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The Catalyst for Ramadan's Change
Author : Dr. Mufti AbdulHakim Tawfeeq
Date Added : 22-10-2024

The Catalyst for Ramadan's Change

 

All praise is due to Allah, The Lord of all Worlds, Who changes and does not change, Who alters and is not altered. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the one who came with a path toward positive change, our master and beloved Prophet Muhammad, and upon his noble family and pure companions.

Undoubtedly, the principle of change in an individual’s life, and thus in society, is firmly established in the religion of Allah and is deeply rooted in the elevated Islamic education. This occurs through the ability granted to individuals to change what is within themselves. When individuals change themselves for the better, it leads to the betterment of society as a whole.

Change begins and emanates from within, that is, within the self. It starts by transforming one's beliefs, values, principles, and thoughts. When this transformation aligns with what pleases the Lord, it reflects on the external behavior of the individual, and consequently, on society. Thus, the transition occurs from one state to another, from the reality we live in to the ideal state we aspire to.

The most significant factor in changing oneself is faith when it firmly resides in the heart. It prepares the soul to accept principles, no matter the duties, sacrifices, or challenges they entail. It changes the objectives, means, direction, behavior, tastes, and standards, making them different from what they were before.

How does Ramadan contribute to the desired change?

No one can deny the significant impact Ramadan has on the change we seek, through the following points:

1. Taqwa (Consciousness of Allah): Fasting during Ramadan plays a key role in creating and strengthening taqwa. The Qur'anic verse explicitly states that the purpose of fasting is to achieve taqwa, it states (What means): "O you who have believed, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become righteous." [Al-Baqarah/183].

2. The motivational factors in Ramadan: Ramadan provides a spiritual atmosphere that encourages one to rise and pursue positive change. The hadiths of the Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasize the rewards of fasting and those who fast, such as the forgiveness of past sins, the acceptance of prayers, entry through the gate of Rayyan, and the many other opportunities for good deeds. During Ramadan, the hearts turn to Allah, the rebellious jinn are chained, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, Laylat Al-Qadr (the Night of Decree) is present, and the opportunity for freedom from Hellfire is granted. Are these not enough to urge people to hasten toward good deeds, compete in coming closer to Allah, and abandoning sins and desires?

3. Willpower and patience in Ramadan: Willpower is crucial for change, and Ramadan serves as a school that teaches practical discipline in willpower and patience. Through fasting, Muslims learn to endure hardship, build resilience, and train themselves to obey Allah’s commands and control their desires for an entire month. They graduate from this intensive course successful and victorious in their struggle against their own souls, ready to channel their energy and talents toward fighting their enemies. After Ramadan, they are capable of abandoning what is forbidden and disliked habits.

4. Adopting good deeds and noble morals: Ramadan is a station where people recharge their commitment to good deeds, such as being diligent in the five daily prayers. Many who previously neglected or delayed their prayers, or failed to attend them in congregation, find themselves, during Ramadan, praying with the congregation, frequenting mosques, and filling them with remembrance, recitation of the Qur’an, and night prayers (Taraweeh). From a moral perspective, Ramadan is an opportunity to abandon vices such as selfishness and stinginess.

5. Repentance and turning to Allah in Ramadan: Many sinners seize the opportunity in Ramadan to repent, return to their Lord, and rush toward righteousness, declaring their repentance to their Creator.

In conclusion, those who fast and stand in prayer during Ramadan, with faith and seeking Allah's reward, will find their lives renewed. The positive change they experience will be achieved, and the most important thing afterward is to maintain it, remain steadfast, and strive to increase it in the coming days.

May Allah grant us success in making the most of Ramadan and in experiencing true and lasting change.

 

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

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Summarized Fatawaa

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.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on one who died owing debts and left no wealth? Is it obligatory upon the heirs to settle these debts?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The general rule is that if a person dies owing rights to other people, such as debts, these are settled from his estate, if he left any wealth, before the estate is divided. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The believer's soul is suspended by his debt until it is settled for him.” Graded ḥasan by al-Tirmidhī. Repayment of debts takes precedence over the heirs’ right to inheritance.
If the deceased left no estate, or left wealth that was insufficient to cover his debts, it is not obligatory for the heirs to pay from their own wealth, but it is recommended for them to do so, because the deceased’s dhimmah (legal liability) remains occupied by the debt. It is reported in some narrations that he remains held in suspension until his debt is paid, and it is not part of filial righteousness for a child to leave his father’s dhimmah burdened with debt.
All of the children may contribute to settling the debt on behalf of their father and cooperate in doing so, even in installments, according to their ability. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on wiping over socks?

It is not permissible to wipe over most common socks today because the conditions for wiping are not met. The concession was reported for wiping over leather socks (khuff) and socks (jowrab) with conditions: They must be thick, not allowing poured water to penetrate, enable one to walk in them, be worn while in a state of purity (from ablution), cover the entire foot up to the ankles (meaning covering the protruding ankle bones), and not be torn. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on performing the night prayer (*qiyām al-layl*) between the first and second adhān of Fajr? And which is better: delaying the prayer until shortly before the Fajr adhān, or performing it earlier than that?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The time for night prayer (qiyām al-layl) begins after the Maghrib prayer and lasts until the second adhān of Fajr. The best time for it is the last third of the night, and best of all are the fourth and fifth sixths of the night. If the night is divided into two halves, the latter half is better.
Whoever intends to pray at night is encouraged to delay the Witr until he has prayed the night prayer. If he knows that he will not wake up, it is better for him to pray and perform Witr before sleeping, so that he does not miss both the night prayer and the Witr.
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vpl.1/p.462): “I say: The voluntary prayer of the night, that is, the absolute voluntary prayer (al-nafl al-muṭlaq), is better than the absolute voluntary prayer of the day, because of the report in Muslim: ‘The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer.’ In another narration of his: ‘In the night there is an hour that no Muslim man meets while asking Allah for any good of this world and the next except that He gives it to him, and that is every night.’ It is also because the night is a time of heedlessness. I restricted the voluntary prayer to the absolute kind following the commentator, although what the ḥadīth and the underlying meaning require is that the night rawātib be preferred over the day rawātib, since the jurists preferred the two rakʿahs of Fajr over everything except Witr. The middle of the night is better than its two ends if it is divided into thirds, because heedlessness is greatest then and worship is hardest. If he wishes to pray during some third, the best is the fourth and fifth sixths, based on the ḥadīth in the two Ṣaḥīḥs: ‘The most beloved prayer to Allah the Exalted is the prayer of Dāwūd: he would sleep half the night, stand for a third of it, and sleep for a sixth.’ Then the latter part is better than the first if he divides it into two halves, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted: ‘And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness’ [al-Dhāriyāt: 18], and the report of the two Shaykhs: ‘Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends,’ meaning His command descends, ‘to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and says: Who calls upon Me, that I may answer him? Who asks of Me, that I may give him? Who seeks My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’”
It is also stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik (p. 60): “It is better to perform it [the Witr] immediately after the sunnah of ʿIshāʾ, unless he has tahajjud, in which case it is better to delay it so that he performs Witr after it. If he performs Witr and then wishes to pray tahajjud, he prays two rakʿahs at a time and does not repeat the Witr, nor does he need to cancel it with a single rakʿah before the tahajjud. It is recommended that he not deliberately pray after it.”
Qiyām al-layl is a term applied to any prayer performed at night. Tahajjud, on the other hand, refers to the night prayer that follows sleep, whether it is prayed after Maghrib or after ʿIshāʾ, or the prayer performed after ʿIshāʾ without sleep. On this basis, the Witr is also called tahajjud, since it is only prayed after ʿIshāʾ.
It is stated in al-Majmūʿ (Vol.4/p.84): “The sound position, as stated in al-Umm and al-Mukhtaṣar, is that the Witr is called tahajjud.”
It is stated in Nihāyat al-Zayn (Vol.1/p.114): “Among the absolute voluntary prayers is qiyām al-layl. If it is performed after sleep, even during the time of Maghrib and after having prayed ʿIshāʾ early (taqdīman), it is called tahajjud.”
And it is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī ʿalā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.1/p.418): “His statement: ‘(the night prayer)’: the genitive construction (iḍāfah) carries the sense of fī, meaning a prayer in the night. His statement: ‘(it would be more fitting)’: the reason it is more fitting is that the night prayer includes both tahajjud and other prayers.” And Allah Almighty knows best.

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