Ramadan Articles - What will You Do in Ramadan?

It should be the hallmark of the believers when asked, "What will you
do inRamadan?" They should respond with,"Allaah will see what I am
going to do )to please Him(. I will strive against my own self,
inclination, desires, lusts, food, drink,property and health:}Indeed,
Allaah has purchased from the believers their lives and their
properties ]in exchange[ for that they will have Paradise.{]Quran
9:111["
The way of striving is the one by which a person shows his Lord how he
fulfills the covenant, spends his property, timeand effort in the way
of Allaah The Almighty. The striving believer expects forgiveness,
exalts the Lord, approaches Him, loves Him, and gives preference to
what is with Allaah The Almighty instead of what is perishable unlike
those described by Allaah The Almighty Who Says )whatmeans(:}But you
prefer the worldly life, while the Hereafter is better and more
enduring.{]Quran 87:16-17[ They indeed prefer the Hereafter and what
is with Allaah The Almighty.They prefer to please Allaah The Almighty,
love Him, draw closer to Him, approach Him and obey Him. At the same
time, they know that if they prefer that which is with Allaah The
Almighty, He, in turn, will help them, give them preference over
others in the affairs of their world for which they fear, and give
them thereof without account, in confirmation of His Saying )what
means(:}"Our Lord, give us in thisworld ]that which is[ good and in
the Hereafter ]that which is[ good and protect us fromthe punishment
of the Fire."{]Quran 2:201[ He will give them the good of this world
and the good of the Hereafter, and the light of striving and guidance
will be visible on them:}And those who strive for Us - We will surely
guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allaah is with thedoers of
good.{]Quran 29:69[
The issue of striving is very lengthy, and we have explained what
oneshould learn to strive against himself, proceed with it to Allaah
The Almighty, be decisive with one's Self, have control over it,
suppress it, curb it, and lead it to Allaah The Almighty. It is by
doing so that one learns that Paradise, as mentioned by the Messenger
of Allaah"issurrounded by all kinds of unfavorable things, whereas
Hell is surrounded by all kinds of desires."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
Both desires and unfavorable things are curbed only with striving
against oneself to endure the unfavorable things to attain Paradise,
and to refrain from desires in order to save oneself from Hell, as
mentioned by the Prophet.
If one is eager to seek forgiveness, he would not letRamadanpass away,
week after another, without self-reckoning. The righteous believers
addressed by the speech of Allaah The Almighty to observe fasting,
stand )inprayer(, and do righteous deeds, should practice
self-reckoning before their days slip away from them, and thismonth is
over and they get nothing.
Perhaps you have noticed how fast life passes by these days and
similarly,Ramadanends very quickly too. You should wonder whether you
are still determined to realize the means of forgiveness, mercy and
emancipation from Hell, or you have slackened, and not experienced
what one should feel when knowing that Allaah The Almighty is about to
grant him forgiveness, and accept him. If the first week comes to an
end, you should ask yourself whether you have got accustomed to
standing at night in prayer, about which the Messenger of
Allaahsaid:"Whoever stands )in prayer( Ramadan out of sincere faith
and seeking the Reward of Allaah, his previous sins would be forgiven
for him."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[ Have you then got accustomed to it?
Have you accustomed yourself to it? Did you like its length? Is it a
cause of your love for your Lord, drawing closer to Him, and long
private talk with Him, so much that you no longer liked to come out of
the presenceof Allaah The Almighty, ordo you still come late? In this
case, you do not seem to fear the statement of the Messenger of
Allaah"Some people continue to come )to prayer( late until Allaah
delays them."]Muslim[
We ask Allaah The Almighty to enable us to experience the sweetness of
worship inRamadanand thereafter.

Ramadan Articles - The Real Meaning of Striving in Ramadan

What does it mean to strive hard in Ramadan? Does our striving in
Ramadan prevent us from giving in to desires?Do we returned in a worse
state after Ramadan, or does it prevent us from desires? Is it a cause
of a person's promotion in the sight ofAllaah The Almighty, due to the
devotion of his heart, the purity of his soul, his approach to his
Lord The Almighty, his standing straight on the way, and the
forgiveness he will receive from Allaah The Almighty?
Fasting should be the cause of the rectitude of the heart and soul and
a means of approach to the Lord. It should enablea person to join
those emancipated from Hell, and come out of Ramadan with forgiveness
and mercy, otherwise, it will be thrown back at his face, as mentioned
in the prayer, and it will say to him:"May Allaah waste you just as
you have wasted me!"]Abu Daawood[
The other kind of strivingis with the Quran at night. It is the Quran
which was revealed by Allaah The Almighty as a source of mercy for the
slaves, and light for their hearts, deeds, as a meansof gaining
closeness to Allaah The Almighty, and a blessing, cure and guidance.
Consider the Hadeeth)narration( of the Messenger of Allaah:"Recite the
Quran, because it will come as an intercessor for its reciter on the
Day of Judgment."]Muslim[ In relation to this a mentionmay be made of
the authentic Hadeeth, which reads:
"The Messenger of Allaahsaw in a vision a man lying flat on his back,
andanother man standing at his head carrying a stoneor a piece of
rock, and crushing the head of the lying man, with that stone.
Whenever he struck him, the stone rolled away. The man went to pick it
up and by the time he returned to him, the crushed head had returned
to its normal state. The man came back and struck him again and so on
untilthe Day of Judgment. TheProphetsaid:'Who is this?' It was said,
'This is a man whom Allaah had given the )knowledge of( Quran but he
used to sleep at night )and did not recite it then(. He also did not
use to act upon it by day."]Al-Bukhaari: Saheeh[
It was also narrated that when the angel of death comes to )take the
soul of( anyone, he says, "Smell his head." He says,"I detect the
Quran in it."He says, "Then, smell his heart." He says, "I detect
fasting in it." He says, "Smell his feet." He says, "I detect the
standing )in prayer at night( in them." He says, "He has maintained
)the Commands of( Allaah, thereupon Allaah has guarded him; and he has
maintained himself, thereupon his Lord has guarded him."
In an authentic Hadeeth, the Messenger of Allaahsaid:
"The Quran will meet its companion on the Day ofJudgment once he
comesout of the grave as a paleman, and he will say, 'Do you recognize
me? I am your companion, the Quran, that made you thirsty during the
scorching heat of the day, and sleepless at night )because of your
long recitation of me(. Every trader seeks to make profit from his
trade, and now, you are getting the profit of yourtrade.' He will be
given the dominion in his right hand, and eternity in his left hand
and the crown of gravity will be placed on his head. Then, it will be
said to him, 'Recite and ascend the stairs andchambers of Paradise.'
Hewill keep ascending as long as he is reciting, whether with quick
recitation or with measured recitation."
Consider also the Hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaahcontrary to that:
"The Noble Quran will come, on the Day of Judgment, to argue against a
person, and catch the one who has held the Quran )in this World(, and
opposed its commands, and appear in the form of an opponent to him and
say,'O Lord! You have made him hold me; and what an evil holder he
was! He exceeded my due limits, wasted my obligations, and disobeyed
rather than obeyed my rules.' He will continue to present arguments
against him until it will be said to it, 'Do with himwhat you like.'
It will seize him by the hand and not leave him beforeit will throw
him on his nostrils into Hell. On the other hand, a righteous man will
be brought, who has held the Quran and maintained its command, and it
)the Quran( will appear in the form of someone to argue for him, and
say, 'OLord! You have caused him to hold me, and what an excellent
holder he was! He kept my limits, undertook my obligations, and obeyed
rather than disobeyed my rules.' It will continue to establish
arguments infavor of him until it will be said to it, 'Do with himwhat
you like.' It will take hold of him and admit him to Paradise, and the
crown of gravity will be placed on his head…"]Ahmad[
Thus, Ramadan is time to strive and achieve all of this.

Ramadan Articles - Ramadan in the Muslim World through the Ages

In the past, there was a custom in Muslim countries to increase the
lighting of mosques uponsighting the crescent of Ramadan.
Ahmad ibn Yoosuf, the famous Abbasid writer, said,
"The Caliph, Al-Ma'moon, ordered me to write to all the territorial
governors to urge peopleto have more lamps during the month of Ramadan
and make themacquainted with the virtues of this. Therefore,I did not
know what I should write or say, as noone preceded me so that I can
follow his way or approach. I then took an afternoon nap and dreamt
that someone came to me and said, 'This makes the passers-by feel
safe, it is a light for the observers of the night voluntary prayer,
iteliminates the places of suspicion and keeps the Houses of Allaah
well-lit, not darkened.' I woke upwhile inspired with whatI should
write. I began with these and then added from my own."
The Caliphs and governors of the Muslim states were not too arrogant
to accompany judges and ascend high places in order to sight the
crescent of Ramadan.Al-Asma'isaid, "I ascended a high room along with
Ar-Rasheed)the Caliph( to sight the crescent of Ramadan. I then said,
'O Commander of the Believers! What is meant by the poetic verse said
by Hind bint 'Utbah: 'We are the daughters of Taariq. We walk upon the
plush floorings.' Ar-Rasheed said, 'At-Taariq is the planet in the
sky.' Al-Asma'i then said, 'You are correct, O Commander of the
Believers.'" Then, Ar-Rasheed ordered 10,000 Dirhams to be given to
him.
The righteous poets usedto welcome the crescent of Ramadan by using
their creative talents in describing it and considering it a sign of
goodness, optimism and a good omen.
Anecdotes from the pages of history
It was narrated that a group of people, including the noble Companion,
Anas ibn Maalikcame to sight the crescent. Anaswasabout to complete a
hundred years of age at that time."I can see the crescent!"shouted
Anas"It is there." He was pointing to it but they could not see it.
Al-Qaadhi Iyaadh, who was a wise man of discernment, was also present
there. He looked toward Anasand observed a white hair of his eyebrow
hanging upon his eye. He raised it and then said to Anas"Look, O Abu
Hamzah!" He kept looking on and saying, "I cannot see it)the
crescent(."
One night people gathered to sight the crescent. They kept on staring
at the horizon but saw nothing. Then a man among them shouted,"I can
see it! I can see it!"The people expressed admiration forhis sharp
eyes and exclaimed,"How can you alone see it?"Delighted at the praise,
he shouted,"There is another one behind it!"At this, the people
laughed at him.
One night, people ascended a high place to sight the crescent but they
could not see it. When they started to go back, a boy saw the crescent
and directed them to its place. Then a man said to him,"Give your
mother the glad tidings of great hunger."
In the city of Basrah, people went out one night to sight the crescent
and then one of them saw it and he kept on pointing to it until
thepeople saw it. When it was the time of the crescent of Shawwaal,
the man who was knownfor his jocular dispositioncame to this man and
said to him,"Get up to bring us out of what you have entered us in."
During the reign of Sultan Muhammed Al-Naasir ibn
Qalaawoon,Ramadancame in winter and the sky was completely overcast
and cloudy. Thus, sighting thecrescent was not officially confirmed
and people unanimously decided not to fast. However, it so happened
that the wife of the Mufti, who had a sharp eyesight, managed to sight
the crescent from the roof of her house. She informed her husband and
he believedher. Her husband then went to the Sultan and told him about
the matter. The Sultan asked her to swear upon her claim. Those who
were present believed her and the sighting of the crescent was
officially announced and people started fasting. Later, that woman was
officially appointed as the person who would tosight the crescent. She
woman was the first and the last one to get this honor and play the
role of a human" telescope".

Ramadan Articles - Zakaah al-Fitr

1. MEANING
Zakaah al-Fitr is often referred to as Sadaqah al-Fitr. The word Fitr
means the same as Iftaar,breaking a fast and it comes from the same
root word as Futoor which means breakfast. Thus, Islamically, Zakaah
al-Fitr is the name given to charity which is distributed at the end
of the fast of Ramadaan.
2. CLASSIFICATION
Sadaqah al-Fitr is a duty which is Waajib on every Muslim, whether
male or female, minor or adult as long as he/she has the means to do
so.
The proof that this form of charity is compulsory can be found in the
Sunnah whereby Ibn `Umar reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu
`alaihi wa sallam) made Zakaah al-Fitr compulsoryon every slave,
freeman, male, female, young and old among the Muslims; one Saa` of
dried dates or one Saa` of barely. [collected by Bukhaaree
-Arabic/English, vol. 2, p. 339, no. 579]
The head of the household may pay the required amount for the other
members. Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree said,"On behalf of our young and old,
free men and slaves, we used to take out during Allaah's Messenger's
(sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) lifetimeone Saa` of grain, cheese or
raisins". [collected by Muslim - English transl. vol. 2, p. 469, no.
2155]
3. SIGNIFICANCE
The significant role played by Zakaah in the circulation of wealth
within the Islamic societyis also played by the Sadaqah al-Fitr.
However,in the case of Sadaqah al-Fitr, each individual is required to
calculate how much charity is due from himself and his dependents and
go into the community in order to find those who deserve such charity.
Thus, Sadaqah al-Fitr plays a very important role in the development
of the bonds of community. The rich are obliged to come in direct
contact with the poor, and the poor are put in contact with the
extremely poor. This contact between the various levels of society
helps to build real bonds of brotherhood and love within the Islamic
community and trains those who have, to be generous to those who do
not have.
4. PURPOSE
The main purpose of Zakaah al-Fitr is to provide those who fastedwith
the means of making up for their errors during the month of fasting.
Zakaah al-Fitr also provides the poor with a means with whichthey can
celebrate the festival of breaking the fast (`Eed al-Fitr) along with
the rest of the Muslims.
Ibn Abbaas reported,"The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) made
Zakaah al-Fitr compulsoryso that those who fasted may be purified of
their idle deeds and shameful talk (committed during Ramadaan) and so
that the poor may be fed. Whoever gives it before Salaah will have it
accepted as Zakaah, while he who gives it after the Salaah has given
Sadaqah." [collected by Abu Dawood - Eng. transl. vol. 2, p. 421, no.
1605 - ratedSaheeh by Shaikh Naser Al-Albanee]
Hence, the goal of Sadaqah al-Fitr is the spiritual development of the
Believers. By making them give up some of their wealth, the believers
are taught the higher moral characteristics of generosity, compassion
(sympathy for the unfortunate), gratitude to God and the
righteousness. But, since Islaam does not neglect man's material need,
partof the goal of Zakaah al-Fitr is the economic well-being of the
poorer members of society.
5. CONDITIONS
Zakaah al-Fitr is only Waajib for a particular period of time. If one
misses the time period without a good reason, he has sinned and can
not make it up. This form of charity becomes obligatory from sunset on
the last day of fasting and remains obligatory until the beginning of
Salaah al-'Eed' (i.e. shortly after sunrise on the following day).
However, it can be paid prior to the above mentioned period, as many
of the Sahaabah (companions of the Prophet(sallallaahu 'alaihi wa
sallam) ) used to pay Sadaqah al-Fitr a couple days before the `Eed.
Naafi reported that the Prophet's companion Ibn `Umar used to give it
to those who would accept it and the people used to give it a day or
two before the `Eed. [collected by al-Bukhaaree - Arabic/English, Vol.
2, p.339, no. 579]
Ibn `Umar reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam)
order that it (Zakaah al-Fitr) be given before people go to make the
Salaah (al-'Eed).
And Ibn `Abbaas reportedthat the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa
sallam) said,"Whoever gives it before the Salaahwill have it accepted
as Zakaah, while he who gives it after the Salaah (will not, for it
will only be considered as) ordinary charity."Therefore, one who
forgets to pay this Zakaah al-Fitr on time should do so as soon as
possible even though it will not be counted as Zakaah al-Fitr.
6. RATE
The amount of Zakaah is the same for everyone regardless of their
different income brackets. The minimum amount is one Saa` (two
handfuls ) of food, grain or dried fruit for each member of the
family. This calculation is based on Ibn `Umar's report that the
Prophet(sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) made Zakaah al-Fitr
compulsoryand payable by a Saa` of dried dates or a Saa` of barley.
The Sahaabee, Abu Sa`eed al-Khudree said,"In the Prophet's time,
weused to give it (Zakaah al-Fitr) as a Saa` of food, dried dates,
barley, raisins or dried cheese". [collected by al-Bukhaaree -
Arabic/English vol. 2, p. 340, no. 582]