Day 30: Attending Eid Prayers

 

 

Before leaving for the Eid prayers, make sure you have given your Zakaatul-Fitr. You can do this as Ramadan is closing, but make sure it is done before the Eid prayers. This fitr-gift is to help poor families have fun celebrating Eid in their homes too. It also helps to strengthen the weaknesses in your fast.

We are prohibited from fasting the day of Eid. The Prophet (pbuh) used to eat before going for the Ramadan Eid prayers, whereas he does not eat before the Eid of the Adha (Sacrifice) until after the prayers. Buraidah reports: "The Prophet would not go out on the day of breaking the fast (Eid-il-Fitr) until he had eaten and on the day of sacrifice (Eid-il-Adha) he would not eat until he had returned [from salaah]." (Tirmidhi)

On your way to and from Eid prayers, you should greet with the salaam and offer a congratulatory prayer to people. "When the companions of the Prophet met each other on the day of 'id, they would say to each other, ‘taqabbal minna wa minka’ [‘May Allah accept it from us and you.']” (Ibn Hajar)

There is no nawafil prayer before and after the Eid prayers. Ibn 'Abbas reports: "The Messenger of Allah went out to the site of the Eid prayer and prayed two rakaah of the Eid prayer without praying anything before or after it." (Bukhari) Eid prayers are performed on an open ground usually in the outskirts of the town. However, if for some reason we are not able to do that, we can use the mosque. "The rain fell on the day of EId (festival), so the Prophet (peace be upon him) led them (the people) in the Eid prayer in the mosque." (Abu Dawud) After the prayer comes the sermon, both are obligatory for us to consciously observe. 

- Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad, UK. 2021

Email: MuslimMessage@gmail.com 

Day 29: Rivers of Purity Vs Fury

Indeed, we are created weak and prone to sins. We make mistakes, but we should not languish in our follies because our humanity suffers in pains, our soul is burdened and our conscience is perturbed until we make amend. Allah says, “…it is God’s Will to lighten your burdens, for humankind was created weak.”  (Q4:28)

Allah has given us an opportunity to be purified in three great rivers in this world so that we can have tranquillity. Those who fail to be purified here will then have to be purified in the Hereafter. Yes, you might be a believer, your sins and the impurities you imbibed must be cleaned here or in the Hereafter.

The first river is the River of Sincere Repentance – you must willingly and sincerely review, regret and repent with a resolve never to return to the sins. The second is the River of Good Deeds which will drown your sins. So you will increase your good deeds as these will help remove the stains on your life. The third is the River of Great Calamities. Painful things will happen to you to cleanse you and test your faith. You must be patient and grateful.

So, when Allah intends good for His slave, He allows you to swim in one or more of the above rivers, not requiring the fourth purification. The fourth river of purification is the River of Hell-fire in Aakhirah.

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “So swim in the river of repentance and doing good deeds and have patience in the river of calamities. Do not neglect these before a day comes when you will be drowned in the river of Hell-fire whose fuel is men and stones.” (Madaarij as-Saalikeen Vol 1, page 312)

- Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad, UK. 2021

Email: MuslimMessage@gmail.com 

Day 28: Emerging from Darkness

Prophet Yunus (also known as Jonah, peace be upon him) was frustrated by his people’s belligerence to their Lord’s message. He wanted to run from them as far as possible despite his conscience’s prompt to stay and continue to deliver Allah’s messages. Well, he ended up thrown off a ship into the sea. A whale found him floating on the waves and instantly swallowed him behind it’s ivory teeth as if they were white bolts locking the doors of a prison. The whale dived deep to the abyss of darkness in the bottom of the sea.

Yunus was enveloped by three layers of darkness. The darkness of the whale's stomach, the darkness of the bottom of the sea, the darkness of the night. Yunus realised he was still alive for a reason. He repented saying: “La ilaha illa Anta. Subhaanaka, innikuntu mina Zaalimeen” “There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except You. Glory be to You! I have certainly done wrong.” (Qur’an 21:87)

All the creatures around in the depth of the sea heard the voice of Yunus praying from the whale's stomach. All these creatures gathered around the whale and began to celebrate the praises of Allah in their turn, each in its own way and in its own language. The whale also participated in the service of praises as it knew it had swallowed a repented slave of Allah. Allah’s acceptance of Yunus’ penitence meant the whale had to do the needful. It safely delivered Yunus to the land he fled from. Therefore, repentance was the reason Yunus lived again to spread the light of Allah’s message. We all can have a new life, we all can repent.

Allah says in the Glorious Qur’an: “And ˹remember˺ when the Man of the Whale stormed off ˹from his city˺ in a rage, thinking We would not restrain him. Then in the ˹veils of˺ darkness he cried out, “There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except You. Glory be to You! I have certainly done wrong.” So We answered his prayer and rescued him from anguish. And so do We save the ˹true˺ believers.” (Q21:87-88)

- Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad, UK. 2021

Email: MuslimMessage@gmail.com

Day 27: Special Relationship

Perfecting sincerity in our knowledge and worship of Allah is how the worshipper establishes a special relationship with Allah. In return, his Lord will shield the worshipper during hardship. He will preserve and take care of such person because of this relationship, which also brings the worshipper closer to his Lord and ensures His love for him and His answering of his prayers.

An incidence happened in the history of Muslims. It was reported that Al-Ḥasan was fleeing the oppression of al-Ḥajjāj, he came to the house of Ḥabīb Ibn Muḥammad. Ḥabīb said to him, “Abū Saī’d, is there no relationship between you and your Lord by which you could pray to Him to hide you from these people?” He then invited Al-Hassan into his house. Al-Hassan then pleaded to Allah for His help.

Meanwhile, Al-Ḥajjāj’s soldiers who had been tracking Al-Hassan decided to invade the house to arrest Al-Hassan, but they could not find him. After an extensive search, the soldiers expressed their frustrations to Al-Ḥajjāj, who responded, “Al-Hassan was inside the house but Allah blinded your eyes so that you could not see him.” (Source: Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī’s Jāmi’ al-‘Ulūm wal-Ḥikam)

Therefore, when you build a special relationship with Allah when things are going well for you, be assured that should things go otherwise, He will be there for you in ways you could never have imagined.

Allah says in the noble Qur’an: “And whoever turns away from My remembrance, he will certainly have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind. He will say, ‘My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I used to see?’ (Allah) will answer, ‘Likewise Our signs came to you, but you forgot them, so likewise you will today be forgotten’.” (Q20:124-126)

- Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad, UK. 2021

Email: MuslimMessage@gmail.com

 

Day 26: The Value of Ramadan

The companion, Talha bin ‘Ubaidullah (RA), narrated that two men came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) together to accept Islam. Thereafter, one of them would strive harder than the other. The one who used to strive harder went out to fight in the way of Allah and was martyred. The other revert lived a year longer, then he also passed away.

Talha reported that he later saw in a dream that he was at the gate of Paradise together with the two men that had died. Then someone came out of the Gate and admitted the second Revert, who died much later, into Jannah. Then after a while, he came out again and admitted the first Revert, who died first as a martyr. Then he came back to Talha and said: ‘Go back, for your time has not yet come’.

The next morning, Talha told the people of the dream and they were amazed. They expressed their amazement to the Prophet (ﷺ) who asked, “Why are you so amazed at that?” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, the first one was the one who strove harder, and he died a martyr in the cause of Allah, but the other man (who didn't strive as hard and did not die a martyr) was admitted to Paradise before him?" 

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Did he (the second man) not live for another year?” They said: “Yes.” The Prophet (ﷺ) asked: “And did he not witness and fast in Ramadan, and he offered such and such prayers during that year?” They said: “Yes.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The difference between them is greater than the difference between the heaven and the earth.” (Ibn Majah)

Do not undermine your efforts and the opportunities presented by Ramadan. As Ramadan approaches an end, strive harder for Allah's forgiveness, His mercies and His Paradise.

 - Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad, UK. 2021

Email: MuslimMessage@gmail.com

Day 16: The Month of More

It’s OK to eat and drink, so why are these prohibited in the days of Ramadan? Ramadan demand extra from us? But why?

Ramadan is the month of extra where we push ourselves to do more than usual. We really do way more than usual. More rakaah are banked in supererogatory Salaah in Ramadan. We do more charity, read more pages of the Qur’an and do more good deeds than outside Ramadan, because this is the month of more. More thirst, more hunger, more self-sacrifices, more personal discipline, more generous, more reflection, more sincerity and even we are more patient.  

Allah demands more from us but He gives more rewards too. In fact, His reward for a good deed which is from 10 to 700 outside Ramadan, starts from 700 to far beyond our valuation in this month. His blessings in Ramadan are more and so are His mercies and the abundance of opportunities for salvation from the Fire and for entering the Paradise. It was narrated from Jabir that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “At every breaking of the fast Allah has people whom He frees (from the Fire), and that happens every night.” (Ibn Majah)

This is why Ramadan is special. If you truly know the worth of this month, you will do even more than the ‘more’ you are currently doing. Imam Ibn Al-Jawzi (RA) said, “By Allah, if it was said to the people of the grave, ‘make a wish’; they would wish for one day of Ramadan.” There is indeed value in experiencing another Ramadan. 

"O My servants who believe! Be mindful of your Lord. Those who do good in this world will have a good reward." (Qur’an 39:10)

- Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad, UK. 2021

Email: MuslimMessage@gmail.com 

Online: https://ramadanmessage.blogspot.com/

Day 14: Birr - Righteous Conduct

The term ‘birr’ is used severally in the Qu’ran to indicate righteous conduct which is linked to the benefit one gives others. In essence, ‘birr’ is virtue and goodness within a person which impacts other lives positively. The derivatives of the term ‘birr’ includes: ‘burr’ which refers to ‘wheat’ as bringing much benefits over all other grains; a person described as ‘barr’ is regarded as dutiful and kind; the one who often fulfils his promises (to others) is called ‘baarr’. Allah refers to Angels as ‘bararah’ meaning righteous (Qur’an 80:16); and one of the characteristics of those who enter paradise is ‘abrar’ (virtuous, pious) (Qur’an 83:18,22).

Therefore, ‘birr’ describes righteous conducts, moral excellence, pious performance, goodness and perfection expected in a human being. The opposite of ‘birr’ is ‘ithm’ which means defectiveness, poor conduct and blameworthiness.

Allah defines and lists the traits of ‘birr’ thus: “birr (righteousness) is not in turning your faces towards the east or the west. Rather, the righteous are those who believe in God, the Last Day, the angels, the Books, and the prophets; who give charity out of their cherished wealth to relatives, orphans, the poor, needy travellers, beggars, and for freeing captives; who establish prayer, pay alms-tax, and keep the pledges they make; and who are patient in times of suffering, adversity, and in (the heat of) battle. It is they who are true (in faith), and it is they who are mindful of God.” (Qur’an 2:177) This verse links the articles of faith and the pillars of Islam together with patience and keeping promises all under the umbrella of ‘birr’.

The totality of our is Deen is about our ‘birr’ (righteous conducts) – viz-a-viz the purity of our soul, the integrity of our hearts and the exploits of our limbs. In this sense, our ‘birr’ is linked to our God Consciousness (our ‘taqwah’). Taqwa is the means and way leading to birr. In Arabic, the root word for Taqwah means “protection”. Therefore, practising taqwa protects from the Fire. Protection is not sought for itself as much as to prevent harm. Consequently, the relationship between birr and taqwa is similar to that between well-being (which is a purpose) and medical care (which is a means to attain it).

Ramadan is about perfecting our righteous conducts and conscience in preparation for the ultimate meeting with our Lord. Ramadan is thus filled with ‘birr’ and ‘taqwah’. Therefore, when we interact with one another, we are required to help one another in birr and taqwah. “Each person should help his companion in this with knowledge and with action. An individual cannot independently help himself. Allah, in His supreme wisdom, has decreed that human survival should be through mutual help and support.” (Ibn-ul Qayyim)

- Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad, UK. 2021

Email: MuslimMessage@gmail.com 

Online: https://ramadanmessage.blogspot.com/