Deeds to Observe in Ramadan

Deeds to Observe in Ramadan

1-  Standing in Tarawih (special supererogatory night Prayer in Ramadan) for long reciting one portion of the Quran at least daily.

2-  Tahajjud (optional late night Prayer) during the last ten or fifteen days in Ramadan with reflect. This is the way of approaching closer to Allah Almighty.

3-   Reading the whole portion of Quran repeatedly, which would draw us closer to Allah Almighty

4-  The daily invocations cited in the Quran and Sunnah. To attain the most beautiful Ramadan, I have to undergo invocations not regular for me over the year, for example, the Prophet Muhammad said:

(Any Muslim pronounces “There is no god but Allah, having no partner with Him, to Him belongs sovereignty and to Him is praise due, and He is Potent over everything” one hundred times at a day, it would be for him as if he expiated ten slaves, one hundred good deeds are written in his sheet and one hundred sins are erased from it, and it would be a shield for him from Satan this day until evening, and none is better than him except who says more.[1]), and also, the Hadith : (If a Muslim extols Allah and praises Him one hundred times at a day, his sins will be forgiven even If these are as abundant as the foam of the sea.[2])

Abu-Hurairah “May Allah be pleased with him” said that I heard the Prophet “PBUH” saying: (By Allah! I seek Allah’s forgiveness and repent to Him more than seventy times at a day.[3]). Abu-Murrah related on the authority of Al-Agharr Al-Muzani that the Messenger of Allah “PBUH” said: (It happens that my heart sometimes becomes idle, so I seek Allah’s forgiveness one hundred times a day.[4])

The prophet “PBUH” said: (for everyone who invokes a blessing on me will receive ten blessings from Allah and ten sins will be erased from him.[5]). The Prophet “PBUH” said: (for everyone who invokes a blessing on me, angels keeps invoking a blessing on him so long as he is in this state; therefore, let him do more or less.[6])

Moreover, the Muslim should hold to invocations of day and night and invocations of conditions.

5-  At the end of Ramadan, we should draw more closely to Allah through secluding from the activities of life at mosques. In this regard, Abu-Hurairah “May Allah be pleased with him” related that the Prophet “PBUH” said: (The Prophet used to seclude himself at mosque every Ramadan for the last ten days. However; at the year of his death, he secluded for twenty days.[7])

The Prophet liked to make the last Ramadan in his life the most beautiful one, so he secluded for twenty days at mosque instead of ten.

6-  The most beautiful Ramadan is when you spend extraordinarily. Abu-Hurairah related that a man came to the Prophet and said: O Messenger of Allah! Which charity is the most superior in reward? The Prophet replied, "The charity which you practice while you are healthy, niggardly and afraid of poverty and wish to become wealthy.[8]).

As you seek the pleasure of Allah Almighty through your charity, then you are lending Allah Almighty (Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over? And it is Allah who withholds and grants abundance, and to Him you will be returned), Al-Baqarah, 245. Anas ibn Malik related that a man said to the Prophet: o Messenger of Allah! So and so owns a palm tree within the boundaries of my garden, so order him to transfer it to me to build my garden.

The Prophet said to the man: transfer it to him and you will have instead a palm tree in paradise, however, the man refused. Abu-Ad-Dahdah went to such man and said to him: sell me your palm tree for my garden!, the man approved it. Abu-Ad-Dahdah came to the Prophet and said: o Messenger of Allah! I bought the palm tree for my garden. The Prophet said: transfer it to him, since it gave it to you, and the Prophet further repeated: (How plentiful are the palm trees for Abu-Ad-Dahdah in paradise). Abu-Ad-Dahdah came to the garden and called on to his wife: O, Mother of Ad-Dardah! Get out of the garden, because I have sold it for a palm tree in paradise. The wife replied: what a profitable bargain![9])

Let the spender be informed that the charity is taken by Allah first before the poor does, as the Prophet said: (Allah accept the charity and takes it in His right (hand) and then enlarges its reward for that person (who has given it), as anyone of you brings up his baby horse, so much that the morsel becomes as big as Uhud Mountain. This is demonstrated in the Book of Allah almighty “Do they not know that it is Allah who accepts repentance from His servants and receives charities”, At-Tawbah, 104, and “Allah destroys interest and gives increase for charities”, Al-Baqarah, 276.[10])

Allah Almighty is he who cultivates your wealth as if you bring up your baby horse to the extent that the one morsel given in charity is enlarged to Uhud Mountain in reward.

In the end, I would like to advise all Muslims who wish to make this Ramadan the most beautiful one that they should appropriate unusual proportion of your income to spend in this Ramadan.  Let’s say 10% out of your income to burden yourselves in the way of Allah. By doing that, you are not going counter to the Sunnah of the Prophet as it is cited in the Hadith: (And He “PBUH” used to reach the peak in generosity in the month of Ramadan.[11]) The wording of the Hadith demonstrates that the Prophet was used to spend in Ramadan more than usual.

I conclude saying: choosing these righteous deeds which burden us and of no world profit does not mean that it has no world benefit at all, rather, Allah Almighty conferred benefit upon His Servants that He “SWT” gave a world benefit in addition to the afterworld reward. To illustrate, the one spending in the cause of Allah will not have his wealth decreased. In this regard, Abu-Hurairah “May Allah be pleased with him” related that the Messenger “PBUH” said: (No charity would decrease one’s wealth[12]). Moreover, Allah would multiply his wealth (Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over? And it is Allah who withholds and grants abundance, and to Him you will be returned), Al-Baqarah, 245, and so on.

Source: www.islamstory.com

[1]-  Al-Bukhari, book “Bad` Al-Khalq”, chapter “the characteristic of Iblis and his aides” 3119, on the authority of Abu-Hurairah “May Allah be pleased with him” and the wording is his. Muslim, book: “invocation, prayer and repentance, and asking for forgiveness of Allah”, chapter “virtue of saying: there is no god but Allah, praising Allah and invocation” 2691.

[2]- Al-Bukhari, book “Ad-Da`wat”, chapter “virtue of praising Allah” 6042, on the authority of Abu-Hurairah “May Allah be pleased with him”. Muslim, book: “invocation, prayer and repentance, and asking for forgiveness of Allah”, chapter “virtue of saying: there is no god but Allah, praising Allah and invocation” 2691.”  

[3]- Al-Bukhari, book “Ad-Da`wat”, chapter “the Prophet’s seeking forgiveness at say and night” 5948, and An-Nasai 10267.

[4]- Muslim, book: “Invocation, prayer and repentance, and asking for forgiveness of Allah”, chapter “recommendation of asking Allah’s forgiveness and doing it multiples” 2702, Abu-Dawud 1515, An-Nasai 10276 and Ahmad 17881.

[5]- An-Nasai 9891, on the authority of Anas ibn Malik and Ahmad 12017, Shu`aib Al-Arnaut said: it is authentic Hadith . Al-Bukhari “Al-Adab Al-Mufrad” p.224, and Al-Albani judged it authentic on commenting on “Al-Adab Al-Mufrad”.

[6]- Al-manawi: “Fayd Al-Qadir” 5/490. Ibn Majah 907, Ahmad 15718, on the authority of `Amir ibn Rabi`ah and the wording is his. Shu`aib Al-Arnaut said: it is good Hadith and Al-Albani ranked it “good” in “Sahih Al-Jami`”5737. As-Sakhawi stated in “Al-Qawl Al-Badi`” after citing the Hadith: it is related by Ahmad, and ibn Zinjaweih in “At-Targhib Wat-Tarhib” ranked it “good”. Al-Mubarkafuri in “Mar`at Al-Mafatih Sharh Mishkat Al-Masabih” 3/288.

[7]- Al-Bukhari, book “Al-I`tikaf, chapter “seclusion in the mid ten in Ramadan” 1939, Abu-Dawud 2466, At-Tirmidhi 803, An-Nasai 3343, ibn Majah 1769 and Ahmad 8416..  

[8]- Al-Bukhari, book “Az-Zakah”, chapter “the most superior charity in reward, and the charity of the niggardly and healthy”1353, Muslim, book “Az-Zakah”, chapter “Demonstrating that the best charity is that of the healthy and niggardly 1032.

[9]- Ahmad 12504. Shu`aib Al-Arnaut stated: it is of an authentic chain of narration on Muslim’s condition of validity , Ibn Hebban 7159, Al-Hakim, 2194, said: it is of an authentic chain of narration on Muslim’s condition of validity. At-tabarani in “Al-Mu`jam Al-Kabir” 18615. Al-Haithami said: the hadith related by Ahmad and At-tabarani and their narrators are authenticated. See “Majma` Az-Zawa`ed Wa-Manba` Al-Fawa`ed 9/324. Al-Albani ranked the Hadith “authentic” in “As-Silsilah As-Sahihah”2964.   

[10]- Al-Bukhary, book “Az-Zakah”, chapter “Allah does not accept the unlawful charity and Allah accepts only the charity from lawful earn” 1344, and Muslim, book “Az-Zakah”, chapter “Accepting the charity from the good earn and enlarging it 1014, At-Tirmidhi 662 and the wording of the Hadith is his and ranked the Hadith “authentic and good”.   

[11]- Al-Bukhari, book “As-Sawm”, chapter, “the Prophet used to reach the peak in spending in Ramadan” 1803. Muslim, book “Al-Fadael”, chapter “Allah's Apostle was the most generous person, even more generous than the strong uncontrollable wind”2308

[12]- Muslim, book “Al-Birr Wassilah Wal-Adab”, chapter “recommending to pardon and humble oneself” 2588 on the authority of Abu-Hurairah, At-Tirmidhi 2029, and Ahmad 7205.