PROTECTION OF ORPHANS AND THE POOR IN THE QUR'AN

The mercifulness of believers may also be observed in their approach
to orphans. The noblest of attitudes that must be shown to orphans,
who needthe care and interest of others because they have lost their
parents, are made explicit in the Qur'an. One of the exemplary
attitudes believers meticulously adopt is "to do good" to orphans and
"never to treat them harshly".
In societies in which the values of the Qur'an are not observed, no
system has been devised to protect the rights of orphans or to secure
their future. Protection, such as it is, dependsupon the conscience of
the people. For this reason, some ill-intentioned individuals may try
to benefit from the lack of experience and ignorance of these
children. Indeed, having no one to protect their rights, orphans can
readily become subject to abusive treatment at the hands of those who
have taken it upon themselves to carefor them. Such people may expect
orphans to feel gratitude because they have taken them under their
wing or they may reproachfully remind them of the kindnesses they have
done them. On the other hand, subjecting them to a different kind of
treatment, they may oppress these children in both the physical and
the spiritual sense. Nevertheless, Allah prohibits subjecting orphans
to harsh treatment and condemns those who mistreat them:
Have you seen him who denies the religion? He is the one who harshly
rebuffs the orphan and does not urge the feeding of thepoor. So woe to
those who do prayer, and are forgetful of theirprayer, those who show
off and deny help to others. (Surat al-Ma'un: 1-7)
Contrary to such offensive treatment, Qur'anic morality demands
tolerant and compassionate treatment of orphans as expressed in the
verse,"(be good to) orphans andthe very poor. And speak good words to
people". (Surat al-Baqara: 83)Believers meticulously observe this
command. Their conscience and understanding of humanity entail the
protection of orphans who need help and care, and themeeting of all
their spiritual and material needs. Believers never oppress orphans,
expect them to appreciate their kindness or strive to obtain any
material or spiritual benefits from them. On the contrary, they
protect their rights and adopt the best possible attitude. Their
strong sense of what is right, their profound fear of Allah and their
compassion account for this meticulousness.
Improving the situation in life oforphans and bringing them up as
decent individuals:
…They will ask you about the property of orphans. Say, "Managing it in
their best interests is best". If you mix your property with theirs,
they are your brothers… (Surat al-Baqara: 220)
As is implied in the above verse, Allah advises believers to bring
orphans up as decent individuals. Believers show keenness to take this
responsibility upon themselves and do their best to educate them in
the best way possible.
However, the most important responsibility of a person who takes a
child under his protection is to instill in him the noble values of
the Qur'an and to make him regard Allah with due appreciation. That is
because these are the most important issues that guide the individual
to truth and salvation.A child develops moral sense in the light of
the knowledge he acquires in his early years and is accordingly
prepared for his eternal life in the hereafter. For this reason, this
is the most important issue to which a believer pays attention while
an orphan under his care is being educated. He does his utmost to
ensure that he or she has superior values as a believer. No doubt,
this is only made possibleby his living by the values of the Qur'an
himself. Abiding by Islamic ethics ensures that orphans grow up into
decent, intelligent, hard-working individuals.
Allah issues a stern warning to those who misappropriate the wealth of orphans:
People who consume the property of orphans wrongfully consume nothing
in their belliesexcept fire. They will roast in a Searing Blaze.
(Surat an-Nisa': 10)
In compliance with the above verse, believers who assume the
responsibility for an orphan do not spend that orphan's personal
wealth for their own needs or expect anything in return. On the
contrary, giving them priority over all others, they protect the
rights and wealth of such orphans as are entrusted to them by Allah.
Being meticulous about protecting the wealth of an orphan entrusted to
one's care is something peculiar to those who are sincere in their
faith, who have a high standard of morality and who grasp the
understanding of mercy described in the Qur'an, especially since a
guardian is granted the authority to spend the wealth of an orphan.
Not spending a penny for one's own personal needs out of a
propertyentrusted to one—despite having the authority to spend from it
is truly a matter of conscience. In the Qur'an, Allah advises the
wealthy guardian to behave decently in this matter. Ifthe guardian in
question is poor,then he is allowed to spend within the due limits
specified inthe Qur'an. Allah warns that, "devouring" the wealth of
the orphan is a grave sin.
Give orphans their property, anddo not substitute bad things forgood.
Do not assimilate their property into your own. Doing that is a
serious crime. (Surat an-Nisa': 2)
Fearing Allah and His grievous punishment in the hereafter, believers
carefully conserve the wealth of orphans until they reach intellectual
maturity. When orphans grow old and mature enough to exercise rational
and healthy judgement, believers hand over their property to them. The
conditions of this are specified in the Qur'an as follows:
Keep a close check on orphans until they reach a marriageable age,
then if you perceive that they have sound judgement hand over their
property to them. Do not consume it extravagantly and precipitately
before they come of age. Those who are wealthy should abstain from it
altogether. Those who are poor should use it sensibly and correctly.
When you hand over their property to them ensure that there are
witnesses on their behalf. Allah suffices as a Reckoner. (Surat
an-Nisa': 6)

Fathwa - Her maternal uncle didher marriage contract inthe presence of her brother without the knowledge of her fatherwho does not pray

Question:
A young man proposed to a girl, but when the marriage contract was
done, the girl's father had a disagreement with his daughter's fiancé,
and refused to do the marriage contract. But the girl, her mother and
her brother wanted the marriage to go ahead, so they left their house
and rented an apartment, and they left the father who refused to do
the marriage contract, and the marriage contract was done; the
maternal uncleof the girl was the one who acted as her guardian (wali)
in this marriage contract, in thepresence of her brother. They argued
that the father does not pray andthey did not want him tobe the wali
of his daughter. How valid is this marriage contract?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
In order for the marriage contract to be valid, it is stipulated
thatit should be done by the woman's wali (guardian) or wakeel
(proxy), because of the hadeeth in which the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: "There is no marriage except with a
wali."
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2085; at-Tirmidhi, 1101; Ibn Maajah 1881 –
from the hadeeth of Abu Moosa al-Ash'ari; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi. He also said: "Any woman who gets
married without the permission of her wali, her marriage is invalid,
her marriage is invalid, her marriage is invalid."
Narrated by Ahmad, 24417; Abu Dawood, 2083; at-Tirmidhi, 1102; classed
as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 2709
The wali of the woman is her father, then his father (paternal
grandfather), then her son, then his son (this is if she has
children), thenher brother through her father and mother (full
brother); then her brother through her father only (half brother),
then their (brothers') sons, then the paternal uncles, thentheir sons,
then the paternal uncles of the father, then the ruler.
See al-Mughni, 9/355
Secondly:
With regard to the one who does not pray, if he does not pray at all,
thenhe is a kaafir according to the more correct of the two scholarly
opinions. See the answer to questions no. 2182and 5208
Based on that, it is not valid for him to be a walifor marriage,
because the kaafir cannot be a wali in the marriage of aMuslim woman,
according to scholarly consensus.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: With regard tothe
kaafir, he has no wilaayah (guardianship)over a Muslim woman under any
circumstances, accordingto the consensus of the scholars, including
Maalik, ash-Shaafa'i, Abu'Ubayd and ashaab ar-ra'y. Ibn al-Mundhir
said: All of the scholars from whom we acquiredknowledge are
unanimously agreed on that.
End quote from al-Mughni, 9/377
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If he does
not pray, it is not permissible for him to do the marriage contractfor
any of his daughters. If he does so, then the marriage contract is
invalid, because one of the conditions of being the wali (guardian) of
a Muslim woman is that heshould be a Muslim.
End quote from Fataawa Noor 'ala ad-Darb
Thirdly:
If her brother was an adult of sound mind, then he is her wali. If he
appointed her maternal uncle to do the marriagecontract, then the
marriage is valid. However the maternal uncle is not one of the 'asbah
(male relatives onthe father's side), so he cannot be the wali in
thecase of marriage and his giving the woman in marriage is not valid
except in two cases:
(i) If the wali appointed him as his representative. If
he did not appoint him, but he was present when the marriage contract
was done and he approved of it, then perhaps this takes the place of
(explicit) appointment and permission, becausesilence in such a
situation constitutes approval.
(ii) if the marriage contract has been done and was
officially documented in a Muslim country that adopts the [scholarly]
view that it is permissible for the maternal uncle to give his
sister's daughter in marriage, or the view that it is permissible to
do the marriage contractwithout a wali, then the marriage contract is
valid, because the ruling of the judge in matters that are subject to
differences of scholarly opinion is to be implemented and not
annulled.
And Allah knows best.

Fathwa - She is going to go to Jeddah and she does nothave any firm intention ...

Question:
I am currently living in Canada for the purpose of study, but my
permanent place of residence is between Jeddah and Amman. When I
stayed in Ammanduring the summer break, I decided to go toJeddah to
deal with some official papers, andI intended to do 'umrah if Allah
made that possible for me and if I had a mahram and enough time to do
'umrah. I intended to do 'umrah from Jeddah because my mahram would be
there. But because I was not certain that I would be able to do
'umrah, on the day I travelled by plane I did not do ghusl, because I
was menstruating and I had not yet decided to do 'umrah. When I got
there on the second day I did ghusl and formed the intention to do
'umrah from Jeddah, and I did it.
My questions are:
Is my ihram from the miqaat of Jeddah considered valid or not? Because
of my family circumstances, we are always moving back andforth between
Jeddah and Amman, and we always enter ihram fromour house in Jeddah,
even if we are on our way back from a trip to Amman and after
stayingin Jeddah for several days. We do not remember how many times
we have done 'umrah in this manner.
What is required of us if we should have entered ihram from the miqaat
for the people of ash-Shaam (Greater Syria)? After I did 'umrahI was
uncertain as to whether I was completely clean following my period. If
I think it most likely that I was still menstruating whilst I was
doing 'umrah, what is the ruling on my 'umrah andwhat expiation do I
haveto offer?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
If a person passes the miqaat intending to do Hajj or 'umrah, it is
not permissible for him to pass it without entering ihram, because of
the report narrated by Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) who
said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) defined the meeqaat of the people of Madeenah as Dhu'l-Hulayfah;
that of the people of Shaam (Syria) as al-Juhfah; that of the people
of Najd as Qarn al-Manaazil; and that of the people of Yemen as
Yalamlam. And he said: "And these miqaats are for the people at those
very places, and besides them for those who come through those places,
and are not residents thereof, with the intention of performing Hajj
and 'Umrah; and whoever is living within these boundaries can enter
ihraam from the place where he lives, and the people of Makkah can
start from Makkah."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari,1526; Muslim, 1181
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:ash-Shaafa'i and our
companions said: If the one who has come from far away comes to the
miqaat intending to perform Hajj or 'Umrah or qiraan (i.e., both), it
isharaam for him to pass itwithout entering ihram, according to
scholarly consensus.
End quote from al-Majmoo', 7/214
But if he passed the miqaat without intending to do Hajj or 'umrah, or
he was not sure and had not yet made up his mind, then he decided to
do 'umrahafter passing the miqaat,he should enter ihram from the place
where hedecided to do 'umrah, unless he is in Makkah, in which case he
should go outside of the Haram zone then enter ihram for 'umrah from
there.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said, commenting on
the hadeeth of Ibn 'Abbaas quoted above:
From this we understandthat if a person travels without the intention
of doing Hajj or 'umrah and he passes the miqaat, then after that he
decides to do Hajj or 'umrah, he should enter ihram from the place
where he decided to do Hajj or 'umrah, and he does not have to go back
to the miqaat, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) said: "from the place he sets out".
End quote from Fath al-Baari
Shaykh Muhammad al-Mukhtaar ash-Shanqeeti (may Allah preserve him) said:
The second scenario: if he went to Jeddah and was hesitant, thinking:
I do not know if I will have enough time or not, then in such cases it
is permissible for him not to enter ihram at themiqaat of Madinah.
For example: there is a person who has some business to do in Jeddah
and he does not know whether he will have enough time to do 'umrah or
not. If he is not sure about the time, it is permissible for him to go
to Jeddah without ihram, and do what he needs to in Jeddah, then enter
ihram from Jeddahif he decides to go to 'umrah from there, because the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "and whoever
is living within these boundaries can enter ihraam from the place he
decides (to do 'umrah)."
This applies to the one who does not have the clear intention of
performing 'umrah fromMadinah, so he is uncertain and hesitant; he
does not have to enter ihram until he is certain that he is going to
do 'umrah.
End quote from Sharh Zaad al-Mustaqni'.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn 'Abdullah ibn Aal ash-Shaykh (may Allah
preserve him) was asked:
My colleagues and I were sent to Jeddah to do work for Hajj for two
months. Some of us put our ihram in our cars or suitcases, then when
we found some free time we intended to do 'Umrah and entered ihram
from Jeddah. Is this permissible, or do we have to go to the miqaat of
as-Sayl and enter ihram from there?
He replied: If you had decided to do 'umrah before travelling, and
from the time you started your journey to Jeddah your intention was to
do 'umrah, then what you have to do is enter ihram from the miqaat,
because the intention to do 'umrah had already been formed. But if the
decision to do 'umrah was not made until afteryou had settled in
Jeddah, then you should enter ihram from Jeddah.
But if your intention wasnot fixed, in the sense that you were not
sure, then this uncertainty means that you had not firmly decided to
do 'umrah. Based on that, if you made your mind up when you were
closer (to Makkah) than the miqaat, you can enter ihram from the place
where you formed your intention. And Allah knows best.
End quote from Majallat al-Buhooth al-Islamiyyah, 60/95
Secondly:
If a person passes the miqaat, intending to do Hajj or 'umrah, then he
does not enter ihram from the miqaat, he has to go back to the
miqaatthat he passed and enterihram from there. If he does not go
back, he hasto offer a sacrifice for each time that he passedit.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about a person
who was obligedto offer a sacrifice because he entered ihram from
Jeddah after passing the miqaat, and he has made this mistake several
times – what does he have to do? Should he offer one sacrifice and
will that be sufficient, or is the answer something otherthan that?
He replied: He has to offer a sacrifice for each occasion, to be
slaughtered in Makkah for the poor, if he passed the miqaat intending
to do Hajj or 'umrah, then he entered ihram from Jeddah. One seventh
of a camel or one seventh of a cow is acceptable as a sacrifice for
that. He also has to repent to Allah, may He be glorified, from that,
because it is not permissible for a Muslim to pass the miqaat,
intending to do Hajj or 'Umrah, without entering ihraam, because the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "And these
miqaats are for the people at those very places, and besides them for
those who come through those places, and are not residents thereof,
with the intention of performing Hajj and 'Umrah"; and because Ibn
'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Whoever omits a ritual
(of Hajj or 'umrah) or forgets it, let him offer a sacrifice.
End quote from Majmoo'al-Fataawa, 17/12
He has to try hard to remember how many times he has to offer
sacrifices for, until he thinks it most likely that he has discharged
his duty.
Thirdly:
If a woman sees the tuhr(signal of the end of menses) that she usually
sees at the end of her period, whether that is complete dryness or the
white discharge, whatever usually signals the end of her period, and
she purifies herself and does tawaaf (circumambulation of the Ka'bah)
and sa'i (going between as-Safa and al-Marwah), or praysand fasts,
then after thatshe becomes uncertain about the state of purity on
which she based those acts of worship, she should not pay any
attention to that uncertainty and she does not have to do anything,
because uncertainty after completing an act of worship does not have
any impact, so long as she started it when she was certain about her
situation, on the basis ofwhat she usually sees at the end of her
menses.
But if she was hasty and was not sure whether her menses had ended
before she started 'umrah, and she did not sees what she usually sees
every time her period ends, then after that she began to doubt whether
her menses hadended, as is the case in this question, then her 'umrah
is not complete, because the basic principle is that she was still
menstruating and she did not know whether her period has ended. So she
has to avoid all the things that are prohibited during ihram, the most
important of which is intercourse with her husband, because she is
still in a state of ihram until she goes back to Makkah, does tawaaf
and saa'i, and cuts her hair, then exits her ihram.
If she did any of the actions that are prohibited during ihrambefore
that, she is excused for them because she thought that her 'umrah had
ended.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: With regard
to what she has done of the things that are prohibited (during ihram),
let us assume that her husband had intercourse with her, and
intercourse during ihram is the most seriousof the prohibited actions;
however there is no blame on her because she was unaware of the
ruling. Ifa person does one of theactions that are prohibited during
ihramout of ignorance or because he forgot or was forced to do it,
there is no blame on him.
End quote from Majmoo'al-Fataawa, 21/351
And Allah knows best.

Fathwa - The Muslim in Ramadaan

Question:
What should we say to the Muslims on the occasion of the beginning of Ramadaan?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'aan, a guidance
for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion
(between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on
the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his
home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month, and whoever is ill or
on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Sawm
(fasts) must be made up] from other days. Allaah intends for you ease,
and He does not want to make thingsdifficult for you. (He wants that
you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must
magnify Allaah [i.e. to say Takbeer (Allaahu Akbar: Allaah is the Most
Great)]for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him."
[al-Baqarah 2:185]
This blessed month is a great opportunity for goodness, barakah
(blessing), worship and obedience towards Allaah.
It is a great month, a noble season, a month inwhich hasanaat (rewards
for good deeds) are multiplied and in which committing sayi'aat
(baddeeds) is more serious than at other times. The gates of Paradise
are opened and the gates of Hell are shut, and the sinners' repentance
to Allaah is accepted. It is a month whose beginningis mercy, its
middle is forgiveness and its end is redemption from the Fire.
So give thanks to Him forthe season of goodness and blessing that He
has bestowed upon you, andfor the means of bounty and various kinds of
great blessings for which He has singled you out. Make the most of
this blessed time by filling it with acts of worship and forsaking
haraam things, so that you may attain a good life in this world and
happiness after death.
For the sincere believer, every month is an occasion for worship and
his whole life is spent in obeying Allaah, but in the month of
Ramadaan he has even more motives to do good and his heart is even
more focused on worship, and he turns even more to his Lord. By His
grace, our generous Lord bestows His bounty upon the fasting believers
and multiplies the reward forthem on this blessed occasion, so He
gives abundantly and rewardsgenerously for righteousdeeds.Time passes
quickly
Days pass so quickly, as ifthey were mere moments. We welcomed
Ramadaan, then we bade it farewell, and only a short period of time
passed and we are welcoming Ramadaan again. So we should hasten to do
good deedsin this month and strive to fill it with that which Allaah
is pleased with and with that which will help us on the Day whenwe
meet Him.
How can we prepare for Ramadaan?
We can prepare for Ramadaan by taking stock of ourselves and
recognizing our shortcomings in living up to the Shahaadatayn, or our
shortcoming in fulfilling our duties, or our shortcomings in not
keeping away from the desires and doubts that we may have fallen into…
We should set ourselves straight so that in Ramadaan we will have a
higher degree of faith.For faith increases and decreases. It increases
through obedience to Allaah and it decreases through disobedience and
sin. The first act of obedience that a person should achieve is that
of being a true slave of Allaah and believing thatthere is none that
is rightfully worshipped except Allaah, so he directs all kinds of
worship to Allaah and does not associate anyone else in worship with
Him. Each of us should realize that whatever has befallen him could
not have missed him, and whatever missed him could not have befallen
him, and that everythinghappens by the will and decree of Allaah.
We should avoid everything that could undermine our commitment to the
Shahaadatayn. This means keeping away from bid'ah (innovations) and
thingsthat have been introduced into the religion. We should also
follow the principle of al-walaa' wa'l-bara' (loyalty and friendship
vs. disavowal and enmity), by taking the believers as our friends and
by regarding the kaafirs and hypocrites asenemies, and we should
rejoice when the Muslims gain a victory over their enemies. We should
follow the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) and his companions and adhere to the Sunnah of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the way of the
Rightly-Guided Khulafa' who came after him. We should love the Sunnah
and love those who adhere to it and defend it, in whatever country
they are and whatever colour or nationality they are.
After that we should take stock of ourselves and recognize our
shortcomings in doing acts of worship such as praying in
congregation,remembering Allaah (dhikr), paying attentionto the rights
of neighbours, relatives and the Muslims, spreading the greeting of
salaam, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, urging one
another to follow the truth and be patient and steadfast in doing so,
being patient in avoiding evil actions and in doing good deeds, and
accepting thedecree of Allaah with patience.
Then we should take stock of ourselves and our sins and our following
whims and desires. We should stop ourselves from persisting in that,
whether the sin is great or small, whether it is a sin of the eye, by
looking at that which Allaah has forbidden; or by listening to music;
or by walking to things of which Allaah does not approve; or by using
one's hands to srike in a manner with which Allaah is not pleased; or
by consuming things that Allaah has forbidden such as riba (usury) and
bribes, or any other means of consuming people's wealth unlawfully.
We should never forget that Allaah stretches forth His hand during
the day to accept the repentance of those who sinned at night, and He
stretches forth His hand at night to accept the repentance ofthose who
sinned during the day. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your
Lord, and for Paradise aswide as the heavens andthe earth, prepared
for Al-Muttaqoon (the pious).
Those who spend (in Allaah's Cause) in prosperity and in adversity,
who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allaah loves
Al-Muhsinoon (the good‑doers).
And those who, when they have committed Faahishah (illegal sexual
intercourse) or wrongedthemselves with evil, remember Allaah and ask
forgiveness for their sins; — and none can forgive sins but Allaah
—and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.
For such, the reward is forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens with
rivers flowing underneath (Paradise), wherein they shall abideforever.
How excellent is this reward for the doers(who do righteous deeds
according to Allaah's Orders)"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:133-136]
"Say: "O 'Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves
(by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of
Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft‑Forgiving,
Most Merciful"
[al-Zumar 39:53]
"And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks
Allaah'sforgiveness, he will find Allaah Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful"
[al-Nisa' 4:110]
By taking stock, repenting and seeking forgiveness, this is how we
should welcome Ramadaan. "The smart man is the one who takes stock of
himself and strives to do that which will benefit him after death, and
the helpless one is the one who follows his own whims and desires and
engages in wishful thinking, (assuming that Allaah will forgive him
regardless of what he does and that he does not need to strive to good
deeds)."
The month of Ramadaan is the month of great gains and profits. The
smart trader is the one who makes the most of special occasions to
increase his profits. So make the most of this month by doing lots of
acts of worship, praying a great deal, reading Qur'aan, forgiving
people, being kind to others and giving charity to the poor.
In the month of Ramadaan the gates of Paradise are opened andthe
gates of Hell are shut. The devils are put in chains and a caller
cries out each night, O seeker of good, proceed,O seeker of evil,
desist.
So, O slaves of Allaah, be among the people of good, following the
pathof your righteous forebears who were guided by the Sunnah ofyour
Prophet (peace andblessings of Allaah be upon him), so that we may end
Ramadaan withour sins forgiven and our righteous deeds accepted.
We should note that the month of Ramadaan is the best of months.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
Another of example of that – i.e., of the differentiation between the
things that Allaah has created – is the fact that the month of
Ramadaan is superior to all other months, and the last ten nights are
superior to the other nights."
Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/56
This month is superior toothers in four things:
1 – In it there is the best night of the year, which is Laylat
al-Qadr. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We have sent it (this Qur'aan) down in the Night of Al‑Qadr (Decree).
And what will make you know what the Night of Al‑Qadr (Decree) is?
The Night of Al‑Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e.
worshipping Allaah in that night is better than worshipping Him a
thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months).
Therein descend the angels and the Rooh [Jibreel (Gabriel)] by
Allaah's Permission with all Decrees,
(All that night), there is peace (and goodness from Allaah to His
believing slaves) until the appearance of dawn"
[al-Qadar 97:1-5]
So worship on this night is better than worshipping for a thousand months.
2 – In this month was revealed the best of Books to the best of the
Prophets (peace be uponthem). Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'aan, a guidance
for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion
(between right and wrong)"
[al-Baqarah 2:185]
"We sent it (this Qur'aan)down on a blessed night[(i.e. the Night of
Al‑Qadr) in the month of Ramadan — the 9th month of the Islamic
calendar]. Verily, We are ever warning [mankind that Our Torment will
reach those who disbelieve in Our Oneness of Lordship and in Our
Oneness of worship].
Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of ordainments.
As a Command (or this Qur'aan or the Decree of every matter) from Us.
Verily, We are ever sending (the Messengers)"
[al-Dukhaan 44:3-5]
It was narrated by Ahmad and by al-Tabaraani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabeer
that Waathilah ibn al-Asqa' (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"The Scriptures of Ibraaheem were sent down on the first of the month
of Ramadaan. TheTawraat was sent down on the sixth of Ramadaan. The
Injeel was sent down on the thirteenth of Ramadaan. The Zaboor was
sent down on the eighteenth of Ramadaan, and the Qur'aan was sent down
on the twenty-fourth of Ramadaan.
Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1575.
2 – In this month the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of
Hell are shut, and the devils are chained up.
It was narrated from AbuHurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened andthe
gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are put in chains." (Agreed
upon).
Al-Nasaa'i narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When Ramadaan
comes, the gates of mercy are opened and the gates of Hell are shut,
and the devils are put in chains."
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 471.
Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah and Ibn Khuzaymah narrated in one report:
"When the first night of the month of Ramadaan comes, the devils and
rebellious jinn are chained up and the gates of Hell are closed, and
not one gate of it is opened. The gates of Paradise are opened andnot
one gate of it is closed. And a caller cries out: 'O seeker of good,
proceed; O seeker of evil,desist. And Allaah has those whom He
redeemsfrom the Fire, and that happens every night."
Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 759.
If it is asked, how come we see many evil actionsand sins committed in
Ramadaan, for if the devils are chained up that would not happen?
The answer is that evil actions become less for those who observe the
conditions and etiquetteof fasting;
or that the ones who arechained up are some of the devils – namely the
rebellious ones – not all of them;
or that what is meant is that evil is reduced in Ramadaan, which is a
proven fact. If evil happens at this time, it isstill less than at
other times. Even if all of them (the devils) are chained up, that
does not necessarily mean that noevil or sin will happen, because
there are other causes of that besides the devils, such as evil souls,
bad habits and thedevils among mankind. Al-Fath, 4/145
4 – There are many kindsof worship in Ramadaan,some of which are not
done at other times, such as fasting, praying qiyaam, feeding the
poor, i'tikaaf, sadaqah, and reading Qur'aan.
I ask Allaah, the Exalted, the Almighty, to help us all to do that and
to helpus to fast and pray qiyaam, and to do acts of worship and to
avoid doing evil. Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds.

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