- Ramadan Articles, - How we should receive Ramadan - II

5. ReceivingRamadanby making the best use of time
Time is very precious because every minute that passes can never
return.Ramadanis also a means of success or failure, salvation or
destruction…
Amongst the obligatory and recommended acts of worship inRamadanare:
First:Fasting during the daytime:
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}So whoever sights ]the new moon
of[ the month, let himfast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey -
then an equal number of other days.{]Quran 2: 185[
Moreover, the Prophet,, said:"Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and
seeking the reward of Allaah, his previous sins will be
forgiven."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
Second:Performing voluntary night prayers )theTaraaweehprayer(:
It was narrated that the Prophet,, said:"Whoever stands )in voluntary
prayer at night in( Ramadan out of faith and seeking the reward of
Allaah, his previous sins will be forgiven."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
Third:Reciting the Quran:
Ramadanis the month of the Noble Quran. Allaah The AlmightySays )what
means(:}The month of Ramadan ]is that[ in which was revealed the
Quran, a guidance for the people and clearproofs of guidance and
criterion.{]Quran 2: 185[
The angel Jibreel )Gabriel(would study the Quran with the Prophet,, in
the month ofRamadan. Hence, our righteous predecessors would devote
themselves and their time to reciting the Quran inRamadan. So would
used to recite the Quran in the prayers and at othertimes.
Az-Zuhrisaid at the advent of the blessed month ofRamadan,"It is only
for reciting the Quran and giving food."
Fourth: GivingIftaar)the fast-breaking meal( to fasting people:
It was narrated that the Prophet,, said:"Whoever gives food tosomeone
who is fasting to break his fast with will have a reward like his,
without that detracting from the fasting person's rewardin the
slightest."]Al-Bukhaari andMuslim[
Fifth:Generosity:
It was narrated that the Messenger of Allaah,, was the most generous
of people, and he was the most generous duringRamadan. ]Al-Bukhaari
and Muslim[.
Sixth:Performing 'Umrah)lesser pilgrimage( inRamadan:
It was narrated that the Prophet,, said:"'Umrah in Ramadan is
equivalent )in reward( to Hajj."In another narration:"To Hajj with me
."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
Seventh:PerformingI'tikaaf)seclusion in the mosque(:
I'tikaafis in the last ten days ofRamadan. It was narrated that
'Aa'ishahsaid,"The Prophetwould practice I'tikaaf duringthe last ten
days of Ramadan until he passed away and then his wives would practice
I'tikaaf after him."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
Eighth:Seeking the Night ofAl-Qadr)Divine decree( and spending its
time in prayer:
It was narrated that the Prophet,, said:"Whoever stands )in prayer(
during the Night of Al-Qadr out of faith and seeking the reward of
Allaah, he will be forgiven his previous sins."]Al-Bukhaari and
Muslim[
This is is during the last ten days ofRamadan.
6. ReceivingRamadanby perfecting and excelling in deeds
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
•}Indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of any who did well
in deeds.{]Quran 18: 30[
•}For indeed, Allaah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who
do good.{]Quran 11: 115[
We mentioned this because some people, may Allaah guide them, made the
fast a pretext forneglecting public duties and the tasks that they are
assigned. If one were to ask one of them why, he would reply, is it
not sufficient that I am fasting? It is as if fasting entails
laziness, neglecting public duties, and making things difficult for
others. On the contrary, it calls for being active, striving,
treatingpeople kindly and making things easy for them.
7. ReceivingRamadanwith forgiveness, tolerance and good morals
It was narrated that the Messenger of Allaah,said:"If one of you is
fasting, he should avoid sexual relations with his wife and
quarreling, and if somebody fights or quarrels withhim, he should
respond: 'I am fasting.'"]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
Thus, we have to adhere firmly tothe noble morals of Islam in this
month as well as in all other months. That is to say, everyone should
fulfill his obligations towards his Lord, the Prophet,and his fellow
Muslims and ask for his needs kindly so that he may attain piety,
which is the main aim behind fasting as Allaah The Almighty Says )what
means(:}Decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those
before you that you may become righteous.{]Quran 2: 183[
Consequently, fasting entails:
1-Refraining from satisfying the desires of the stomach and the sexual organs.
2-Restraining the eyes, tongue, feet, ears and all other organs of the
body from committing sins.
3-Making the heart refrain from ill thoughts and thoughts that would
direct it away from Allaah The Almighty and from thinking about
anything except Allaah TheAlmighty.
8. ReceivingRamadanby calling oneself to account
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}O you who have believed, fear
Allaah. And let every soul look to what it has putforth for tomorrow -
and fear Allaah. Indeed, Allaah is Acquainted with what you do. And be
not like those who forgotAllaah, so He made them forget
themselves.{]Quran 59:18-19[
Furthermore, 'Umar ibn Al-Khattaab,said,"Hold yourself to account
before you are held to account, and weigh yourselves before you are
weighed, as reckoning yourselvestoday will make it easier for you to
be reckoned tomorrow."
Self-reckoning should be before and after doing any action:
Doing it before doing any action is to reckon oneself on his intention
and in following the way of the Prophet,.
Reckoning after the action is of three types:
First,one should reckon his soul for its gross negligence wit respect
to the acts of worshipingAllaah The Almighty which it has not
performed properly, and the right of Allaah, in acts of
Worship, has six requirements:
1- Sincerity of intention in doing any action.
2- Attempting to do it perfectly and in a way that would Allaah The Almighty.
3- Doing itin accordance with theguidance of the Prophet,.
4-Worshipping Allaah as though one sees Him
5-Acknowledging the Blessings of AllaahThe Almighty upon him with
regard to enabling him to do the act.
6-Acknowledging one's shortcomings with respects to it.
Secondone should reckon his soul for any action that he has done when
it would have been better for him not to have done.
Thirdone should cast a critical look back at whatever permissible acts
he has done andask himself why he did them: Were they for the sake of
Allaah The Almighty and the Hereafter? If so, he will be rewarded
greatly,however, if he did it for this world and its trivial gains, he
willmiss great rewards.
Therefore, we could receive, live, feel delighted and benefit from the
blessed month ofRamadan,and if we cannot do that, we would be like the
Prophet,, said:"It may be that all a fasting person gets from his fast
is hunger and thirst, and it may be that all a person who prays at
night gets from his prayer is sleeplessness."]Ahmad[
]Al-Albaani:Saheeh)Authentic([
We ask Allaah The Almighty sincerely to accept our good deeds and not
to return them as empty.