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How we should receive Ramadhaan - II
Under category :
All about Ramadan
3486
2011/07/28
2024/11/14
5. receiving ramadhaan by making the best use of time
time is very precious because every minute that passes can never return. ramadhaan is also a means of success or failure, salvation or destruction…
amongst the obligatory and recommended acts of worship in ramadhaan are:
first: fasting during the daytime:
allaah the almighty says (what means): {so whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast 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 ramadhaan out of faith and seeking the reward of allaah, his previous sins will be forgiven.”
, said: “whoever fasts ramadhaan out of faith and seeking the reward of allaah, his previous sins will be forgiven.”
second: performing voluntary night prayers (the taraaweeh prayer):
it was narrated that the prophet, , said: “whoever stands (in voluntary prayer at night in) ramadhaan out of faith and seeking the reward of allaah, his previous sins will be forgiven.” [al-bukhaari and muslim]
, said: “whoever stands (in voluntary prayer at night in) ramadhaan out of faith and seeking the reward of allaah, his previous sins will be forgiven.” [al-bukhaari and muslim]
third: reciting the quran:
ramadhaan is the month of the noble quran. allaah the almighty says (what means): {the month of ramadhaan [is that] in which was revealed the quran, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion.} [quran 2: 185]
the angel jibreel (gabriel) 
would study the quran with the prophet, , in the month of ramadhaan. hence, our righteous predecessors would devote themselves and their time to reciting the quran in ramadhaan. so would used to recite the quran in the prayers and at other times. az-zuhri 
said at the advent of the blessed month of ramadhaan, “it is only for reciting the quran and giving food.”
would study the quran with the prophet, , in the month of ramadhaan. hence, our righteous predecessors would devote themselves and their time to reciting the quran in ramadhaan. so would used to recite the quran in the prayers and at other times. az-zuhri said at the advent of the blessed month of ramadhaan, “it is only for reciting the quran and giving food.”
fourth: giving iftaar (the fast-breaking meal) to fasting people:
it was narrated that the prophet, , said: “whoever gives food to someone who is fasting to break his fast with will have a reward like his, without that detracting from the fasting person’s reward in the slightest.”[al-bukhaari and muslim]
, said: “whoever gives food to someone who is fasting to break his fast with will have a reward like his, without that detracting from the fasting person’s reward in the slightest.”[al-bukhaari and muslim]
fifth: generosity:
it was narrated that the messenger of allaah, , was the most generous of people, and he was the most generous during ramadhaan. [al-bukhaari and muslim].
, was the most generous of people, and he was the most generous during ramadhaan. [al-bukhaari and muslim].
sixth: performing ‘umrah (lesser pilgrimage) in ramadhaan:
it was narrated that the prophet, , said: “‘umrah in ramadhaan is equivalent (in reward) to hajj.”in another narration:“to hajj with me .” [al-bukhaari and muslim]
, said: “‘umrah in ramadhaan is equivalent (in reward) to hajj.”in another narration:“to hajj with me .” [al-bukhaari and muslim]
seventh: performing i‘tikaaf (seclusion in the mosque):
i‘tikaaf is in the last ten days of ramadhaan. it was narrated that ‘aa’ishah 
said, “the prophet would practice i‘tikaaf during the last ten days of ramadhaan until he passed away and then his wives would practice i‘tikaaf after him.” [al-bukhaari and muslim]
said, “the prophet would practice i‘tikaaf during the last ten days of ramadhaan until he passed away and then his wives would practice i‘tikaaf after him.” [al-bukhaari and muslim]
eighth: seeking the night of al-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]
, 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 of ramadhaan.
6. receiving ramadhaan by 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 for neglecting 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, treating people kindly and making things easy for them.
7. receiving ramadhaan with 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 with him, he should respond: 'i am fasting.’”[al-bukhaari and muslim]
said:“if one of you is fasting, he should avoid sexual relations with his wife and quarreling, and if somebody fights or quarrels with him, he should respond: 'i am fasting.’”[al-bukhaari and muslim]
thus, we have to adhere firmly to the 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]
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 the almighty.
8. receiving ramadhaan by 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 put forth for tomorrow - and fear allaah. indeed, allaah is acquainted with what you do. and be not like those who forgot allaah, 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 yourselves today will make it easier for you to be reckoned tomorrow.”
said, “hold yourself to account before you are held to account, and weigh yourselves before you are weighed, as reckoning yourselves today 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 worshiping allaah 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 it in accordance with the guidance of the prophet, .
.
4- worshipping allaah as though one sees him
5- acknowledging the blessings of allaah the almighty upon him with regard to enabling him to do the act.
6- acknowledging one’s shortcomings with respects to it.
second
third one should cast a critical look back at whatever permissible acts he has done and ask 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 will miss great rewards.
therefore, we could receive, live, feel delighted and benefit from the blessed month of ramadhaan, 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)]
, 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.
