminal illness or are too old to fast are exempted. Allah does not overburden His slaves.
Travelers are permitted to abstain from fasting. However, it is praiseworthy to fast while traveling if no hardship is imposed. In any case, travelers should make up the days they missed fasting in Ramadan once Ramadan is over and they are back home.
The sick fall into three categories:
• If it is neither hard nor harmful for them, they must observe fasting.
• If it is hard, but not harmful for them, they are permitted to break their fast.
• If it is harmful to them, then they must abstain from fasting.
The days that are missed in Ramadan must be made up once Ramadan is over.
During the monthly period or period of post-natal bleeding, women should abstain from fasting but must make up the days they missed after the fasting month is over. The Pregnant or breastfeeding woman whose health or the health of the suckling baby might be affected by fasting should break her fast and make up the missed fasts after Ramadan.
The wisdom behind fasting
A Muslim fasts by leaving his desires in order to please his Lord, hoping for His reward. Common sense dictates that one would not give up desired things except for the sake of more desirable ones, in this case, the pleasure of Allah, which is the most sought after desire.
It is a means of achieving piety and righteousness. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “He who does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah does not need his refraining from eating or drinking.” (Saheeh Muslim). In other words, Allah does not accept his fast.
The heart, through fasting, is inclined to maintain its tenderness since desires are not sought, but rather shunned. Thus the heart tends to be more receptive to the words of Allah.
A rich person will be more appreciative of Allah’s graces and bounties. He will go through what the poor and needy normally experience and will be motivated to help them. Fasting reduces pride or egoism and increases humbleness. Moreover, fasting has health advantages by means of decreasing the intake of food and relaxing the digestive system. Allah’s wisdom and His Graces are great.
Obligatory while fasting
Performing the other acts of worship and duties is most important, and Salah is in particular, as without it no other act of worship is accepted by Allah.
Praying in the congregation is a great aspect of our religion. Everyone should attend.
Its reward is twenty-seven times greater than that which is performed individually. (Bukhari)
Once the Prophet (peace be upon him) was about to burn the houses on those who did not attend the congregational prayers. (Bukhari)
Refraining from bad behavior such as lying, cheating, music, smoking, backbiting and slandering others to create animosity among them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “No slanderer shall enter Paradise.” (Bukhari)
Recommended in fasting
• Taking the meal of suhoor. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Take (the meal of) suhoor because there is blessing in it.” (Bukhari). He (peace be upon him) also said: “The difference between our fasting and that of the people of the book is taking the meal of suhoor.” (Saheeh Muslim). Even taking a cup of water as suhoor has blessing in it.
• Breaking the fast as soon as the sunsets. (Bukhari)
• Making du’a upon breaking fast. (Abu Dawood)
• Reciting as much Qur’an as possible during the month of Ramadan.
What breaks the fast–
Sexual intercourse in the daytime. The willful violation of the fast by this practice requires the fast of sixty consecutive days in order to make up for the day in which the intercourse took place. (Bukhari)
– Willful ejaculation by means of kissing or caressing, etc. Wet dreams and unintentional ejaculation do not break the fast.
– Eating, drinking, smoking or taking any food substitutes, such as receiving blood, glucose, or I. V. substances while observing the fast.
– Willful, not unintentional, vomiting.
– Menstrual bleeding. – (Bukhari). For practices other than the sexual intercourse, fasts are to be made up a day for a day after Ramadan.
Applying kuhl (surmah), eye drops, ear or nose drops do not break the fast. They are neither food nor its substitute. Perfumes, Siwaak or toothbrush without toothpaste do not break fast since it has been reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to do so. (Saheeh Al-Jaami As-Sagheer)
Naseehat Qabool Karna Musalman Ka Kam Aur Na Karna Kafir Ka Kam Hay
Radiance Of The Ulama Haq
The real knowledge of Shari’ah which comprises primarily of the Quran and the noble Ahadith of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam is not only information contained in books. In fact, the real knowledge of Shari’ah is actually a noor (divine light) that enters the heart and spurs one to follow the dictates of Shari’ah. The various sources of information from the Quran and Ahadith etc are the means to attain the divine noor of Shari’ah which is inculcated in the heart by showing respect to the Shari’ah and various means of attaining the Shari’ah.
Allah says: “When the Qur’an is recited, listen to it and be quiet so that hopefully you will gain mercy.” (7: 204)
Knowledge of Shari’ah invokes the mercy of Allah. To attain that, it is important to display utmost respect by listening attentively to the discourses of Shari’ah and to maintain silence. If one attends a discourse of Shari’ah, for example, a tafseer or Hadeeth lesson, or tarbiyyah classes with a divided attention, for example eating or talking during the discourses, such a person will not secure the noor of that discourse. He may understand the overall message of the lesson but he will be deprived of the noor of that knowledge in his heart. This is because he did not show adab and respect to the discourses of Shari’ah. The consequences of which is the heart is not enlightened and not refreshed to practice on the information achieved in the discourses.
It is so painful to observe that when national anthems which contains Kufr with its various angles are read, a momentum of respect and honor is created. The participants display deep respect for their country and that attitude has an impact on the audience who even break down with emotions. After the anthem, a degree of reverence for the country and its people is created in the heart.
The Shari’ah is divine. It is from Allah. It is fardh to display respect to the discourses of Shari’ah. It is Haram to display any disrespect to the discourses of Shari’ah. It is disrespectful to Allah and His Rasul to conduct and observe lessons of Quran and Ahadith and general aspects of Shari’ah on mediums that are littered with various forms of filth and dirt. In one moment one is listening to a verse of the Quran prohibiting intermingling of the opposite genders-
“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty. That is purer for them, verily Allah is All-Aware of what they do.” (24:30)
“Tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts”(24:31)
and immediately after the discourse, an unexpected add of a semi nude male/female appears with various unislamic conduct that diminishes the effect of the Shari’ah discourse. Furthermore, how can one attain the noor of Shari’ah when listening to the discourse while eating or drinking, the focus is on the meal rather than on the discourse? The attention to the discourse is subordinate and merely serves to be an entertainment. If one wants to really empower oneself in Shari’ah and inculcate the noor of Shari’ah, take out time and attend discourses of Shari’ah from Ulama-e-Haqq whose heart is filled with the noor of Shari’ah. That noor will travel in you to awaken the dead spirit and refresh you to be closer to Allah.
We observe that there are some people who have great amount of knowledge of Shari’ah. They are able to quote freely from the Quran and Ahadith. Yet their outward appearance does not resemble the Sunnah of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam. There is no practical example of Shari’ah, for example they commit open violations of Shariah like intermingling of opposite genders or involvement in interest-bearing transactions, they present explanations from Shari’ah to justify their Haram. The only reason for this is while they know the text of the Shari’ah, they do not have the noor of the Shariah in their hearts. It is the noor of Shari’ah that leads to Allah consciousness and adherence to the Sunnah. It is the noor of Shari’ah that leads a person to the deep insight of Shari’ah. He understands the spirit of the texts and abides by them. He leads by example of Shari’ah and if he errs, he regrets it and makes tawba. He does not justify his wrong. When he preaches, his audience feels the noor of Shari’ah in their heart. They see the radiance of the divine noor on his face; his discourses jolt the people to transform their lives. People with real knowledge don’t pretend to be sincere. They do not put up shows to impress people. Allah puts in the heart of sincere people to believe and respect true Ulama and follow them.
Ulama -e-Haqq do not pursue pomp and show and they may not be popular like some presenters. If you want to benefit from the Ulama-e-Haqq, take out the time and search for them like how you would search for a precious
By: Sheikh Mufti Ebrahim Desai (Hafidhahullah)
(In response to a query received regarding etiquette’s of acquiring Shari’ah through various social media networks)
Akhirat Ki Tayari
Hell Fire Will Not Touch You If You Do It Everyday
Burdaidah reports that Rasoolullah (SAW) said, “The difference between us (Muslims) and them (Unbelievers) is SALAH. Whoever abandons it is a disbeliever.”
Rasoolullah (SAW) said, “Whoever guards and observes his prayer, it will be a light and a proof and a savior for him on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever doesn’t guard and observe them, they will not be a light or a proof or a savior for him…* ” [Ahmad, at-Tabaraani]
‘Abdullah ibn Qart (RA) related that the Rasoolullah (saws) said, “The first act that the slave will be accountable for on the Day of Judgement will be salah. If it is good, then the rest of his acts will be good. And if it is evil, then the rest of his acts will be evil.” [at-Tabaraani]
Allah says: “(The inhabitants of Hell will be asked): “What caused you to enter Hell-fire?” They will say: “We were not among those who prayed,” [Quran 74: 42-43]
So What Will It Be For You? Hell Fire Or Paradise?
Your Destiny Will Be Determined By whether You Perform Salah 5 Times A Day Or Not- There are No Shortcuts
Tajdar-E-Risalat Ki Gareeb Parwari
Inner Revolution
God is the greatest of all powers. No one can escape Hid reckoning. He will deal severely with the wicked. Belief in a God of this awesome nature is no simple matter; faith transforms a person a being when it enters his soul.
Imagine the change that comes over a person who suddenly realizes that a lion is roaming free in front of him. A far greater change occurs when one truly realizes the existence of God. To believe in God is to discover Him, and when one truly discovers God, one becomes more certain of His existence than of anything else, one fears Him above all else.
Faith in God is like an earthquake, which shakes the human soul. The true believe sees the Day of Resurrection before it comes.
Such belief engulfs one’s entire being in the fear of God. This fear is manifested in all one’s dealings with others. One does not humiliate the weak for one sees that they are God’s envoys. One does not cover before the strong, because one sees that all are helpless before God. One accepts the truth when it is proven, for denying it would be like seeing heaven, and hell before one, then leaving the fresh gardens of paradise to plunge into the flames of hell.