Salmaan R.A. reports that "on the last day of Shaabaan, Rasulullah S.A.W addressed us and said, 'Oh people their comes over you now a great magnificent month, a month which contains a night which is better (in reward) than a thousand months, a month in which Allah S.W.T. has made fasting compulsory (by day) and has made sunnah the Taraweeh prayer at night. Whoever intends to attain Allah proximity by performing a virtuous act then that person will be rewarded with the recompense given normally for doing a Fardh (compulsory) act, and whosoever performs a Fardh act in this month, he will be like that person who has performed seventy Faraaidh outside Ramadhan.
This is indeed a month of patience and the reward of patience is Paradise. It is the month of showing mutual sympathy, and it is the month in which the provisions/rizq of a true believer are increased. Whoever provides food to a fasting person to enable him to break his fast, will attain forgiveness of sins and emancipation from Hell, and for such a person will be the same reward as the person who fasted without that person's reward being decreased in the least". Thereupon we said, "Of Messenger Allah, not all of us possess that which we may give to enable a fasting person to break his fast", Rasulullah replied, "Allah grants the same reward to a person who gives a fasting person a mere date or a drink of water or a sip of milk to enable him to break his fast".
"This a month the first of which is mercy, the middle is forgiveness and the last part is freedom from the fire of Hell, whoever lessons the burden of his servant in this month, Allah will forgive him and free him from the fire of Jahannum. In this month you should perform four things excessively, two of these four things are to please your lord and two are such that without them you cannot do. The two which you do to please your lord are (to recite) there is none worthy of worship but Allah (kalima Tayyiba) and to recite excessive istigfaar and the two which you cannot do without are you should beg Allah for entry to Paradise and seek Allah's protection from the fire of Hell. And whosoever gives a fasting person water to drink, Allah will grant that person such water to drink from my fountain, after which he will never again feel thirsty until he enters paradise". Reported by Ibn Khuzaimah in his Saheeh.
A very important point that we understand from this hadeeth and as pointed out by Nabi Kareem Muhammad S.A.W. is that in the month of Ramadhan, a nafl deed (supergatory) is rewarded as much as a Fardh deed, and a fardh deed caries the reward of seventy faraidh.
Also, there are two distinct sunnahs in taraweeh prayer. One is to listen to the full Quraan being recited in the Taraweeh prayers in Ramadhaan and the second is to perform Taraweeh prayers in with jamaat throughout the month of Ramadhaan. May Allah S.W.T. grant us the special grace to do as many good deeds as possible with the intention of compounding the reward as promised by Allah S.W.T.
Also there is a very special link between Ramadhaan and the holy Quraan. Almost all of Allah's great scriptures were revealed in this month. Similarly, in this blessed month, The Holy Quraan was brought down from the Protected Tablet (Lowhul Mahfoozh) to the First Sky (Samaa'ud Dunyaa), from where it was revealed to Rasulullah S.A.W in a span of 23 years. The Prophet of Allah Ibraheem A.S received his scriptures on the 1st and 3rd of this special month. The Prophet Dawood A.S. received the Psalms (Zaboor) the 12th or the eighteenth of this month. The illustrious Prophet Musa A.S. received the Torah on the 6th of Ramadhan. The Prophet Eesaa A.S. received the Injeel on the 12th or 13th of this Month. Therefore, as much tilawaah as possible of The Holy Quraan should be made during this month. Also, Rasullah S.A.W drew our attention to four more things and advised that they be practiced as much as possible. These four things are, recitation of Kalima Tayyiba, Istighfaar, begging Allah for Jannah and seeking refuge from Jahannum. Therefore it must be regarded as an honour to spend as much time as possible in these recitations.
Also, Ramadhaan is a means for an individual to clean and refresh his body and heart from the effects of the sins and other negligence committed over the past 11 months by repenting and worshiping Allah during this blessed month. This month is a month of purification. With this in mind, one must try their utmost to make a distinct change in this month and change their timetable to include as much acts of worship as possible. Certainly, the incentives for good deed are there, such as receiving the reward of a fardh act for every nafl act and the reward of seventy faraidh for a single act of fardh
Here is a brief list of various activities one can do to attain optimum benefit from this blessed month.
1. To change one's timetable so that most of one's time is committed to the worship of Allah. This does not have to be difficult. One can continue to recite the Kalimah Tayyibah, Istigfaar, even whilst one is at work.
2. Avoiding all acts which affect the spiritual power of your fast, such as backbiting, casting sinful glances, telling lies, listening to music no matter how cursory or fleeting it may be.
3. To make it a matter of routine to offer all the five daily prayers with congregation. The reward for congregational prayer is 27 times more than praying alone, and then there are the added benefits of the increase in reward as promised by Allah S.W.T for acts performed in Ramadhaan.
4. To rise up earlier than usual for sehri and perform Tahajjud prayer. This is a very valuable prayer and it is best to read eight units in total.
5. To spend time after the fajr prayer in remembrance of Allah S.W.T. This could be done by meditating over the greatness of Allah S.W.T or glorifying Allah S.W.T or recitation of the Quraan. Also twenty minutes after sunrise, one should perform the optional prayers of Ishraaq. After the sun has risen more fully, one should read the optional prayers of Duhaa, these can be performed until before mid-day. Duhaa prayers are read in units of two. After Magrib prayers, one should read the Awaabeen prayers. These are a total of six rakaahs in units of two. Also, one must try very hard to read the Sunnah Muakkadah prayers before the compulsory faraidh prayers this can easily be done if one attends the Masjid 10 minutes earlier than the congregational time.
6. The recitation of the Holy Quraan as much as possible. An easy way of doing this for those amongst us who are very busy is to come to the Masjid 10 minutes earlier and engage in the recitation of the Quraan.
7. To pray and supplicate to Allah S. W.T for all ones needs and requirements. One can use the medium of prayer books. Two famous and easily available prayer books are Al Hisnul Haseen by Allamah Jazri (R.A) and Munaajaate Maqbool by Moulana Ashraf Ali Saheb Thanvi (R.A).
8. And finally, one should make tremendous use of the extra reward promised by Allah S.W.T to gain as much reward as possible during this month, therefore, as always, one should be particular that no opportunity is missed in doing good deeds, no matter how small or insignificant they may be. In particular, one should give as much optional charity as one can. The Noble Prophet Muhammad S.A.W used to pay even more attention to the poor during this blessed month.
May Allah S.W.T give us all the special ability and endeavor to carry out Allah S.W.T commands during this month and to refrain from commiting sins and displeasing Allah S.W.T. |
