Articles

In order not to Regret the Passing of Ramadan
Author : Dr. Hassan Abu_Arqoub
Date Added : 09-01-2023

 

Amman, the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is decorated with lights and lanterns celebrating the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan. A sign of joy and pleasure for receiving this honorable guest who brought with it acts of devotion that bring a servant closer to His Lord. In this blessed month, Muslims observe fast following the command of Allah declaring their servitude to Him and attachment to His religion. Coming closer to Allah through observing this act is the true joy since this is what Ramadan represents in a Muslim`s mentality.

Unfortunately, some Muslims fail to grasp the true message of Ramadan by thinking that this month is all about food, drinks, feats, soap operas or Ramadan nights tents, and deviate from the straight path to that of worldly pleasures and desires. On the contrary, Ramadan comes to curb desires and pleasures; not to cause a Muslim to indulge in them. Being a season for obedience and worship, a Muslim should rejoice at its arrival and not have a sense of fear or discomfort for having to observe fast during the summer heat and long days nor complain from thirst or hunger. Rather, a Muslim should seize this golden opportunity that brings him/her closer to the Creator of the universe, Allah. This closeness is tantamount to food for the soul and tranquility for the heart. Allah Says {What means}: "Say: "In the bounty of God. And in His Mercy, - in that let them rejoice": that is better than the (wealth) they hoard." {Younis/58}. 

A Muslim should pray that Allah Lets him/her witness the blessed days of Ramadan in which good deeds are multiplied, evil deeds are erased, and people are pardoned and emancipated from Hell fire. In simple terms, Ramadan is a door for goodness that every Muslims wants to pass through. In addition, there is a great deal of recompense for supplication, which is an act of worship. It is also a means of asking Allah Who has the power to achieve anything; however, one should trust that Allah will answer his/her prayer. Allah The Almighty Says {What means}: "And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell - in humiliation!" {Ghafir/ 60}.

Witnessing the blessed month of Ramadan is a great blessing that Allah bestows on His servants as they are given an extra opportunity to repent and multiply their balance of good deeds. It is unfortunate to say that many of our Muslim brothers passed away without having witnessed this month and received its great reward. Therefore, it is the duty of every servant to be grateful to Allah for this generous blessing and through this attitude; he/she becomes entitled to more and more blessings.

A Muslim should take advantage of this month successfully and a successful investment needs successful planning because the general rule says: "Failure to plan is planning to fail." Ramadan is very short for its days are numbered and some Muslims spend it sleeping, eating, drinking, working, and other commitments leaving no room for worship and obedience. Ramadan is like a spectrum; no sooner it arrives than it departs.

This blessed month needs a Muslim to arrange his/her time, divide duties, observe priorities and give precedence to the most important. Failing to do so means having missed a great opportunity to be emancipated from Hell fire and having a great sense of regret at a time when regret will be of no avail.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on wearing energy stones?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
There is no objection to a woman adorning herself with precious and semi-precious stones — such as ruby, carnelian, or the like — so long as these are stones that women customarily wear as adornment.
As for what are known as "energy stones," if they are used with the intention of seeking remedy and healing, then such matters are governed by experimentation and scientific study — which either establishes that they have a tangible effect or does not — and all of this operates by the permission and will of Allah, Glorified and Exalted. If studies or practical experience do establish that such stones carry a beneficial effect upon human health, then there is no objection to using them. They are, after all, part of Allah's creation, much like medicinal substances extracted from plants or derived from other created things — provided that the Muslim does not believe that the stone itself is the source of benefit or harm. It is nothing more than a means among the many means that Allah has placed in this world, and the reality of all affairs belongs to Allah alone. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

How should I deal with the whispers of the devil with regard to ablution and purity?

Whispers in ablution are from the devil, and so you should take refuge in Allah from the devil`s evil suggestions that aim to distort the religion. Thus, once an organ is completely pure, don`t question its purity since having whispers doesn`t mean that the purity is invalid as it has already been established.

Is Zakah (obligatory charity) due on land intended for selling?

Yes, lands intended for trade are valued, and Zakah is paid according to their estimated value after a lunar year had lapsed, but if the owner didn`t pay the due Zakah, then he should do so after selling them.

The Jurisprudential Significance of the Ḥadīth: "Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr Prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking..."
"Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking: 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-ḥamdu yuḥyī wa yumītu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr' ten times — ten good deeds will be recorded for him, ten bad deeds will be erased from him, he will be raised ten levels, he will spend that day in protection from everything disliked and guarded from the devil, and no sin will be able to befall him on that day except associating partners with Allah" — does this noble ḥadīth apply to the imam, and what is meant by "extraneous speech"?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite, immediately after the final salām, the specific remembrance reported in the sunnah to be said before turning away from one's place of prayer. The imam then leaves his praying spot, and the act of "turning" is fulfilled when the imam faces the congregation — even without physically leaving his spot — by positioning his right side toward them and his left side toward the qiblah, and this applies even while he is engaged in supplication.
Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn Qāsim al-ʿAbbādī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Tuḥfah (Vol.2/P.105): "It is most virtuous for the imam, once he has given the salām, to rise from his place of prayer immediately afterward." He adds that an exception must be made for the remembrances that are specifically required to be recited before he turns away. He then notes, citing Sharḥ al-ʿUbāb: "Yes, an exception to this rising immediately after the salām applies to the Fajr prayer, due to the authentic report that the Prophet ﷺ, when he prayed Fajr, would remain seated until the sun rose." He further cites, from al-Khādim, the ḥadīth concerning one who recites, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer while still in the position of crossing his leg to rise: "Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah..." and the rest of the well-known ḥadīth. He comments that this makes explicit that this particular remembrance is to be recited before the worshipper turns his legs to leave, and the same applies to Maghrib and ʿAṣr, as reported in those contexts as well.
What is meant by "speech" in the relevant ḥadīth is extraneous worldly speech that is not called for after the prayer and for which there is no legitimate excuse. The remembrances reported to be recited upon concluding the prayer, however, do not fall under this category of extraneous speech, since they are themselves required by the sharīʿah.
Al-ʿAllāmah ʿAlī al-Shabrāmalsī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Nihāyah (Vol.1/P.551): "If someone greets a person with salām while he is occupied with reciting this remembrance [i.e., 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh...'], should he return the greeting — without this causing him to forfeit the promised reward, since he is engaged in an obligatory matter — or should he delay returning the greeting until he finishes, this being a legitimate excuse for the delay?" He continues: "I say: the more likely view is the former, and the prohibition on speech is to be understood as applying to extraneous speech for which there is no legitimate excuse. Based on this, should the worshipper give precedence to this remembrance ('Lā ilāha illā Allāh...') or to reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ ('Qul huwa Allāhu aḥad')? This requires consideration, though it is not unlikely that the remembrance takes precedence, given that the Lawgiver urged hastening to it through his words 'while crossing his leg.' This is not considered ordinary speech, since it is not extraneous to what is required after the prayer."
Accordingly, it is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite this remembrance and to give it precedence over the other remembrances of the prayer, ensuring it is said before they move from their place. And Allah the Almighty knows best.