Rejoicing at the coming of Ramadan

All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds. We ask Him to Bestow
much of His Peace and Blessings upon our leader, Muhammadhis family
and Companions until the Day of Judgment.
The month of Ramadan occupies a refined status in the hearts of
Muslims who believe in the One and Only Lord, Allaah The Exalted,Lord
of the Worlds. For Muslims, Ramadan is of great sentimental and
spiritual value and emotionalsignificance. It is the best month of the
entire year. Ramadan is the month of mercy, forgiveness and
emancipation from Hellfire. In it, are the last ten nights and, in
them, the best night of the year )i.e. the Night of Al- Qadr(. Whoever
makes the most of this night )by worshipping Allaah The Exalted(, will
achieve a great deal of good and reward.
This blessed month is the month of joy and bliss )i.e. of obedience
and closeness to Allaah The Exalted(. In Ramadan, many of the basic
acts of worship are performed. It is the month of fasting, night
prayers, charity andother acts of worship.
Whenever the great, blessed and noble month of Ramadan approaches, the
hearts of believers look forward to witnessing it, are gladdened by
its coming and are overjoyed as itnears. The month of Ramadan is a
great blessing from Allaah The Exalted, not only in terms of its great
and abundant reward and emancipation from Hellfire, but also because
it abounds in priceless lessons. This value is only recognized by
those who realize the wisdom behind fasting, its benefits and deep
impact on the heart, soul, body and the society as a whole.
The month of Ramadan is distinguished from other months)as being the month of(:
1. Forgiveness:
Abu Hurayrah, May Allaah Be Pleased with him, reported that the
Messenger of Allaahsaid:"Whoever observes fasts during the month of
Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping to attainthe rewards of
Allaah, then all hispast sins will be forgiven."]Al-Bukhaari and
Muslim[
This means that whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and hope for the
reward only from Allaah The Exalted and not to be seen and admired by
people, his previous sins will be forgiven.
2. The gates of Paradise are opened and those of Hellfire are closed:
In the first night of this month, the gates of Paradise are opened and
those of Hellfire are closed. Abu Hurayrahreported that the Messenger
of Allaahsaid:"When it is the first night of Ramadan, devils and
rebellious jinn are chained, the gates of the Fire are locked and not
a single gate is opened. the gates of Paradise are opened and not a
single gate is closed. Then, a caller calls out: 'O seeker of
good,come forward, and O seeker of evil, desist. And there are many
whom Allaah Frees from Hellfire and this is in every night )of
Ramadan(."]At-Tirmithi[ ]Al-Albaani: Saheeh[
This Hadeeth underlines many virtues and merits of the month of Ramadan.
3. One of the greatest acts of worship is performed in Ramadan:
This is one of the main reasons behind rejoicing at the coming ofthis
month. Abu Hurayrahreported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid in a
Hadeeth Qudsi:"Allaah The Exalted Said: 'Every deed of the son of
Aadam is for himself except for fasting because it is for Me and I
Will Reward )him for( it … Fasting is a shield )from Hellfire and
committing sins(. If one of you is fasting, he should avoid sexual
relations with his wife and quarreling and, if someone should fight
with him, he should say, 'I am fasting'. By Him in Whose Hands my soul
is, the unpleasant smell from the mouth of a fasting person is better
in the Sight of Allaah than the smell of musk. There are two joyous
occasions for the fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast
and the other when he meets his Lord, for thenhe will rejoice because
of his fasting."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
4. The believer should rejoice at the coming of this month. And they
should rejoice at such glad tidings as Allaah The Exalted Has Prepared
so much )reward( for those who fast. Sahl, May Allaah Be Pleased with
him, reported that the Prophetsaid:"There is a gate in Paradise called
Ar-Rayyaan through which none will enter but those who used to observe
fasting. It will be said, 'Where are those who used to observe
fasting?' They will get upand none except them will enter through it.
After their entry, the gate will be closed and nobody will enter
through it."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
My dear brother and sister,
The month of Ramadan creates a feeling of joy and delight in the
hearts of believers. The Messenger of Allaahsaid:"… There are two
joyous occasions for the fasting person; one at thetime of breaking
his fast and the other when he meets his Lord, for then he will
rejoice because of his fasting."]Muslim[. Ramadan is the optimal time
for Muslims to relish joy and delight. How could the believer not
rejoice at the coming of Ramadan when a gate of Paradise is opened for
him? How could a believer not rejoice at thecoming of Ramadan as he is
given a chance for his past and future sins to be forgiven? How could
a believer not rejoice at thecoming of Ramadan when he is given a
chance to be saved from Hellfire?
How could a believer not rejoice at the coming of Ramadan as thecaller
proclaims, "O seeker of good, come forward! Come forward in truth to
the Lord of allcreation and relish prosperity success and victory in
this worldly life and in the Hereafter"?There is no doubt that this is
the objective of each Muslim and the goal of all Muslims who believe
inthe One and Only True God.
How could a believer not rejoice at the coming of Ramadan nor
bepleased to have been endowed with such a divine gift, having been
granted a chance to escape Hellfire and winning the Pleasure of
Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds?
Lastly, we implore Allaah The Exalted to Bestow upon us the blessing
of witnessing this blessed month, Facilitate our fasting and prayers,
Accept our modest attempts to please Him)through good deeds and acts
of worship( and Pardon our numerous sins and misdeeds, forHe Is Able
and Competent to do that. He )Alone( Is Worthy )of thisplead( and Is
Able to bring this topass. We ask Him to Bestow much of His Peace and
Blessings upon our leader, Muhammadhis family and Companions until the
Day of Judgment. All praise is due to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds.

Ramadan and victory

Allaah The Almighty Says)what means(:}The month of Ramadan ]is that[
in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for thepeople and clear
proofs of guidance and criterion.{]Quran 2:185[
In Ramadan, the Quran was revealed to guide people. In Ramadan, the
Muslims were victorious on the day of Badr, Allaah bestowed upon them
the favor of the Conquest of Makkah, the Battle of 'Ayn Jaloot in
which the Muslims were overwhelmingly victorious over the Tatars, the
Conquest of Amorium between the Muslims under the leadership of
Al-Mu'tasimand the Romans after a woman sought the help of Al-Mu'tasim
and she cried out: 'O Mu'tasim!' When Al-Mu'tasim heard this, he
prepared an army and conquered Amorium.
In Ramadan, Noor Ad-Deen Zangi was victorious over the crusaders,
Baibars won Antioch back from the crusaders and the Muslims conquered
the city of Belgrade. Indeed, many victories were achieved in Ramadan.
Will we make Ramadan this year the gate of returning Islam to lead the
world once more; will we make it the beginning of a path that ends
with the honor and empowerment of Islam.
Dear loved ones for the sake of Allaah, Ramadan is a month when devils
are chained, the souls of the believers are elevated, the voice of
clear truth is raised and the Quran fills the ears of the lovers, the
throats of the worshippers and the hearts of the righteous. Ramadan is
an opportunity for a new beginning. It is an open gate for a wide road
of hope. It is a well-lit lamp to help us move togetherin the path of
empowerment and place our feet at the beginningof the bridge of clear
victory; thus proceed anddo not despair.
Know dear brother and sister that victory has paths. We can start
making the victory of thenation and we can achieve victory for
ourselves seeking the help of Allaah The Exalted. Let us consider
Ramadan a motive for achieving both victories; the victory of the
nation and our personal victory. The believer rejoices at the support
of Allaah andhe rejoices at achieving victory even if everyone is
defeated. Some peopleachieve victory in spite ofthe defeat of all
those who surround them and they achieve victory in the severest and
most difficult crises.
Consider this Hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik, may Allaah Be Pleased with
him, narrated that when Haraam ibn Milhaan, his uncle, was stabbed on
the day of Bi'r Ma'oonah, he sprinkled his blood over his face and his
head this way and then said: "I have succeeded, by the Lord of the
Ka'bah." ]Al-Bukhaari[
Look at Haram and how he achieved personal victory in the severest
situations. What is apparent is that he lost everything by losing his
life as man has nothing which is more precious than his life and
losing it means losing everything. However, he won and accomplished
victory in his personal struggle; he won a seat of honor neara
Sovereign who is Perfect in Ability. So, let us pause with ourselves
and rely upon our Lord to achieve the victory with His will; even if
everybody is defeated and even in the hardest of situations.
When 'Ali, may Allaah Be Pleased with Him and may He Please him, was
stabbed and this also took place in Ramadan, he said: "I have
succeeded, by the Lord ofthe Ka'bah", after he sawthe blood pouring
from his head to cover his honored body.
What is apparent is the loss for Muslims as he was the ruler of
Muslims and the fourth rightly guided caliph. Nevertheless, he thought
of the matter differently; he calculated it in terms of profit and
loss. Indeed,the commodity of Allaah is precious; indeed the commodity
of Allaah is Paradise. Should we not buy it and pay the dowries of the
Hoor? Ramadan has come so head towards your Lord and Patron, say
farewell to the night of heedlessness and say welcome to the day of
victory.
To faith and with faith once more.

Biographies - Imam Tirmizi

IMAM TIRMIZI (R.A) 209A.H. – 279 A.H.
ImaamTirmizi(R.A.) was born during the reign of the Abbasid Khalifa
Mamoon al Rasheed. The Abbasid Caliphate, despite its brilliant
contributions to Islaam, brought along with it many thorny problems.
Greek Philosophy had a free flow into the Islamic world. This was
fully sanctioned by the government until eventually it declared
theMu'tazila school of thought as the state religion. Anyone who
opposed the Mu'tazila school of thought would be opposing the state.
With the influence of Greek philosophy infiltrating within the people,
many Muslims began attempting to reconcile between reason and
revelation. As a result they deviated themselves and misled many
innocent weak Muslims away from Allah and His Rasul [sallallahu alyhi
wasallam]. Many scholars of Islaam had come to the fore in orderto
defend the Shariah. Forgeries and interpolations in Hadith by rulers
who wished to fulfil their personal motives was common. In the first
century Umar binAbdul Aziz(R.A.) initiated a movement for the
compilation of the Mubarak Hadeeth of Nabi[sallallahu alayhi wasallam]
as there was a fear of it being lost. Eventually this gigantic task
was undertaken by six towering scholars of Islaam. One of them was……..
Imaam Abu Isa Muhammed ibn IsaTirmizi(R.A.)
Having grown up in an environment of learning, together with
possessing many great qualities naturally drove ImaamTirmizi(R.A.) to
dedicate his life totally towards the field of Hadith. He obtained his
basic knowledge at home and later travelled to far off lands in search
of this great science. He studied Hadith under great personalities
such as Imaam Bukhari (R.A.), Imaam Muslim(R.A.) and Imaam Abu
Dawood(R.A.). In some narrations Imaam Bukhari and Imaam Muslim (R.A.)
are his students as well. Once Imaam Bukhari (R.A.) mentioned to him
"I havebenefited more from youthan you have benefittedfrom me." Moosa
ibn Alaq(R.A.) once said : "When Imaam Bukhari passed away, he left no
one in Khurasaan who compared with Abu Isa Tirmizi (R.A.) in Ilm,
memory, piety and abstinence." According toAbdullah ibn Muhammed
Al-Ansaari (R.A.), Imaam Tirmizi's Al-Jami is more beneficial than the
worksof Bukhari and Muslim (R.A.) since their compilations can only be
understood by a very deep sighted scholar whereas Al Jami can be
understood by both the scholar and the lay man. Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.)
said that he compiled this book and presented it to the learned of
Hejaaz, Iraaq and Khuraasaan and they were pleased with it. Who ever
has thisbook in his home, it is as though he has the Prophet
[sallallahu alyhi wasallam] speaking to him there.
His remarkable memory:
Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) had an exceptionally remarkable memory. If he
heard something oncehe never forgot it. Once on his way to Makkah,
Imaam Tirmizi(R.A.) met aMuhadith from whom he had previously copied
two chapters of hadith. Thinking that he had the notes with him he
asked the Muhadith if he wouldallow him to read out these two chapters
so that he may correct any errors. After realizing that he did not
have those notes with him he took a blank piece of paper and read out
the entire two parts from memory. When the Muhadith realized what he
was doing he rebukedImam Tirmizi (R.A.) saying: "Have you no shame,
Why are you wasting my time." ImaamTirmizi (R.A.) assured him that he
had committed allthe ahadith to memory. The Muhadith was not
convinced, even though he recited all the Ahadith from memory. Imaam
Tirmizi (R.A.) requested him to recite to him someother Ahadith. The
Muhaddith recited 40 ahadith which Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) repeated
without making a single error, thus showing his remarkable power of
committing Ahadith to memory.
Another incident has been recorded by Hakeemul Ummat (R.A.) inhis
Al-Misk-us-Zaki, depicting the profound memory of Imaam Tirmizi(R.A.).
He writes:"Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) had lost his sight towards the latter
portion of his life. Once whilst on a journey, at a certain point he
bowed his head. When asked as to why he did this, he replied: "Is
there not a tree here whose branches hang over in such a manner that
it harms those who are passing by." They answered in the negative. He
was quite shocked when he heard this as he distinctly remembered there
beinga tree and was worried as to whether his memory was failing him
or not. He stopped the caravan immediately andasked his companions to
enquire from the locals whether a tree had existed there or not. "If
itis established that no tree existed then I will stop narrating the
Hadithof Nabi [sallallahu alyhi wasallam] due to my weak memory." On
inquiry it was shown to them that a tree had previously existed over
there but due to it being a hindrance to travelers it was removed."
Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) had a large number of students from all over
theworld. The most famous amongst them were Haysam ibn Kulaib (R.A.),
Abul Abbaas (R.A.) and Muhammed ibn Ahmed (R.A.) Shah Abdul Aziz
(R.A.) describes Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) in the following words: "His
memory was unique and his piety and fear of AllahTa'la was of a very
high caliber. He would cry so much out of the fear of Allah, that
towards the end of his life he lost his sight."
According to Ibn Taimiya (R.A.) and Shah Waliullah (R.A.), Imaam
Timizi (R.A.) was an independent Jurist (Mujtahid). Hazrat Moulana
Anwar Shah Kashmiri (R.A.) is of the opinion that he was a Shafi.
In the year 279 A.H. in a village called Bawag at the ripe age of 70 ,
Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) left this temporary abode for the ever lasting
life of thehereafter. May Allah Ta'ala fill his Qabar with Noor.
Aameen. The enormity of his sacrifices and the extent to which he
served Deen can neverbe fully comprehended.
Many books of hadith were compiled before Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) decided
to compile His Al-Jami. Dawood Tayalisi (R.A.) and Ahmed ibn Hambal
(R.A.) had compiled books consisting of both authentic and weak
Ahadith. Later Imaam Bukhari (R.A.) compiled his Sahih Bukhari and
omitted all weak narrations from it. His main objective was to derive
masail / laws from the relevant Ahadith. Later Muslim (R.A.) compiled
his book concentrating mainly on the Isnaad (different chain of
narrators). Hazrat Imaam Nasai's aimwas to mention the discrepancies
of the hadith whilst Abu Dawood (R.A.) prepared such a book which
became the basis for the Fuqaha. Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) had combined the
styles of Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and Nasai (R.A.) by mentioning
the discrepancies regarding the narrators and also making his
compilation abasis for the Jurists.

Biographies - Abu Dawud

Sulaiman ibn al-Ash'ath (Abu Dawud) (r.a) – [202 -275 A.H.]
Abu Dawudwas born in Sijistan. Little is known about his early life,
but that he travelled to many regions and cities to hearand collect
ahadith from many different scholars.Abu Dawudis also a distinguished
Faqih as well as a Muhaddith. His knowledge of hadith is confirmed by
the fact that he had amassed 500,000 ahadith, 5,400 ofwhich he
selected for Sunan Abu Dawud. Hakimat- Tirmidhiwas of the opinion that
Abu Dawud was without doubt the chief muhaddith of his time.
His teachers are estimated to number more than 300. This includes ibn
Hanbal, ibn Mu'in, ibn Harab, Abd al-Wahid Tayalasi and ibnIbrahim,
who were also teachers of Imams Bukhari and Muslim.
The number of students in Abu Dawud's classes would sometimes be in
the thousands, Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i being amongst them. Some other
distinguished muhaddithun students ofhis were: Abu Bakr ibn Imam, Abu
Ali Muhammadibn Ahmad Lu'lu'wi, Abu Bakr Muhammad and AbuSa'id Ahmad
ibn Muhammad.
Abu Dawud used to say that for one to recognise the purpose of life
and topractise religion properly, out of his sunan, 4 hadith would
suffice:
1.The reward of deeds depends only intentions
2.Among you no one will be a true Muslim unless he wishes for his
brother or his neighbour exactly that which he wishes for himself
3.The exquisiteness of ones Islamis that he avoids things that do not
concern him and leaves what is not valuable to him
4.The lawful and unlawful are made clear, but there are in between
them doubtfulthings which are not known to most of the people. One who
keeps himself away from the doubtful things, protects his deen and
honour, and he who indulges in doubtful acts commits unlawful deeds.
In the year 275A.H. in Basrah Abu Dawud departed from this worldat the
age of 73, and was buried next to Sufyan ath-Thawri. May Allah Ta'ala
fill his Qabar with Noor.
Aameen.