Idraak – Issue no. 9 February 2025
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Welcoming Ramadan
The month of Sha’ban has come to an end, and thus, we welcome the blessed month of Ramadan! In this months issue of Idraak, we will discuss the importance and beauty of Ramadan and beneficial ways that we can increase our ibada during the holy month. We thank Allah for allowing us all to see another Ramadan and make dua that he may show us many more, ameen!
Did you Know?
Rasool Allah SAW said “Every deed of the son of Adam is for him except fasting; it is for Me and I shall reward for it” (Bukhari: 1761). Allah SWT has given us the opportunity to fast for 30 days for Him. This is a blessing beyond recognition!
the Month of Fasting
Of the 12 months of the Hijri calendar, Ramadan is perhaps the most anticipated and beloved by Muslims all across the ummah. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, the others being Shahdah, Salah, Zakaat, and Hajj. Thus, we can understand how truly important Ramadan is for Muslims. Allah SWT says in the Quran, regarding Ramadan, that “The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month…” [al-Baqarah 2:185]. Based on this verse, we can ascertain many virtues of this blessed month. Firstly, the Holy Quran, which is the word of Allah and the guidance for all of mankind, was revealed during Ramadan, the book upon which we as Muslims ought to base our entire way of life. Allah SWT tells us that Laylat Ul Qadar (the night of power) was the night that the Quran was revealed (Quran 97). There will be more info regarding Laylat Ul Qadar in the following article!
Another virtue of Ramadan is the expiation of sins. According to a Hadith narrated by Abu Hurraira, Rasool Allah SAW said, “Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven” (Muslim 760). SubhanAllah, scholars agree that this Hadith means that those who complete the fard of fasting in the holy month will have their sins of the previous Ramadan forgiven.
Continuing upon the virtues of Ramadan, those who perform the pilgrimage of Umrah during the month of Ramadan will have the equivalent reward of having performed Hajj! Rasool Allah SAW said, “When Ramadan comes, go for ‘Umrah, for ‘Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj” (Bukhari 1782). Among these virtues, it is vital to remember that the core reason for our fasting is to attain taqwa and come closer to Allah. Allah SWT has given us a whole month to come closer to Him; truly, this is a blessing.
These are simply a few of the bountiful virtues of the beautiful month of Ramadan! There is no shortage of blessings from Allah SWT during this holy period. We ought to do our best to be grateful to Allah for these blessings and fulfill our obligatory duties as Muslims.
Did you Know?
Although fasting during Ramadan is an obligatory act for all Muslims, the mercy of Allah is such that the following people are exempt from fasting: The sick, the elderly, women who are menstruating and women who are pregnant. We ought to give husn-e-dhan to those whom we see not fasting and mind our own business. May Allah accept our intentions and fasts.
One Night, A Thousand Months
Laylat al-Qadr, or the Night of Decree, is one of the most significant nights in the Islamic calendar. It is a night of immense spiritual value, described in the Qur’an as being “better than a thousand months.” On this night, the divine mercy of Allah descends upon humanity, and Allah’s decrees for the coming year are set in motion. The Qur’an states: “We sent it down on the Night of Decree. But what will convey to you what the Night of Decree is? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. In it descend the angels and the Spirit, by the leave of their Lord, with every command. Peace it is; until the rise of dawn.” (Surah Al-Qadr: 1-5)
Islamic scholars, such as Al-Baghawi, explain that this is the night when Allah ordains and decrees matters for the upcoming year. On this night, Allah’s commands are carried out, determining the fate of individuals and events. Another interpretation is that it is a night of great honor, as evidenced by Surah Al-An’am 91 and Surah Al-Zumar 67 where Allah describes the disbelievers as “not honoring Allah as He deserves,” and uses the word “qadar” to mean “honoring.” From this interpretation, Laylat al-Qadr would be the night on which righteous deeds honored by Allah Almighty through acceptance and by being greatly multiplied!
The most authentic view is that Laylat al-Qadr falls within the last ten nights of Ramadan. The Prophet Muhammad PBUH emphasized this in a hadith narrated by Aisha: “Allah’s Messenger used to practice I’tikaf in the last ten nights of Ramadan and used to say, ‘Look for the Night of Qadr in the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan.’” (Sahih Bukhari). Another narration clarifies that it is most likely to occur on an odd-numbered night: “Seek Laylat al-Qadr on an odd-numbered night among the last ten in Ramadan.” (Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim). The most popular opinion is that Laylat al-Qadr occurs on the 27th night of Ramadan. However, since the exact date is uncertain, Muslims are encouraged to seek it throughout the last ten nights.
The Prophet Muhammad PBUH demonstrated the best way to observe this sacred night. Aisha narrated: “When the last ten nights began, Allah’s Messenger avoided intimacy, stayed awake at night, and kept his family awake [for worship].” (Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim). Another narration states: “Allah’s Messenger used to exert himself in devotion during the last ten nights to a greater extent than at any other time.” (Sahih Muslim). Therefore, Muslims are encouraged to dedicate this night to prayer, supplication, recitation of the Qur’an, and seeking Allah’s forgiveness. Engaging in worship and sincerely calling upon Allah in this blessed night would be the equivalent of worhsipping Allah and making dua to Him for eighty three years! Such an opportunity could literally be a once in a life-time opportunity to really get ahead in the Hereafter and make up for any time wasted in not worshipping Allah. A wise person should not let such a great opportunity pass by.
We ask Allah to grant us the ability to witness Laylat al-Qadr, to worship Him with sincerity, and to bless us with His mercy and forgiveness. May this night bring us closer to our Creator and grant us success in this life and the Hereafter. Ameen.
Did you Know?
Although we may feel compelled to get a few extra hours or minutes of sleep before fajr and decide to skip out on suhoor, this is highly advised against. It was narrated by Ibn Umar that Rasool Allah SAW said “Verily, Allah and His angels send blessings upon those who eat before fasting” (Ibn Hibbān 346). Allah is pleased when we wake up and eat suhoor! There is no amount of sleep that is not worth the sacrifice to have Allah SWT and his angels send blessings upon us!
That you may Attain Taqwa
With the holy month commencing, we ought to ask ourselves that aside from fasting, how can we maximize our time and worship during Ramadan? Perhaps many of us are familiar with those who wake up for iftar to eat and then proceed to sleep all day until Maghrib only to resume eating. Is this truly making the most of a blessed month? Not at all. There are also those who put their sinful habits and actions on hold from sunrise to sunset only to resume sinning at night. We must do our best to not only make the most of our fasts but to also change our habits and mindsets. What benefit does one gain from fasting while continuing to use foul language or display anger? What benefit can we gain from fasting if we are asleep all day? Absolutely none. There are simple ways through which we can make the most of our days and nights.
First and foremost, we ought to increase our supplementary worship as much as we can. We ought to pray the prescribed sunnah prayers along with our five daily prayers, increase our zikr after every prayer, and make abundant duas to Allah SWT. Rasool Allah SAW said, “Whoever spends the nights of Ramadan in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven” (Bukhari, 2008). Tarawih prayer gives us the perfect opportunity to fulfill the recommendation of the aforementioned Hadith. It is nightly worship where we can earn the reward of congregational Salah as well as have our sins forgiven.
Another way we can make the most of our days during Ramadan is to make an abundance of dua. When opening our fast at the time of Maghrib, we ought to recite the following dua: “Dhahaba al-zama’ wa abtalat al-‘urooq wa thabata al-ajr in sha Allah”, which translates to “thirst is gone, the veins are moistened, and the reward is certain if Allah wills” (Abu Dawood 2357). As mentioned earlier, Ramadan is a time to seek forgiveness from Allah, so another dua we can recite is “Allahumma innaka afuwwun tuhibb Al-afwa faaffu anni” (O Allah, You are forgiving and You love forgiveness, so forgive me). These are just a few duas found from within the sunnah. However, we ought to also make dua from our heart as much as we can, for forgiveness, blessings, shukr, and all things that we need, as Allah is Al-Mujeeb, The Answerer of Prayers.
Another vital thing to remember is that we must have sabr while fasting. Rasool Allah SAW said that “fasting is half of sabr” (Tirmidhī 3519). Furthermore, it was recommended by Rasool Allah that if one of us should become angry or annoyed while fasting, we ought to say “Allahuma inni saim,” which means “Oh Allah, I am fasting,” as a means to remain calm and remember that you are fasting for Allah. It is easy to become irritable or annoyed while fasting, but we ought to do our best to avoid harsh language and anger for the sake of Allah.
Finally, we should remember that while every Muslim has their own weaknesses and temptations, being able to observe the month of Ramadan is a huge blessing from Allah. For this reason, we should try our best to change our ways, only for the sake of Allah SWT. While Ramadan is a great time to offer extra prayers and zikr, we should try our best to keep these habits alive within our minds beyond the holy month. Why should we only try to be our best selves for one month out of the year? Ramadan is a time for spiritual growth and change. May Allah allow us to build a positive mindset of taqwa during this blessed month, and may Allah allow us to keep the good habits we make during Ramadan year-round. Ameen.
Jazakum Allahu Khayr for reading! We are grateful for your readership and continued support. We are always finding ways to improve the quality of these articles and would appreciate any feedback from our readers.
Stay tuned for our next issue of Idraak at the end of March 2025 insha’Allah.
