Tag: ramadan

Remaining Steadfast After Ramadan

Dear brothers, the month of Ramadan is one that leaves the believer with a renewed feeling of Imaan, with a desire to be a better version of themselves and do carry on the standards set in the month.

We need to work hard in achieving this and the task is not an easy one. As we ask Allah SWT to keep us on the Straight Path in every prayer we read, we need to be able to arm ourselves with the means to be able to do this.

The imam referenced the 112^th ayat of Sura Hud which is translated to say:

So remain on a right course as you have been commanded, [you] and those who have turned back with you [to Allah], and do not transgress. Indeed, He is Seeing of what you do.

Alongside this, the imam reminded us of the following hadith of the prophet SAWS in which he said:

“Fear Allah wherever you are, do good deeds after doing bad ones, the former will wipe out the latter, and behave decently towards people”

Dear brothers, we need to remember that the world is designed to veer us off this straight path. From the events around the world that tug at our hearts, to the everyday worries that distract us from worship and remembrance of Allah SWT.

And so what do we do to keep the imaan strong? The reminder concludes with 5 short practical tips which have been proven to keep the faith strong.

Recite the Quran daily. Whether it’s a single ayat or a whole juz. Your journey is your own and its not to be compared to anyone else. Manage what you can and remember, Allah SWT loves consistency over everything else.
Keep the masjid as your second home. Attend as many congregational prayers as possible. The strength of the congregation is a key part of keeping the faith strong. The reward of attending Isha and Fajr congregation is as if you prayed the whole night so the incentive is there.
Fast sunnah fasts. Start small if you find this daunting but aim to get to a point where you are able to fast the sunnah prayers as often as possible. This affects the physical, mental and spiritual state in the best of ways. Begin with the 6 fasts of this month as the reward for fasting 6 in Shawwal is as if you fasted the whole year.

Dear brothers, the incentive for keeping the faith strong is many and the imam mentioned a few of them. Three of those are as follows:

The main one is having a connection with Allah SWT at all times which leads to peace and tranquillity in the mind and heart.
It will prevent you from falling into the traps of Shaitaan and adopting bad habits that you quit in the month of Ramadan.
The highest of reward which is that Allah SWT will be pleased with you and grant you into Jannat insh’Allah.

Dear brothers, the month of Ramadan is now over and we are beginning our long stretch of 11 months before our blessed month returns back to us. Let us be of those people who are mentioned by Allah SWT in the 30^th ayat of Sura Fusilat which is translated to say:

Indeed, those who have said, “Our Lord is Allah” and then remained on a right course – the angels will descend upon them, [saying], “Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised.

Final 10 days of Ramadan

Dear brothers, we are now at the pinnacle of the blessed month of Ramadhan. We have reached the final 10 days and nights of this month, of which one of the nights is worthy of extra worship and consideration.

The imam reminded us of the following hadith which is translated to say:

Aisha (may Allah SWT be pleased with her) reported: With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet SAWS used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. work harder) and used to pray the whole night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers.

This is the time where we begin to feel the sadness of this VIP guest leaving us for another year. Only Allah SWT knows if we will be here to witness another Ramadan and so we need to make on final push in the remaining days to do all we can for our souls.

In these last 10 days we have the Night of Power or Night of Decree. It is mentioned in the Glorious Quran and the imam referenced it in the reminder today.

In Sura Al-Qadr, Allah SWT tell us:

Indeed, we have sent the Quran down during the Night of Decree. And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.

The Night of Decree, which is in one of the last ten nights has the potential for providing us with the reward of 1000 months. That’s about 83 years worth of reward. To put that into some sort of perspective, that exceeds the average life expectancy of people living in the UK today. Therefore, logic dictates for any rational person to pursue this reward with all their worth.

The final ten days should be regarded as the home-straight, a final push to achieve the most that can be achieved in this month. So in preparation for this grand finale, here is a checklist of 5 things that we can all do to make the remaining days of Ramadhan work to our advantage:

Firstly, make every moment count. Whether it is in prayer, remembrance, charity or good deeds. These are the days which we should push these habits to another level.

The Prophet (SAWS) set the example as is narrated in the following Hadith:

He would strive hard in worship during the last ten nights of Ramadhan as he did not do at other times.

Secondly, get a Quran and recite as often as you can. There is immense reward for each letter that is recited and there is more reward for those of us who struggle and strive to recite, more than those who are fluent in being able to recite. Alongside that try to ponder over the verses, download or obtain a translation if need be and reflect.

Thirdly, this is the time to get your past sins forgiven. So repent to Allah SWT with sincerity in these final days and inshAllah the repentance of all His sincere creation will be accepted. Make your supplications to Allah SWT detailed, lengthy and without restriction.

And lastly, it’s to give to charity if you haven’t done so already. Make small consistent acts of charity in these remaining days so that you are guaranteed to have done it in the Night of Power and therefore insh’Allah have it registered and magnified in reward.

Dear brothers, I’ve often used the analogy of the car service to explain this month. Once again, the month of Ramadan is like an annual service done on a car but one that is done on our hearts and our soul.

With this month now nearing it’s end, now is the time to step up in the efforts before the celebration of Eid. The effort we put in now will serve us well over the next 11 months until the next Ramadan as well as in the next life insh’Allah.

Reward for feeding the needy/fasting person

With the month of fasting upon us, most of us are now getting accustomed to refraining from food and drink during the daylight hours.

However, alongside the fasting element of this month, there is a great opportunity to gain reward from Allah SWT through acts of charity. One of these acts is to feed someone else that is fasting.

The imam reminded us of those referred to in the Quran who gave food to others. In Sura Al-Insan, ayat 8&9 it is translated to say:

and give food—despite their desire for it—to the poor, the orphan, and the captive, ˹saying to themselves,˺ “We feed you only for the sake of Allah, seeking neither reward nor thanks from you.

Dear brothers, if we think about it. This year more than others, this is a challenge for us to do. Covid has got us social distancing and taking all sorts of measures to prevent the spread of this virus. However, we must look amongst ourselves in order to find the balance between being safe and fulfilling this duty of ours.

It is only the wicked that deliberately strive to avoid this task, they are referenced in the Quran by Allah SWT in Sura Al-Mudathir in which ayat 42-44 is translated to say:

“What has landed you in Hell?” They will reply, “We were not of those who prayed, nor did we feed the poor.

And so, dear brothers, with the extra constraints on us this year, this reminder ends with 3 practical tips we can take away from this reminder.

Feed others through donation of their food. We don’t need to physically make or provide the food. There are charities that offer to feed the poor and needy from food banks in the UK to relief efforts overseas. Use this reminder to donate money to them and help their projects to feed the needy.
If you offer cooked food to neighbours usually for their iftar and are unsure whether this year you should do so due to Covid then an alternative is to provide them with packed food. Even a punnet of grapes or a small packet of dates are both sealed and yet provide them with food for their iftar and reward for you. It may not be the same but lets not let the tradition that some of us have for our community love be hampered by the restrictions we have on us this year.
Put effort into charities that are feeding the poor. From our local Myriad Foundation to Food banks that cater for the poor in our communities, there is an opportunity to gain reward not just from providing the food, but to facilitate the delivery of the food to the poor and needy. These charities welcome volunteers to what better time to donate some time and energy instead of food or money to this worthy cause.

Dear brothers, we have a great opportunity again this year to reap the full potential of this blessed month. The imam reminded us in the following hadith that the prophet SAWS said:

“He who provides a fasting person something with which to break his fast, will earn the same reward as the one who was observing the fast, without diminishing in any way the reward of the latter.”

And so lets use todays reminder in order to gain the most for ourselves with Allah SWT in this blessed month.

Benefits of Fasting

Dear brothers we carry on from last week’s reminder on Fasting. As mentioned last week the 183^rd ayat of Sura Baqara mentions fasting. This is translated to say:

“Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain taqwaa.”

We spoke last week of the benefit of attaining God-consciousness or taqwa through fasting. But what of the other benefits of this blessed act?

The obvious benefit of fasting are the rewards we get from Allah SWT. The first reminder is regarding fasting in the month of Ramadan. The imam mentioned the hadith in which the Prophet SAWS said:

“He who observes fasting during the month of Ramadan with Faith while seeking its reward from Allah, will have his past sins forgiven.”

Dear brothers, as we can see from this hadith, the reward of fasting every Ramadan is immense and a real motivator to strive through the next 30 days and be the best that we can be in our worship, actions and the abstinence we perform during the daylight hours.

But alongside this, there is an even greater reward worth remembering. The Prophet SAWS said:

“Indeed your Lord said: ‘Every good deed is rewarded with ten of the same up to seven hundred times over, except for fasting. Fasting is for Me, and I shall reward for it.’

Dear brothers, we are being told here that the reward for fasting is with Allah SWT himself. In other words, this reward is greater than any measure that we are able to comprehend. It is a reward that is a secret, a reward that is a mystery kept by your Creator and a reward that will only be known to you when you return to Him.

These facts alone should compel each of us to commit ourselves to fasting, both in the month of Ramadan and outside of this month as much as we are able to do.

Alongside these immense benefits are also the benefits of the dunya. From health benefits of fasting which have resulted in international best-sellers of authors who have promoted fasting as a healthy lifestyle, to psychological benefits of fasting.

One of the benefits often overlooked is referenced in the following hadith. The Prophet SAWS said:

“those of you who can support a wife should marry, for it keeps you from looking at strange women and preserves you from immorality; but those who cannot should devote themselves to fasting, for it is a means of suppressing sexual desire.”

Dear brothers, we live in a hyper-sexualised society and so this remedy is required now more than ever. Allah SWT is fully aware of our weaknesses and He has made fasting a solution for one of them.

And so with the month of Ramadan approaching fast, there is no better time to get into one of the best habits for our bodies, our minds and most importantly, for our souls.

Maintaining Positive Changes after the month of Ramadan

Dear brothers and sisters, to change and adapt is part of this life and it part of being human. Not only us, all of creation, from the stars that die out to the creatures on this earth, we are all subject to change over time.

When we look at ourselves as a people, we need to be mindful that if we are looking for a change in our status as a people, then the change must begin within ourselves. The change therefore that Allah SWT would bring upon us follows a change in our mindset and our attitudes first.

The question we need to ask ourselves is, if we are in a constant state of change, no matter how small or subtle, is this change towards Allah SWT or away from Him? A good indicator of this would be if we were to analyse who we were 5 years ago. What we were like in 2014 and could we say that we have improved within ourselves as Muslims or gone further astray?

There is wisdom in the hadith that the best deeds in the sight of Allah SWT are those which may be small but are consistent. If we ponder over this, we realise that it is the consistent good deeds that enable us to change in the positive way and towards Allah SWT.

As we are in the month of Ramadan, we are all engaged in extra acts of worship and extra good deeds. How many of us can say that the deeds we started in Ramadan last year were applied since and we still do them until today? This is a key sign of the trend we are on if the acts in this month, even a small percentage of them, are dropped as soon as the month is over.

The imam mentioned a hadith in which the Prophet SAWS said:

Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or causing its ruin.

And as Allah SWT says in Sura Muddathir, ayat 37:

To whoever wills among you to proceed or stay behind

Dear brothers and sisters, we need to ask ourselves what is it that is causing our habits to stick and our good deeds in this month to be discarded on Eid.

The first step to resolving this issue is to begin with the correct intention – are we doing the acts in this month for the sake of Allah SWT? Do we feel pleasure from the acts that we are carrying out or is it the case that we are following the trend of others and simply going through the motions.

It is not fair to say that all acts of worship come straight from the heart. It is difficult to perform night prayers for example, the call of one’s bed for a lovely sleep is still heard even when one is trying their hardest to pray in the night.

However, if we begin the act of worship with the sincere intention of pleasing Allah SWT and no other reason such as meeting up with friends in the masjid, we stand the best chance to having that struggle become a lasting habit beyond the month of Ramadan.

Another way of looking at this first point is to say that the best habits also begin with the mindset of repentance or regret. Often in this month, when we are enveloped in the blessing that is the month of Ramadan, we take stock of the past year that we’ve lived. Sometimes we are full of regret for the sins that we have committed or the bad habits we have been involved in.

We are fortunate that we are of those that give these habits up for the month of Ramadan. Alongside that, we ought to latch on to the feeling of regret, remorse and sorrow that we feel for wronging ourselves with our behaviour or habits. Use that as a basis for establishing good deeds in this month that carry on beyond Ramadan.

Regret helps cause changes to the positive, as it leads to the softening of the heart, more focus, intention to do good as mentioned by Allah SWT in ayat 222 of Sura Baqarah which says:

Indeed Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.

Dear brothers and sisters we need to digest the sheer magnitude of the mercy that our Lord bestows upon us. Not only would we benefit from gaining the reward of good deeds but Allah SWT is merciful in that we can also eliminate our bad deeds.

This is illustrated in Sura Al-Furqan, ayat 70 which is translated to say:

Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.

So we have the opportunity not only to gain this month in the good habits we begin, but we also have the opportunity to simultaneously erase the bad deeds of the past.

This leads onto the second point and that is the ability for us to perform critical analysis of ourselves. This is the month to do this brothers and sisters as we are more likely to be true to ourselves than any other time.

Use this month to find a time to reflect on the person you were last Ramadan and the person you are today. Use this month to see how you can continue to grow and to improve. Use this month to recognize traps that Shaitaan may have tempted you in.

And then use that as a catalyst to becoming a better Muslim and establishing better habits for the sake of Allah SWT.

Dear brothers and sisters, Ramadan has arrived, month of reflection and mercy, and the month of change. If you don’t change in Ramadan, then when will you change? When can you change?

All the conditions are immersed in this month for a positive change so make the most of this month and establish habits that will continue past the blessed month we are in.

Preparation for Ramadan

We are now days away from the greatest month of the year. This is the spiritual MOT we all wait for, the esteemed guest we hope we get to host for one more year. The imam mentioned the hadith which is translated to say:

“The Messenger of Allah said: ‘There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month, which Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has enjoined you to fast. In it the gates of heavens are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and every devil is chained up. In it Allah has a night which is better than a thousand months; whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived.”‘

Dear brothers and sisters, this is a month that we are eager to reach, a month of contemplation, an opportunity that only this month provides, an opportunity for forgiveness, and the person who loses out in the great month has no one to blame but themselves.

The month of contemplation led by the reduction in desires, the increase of acts of worship, being alone in contemplation with his Lord, praying nightly prayers and reading of the Quran

A month that worshipers get happy, to be competitive in our good deeds and worshiping, to seek Allah’s forgivness and avoiding hellfire.

And with this we find some that lose the month of Ramadan – may Allah protect us from this, and lose this yearly opportunity, and lose all its good deeds, and lose the opportunity to be immersed in Allah’s mercy. The imam mentioned the following hadith to illustrate the mercy this month has on us. It’s translated to say:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The five (daily) Salat (prayers), and from one Jumu’ah prayer to the (next) Jumu’ah prayer, and from Ramadan to Ramadan are expiations for the (sins) committed in between (their intervals); provided the major sins are not committed”.

Dear brothers and sisters, as Ramadhan approaches it is imperative that we begin thinking about how we can benefit from the journey ahead of us. Here are five simple ways that we can benefit from the month of Ramadhan:

1)Intention: Make the sincere intention that you want this Ramadan to be a sacred and special Ramadan.

2)Make a plan: Plan how you would like to spend each day this Ramadan. Postpone things that can be postponed, and focus on activities that will benefit you, insha’Allah, in the hereafter. Here are some examples: Set a target for how much Qur’an you will recite, and make a plan for when you will recite it. Set a target for how many prayers you will pray at the masjid, and make a plan for how you will reach this target.

3)Make a du’a list: Make a list of supplications and include the following: a) your needs for this dunya; b) your needs for the hereafter; c) the needs of your family members and friends; d) the names of your friends and family members.

4)Fast beyond just limiting what you eat and drink: Most people believe fasting is about not drinking or eating, but they have missed the main reasons why we fast, our tongue is one of the most significant reasons for breaking our fast not food. The Prophet SAWS was quoted in this point and it is translated to say:

“There are people who fast and get nothing from their fast except hunger, and there are those who pray and get nothing from their prayer but a sleepless night.”

Dear brothers and sisters, we need to understand that fasting is prohibiting your mind, tongue and body from all impermissible actions. It is to detox the soul as well as the body from the dirt that has been accumulated over the past year. Don’t miss the opportunity to reap the complete rewards of this month.

5)Charity: Figure out how you can spend less on yourself so you can spend more on the needy during Ramadan. Begin calculating your assets, so that when Ramadan begins, you are ready to pay your zakat and sadaqah. It is often the case this month that we hear about all the wonderful projects and initiatives being run all over the world to help the needy. Although it can become overwhelming to hear of all these aid requests, bear in mind that there is no better month to commit to these worthy causes than the month of Ramadan insh’Allah. Alongside that, get involved in community events, food banks, homeless shelters and other social causes so that this month maximises your reward with your Lord.

Dear brothers and sisters, the month of Ramadan is that month that the soul yearns for all the other months of the year. It is the month that is the equivalent of a car’s service or MOT as it boosts the imam, cleanses the body and strengthens the resolve for another eleven months of the year.

Only Allah SWT know if we will make it so see another Ramadan. We need to treat each one as if it is our final Ramadan and therefore act accordingly. The imam mentioned the following hadith of the Prophet SAWS in which he said:

“Whoever spends the nights of Ramadan in prayer (Qiyam) out of faith and in the hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previous sins, and whoever spends the night of Lailat Al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previous sins.”

Scholars have stated that this is subject to us fasting with sincerity and with belief that we will be rewarded for it. It is subject to us fasting for the sake of Allah SWT and for nothing else. Not to show off to others, or because others are doing it. And it is also subject to us not committing major sins during this sacred month.

And how do we know if our efforts have been accepted? Ultimately this is solely with Allah SWT and we pray that we are in the favoured group but a good indication of our efforts being accepted is the change we feel in our hearts.

Practically, it is the desire to carry on all the good habits and efforts we begin in the month of Ramadan like the points mentioned earlier.

Dear brothers and sisters, this is the imaan boost we pray for all year round. There is no better time than Ramadan to pray for forgiveness from your Lord. We can do this by making this Ramadan the best in terms of what we achieve during it. By doing this, we can aim to be of the people that benefit most from this month in this life and the next insh’Allah.

Tactics of Shaitaan

After the month of Ramadan, we are often left with a feeling of hollowness, a feeling of sadness. One of the reasons for the way we feel this way has to be attributed to the fact that, as per reminder last month, the shaitaan that are locked up for the month are now released for another 11 months until the month of Ramadan revisits us again insh’Allah.

But what does that actually mean? All monotheistic faiths share the common enemy of Shaitaan, Satan, the Devil or Iblees but how to we conceptualise it so that we can avoid falling to his strategy to corrupt us?

The imam reminds us first of ayat 6 of Surat Fatir which is translated to say:

Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be among the companions of the Blaze.

But how does one steer clear of an enemy that is not in clear sight? Just as is in real life, if we cannot see the enemy, the next best thing to do is to know one’s enemy to the best of our ability. To know his characteristics, his traits and his strategies against us.

The imam reminds us of ayat 21 of Sura Al Noor which translates as:

O you who have believed, do not follow the footsteps of Satan. And whoever follows the footsteps of Satan – indeed, he enjoins immorality and wrongdoing. And if not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have been pure, ever, but Allah purifies whom He wills, and Allah is Hearing and Knowing.

Dear brothers and sisters, if we analyse these reminders, we can see that the first step to steering away from the path of Allah SWT is through immorality and wrongdoing.

This is an interesting point and one we ought to expand further. What does it mean to be immoral or indeed what does it mean to do wrong?

To illustrate this example, let’s look at history that said only a century ago, this country had no rights for the women in society. They couldn’t vote, study or own property on the whole. The laws which made this possible were man-made. Only a century ago, if a man did not dress modestly or have a beard, he was shunned from society or labelled a homosexual which had even stricter penalties.

We all know that these laws are no longer apparent in this country. The point is that if you leave the decision on defining morality and what is right from wrong, to the creation and not the Creator, this is a forever moving standard and unfortunately, from the perspective of Islam’s standards, constantly moving away from the standards set by Allah SWT.

And as Muslims, we need to know this. Our religion is also our deen. Our deen encompasses everything that we do and holds us in a high standard of expectation. Everything from how we conduct ourselves with a newborn child to the way we are buried after death. We have been given instruction from our Creator and therefore our standards are constant and not subject to change to fit in with the current standards of society.

Obviously, we need to work within what the lands permit us to doing. We cannot for example, drive without car insurance just because we believe insurance isn’t permitted, we have scholars that help guide us living in a land governed by UK laws. However, we need to be vocal in both doing what we are still able to do, and delivering our narrative through political and active means, on what is right and shouldn’t be changed.

There is a quote that says “the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”. As Muslims we believe he exists and therefore have to agree that this is currently his biggest achievement. By not even knowing he exists, how can one fight off his attack?

Secondly, the primary tactic of Shaitaan is to convince us not to carry out the big sin. None of us, insh’Allah, have the nagging thought right now to commit murder. However, if you watch those documentaries on people like that, they are often attributed to smaller crimes in their earlier lives.

This is a perfect example of how he works. The nagging you will hear in your every day consciousness will be on the smaller sins. This is because as the heart is impacted by the smaller and smaller sins, it becomes weaker and the temptation to do the more serious sins becomes more frequent. Shaitaan plays the long game with each and every one of us and so we are in a constant state of struggle and striving to remain steadfast on the right path.

His ultimate aim is for us to disbelieve Allah SWT or to associate partners with Him and so we need to recognize that this ultimate goal of his is not only within people around us such as atheists but also it is promoted through the means he has now at his disposal.

If you analyse the world around you from his point of view, you will see that there is a tainted message in everything from the latest fashion to the programs we watch to the advertisements we see to the things we are taught.

And so by coming to this realisation, what is it that we should do to counteract his strategy. The reminder concludes with three practical tips that we ought to adhere to.

Seek the refuge of Allah SWT in all that you do. From starting everything in his name, after all, who will even notice you whisper Bismillah at work to whispering Authoobilla…., the invocation of protection from Shaitaan, we need to acknowledge that all the knowledge in the world is nothing without Allah SWT’s protection.
Educate yourself in what is permitted and not in our faith. Only by knowing the rights from wrongs, only by being knowledgeable of what is moral or immoral, will you be able to recognise Shaitaans work in the everyday things. As Muslims, we are always students and are taught to never stop learning. Use the God-given intellect we have all been blessed with to arm yourself with knowledge of the path of Allah SWT.
Understand that his tactic against us is to take us one step at a time away from Allah SWT. Therefore if you feel a standard slipping, aim to bring it back to that standard immediately. For example, missing sunna prayers you once did is difficult to bring back as its part of his strategy. Equally so, if you have set new standards in Ramadan through good habits, don’t let the month coming to an end, cause you to slip backwards.

Dear brothers and sisters, our enemy is back with a vengeance after Ramadan. Lets arm ourselves with the protection of Allah SWT and our deen to ensure he does not make up for lost time last month!

Final 10 days of Ramadan

Dear brothers and sisters, we are now at the pinnacle of the blessed month of Ramadhan. We have reached the final 10 days and nights of this month, of which one of the nights is worthy of extra worship and consideration.

The imam reminded us of the following hadith which is translated to say:

Aisha (may Allah SWT be pleased with her) reported: With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet SAWS used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. work harder) and used to pray the whole night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers.

This is the time where we begin to feel the sadness of this VIP guest leaving us for another year. Only Allah SWT knows if we will be here to witness another Ramadan and so we need to make on final push in the remaining days to do all we can for our souls.

In these last 10 days we have the Night of Power or Night of Decree. It is mentioned in the Glorious Quran and the imam referenced it in the reminder today.

In Sura Al-Qadr, Allah SWT tell us:

Indeed, we have sent the Quran down during the Night of Decree

And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree?

The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.

The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter.

Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.

The Night of Decree, which is in one of the last ten nights has the potential for providing us with the reward of 1000 months. That’s about 83 years worth of reward.

To put that into some sort of perspective, that exceeds the average life expectancy of people living in the UK today. Therefore, logic dictates for any rational person to pursue this reward with all their worth.

It’s also worth mentioning that conventionally we think this as being the 27^th night. Usually this is the busiest time of the month as far as attendance for the night prayer is concerned. However, there is no evidence to say that it is this night or any particular night in the final ten and so we should treat each night as if it is the potential Night of Decree.

The final ten days should be regarded as the home-straight, a final push to achieve the most that can be achieved in this month. Some people perform itikaaf in this period of Ramadan, which is where one remains in the masjid over the last 10 days to really lock out the outside world and perform focused worship to Allah SWT. But for those of us who are unable to do this, we can still benefit greatly from the remaining days of this month.

So in preparation for this grand finale, here is a checklist of 5 things that we can all do to make the remaining days of Ramadhan work to our advantage:

Firstly, make every moment count. Whether it is in prayer, remembrance, charity or good deeds. These are the days which we should push these habits to another level.

The Prophet (SAWS) set the example as is narrated in the following Hadith:

He would strive hard in worship during the last ten nights of Ramadhan as he did not do at other times.

Secondly, get a Quran and recite as often as you can. There is immense reward for each letter that is recited and there is more reward for those of us who struggle and strive to recite, more than those who are fluent in being able to recite. Alongside that try to ponder over the verses, download or obtain a translation if need be and reflect.

Thirdly, this is the time to get your past sins forgiven. So repent to Allah SWT with sincerity in these final days and inshAllah the repentence of all His sincere creation will be accepted. Make your supplications to Allah SWT detailed, lengthy and without restriction. Allah SWTs favours upon us are limitless and so therefore so should be what we ask of Him. And pray for one another because it has been narrated that whatever we pray for our brothers and sisters in Islam, the angels repeat that supplication for us.

Fourthly, encourage each other to come to the masjid. We are all aware of the challenge of praying the night prayers in this month. Sleep becomes a much sought-after commodity during the month of Ramadhan and it is easy to lapse as the clock runs out on this month. Remind yourself and one another that this is the week in which the Night of Decree will occur insh’Allah and so what’s another week of worship compared to a lifetimes worth of reward?

Fifth, it’s to give to charity if you haven’t done so already. Make small consistent acts of charity in these remaining days so that you are guaranteed to have done it in the Night of Power and therefore insh’Allah have it registered and magnified in reward.

Alongside this, we ought to be mindful that this is the final week in which we ought to have our Zakat-ul-Fitr paid. This is an obligatory charity on all and the value is £4 per person. It needs to be distributed to the poor, not just collected, prior to the Eid prayer and so use the collection at the back of the main hall to get this task completed.

Dear brothers and sisters, I’ve often used the analogy of the car service to explain this month. Once again, the month of Ramadan is like an annual service done on a car but one that is done on our hearts and our soul.

With this month now nearing it’s end, now is the time to step up in the efforts before the celebration of Eid. The effort we put in now will serve us well over the next 11 months until the next Ramadan as well as in the next life insh’Allah.

May Allah SWT enable us to step up our efforts in the final ten days of Ramadhan. May Allah SWT inject into our hearts the importance of the final ten days of Ramadhan. And may Allah SWT accept our efforts in the final ten days of Ramadhan.

Ramadan Reminder 3 – Suhoor Meal (Pre-dawn Meal)

The Prophet SAWS is reported to have said:

Eat Suhoor, indeed there is a blessing in Suhoor.

Dear brothers, in these long fasts, it’s often tempting to skip suhoor and have just the one large meal. Often, if one is asleep, waking up for suhoor is hard work and instead more sleep is attained at a cost of the suhoor.

Suhoor is an important part of the fast. In fact, the meal of suhoor is more important than that of the iftar.

Part of the reason for the blessings that result from eating this meal is its strengthening the fasting person and giving him energy, thus making fasting easy for him. Additionally, by eating this meal one attains the reward of following the sunnah of the Prophet SAWS.

Studies have shown the numerous benefits to having this meal such as it prevents fatigue and headaches during the day, it reduces extreme hunger and thirst during the day and it prevents the loss of focus or sluggishness during the day.

Even the type of food is important and again we follow the sunnah in relation to this. The Prophet SAWS said:

The best suhoor is to eat dates.

Alongside this we ought to focus on fruit, vegetables, oats, nuts and plenty of water. Even vegetables such as cucumber and lettuce will help as they contain plenty of fluid to help keep you hydrated. Keep meat consumption to a minimum as it will cause sluggishness and avoid foods high in sugar and high in salt as they will make you feel hungry and thirsty the next day.

Dear brothers, with unusually hot days for the average at this time of year, we should use this knowledge to keep our fasts intact and our health preserved during this blessed month of Ramadan.

May Allah SWT enable us to gain the reward associated with the suhoor meal.

Ramadan Reminder 2 – Night prayer in Ramadan

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays at night in Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”

This hadith is a perfect reminder of the mercy that is shown in the month of Ramadan and it also shows that this act that we are all engaged in this evening is one of the means of forgiveness of sin.

Just to be clear, what is meant by the night prayer is also referred to as qiyam al-layl and taraweeh prayers too.

What does it mean to be in faith and in the hope of reward? If we look at this meaning in detail then it means to pray the night prayer with focus, sincerity and intention to please Allah SWT.

Dear brothers and sisters, this is a special month for many reasons. One of the many benefits of the month is the masjid comes alive in this month unlike any other time of the year. As you can see today and especially on the weekend, the rows are full all the way to the back of the main hall.

We reconnect with friends and unlike jumma prayers, there is no time pressure associated with this and going back to our lives. However, we ought to be careful that this hadith speaks of forgiveness for those who seek it and are hopeful of it.

If we are focused more on the social aspect of this night, we run the risk of falling short of the requirement of this promise with qiyam al layl. Not only do we run the risk of losing focus ourselves but the hum of chatter in the hall can affect others who are attempting to focus on the imam and the night prayer.

Instead, we should make the most of the time given in this blessed month and the opportunity of this time of each day. Use the time at the end of vitr to catch up with one another and lets make the night prayer be a witness to our attaining forgiveness from Allah SWT.

May Allah SWT grant us forgiveness from our sins through our attendance at Qiyam al Layl.

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