What should one preoccupy his time with in Ramadhan

Sheikh Saleh al-Fawzaan حفظه الله 

** (Edited for the blog)

All praise be to Allaah for His blessings and generosity. He has blessed us by allowing us to reach the month of Ramadhan and enabling us to do good deeds by which we can draw nearer to Him. And may the peace and blessings be on our Prophet Muhammad – who was the first to hasten to do good deeds – as well as upon his family and Companions – those who believed in him, supported him and followed the light that was revealed to him. They are the successful ones.

As for what follows, then:

I advise you and myself to fear Allaah during this blessed month as well as in any other month. However, this month has a special merit by which Allaahسبحانه و تعالى has distinguished it, since it is a unique occasion for performing good deeds. 

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) would also give his Companions the glad tidings of its arrival and explain to them its many virtues, saying to them:

“O people! A great and blessed month has come upon you.”

Forgiveness is more beloved to Allaah

The Wisdom Behind Fasting

 Imaam Sheikh al-AlBaani رحمه الله تعالى said,

“I start by opening with something appropriate to the time and place we’re in, in that we all know the Statement of Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى, “… decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you, that you may become righteous..”

[Baqarah 2:183]

You have heard commentary and beneficial comments concerning this verse and things connected to it many times, but I believe that you will have seldom heard commentary on its last part, “… that you may become righteous.”

Why was this fasting decreed? “That you may become righteous.” This is one of the rare verses, in fact one of the rare legislated provisions that links the legislated order with an explanation of the intended goal and the reason it was legislated.

There is a declaration here of the obligation of fasting Ramadhan, and Muslims should apply themselves to adopting and implementing this order without asking why or how and so on, something which is common now in terms of questioning the legislated orders, [such that] you will often hear some people [saying], “Why this? Why that? Why this?”—we don’t approve of exhaustively searching for the wisdom behind legislation, except what has been expounded on [itself] in it, like what we’re discussing now [i.e., fasting].

“Decreed upon you is fasting,” why? He سُبحانه وتعالى said, “… that you may become righteous,” i.e., the point of fasting is for it to be a means for the fasting person to increase his taqwa of Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى and for him to get closer to Him.

If he fasts but does not improve compared to how he was before, i.e., before Ramadhan, then it means that this person has not accomplished the desired goal wanted from the implementation of fasting.

There are some authentic hadiths, from the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم of course, which explain and confirm this objective which the verse has stated, for example, the hadith Qudsi which the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم relates from his Lord سُبحانه وتعالى, in which He said, “Whoever does not leave false speech, and acting according to it, then Allaah is not in any need of him leaving his food and his drink,” this is a very great hadith, and goes completely with the end of the verse, “… that you may become righteous.”

The Door in Paradise for those who fast

It was narrated from Sahl bin Sa’d رضي الله عنه that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said:

“In Paradise there is a gate called ar-Rayyan. On the Day of Resurrection the call will be made saying:

‘Where are those who used to fast?’

Whoever is among those who used to fast will enter it, and whoever enters it will never be thirsty again.”

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 7, Hadith 1709)

Purpose of Creation

Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Baz  (رحمه الله) said :

❝Allaah سُبحانه وتعالىinforms us in His book that He created Jinn and mankind for the purpose that they worship Him. Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى says: And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone). This worship for which Allaahسُبحانه وتعالى   has created Jinn and humanity means to believe in the Oneness of Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى and devote all forms of worship to Him Alone. These forms of worship include Salah, Sawm, Zakah, Hajj, Sujud, Tawaf, slaughtering sacrificial animals, making vows, showing fear or hope, seeking help and protection, all kinds of Dua as well as adherence to what is stated in His Glorious book and the Sunnah of His honest Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) concerning the commandments and prohibitions of the Shari`ah (Islaamic law).❞

[Fatwa of Ibn Baz, 1/48]

Audios on how to benefit from the Month of Ramadhan.

Abu Huraira رضي اللّه عنـه reported: The Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم ascended the pulpit and he said, “Aameen, Aameen, Aameen.” It was said, “O' Messenger of Allaah, you ascended the pulpit and said Aameen, Aameen, Aameen.” The Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said, “Verily, Jibreel came to me and he said: Whoever reaches the month of Ramadhan and he is not forgiven, then he will enter Hell-fire and Allaah will cast him far away, so say Aameen. I said Aameen. Whoever sees his parents in their old age, one or both of them, and he does not honor them and he dies, then he will enter Hell-fire and Allaah will cast him far away, so say Aameen. I said Aameen. Whoever has your name mentioned in his presence and he does not send blessings upon you and he dies, then he will enter Hell-fire and Allaah will cast him far away, so say Aameen. I said Aameen.”

(Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 915)

For audios on how to benefit from the Month of Ramadhan, please click the link below. 

Click for audios on Ramadhan

The Mannerisms & Characteristics of those who uphold the Qur'aan - 1

Alhamdulillaah we thank Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى for blessing us with yet another Ramadhan, and we seek His aid in pleasing Him and to make the best of it as we do not know if we will be blessed to meet another Ramadhan. We should strive hard in this blessed month -- the month of serenity and piety wherein is all khair (good). Due to the Mercy of Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى upon us, the Major Kuffaar Shayateen (Al-Maradah) have been tied/chained up enabling us to worship and please Him easily compared to other months. Therefore, no one has an excuse to strive harder and work harder in this particular month. Entering into this month one feels more self control than they did before Ramadhan and everyone will attest to this.

The topic of study will inshaAllaah be:

    آدَب و أَخَلَاق حَمَلَةِ القَرْان

Aadâb wal Akhlâq Hamalatul Qur'aan - (The particular Characteristics & Mannerisms of those who adhere to the Qur'aan should have)

      Some of the books we will be benefiting from are:

تِبْيَان - إمَام النَّوَوِي

Tibyaan from Imaam an-Nawawi رحمه الله.

Umm Hyatt mentioned that she studied this book under Sheikha Umm Abdillaah al-Waadi'iyya (may Allaah preserve her), who had gathered its Fawaaid (benefits) into a book in Dammaj.

      We will also be benefiting from:

آجُرِّي

Aajjurri - He is from the Salaf. He lived in the year 300's and he is one of the first Ulema who wrote about this particular topic.

      Also we will benefit from the likes of:

حِلْيَةُ الطَّالِبِ العِلْم - زَيْد بَكَر أَبُو شيخ

Hilyatut-Taalibul Ilm - by Sheikh Abu Bakr Zaid and Sheikh Uthaimeen who did a Sharh (Explanation of this book) which is a book which is familiar to many of us. 

Ad-Darani mentioned that Al Hasan Al Basri رحمه الله said:

'The student of knowledge was known for his character, good manners and righteous deeds more than for his knowledge.'

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A Forgotten Sunnah

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله تعالى said:

 "The Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم used to drink honey and water first thing in the morning. In it is a hidden cure for the preservation of one's health. None will benefit from it except the intelligent."

  زاد المعاد/45

Translated by: Umm Hyatt حفظها الله

Being close to Allaah...

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله تعالى

Being Close to Allaah سبحانه و تعالى makes:

Every difficulty become insignificant....

Every hardship become easy....

Every, distant matter become close....

So, by being close to Allaah, 

every worry, fear and sadness ceases.

Translated by: Umm Hyatt حفظها الله

Counting objects in Arabic

Taught by: Umm Hyatt al-Amerikiyyah حفظها الله

Rule for 1

·         The object & the number take the same gender

If the object is masculine the number will be masculine.

If the object is feminine the number will also be feminine.

e.g. #1:  قلم واحد

 The object is mentioned first.

The object is (m) & the number is (m).

e.g. #2:   سيارة واحدة

The object is (f) & the number is (f).

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