2e] How the Salaf Observed Ramadhan A Message to Every Muslim On the Occasion of this Blessed Month

2e]
so he would take his lunch along with him (to work) but donate it to
charity on the way. When he returned at night, he would break his fast
with the family and they did not know that he was fasting."
Sufyan Al-Thawri said,"The servant of Allah would do his deeds
secretly, and the devil would persist in tempting him until he
convinces himto do it openly. The devil would then continue to insist
until the person wants to be thanked for the deed. So, it will be
converted from a deed done openly to one done for showing off."
Amusement During Ramadan:
Dear brothers and sisters, Ithink I have prolonged myadmonition to you
to seizethis opportunity. I have taken some of your time, but let us
look together at a very critical phenomenon that we all fall into,
especially during Ramadan. It is the phenomenon of wasting time and
spending it in ways other than obedience to Allah. This indeed means a
lack of awareness and amounts toturning away from the Mercy and Bounty
of Allah Who says,
"But whosoever turns away from My Message, Verily for him is a life
narrowed down, and We shall raise Him up blind on the Day of Judgment.
He will say, 'My Lord, why have You raised me up blind while I had
sight (before)?' Allah will say, 'Thus did you, when our signs came
upon you, forget them; So will you be this day forgotten. And thus do
we recompense him who transgresses and believes not in the signs ofhis
Lord. And the chastisement of the Hereafter is far more grievous and
enduring." [Qur'an 20:124-127]. One feels so much pain in his heart
and is so much dismayed to find Muslim youth filling the sidewalks and
playgrounds during the most virtuous nights of Ramadan.
How so many are the sins and forbidden acts committed during the
nights of Ramadan! Yes, the Muslim must be truly concerned about the
manner in which Muslims spend their time. He must also be disturbed to
find Muslim youth spending their time in ways that arenot pleasing to
Allah. But do not worry. The path to your happiness and that ofyour
Muslim brothers is to call them to apply Islamic teachings (i.e. doing
da 'wah) and to make supplications for them. Yes, da 'wah to those
Muslims who have becomeunaware of their Islamic duties, and guiding
them to the Straight Path. Also, make supplications for them in their
absence that Allah may accept it from you and that they do not become
among those deprived of guidance./

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2d] How the Salaf Observed Ramadhan A Message to Every Muslim On the Occasion of this Blessed Month

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7. Performing Umrah During Ramadan:
It has been established that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "An Umrah
performedin Ramadan is equal in reward to Hajj." [Related by AlBukhari
and Muslim). In another version the Prophet (pbuh) said, "The same
(reward) as performing Hajj with me." So, congratulations to you my
brother (who succeeds)in performing a pilgrimagewith the Prophet
(pbuh).
8. Anticipating Laylat Al-Qadr:
Allah the Almighty says,
"We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power. And
what will explain to you what the Night of Power is? The Night of
Power is better than a thousand months." [Qur'an 97:1-3).
The Prophet (pbuh) said, "He who observes laylat al-Qadr with sincere
faith and hope for the reward ofAllah will have his past sins
forgiven." [Related by AI-Bukhari and Muslim). The Prophet (pbuh) used
to look out for laylat al-Qadr and commanded his Companions also to
look out for it. He used to wake up his family members during the last
ten nights in the hope thatthey would succeed in meeting the blessed
night (in worship).
It is related in Musnad Ahmad from Ubada that the Prophet (pbuh said,
"Whoever stays awake in anticipation of laylat al-Qadr, and succeeds
in getting it, will have all of his sins both past and future
forgiven." [AlNasai reported a similar hadith, while Al-Hafidh Ibn
Hajar said that its chain meets the conditions for authenticity].
It has been reported that some of our predecessors among the
Companions and their successors took acomplete bath and used perfume
during the last ten nights (of Ramadan) inanticipation of laylat
al-Qadr, which has been highly honored by Allah.
So those of you who have wasted their time with nothing beneficial,
make up for what you have missed by observing the night of laylat
al-Qadr, as itis reckoned from your age.Good deeds undertaken in this
night are better than (the deeds of) a thousand months, and whoever is
deprived of its benefits hasindeed been much deprived.
9. Remembering Allah,Supplicating and Seeking Forgiveness
Dear brother, the days andnights of Ramadan are distinguished times,
so seize the opportunity by increasing your remembrance of Allah,
andmaking supplications, especially during the chosen periods when
they are more acceptable to Allah. These include:
*. When breaking the fast, since the fasting person'ssupplications are
not rejected.
*. The last third of the night, when our Lord descends and says, "Is
there anyone asking thatI may give;is there anyone seeking forgiveness
that I may forgive?"
*. Asking for forgiveness at dawn, as Allah says, "And in the hours of
early dawn, they (were found) praying for forgiveness." [Qur'an
51:18].
*. Looking out for the chosen hour on Friday when supplications are
answered. This hour is most likely to be the last hour of Friday
(before sunset).
Finally, dear brothers and sisters:
After this round in the garden of Paradise, under the shade of
righteous deeds, I would like to draw your attention to an important
issue. Do you know what that is? It is sincerity. Yes, sincerity. How
so many are the people who fast but benefit nothing other thanhunger
and thirst from their fast. And how so many are the people who stay
awake in worship but get nothing other than sleeplessness and fatigue.
May Allah save you and mefrom that kind of outcome.Consequently, we
find the Prophet (pbuh) stressing this matter when he said, "(Fasting)
with full faith and hoping for a reward from Allah." The Salaf
therefore used to do their righteous deeds secretly infear of falling
into showingoff.
Hence, we find this great Tabi'i, i.e. from the generation succeeding
the Companions of the Prophet, Ayyoub Al-Sakhtiyani, about whomHamad
Ibn Zayd said,"Sometimes, when studying hadith, Ayyoub would be so
moved and he would turn (away) to blow his nose. Then he would say,
'How severe this cold is! Pretending to be having a cold to hide his
weeping."
It has been reported that Muhammad Ibn Wasi' said,"I have known men
among whom there is one whose head would be placed beside that of his
wife on the same pillow, so that the part of the pillow under his
cheek would become wet from tears without his wife noticing it. I have
also known men, who while in the row for prayer, tears would pour down
their cheeks and the one next tothem would not notice it. Ayyoub
Al-Sakhtiyani used to remain awake for the entire night (in worship)
yet he would hide it. So when morning came, he raised his voice as if
he had woken up that instant.Ibn Adiy related that Dawud Ibn Abi Hind
fastedfor forty years without his family knowing about it. His
occupation was embroidery,

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2c] How the Salaf Observed Ramadhan A Message to Every Muslim On the Occasion of this Blessed Month

2c]
and the place. This is the opinion of Ahmad, Ishaq and others among
the distinguished scholars. As we indicated earlier, the actions of
otherscholars also support this view.
b) Weeping During the Recitation of the Qur'an:
It was not reported from the Salaf that they chantedthe Qur'an like
poetry without pondering and understanding (its meanings); rather,
they were moved by the Wordsof Allah, and they in turn changed the
hearts of others with it. In a hadith in AI-Bukhari, Abdullah
IbnMas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said,"The Messenger of Allah
(pbuh) said, 'Recite (the Qur'an) to me.' Then I said, 'How can I
recite to you when it was revealed to you?' The Prophet (pbuh) said,
'I like to hear it from someone else." ' Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud said, "I
recited the Qur'an from Surah Al-Nisa' until I reached the verse that
says, 'How will itbe then, when We bring from every nation a witness
and bring you to witness over all of them"' [Qur'an 4:41]. The Prophet
(pbuh) said, 'That is enough.' I turned to the Prophet (pbuh) and
found his eyes flooding with tears."'
Al-Bayhaqi related from Abu Hurayrah that he said,"When the verse of
the Qur'an that says 'Do you then wonder at this recital (the Qur'an)
and you laughat it and weep not.' [Qur'an53:59-60] was revealed, the
Companions residing in the Suffah, (the courtyard of the Prophet's
mosque) wept until tears began to trickle down their cheeks." When the
Prophet (pbuh) heard theirweeping, he wept with them and his weeping
made us weep. The Messenger of Allah said, "The person who weeps
inhumility to Allah will not enter Hell."
Ibn Umar read surah Al-Mutaffifin until he reached '...the Day when
(all) mankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds...' [Qur'an
83:6]. He wept to such an extent that he fell to the ground and could
not move on to the next verses. Furthermore, Muzahim IbnZafar related,
"Sufyan Al-Thawn lead us in maghrib prayer, and whenhe reached 'You
(Alone) do we worship and You (Alone) do we ask for help' [Qur'an
1:5], he began to weep so that his recitationwas disrupted. So he
started from Alhamdulillahagain."
It has been reported that Ibrahim Al-Ash'ath said,"One night, I heard
Fudhayl Ibn Ayadh recitingthis verse of the Qur'an, repeatedly as he
wept, 'And We shall try you until We test those among you who strive
their utmost and persevere in patience, and We shall test your facts
(whether true or false)' [Qur'an 47:31] But he kept on saying the
words of Allah, 'And We shall test your facts' , then he would say,
'And You will test our facts? If You test our facts, You will disgrace
us and expose oursecrets. Indeed if You do that, You will destroy us
and punish us,' and he would continue crying.
5. Sitting in the Mosque Until Sunrise
"When the Prophet (pbuh) prayed fajr prayer, he sat in his prayer
place until sunrise." [Related by Muslim].
At-Tirmidhi narrated from Anas that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Whoever
prays fajr in the congregation and remains seated, remembering
Allahuntil sunrise, then performs two rak"at; it will be for him as
the reward of complete Hajj and Umrah." [Verified by Al-Albani as
sahih].
This is the reward promised for everyday, so how will it be for Ramadan?
Dear brother, may Allah protect you, have a good sleep at night to
assist youin getting this great reward. Also, emulate righteous people
and trainyour soul to strive for the pleasure of Allah. Have high
aspirations to reach the highest of the grades of Paradise.
6. Observing I'tikaf:
The Prophet (pbuh) used to observe I'tikaf during ten days of Ramadan.
But in the year of his death, hestayed in I'tikaf for twenty days.
[Related by Al- Bukhari). Thus, I'tikaf which means staying in the
mosque continuously for a certain period of time, is an act of worship
that embraces many acts of obedience to Allah, suchas reciting the
Qur'an, praying, remembering Allah, supplicating, etc.
The person who has not experienced it might think that is difficult to
bear, butit is easy for whomever Allah makes it easy. Thus, whoever
arms himself with good intentions and true determination, Allah helps
him undertake the task with ease. I'tikaf is stressed more during the
last ten days of Ramadan in anticipation of laylat al-Qadr. It is a
permissible form of seclusion as the person observing it holds himself
in seclusion out of obedience to Allah and His remembrance. He also
cutshimself off from anything that would distract him from the
observance of I'tikaf His heart is set on alldeeds that draw him
closer to Allah and the only desire he has is to do what pleases
Allah.

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2b] How the Salaf Observed Ramadhan A Message to Every Muslim On the Occasion of this Blessed Month

2b]
The Messenger of Allah (')buh) said, "When a believer feeds a hungry
believer, Allah will feed him from the fruits of Paradise. And when he
quenches the thirst of a believer, Allah will make him drink from the
pure sealed wine of Paradise." [Related by Al-Tirmidhi with a good
chain of narration].
Some of our pious predecessors said, "For me to invite ten of my
friends and feed them with a mealthat they like is better for me then
freeing ten of the descendants of (Prophet) Isma'il." Many among the
Salaf used to leave their food for breaking the fast for others. They
included Abdullah Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him),Dawud
Al-Ta'i, Malik Ibn Dinar and Ahmad Ibn Hanbal. Ibn Umar did not break
his fast except with the orphans and the needy. Sometimes, if he
learned that his family hadturned back the orphans and the needy, he
would not break the fast that night. Also among the Salaf were those
who fed their brother Muslims while they still continued to fast. They
also served them and attended to their well-being. Among them were
AI-Hassan Al-Basri and Abdullah Ibn Al-Mubarak.
Abu Al-Sawar Al-'Adwi said, "Some men from Banu Adiy tribe used to
pray in the mosque. None of them ever broke the fast alone with his
food. If he found someone to share with, he ate with him, if not, he
would take it to the mosque, so that others ate with him and he ate
with others. Feeding other people is an act of worship which triggers
many other acts ofworship. Ties of love and brotherliness are
strengthened between you and the person you feed and that may lead you
to Paradise." The Prophet (pbuh) said, "You will not enter Paradise
until you believe and you will not believe until you love one
another." This deed will keep you close to righteous people and Allah
will reward you as the food you provide helpsthem with their acts of
obedience (to Allah).
b) Providing Food to Break the Fast:
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "Whoever feeds a fasting person
will have a reward equal to that of the fasting person, without any
reduction in his reward." [Related by Ahmad and Al-Nasai. Also
verified by Al-Albani as sahih]. In a hadith narratedby Salman
Al-Farisi, the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Whoever feeds a fasting person,
will be recompensed with forgiveness of sins and salvation from Hell.
He willreceive the same reward as the fasting person without causing
him any reduction (in his reward)." (The Companions) said, 'Messenger
of Allah, not all of us can find something to feed a fasting person.'
The Prophet (pbuh) said, 'Allah will give this reward to he who feeds
a fasting person with a sip of milk or a piece of dates, or a sipof
water. And Allah will make him who quenches the thirst of a fasting
person to drink from my cistern a drink that he will never feel
thirsty until he enters Paradise (where there is no thirst)."
4. Intensifying the Recitation of the Qur'an:
I will remind you dear brother of two actions of the pious Salaf of this Ummah:
a) Undertaking Much Recitation of the Qur 'an:
The month of Ramadan is the month of the Qur'an. The Muslim must
thereforerecite the Qur'an a great deal. The Salaf used to pay
particular attention to the Book of Allah, and angel Jibril (Gabriel)
used to study the Qur'an with the Prophet (pbuh) during Ramadan.
Uthman Ibn Affan used to complete reciting the Qur'an once each day.
Some of the Salaf also completed the Qur an in their qiyam prayer
every three nights. Others completed it every seven days, while some
others completed it every ten nights. They used to recite the Qur'an
during prayers and at other times.During Ramadan, Al-Shafi'i used to
complete reciting the Qur'an sixty times, excluding prayer times.
AI-Aswad used to complete reciting the Qur'an every two nights. Qatada
regularly completed the Qur'an within seven nights, while during
Ramadan, he completed it every three nights, but in the last ten days
of Ramadan, he completed it every night. When Ramadan came, Al-Zuhri
left studying the hadith and study circles with scholars and he
concentrated on reciting the Qur'an from the book (i.e. not from
memory).
Also, when Ramadan came, Sufyan Al-Thawri left all other acts of
worship and concentrated on the Qur'an.
Ibn Rajab said that it was reported from the Prophet(pbuh) that the
Qur'an may not be completed in less than three days by those who
recite it constantly. As for the blessed times such as Ramadan,
especially during the nights of expecting Laylat al-Qadr orwhen in
holy places such as Makkah for those not inhabiting it, it is
recommended that the recitation of the Qur'an be increased in order to
benefit from the blessings of the time and

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