عربي
Home


Articles

Articles

In welcoming Ramadan
Author : His Grace Shiekh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh
Date Added : 26-07-2023

In welcoming Ramadan

 

 

The month of Ramadan has returned, and the wheel of time has completed its usual cycle. The hearts of Muslims rejoiced at its return, illuminated by the lights of worship and obedience. They remembered the Prophet's joy in welcoming this noble guest, as he used to say: "O Allah, let this month come upon us with safety, faith, peace, and Islam. Our Lord and your Lord is Allah." [At-Tabarani].

 

Ramadan arrives as a noble guest, bringing with it its lights and blessings. It is incumbent upon Muslims to recognize its value and honor its arrival. Allah has designated a caller who announces at the beginning of its first night: "O seeker of goodness, come forward. O seeker of evil, retreat." Therefore, a pleasant encounter between the Muslim and Ramadan takes place, becoming an opportunity for repentance, returning to the straight path, resuming righteous deeds, and seeking forgiveness for past sins and the mischievous whispers of the devils. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than one of you who finds his lost camel in the desert." [Agreed upon].

 

Taking advantage of this blessed time and seizing the opportunity of this noble month, a person can rectify their situation, make up for losses, and rid themselves of past sins. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Indeed, Allah extends His Hand during the night so that the one who sinned during the day can repent, and extends His Hand during the day so that the one who sinned during the night can repent, until the sun rises from its place of setting." [Moslim]. The fasting person can elevate their status and attain emancipation from their sins, becoming one of the successful ones.

 

Ramadan is a rare opportunity bestowed upon humanity by Allah, offering a chance for a fresh start in their faith, a new way of life. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "The Gates of Paradise are opened, the Gates of Hellfire are closed, and the devils are chained." During this month, there is the Night of Decree, better than a thousand months, in which angels descend to the Earth by the permission of their Lord...

 

The joy of fasting lies in meeting one's Lord, as the Prophet (PBUH) said: "There are two joys for the fasting person: one joy when they break their fast, and another joy when they meet their Lord due to their fasting." [Agreed upon].

 

Therefore, whoever misses goodness during this month has indeed missed a great benefit and abundant blessings. The Prophet (PBUH) said: Gabriel (PBUH) told me: "Woe to the one who witnessed Ramadan and was not forgiven. Say, 'Amen." [At-Tirmithi].

 

Hence, one should seize this opportunity, filling their heart with love, mercy, faith, and seeking proximity to Allah through repentance, forgiveness, and acts of kindness. Allah The Almighty Says (What means): "Woe to those whose hearts are hardened against celebrating the praises of God! they are manifestly wandering (in error)!" [Az-Zumar/22].

 

Praise be to Allah, the good in our society is great. Many people resume their virtuous lives during Ramadan, renew their repentance to Almighty Allah, abandon sins and resolve not to return to them. They train themselves in this blessed month to do-good deeds and practice acts of obedience. It gives them an opportunity for correction, self-evaluation, and hope to attain the greatest reward, which is Paradise. Allah, The Exalted, Says (What means): "That is the great attainment." [At-Tawbah/72]. It is the ultimate victory, as it leads to eternal happiness in the Hereafter. Allah, The Exalted, also Says (What means): "Its mixture is of musk. And for this, let the competitors compete." [Al-Mutaffifin/26].

 

Al-Tabari said: "Al-Tanafus (competition) is derived from something precious that people eagerly desire, seek, and their souls long for. The meaning is: Let them hasten in seeking this bliss, and let their souls be eager for it.

 

Undoubtedly, whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking reward, and uses this month to practice acts of obedience and offer assistance, while reading the Quran and controlling their tongue, is capable of being productive and restraining their desires and pleasures. The fasting person sets forth towards goodness and virtue. This challenge faces the Islamic nation in every time and place. Allah, The Most Exalted Says (What means): "By the soul and He who proportioned it, and inspired it with discernment of its wickedness and its righteousness." [Ash-Shams/7-8], meaning, purifying the soul through obedience to Allah. That is why Allah, the Exalted, has designated great rewards for sincere fasting. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever fasts during Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, all his past sins will be forgiven." [Al-Bukhari].

 

The obedient person fasting for the sake of Allah the Almighty senses the constant surveillance of Allah in all aspects of their life and holds themselves accountable for their actions. By doing so, they have embarked on the initial stages of self-reformation and the treatment of their soul and desires.

 

Fasting has an important ethical and educational role in changing a person's behavior, leading to a true and genuine transformation. The physical changes associated with meal and drink timings require us to reflect on their implications and understand the purpose and objectives behind them. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, Allah has no need of his giving up his food and drink." [Al-Bukhari].

 

Just as the fasting person should feel and embody this positive change, they should also make others aware of it. He (PBUH) said: "If one of you is fasting, let him neither indulge in obscene language nor raise his voice in anger. If someone curses him or fights with him, he should respond by saying: 'I am fasting, I am fasting." [An-Nasa'i].

 

Article Number [ Previous | Next ]

Read for Author




Comments


Captcha


Warning: this window is not dedicated to receive religious questions, but to comment on topics published for the benefit of the site administrators—and not for publication. We are pleased to receive religious questions in the section "Send Your Question". So we apologize to readers for not answering any questions through this window of "Comments" for the sake of work organization. Thank you.




Summarized Fatawaa

I work overtime after regular working hours and may become occupied with my phone or the work computer for personal matters — what is the ruling on this?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is obligatory upon an employee to abide by the instructions and regulations governing overtime hours, and equally obligatory to uphold honesty and avoid all forms of deception and dishonesty. Allah the Almighty says {what means}: "O you who have believed, be mindful of Allah and be with the truthful." [Al-Tawbah/ 119]
Whoever is assigned to work overtime must be present at his workplace — even if he has no specific tasks to carry out at that time. In such a case, he should strive as best he can to spend that time in a manner that benefits the institution he works for. If there is genuinely no work for him to do, there is no objection to occupying his time with something beneficial — such as reciting the Holy Qurʾān, reading, or listening to educational lessons — provided he has already completed all the responsibilities assigned to him.
If, however, he does have work to complete, he must spend that time fulfilling it. He may attend to phone calls or other personal matters to the extent that is customarily acceptable, as long as this does not result in delaying or postponing his work. If he delays his work on account of personal preoccupations, the wages he received for that wasted time are not lawfully his to keep, and he is obliged to return the equivalent amount to the institution by whatever means available to him. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

How to pay Zakah (obligatory charity) due on articles of merchandise?

Articles of merchandise are estimated by their whole sale market price at the end of each lunar year, and (2.5%) of their value is paid as Zakah whether it (value) went up, or down compared to actual purchasing price, and whether the increase (profit) was in the article itself such as an increase in the animal`s weight, or in the prices themselves. And Allah Knows Best.

I broke my oath and am now obligated to pay the expiation for a broken oath (kaffārat al-yamīn). Would it be valid to fulfill this by inviting the poor and needy to a meal for them to eat from?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The expiation for a broken oath (kaffārat al-yamīn) is given to the poor (fuqarā') and needy (masākīn), and it must be given in the form of ownership (tamlīk) transferred to them of the required amount — namely, one mudd of the staple food of the locality, or its equivalent monetary value. It isn`t valid to invite the poor or needy to a meal prepared for them to eat from, as this does not constitute "ownership" (tamlīk) but merely "permission to partake" (ibāḥah).
Imam al-Shirbīnī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "What is intended is that ownership be transferred to them; therefore, providing them with lunch or dinner [as a meal to eat from] isn`t valid." [Summarized from Mughnī al-Muhtāj,Vol. 5/P.50]. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law regarding one who purchases a sacrificial animal (uḍḥiyah) and it then develops a defect before slaughter?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
If a defect that invalidates the sacrifice (uḍḥiyah) arises after its purchase — for example, if one purchased a sound, defect-free animal, and it then developed a limp, blindness in one eye, or a similar defect before slaughter — it does not fulfill the requirement of a valid uḍḥiyah, according to the Shāfi'ī school.
It is stated in Asnā al-Maṭālib fī Sharḥ Rawḍ al-Ṭālib (Vol.1/P.535): "Even if the limp develops [in the animal] while the knife is upon it, it still does not fulfill the requirement, because it is lame at the moment of slaughter — this is analogous to a case where a sheep's leg breaks and one hastens to slaughter it [in that condition]."
The Ḥanbalī school, however, held that if the one offering the sacrifice purchased the animal while it was sound and defect-free, and a defect then befell it afterward, the sacrifice remains valid and there is no obligation to replace it.
It is stated in Masā'il al-Imām Aḥmad, one of the Ḥanbalī reference works (Vol.8/P.4021): "I said: If a person purchases the sacrificial animal while it is sound, and it is then afflicted with illness, blindness in one eye, or a broken limb [before slaughter]? He [Imam Aḥmad] said: It is said that it still fulfills the requirement. Isḥāq said likewise, because he purchased it while sound, and the defect befell it only afterward, so it remains sufficient on his behalf." [End of quote]
Accordingly, a sheep afflicted with a defect that invalidates the sacrifice does not fulfill the requirement of a valid uḍḥiyah — whether the defect arose after purchase or during the slaughter itself — according to the Shāfi'ī school. However, there is no objection to following the Ḥanbalī position on this matter [as a valid alternative]. And Allah, the Most High, knows best.

See More