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7/30/2019 Ramadhan Articles

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Ramadhan Articles


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In Ramadhaan, I devoted myself to worshiping Allaah The Almighty, performed moresupererogatory acts of worship, enjoyed the sweetness of worship, recited many portions ofthe Noble Quran, did not neglect the congregational prayers, and stopped watching whatAllaah The Almighty has prohibited.

However, afterRamadhaanI lost my dedication and enthusiasm for worship and thus, lost the

sweet taste of worship that I had found in Ramadhaan.

I often miss performing Fajr (dawn) prayer in congregation. I have also stopped doing many of

the supererogatory acts of worship, reciting the Noble Quran, and so on.

Is there any solution or remedy to this problem?

Here are ten means of continuing to do good deeds after Ramadhaan .

1.First, seek the support of Allaah The Almighty, beseeching Him to guide you to the right pathand help you remain steadfast in faith. Allaah The Almighty praised the supplication of those

who are firmly grounded in knowledge when they said (what means): { "Our Lord , Let not our

hearts deviate after You have guided u s and grant us fro m Your self mercy . Indeed, You are the

Bestower. }[Quran 3: 8]

2. Be keen on being in the company of the righteous and attending the assemblies of Thikr(remembrance of Allaah The Almighty) such as religious lectures and visiting righteous people

privately.

3. Acquire knowledge about the biographies of the righteous believers by reading books andlistening to tapes and CDs, especially the biographies of the Companions of the Prophet

since this will instill determination and a strong will.

4.Listen to a variety of Islamic tapes and CDs of Islamic lectures and discourses. Visit the shopsthat sell Islamic recordings every now and then.

5.Be keen on performing the obligatory acts of worship such as the five daily prayers and makeup for the missed fasts of Ramadhaan due to the great benefit carried by the obligatory acts of

worship.

6. Continue to perform supererogatory acts of worship; do what you are most inclined towardsand what you can do regularly, even if it is little. The Prophet said: The mos t beloved of

deeds to Al laah is the on e that is cont inuou s, even i f i t islittle.

7. Start learning the Book of Allaah The Almighty by heart and keep reciting it. Recite what youhave memorized during prayer.

8.Engage in Thikr and ask Him, The Almighty, for forgiveness. This may seem like an insignificantact, yet, performing it is very beneficial since it increases one's faith and strengthens the

heart.


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9.Keep away from everything that may corrupt your heart and divert it from the straight path suchas bad company, television sets and satellite channels, listening to music and songs, and

looking at lewd magazines.

10.Last, but not the least in importance, make haste to repent to Allaah The Almighty sincerely, assincere repentance implies no turning back. Indeed, Allaah The Almighty is pleased when His

servant turns to Him with sincere repentance.

Do not be one of those who only pay heed to Allaah The Almighty in Ramadhaan. The

righteous predecessors said about them, Woe to those people who d o not become mindfu l of

Al laah The Alm ighty except in Ramadhaan


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Keep Up Your Zeal in Ramadhaan - I

It is not an unfamiliar phenomenon that one observes as people pass into themiddle of Ramadhaan, when their fervour begins to wane and their eagernessand determination to perform acts of worship diminishes noticeably.

Most people start Ramadhaan full of energy and enthusiasm, performing manyvirtuous deeds and feeling the sweetness of obedience and worship. However,as the middle of the blessed month approaches, the acts of worship become aroutine, and the feeling of vigour and activity starts to decrease gradually.Then, as we go on into the last ten days, our activity is given another boost aswe start performing acts of worship and supplicate Allaah The Almighty,seeking Laylat Al-Qadar (the Night of Decree).

The days and nights of the month of Ramadhaan are blessed, and during itAllaah The Almighty showers His favours and bounty upon the Muslims. Everynew day, when we are given a chance to fast, pray, supplicate Allaah TheAlmighty and perform other acts of worship, we should thank Allaah TheAlmighty for extending our life that much longer. The death of many otherpeople has prevented them from performing good deeds, and we shouldremember this every day of Ramadhaan.

Realising the bounties of Allaah The Almighty upon us during this month thatenergises us and makes us all the more determined to continue performingrighteous deeds. Should we, then, feel a drop in our zeal in the middle of thismonth? Should we postpone virtuous deeds and look to means of

entertainment for adding variety to our routines and days? Is it alright tobecome lazy with regard to acts of worship, or should we seek to solve thisproblem? Of course, we need to combat lethargy and idleness, and make themost of every single day of Ramadhaan.

So, how can we make sure we remain enthusiastic and wholehearted in ourworship throughout Ramadhaan, not just during the first few days? We musthold ourselves to account, asking ourselves: how were the days and nightspast spent? Do we have a plan to increase in our good deeds? Are we takingfull advantage of the many ways of doing good deeds during these days andnights and do we intend to continue doing them in the coming ones?

In addition, there are a few steps one can take to avoid slacking, such as:

1. Having the intention to fast, purely for Allaah The Almighty, at all times:

We must always remember that we fast solely for the sake of Allaah TheAlmighty, and that the reason we refrain from enjoying permissible thingssuch as food and drink is to please Allaah The Almighty, because the Prophet

said: Deeds are but with intent ions.

2. Remembering and pondering upon the reward for fasting and the virtues ofthis blessed month:


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We must remember the saying of the Prophet : He who fasts the mon th ofRamadhaan du e to sincere bel ief and seeking the reward for his fast ing, wil l be

forgiven for al l the sins he commit ted prior to it . Again, the precondition forforgiveness is that one fasts sincerely and purely for the sake of Allaah TheAlmighty during the entire month, and not only the beginning of it.

Allaah The Almighty also said in a Qudsi Hadeeth (sacred narration): Everyact of the son o f Aadam is for him , each deed wil l be mu lt ip l ied (for reward)

from ten mult ip les up to seven hundred mult ip les, except fast ing. I t is

(exc lusiv ely) meant for Me and I (alone) wil l reward it. Fasting eradicates all

sins committed prior to it except major great sins as the Prophet said: Thefive prayers, and from one Friday pr ayer to (the next) Friday prayer, and fr om

one Ramadhaan to (the next) Ramadhaan are an expiation of the sins

commit ted in between their intervals, i f major sins are not comm it ted. Thesenarrations should always be present in our minds as we approach the second

third of Ramadhaan; we must remember that fasting will intercede for us onthe Day of Resurrection, as in the Hadeeth: Fast ing w il l say: 'O Lord I forbadehim from eat ing and drinking so let me intercede for him . ' This is what one'sfasting will say on one's behalf.

To be continued


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Keep Up Your Zeal in Ramadhaan - II

1. Remembering that there are many virtues for those who fast:

These include rejoicing with one's fasting when he meets his Lord; entering

through the special gate of Paradise called Ar-Rayyaan, which is designatedfor those who fast; the fact that the smell which emanates from the mouth of afasting person is better in the sight of Allaah The Almighty than the fragranceof musk; the sealing of the gates of Hell, and the chaining of the devils. Allthese matters should prevent one's fasting from becoming habitual.

The Prophet said: When the f irst night of the mon th of Ramadhaan arr ives,the devils and jinn are chained, the gates of th e (Hell) f ire are closed so that

non e of its gates are left open, and th e gates of Paradise are opened so that

none of its gates are lef t closed, and a voice w il l cal l out every night saying: O

you wh o wants to perform good! -come forth! O you who wants to commitevi l ! retreat!

Contemplate the great statement in a narration of the following Hadeeth acritical statement which should cause fasting to be an act of worship for usduring the entire month a statement which certainly ought to prevent fasting

from becoming a habitual act and prevents us from slacking. The Prophetsaid: Allaah has a set number of people whom He frees from Hell everyn ight . You may be one of those whom Allaah The Almighty will free from Hellin the middle part of this month, so why become lethargic? We must all be

ambitious and work hard, and we should supplicate Allaah The Almighty tomake us amongst that number.

2. Remembering that some of the Divine Books were revealed during the middays of this month:

The Prophet said: The Injeel (i.e., the New Testament) was revealed afterthirteen days had pass ed from Ramadhaan, and the Tawraah (i.e., the Old

Testament) was revealed after eighteen days h ad passed from Ramadh aan."

Likewise, the Book of Prophet Ibraaheem was revealed in the early daysand the Quran was revealed at the end of this month.

3. Reflecting on the great wisdoms behind fasting:

There are many great wisdoms behind fasting, such as achieving the unity ofthe Ummah (Muslim nation), being kind to one another, the effects of thirst andhunger upon a person, learning self control and discipline, and many othersocial, physical and psychological benefits.

4. Contemplating on the saying of the Prophet :

May he be humiliated - he upon whom Ramadhaan arrives and passes and yetAllaah does not forgive him. May Allaah deprive him from all goodness - he


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who is alive throughout Ramadhaan and yet Allaah does not forgive him, and(instead) puts him into Hell." To which Jibreel, peace be upon him, said,"Aameen.

5. Performing various acts of worship during this month:

There are many good deeds one can perform in Ramadhaan, such as recitingthe Quran regularly, feeding the poor, spending in charity, giving Zakaah andso on. This renews one's spirit and energizes it. Also, do not lose out on thejoy and sweetness of supplicating to your Lord during any part of this month.We must express happiness and remind people in public gatherings of thegreatness of this month, the sweetness of its days, and the sweetness ofworshipping during it.

Remind ourselves of our pledge to worship Allaah The Almighty alone, withoutpartners, at all times, as He Says (what means): {Say, Indeed, my prayer, my

r i tes of sacri f ice, my l iv ing and m y dy ing are for Al laah, Lord of the worlds. Nopartner has He. And this I have been comm anded and I am th e f irst [among

you] of the Musl ims (i .e. those wh o su bm it to Allah).}[Quran 6: 162-163]

6. Keeping track of how many days have already passed:

This way, one stays focused and becomes eager to exert more effort.

7. Comparing one's situation before and during Ramadhaan:

This is in order to realise the value of this month before it is too late, becauseonce this month has finished this will be of no benefit.

We should also remember the long period that we will have to wait beforeRamadhaan returns and question whether we will be alive at that time in orderto receive it.


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Purification of the Soul and Truthfulness

Purification of the self (nafs) or the soul (rooh) means to prepare it to receive,recognize, and reflect the Truth, namely Allaah, the Creator and the Sustainerof all existence. Purification of the soul, therefore, is the purpose of all acts of

worship. Allaah Almighty says that the purpose of the mission of the Prophet

was to purify and teach us.

He Almighty Says (what means): {As w e have sent to you a messenger fromamong you w ho recite to you Our verses, and puri f ies you, and teaches you

the Book and w isdom , and teaches you what you knew n ot.}[Quran 2:151]

The truth needs a ready receptacle. If the human receptacle of truth, which isreferred to in the Quran and the Sunnah as the heart, is not ready for it, thetruth of God never settles deep in it. The reception of truth has been likened by

Allaah Almighty and the Prophet to the coming down of rain to the earth.

The Prophet said: " The example of guidance and knowledge with wh ichAllaah has sent me is l ike abundant rain fall ing on the earth, some of w hich

was fert i le soi l that absorb ed rain water and b rough t forth vegetat ion and

grass in abun dance. (And) another port io n of it was hard and h eld the

rainwater and Allaah benef ited the people with it and th ey ut i l ized it for

drinkin g, making their animals drink from it and for irr ig at ion of the land for

cult ivat ion. (And ) a port ion o f it was barren which could n either hold th e water

nor bring forth vegetat ion (then that land gave no benefi ts). The f irst is the

example of the person who c omp rehends Allaah's rel ig ion and gets benef it(from the know ledge) wh ich A llaah has r evealed thro ugh me, and learns and

then teaches oth ers. The last example is that of a person w ho d oes not care

for it and does n ot take Allaah's guid ance revealed thro ugh me (He is l ike that

barren land.)"[Al-Bukhaari]

Some land is fertile, and upon receiving rain, gives out vegetation. With somehuman effort and planning, the fertile land turns into beautiful, refreshing, life-giving and life-sustaining gardens and farms. Some land can faithfully holdwater to be used by others. Other land is not ready for the benefit of rain, andupon receiving water, it may turn into deadly marshes and swamps, or it is so

barren and hard that the water runs off of its surface, depriving it further of anynutrients.

Just the same way, there are many Muslim (one may even say the vastmajority) who even after receiving the truth of Islam, remain barren of any ofits fruit. Yet, there are always those who do receive and bloom even if theirshare of the knowledge of the truth is small, but their fertility is high, becausethey have clean receptacles.

There are memorizers of the Quran, graduates of Islamic universities, and

highly revered Shaykhs and so-called spiritual masters, big and small, whose


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receptacles are unclean and their knowledge becomes only a burden againstthem. Some of them know little but want to be revered as great Shaykhs.

Some have memorized a lot, but internalized and practiced very little, whosehairsplitting has left no room for Allaah's love and fear in their hearts.

Some have a great amount of knowledge and impressive books and speechesto their credit, but whose self-love has made their knowledge into a beneficialtrade, a mark of honor. They are not willing to sacrifice their positions for thetruth.

Some have all the outer accoutrements of piety and worship, from prayers tofasting, but who keep their piety separate from their worldly status. Theyperform Hajj often and sponsor Mosques and charities, but their businesses

may deal in interest or alcohol or other prohibitions. As the Prophet said: " I

know of people in my Ummah who wi l l come on the Day of Resurrect ion wi thgood deeds l ike the mountains of White Tihama, but Al laah w il l turn them in to

wor thless dust. They are your brothers, from you r skin, and they take from the

night (of wors hip) what you d o. But they are people who w hen they are alone

with Go d's proh ibi t ions, they violate them."(Graded as saheeh by Al-Albaani)

Some are imams and Khateebs, known as scholars or Shaykhs or leaders ofthis institution or that. Yet, when they are tested they show all the signs of

hypocrites: As the Prophet said: " Signs of a hy pocri te are three. When hespeaks, he lies. When he makes a prom ise, he breaks it. When he is tru sted, he

vio lates the trus t."[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim] Another narration adds anothersign, "When he disagrees, he abuses and ins ults."[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]The narration of Muslim adds, "Even if he fasts, prays, and claims to beMuslim."

The way to prepare our hearts for the truth is to be truthful: To love truth,advocate truth, speak the truth even at a great cost, and be truthful toourselves about our weaknesses, needs, feelings and strengths, and finally, tobe truthful to Allah Almighty.

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