friday 01

Friday Talks
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Ramadan 5 - Shawal - What's after Ramadan?

Translated by Dr. Faheem Bukhatwa

In the name of Allah most Gracious most Merciful

The human being changes in his/her life between happiness and merriment by getting something which he/she desires, to sorrow and sadness when something bad happens like the passing of a loved one. Indeed sometimes one may be happy for the wrong event, just as one may be sad for what may not deserve to be sad for.

Obedience to Allah is just one acceptable reason for one to be happy. One may be filled with joy when one’s worship is completed and when it is done for Allah’s sake alone. Allah says {say it is with the grace and mercy of Allah, with that let them rejoice it is better that what they are gathering}. One of the great mercies of Allah upon his faithful slaves is guiding them towards doing good deeds and towards obeying Him. Good acts and deeds are like fasting, praying, reciting of the Quran, charity and many other aspects of goodness and grace. One of the greatest mercies is that Allah makes his slaves live through to Ramadan. This great season is packed with blessings, guidance, light and evidence. This is the season when doors of heavens are opened and doors of hell are shut. The season during which Allah picks some whom He will pardon and set entirely free from fire. We ask Allah that we shall be amongst those.

Dear believers, here is Ramadan just about to depart. Like a floating shadow with which we did not feel the passing of time, nor the rotation of days and nights. Just like that we are getting on with age without us feeling it.

Fasting:

Dearly beloved, if Ramadan has said farewell to us, the pious good deeds do not. This who tastes the sweetness of fasting, and this who feels the desired meaning in enacting the fasting commandment, which is the fulfillment of fear of Allah within oneself, for the likes of those, the door remains open to continue the good work. Fasting is by no means limited to the month of Ramadan. The prophet (PPBU) prescribed a sunnah for us; the fasting of six days in Shawwal. He said {This who fasts Ramadan, then follows it with six in Shawwal, it is like he/she has fasted all life time}. He also prescribed as sunnah to fast three days of every month. He said {Three in each month, and a Ramadan to Ramadan, it is fasting all eternity}

The best to fast are what is known as the Six Whites. And they are the 13th, 14th and 15th of every month. The prophet (PPBU) was reported saying {Aba-Thar (أبا ذر a companion) if you fast three in each month, make them be the 13th, 14th and 15th }.

He also prescribed for us the fasting of the day of Arafa. He said it cleanses the previous year and the remainder of the present year. Also the fasting of Ashoraa day cleanses the previous year. Also he prescribed the fasting of every Monday and Thursday of each week. 3aa-esah (عائشة) wife of the prophet (PPBU) said that he was always on the look out for Mondays and Thursday.

Duaa (Supplications):

This who felt the sweetness of the intimate dialogue and asking the Lord of the worlds in his/her prayers, and during kneeling down, and those who see beautiful affect of asking with insistence made to Allah requesting his forgiveness and salvation, Well, let those know that their Lord is calling them always by saying {Ask me, and I shall respond to you}. And He says: {and if my slaves ask you about me, I am close by, I answer the call of a caller if he/she calls upon me} (Aya 186 of Bakara). The prophet (PPBU) was reported saying {Any Muslim who asks Allah any request, Allah shall grant to him/her such a request, or keeps away from him/her something bad in its equivalence, as long as the request was not for a misdeed, sin or the severing of relation of a kin. A man asked: {then better make aplenty (meaning make a plenty of Duaa), The prophet (PPBU) said {Allah is more plentiful (meaning Allah is more at answering than you are at asking)} While some had interpreted that as meaning that What Allah gives out of his goodness and due to his generosity is a lot more than what He would give you for what is purely equal to your duaa}

Koran Reciting:

This whose mouth has taken the fragrance of reciting Allah’s words, and spent the long hours during Ramadan reciting Allah’s book until reading became easy and his heart was contented with uttering and remembering Allah, And those who thought of and reflected upon the meanings in the Quran, For those, here is the book of Allah, let there be a daily supply-line of the Quran. This was the guidance of our early ancestors. This who reads one section a day will read the entire Quran in a month. This who reads 10 pages a day taking no more than 20 minutes will read the entire Quran in two months. He; whose days and nights pass with out reciting the Quran is missing so much goodness. For, each letter or character in the Quran has a reward of ten amenities or a hasanahs. This, who wants many hasanahs, needs to take the book of Allah. And this who wants the Quran to be a witness for him/her with Allah should take the book. The prophet (PPBU) said {Read the Quran, for it will come on the day of resurrection as a witness to its companions}. We know that the higher the status of a referee the more acceptable the reference is. Allah say: {Those who recite Allah’s Book, and do the prayers, and give charity from what we provide them with in privacy and in public, they are awaiting a business which will not go bad, So The Lord will pay them in access and adds more off his graciousness, for he is forgiving and grateful}

Prayers:

But, you, who stayed up praying to your God the Quiam prayers in jama3a or alone, you did line up your feet, stood up and knelt down, called Allah, your body felt tiredness, and you felt tired, may be your Imam’s prayer went a bit too long, Did the day that people shall rise to the Lord of the worlds come to your mind? And did you think of the fatigue experienced by our prophet Muhammad (PPBU) when he did stay up praying at night? For he prayed at night until the skin on his feet cracked from standing too long. This was when he already had all his past and future sins forgiven. What way should we be in, us the poor, the week the ones who have far too many sins. Did you who stay up at night think of the meanings in this Aya: {And at night pray in devotion a gift prayer (Nafilah) for your self, for your god may resurrect you a dignified residence}

The prophet (PPBU) said {The closest Allah to a slave is in the other (latter) cavity of the night. For if you can be of whom Allah mentions in that hour, then be}

Let it be known that staying up the night can occur with three rak3ats. Any more is in accordance with the resolution and the will.

Donating:

Slaves of Allah, Donating to the needy and the relative has good effects. Spending money in good cause is a pleasure in the giving, and an increase in one’s means and a promise from the Generous with offspring. If we just make sense of our Gods’ words there would be another status for us and our moneys. For He says {Lend Allah a good loan, and what ever goodness you give in advance to your selves; you shall find with Allah much better and of greater reward}, Indeed, it is our souls that are brought up on being tight, stingy, holding back and fear of getting poor. Allah says: {This who is protected from his own stinginess, for those are the ones who will do well.}

Slaves of Allah, continuing the good deed after Ramadan is a sign of loving the worship and being attached to it. It is a clear indication that a Muslim multiplied the effort in Ramadan in yearning for what Allah has got. But, for this whose contact with worship and good deeds ceases after Ramadan, may be an indication that he fasted and prayed when he saw others doing so. For one would like to remain in a group and not be odd.

You Muslims, let us pay attention to this situation. Fear Allah and enrich your days, your months and all your lives with what will get you closer to your God; and with what will increase your balance or status with your Lord, and that for each, his/her records are kept. And the day will come when deposits will be shown, and records are rolled out and advertised. Allah says: {A day when each soul will find what good it did is made present, and what bad it did wishes if it was separated from by an extremely long period; Allah Him self warns you, and Allah is leniently kind with the slaves.} Aya 30 (Al- Emran)

I say this and I ask Allah’s forgiveness of all sins for me and you. Do ask his forgiveness he is the most forgiving, the most gracious and the most merciful

Notes:

Ansar (or Al-Ansar): The inhabitants of the city of Almadina that received and supported the messenger (PPBU) when he immigrated from Mekkah in the very early years of Islam.

Aya (or Ayah): is a verse of the Koran.

Arafa (or Arafah or Arafat): is a mountain that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing Hajj must stay at this location on the same day.

Duaa: a prayer in the form of talking to Allah; praising him and asking him for help.

Ferdose: is the highest level of the all the gardens of Eden or paradise.

Hadeeth: is something reported that the messenger said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave. It is usually narrated or told by one of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are reported and checked to be genuine. No more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list.

Hajj: is the worship of pilgrimage.

Hijra: the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12 months based on the lunar cycle, each is 29.5 days. Hijra is also used as a name for the Islamic dating system.

Iman: belief or faith

Jihad: is striving in the line of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection of Allah's word.

Khalifa: is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation: "Successor".

Madinah: A city in the Arabian peninsula (in the country known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to immigrate to.

Mekka: is the holiest city or Muslims. It contains the Ka'aba mosque with the famous black cubical shape. Some say it was first built by Adam, and some say by Abraham. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers.

Nafilah: a voluntary prayer other than the five obligatory prayers; performed at any time.

Ommah: is the Arabic word for a nation. It usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.

PPBU: Peace and Prayers Be Upon him. A statement Muslims use whenever they mention the name of the messenger or make a reference to him.

Qadr (night of Qadr): The night when the first revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during one of the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan.

Sunni: is a the title of those Muslims who are suppose to be following the life style of the messenger. This differentiates them from the Shiaa of Iran.

Sunna (Sunnah): Is how the Messenger PPBU lived, what he did or said. It includes the way he dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought. Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered an important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes. It is also a title used to call the main stream Muslims who make 90% if all Muslims.

Tawaf: part of the pilgrimage (Hajj) ritual. It involves walking round the Kaaba Mosque in anti-clock wise direction a number of seven circles.

Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers known as ablution.

Faheem Bukhatwa, my email address is : faheemfb@gmail.com