Articles

Ramadan: The Month of the Qur’an
Author : Dr. Mohammad Al-Hunaiti
Date Added : 06-05-2025

Allah, The Almighty, Says in the Qur'an (What means): "Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong)." [Al-Baqarah/2]. Ramadan is the month of goodness, charity, generosity, and blessings. In it, the believers race towards attaining The Pleasure of Allah, His forgiveness, and mercy.

Undoubtedly, the doors to goodness and opportunities to increase acts of worship during this great month are many and varied; each person benefits from them in ways that increase their good deeds, elevate their ranks, and earn The Pleasure of Allah, The Exalted. Among these doors are: reciting the Noble Qur’an, studying it, and gaining understanding of its rulings.

Indeed, reading the Holy Quran is among the best and most esteemed deeds in the sight of Allah the Almighty. How could it not be, when the Holy Quran is the speech of The Lord of The Worlds, which He sent down as guidance for the righteous, and revealed to His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as a mercy to the worlds.

Moreover, reading the Quran is recommended at all times, and it is even more emphasized during the month of Ramadan, because good deeds are multiplied in this virtuous month.

Among the evidence for the virtue of reading the Holy Quran is His saying, the Most High (What means: " For me, I have been commanded to serve the Lord of this city, Him Who has sanctified it and to Whom (belong) all things: and I am commanded to be of those who bow in Islam to God’s Will,- And to rehearse the Qur’an: and if any accept guidance, they do it for the good of their own souls, and if any stray, say: "I am only a Warner"." [An-Naml/91-92].

He The Almighty also Says (What means): "Those who rehearse the Book of God, establish regular Prayer, and spend (in Charity) out of what We have provided for them, secretly and openly, hope for a commerce that will never fail:" [Fatir/29].

In addition, Abdallāh Ibn ‘Amr (May Allah Be Pleased with them) reported God’s messenger as saying: "The one who was devoted to the Qur’ān will be told to recite, ascend and recite carefully as he recited carefully when he was in the world, for he will reach his abode when he comes to the last verse he recites." [At-Tirmithi].

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "The one who memorized the Qur'an shall come on the Day of Judgment and (the reward for reciting the Qur'an) says: 'O Lord! Decorate him." So he is donned with a crown of nobility. Then it says: "O Lord! Give him more!' So he is donned with a suit of nobility. Then it says: "O Lord! Be pleased with him.' So He is pleased with him and says: "Recite and rise up, and be increased in reward with every Ayah. "[At-Tirmithi].

‘Abdallah Ibn ‘Amr (May Allah Be Pleased with them) reported God’s messenger as saying: "Fasting and the Qur’an intercede for a man. Fasting says, ‘O my Lord, I have kept him away from his food and his passions by day, so accept my intercession for him.’ The Qur’an States (What means): ‘I have kept him away from sleep by night, so accept my intercession for him.’ Then their intercession is accepted." [Ahmad].

It was narrated that Anas bin Malik said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'Allah has His own people among mankind.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, who are they?' He said: 'The people of the Qur'an, the people of Allah and those who are closest to Him." [Ibn Majah].

Abū Umāma (May Allah Be Pleased with him) said he heard God’s messenger say: "Recite the Qur’ān, for on the day of resurrection it will come as an intercessor for those who recite it." [Moslim].

However, it is obligatory upon the Muslim not to read the Quran as he reads other books, nor should his greatest concern be to increase the number of times he completes it. Rather, he should read the Holy Quran with contemplation and reflection. That is why the noble Companions would not move on from a verse until they acted upon it. Allah The Almighty Says (What means): "Then do they not reflect upon the Quran, or are there locks upon their hearts?" [Muhammad/24].

An-Nawwās Ibn Sam'ān (May Allah Be Pleased with him) said he heard the Prophet say: "On the day of resurrection the Qur’ān and those who acted according to it will be brought with sūra al-Baqara and Āl ‘Imran preceding them* like two black clouds or canopies with light between them, or as though they were two flocks of birds in ranks pleading for the one who recited them." [Moslim].

 I conclude with the saying of Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah Be Pleased with him): "The bearer of the Quran should be recognized by his night when people are sleeping, by his day when people are eating, by his sadness when people are rejoicing, by his weeping when people are laughing, by his silence when people are  engaging in idle talk, and by his humility when people are being arrogant.'" [Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in "Al-Musannaf"].

In this great month, the Muslim seizes every moment in obedience to Allah The Almighty and in reciting His verses, so that he may attain Allah's Pleasure and Paradise.

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on combining more than one intention in the prayer, such as combining the *sunnah* of wuḍūʾ with the pre-Dhuhr *sunnah*, or combining the *sunnah* of greeting the mosque (*taḥiyyat al-masjid*) with the pre-Dhuhr *sunnah*?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
Combining two intentions in a single act of worship, which some jurists call the “overlapping of acts of worship”, has several cases and precise rules. These can be consulted in the books of legal maxims, such as al-Manthūr fī al-Qawāʿid al-Fiqhiyyah by al-Zarkashī and al-Ashbāh wa’l-Naẓāʾir by al-Suyūṭī. Among the most important of these rules:
First: If all of the acts of worship that one wishes to combine under one intention are obligatory, the intentions do not overlap. An example is combining the intention of the obligatory ʿAṣr prayer with that of the obligatory Dhuhr prayer. The intentions do not overlap in this case.
Second: If the two acts are specified supererogatory prayers (nawāfil muqayyadah) that are aimed at in themselves because of a particular time, occasion, or cause, or if they are an obligatory prayer and a specified supererogatory prayer, the intentions again do not overlap. An example is the Duha prayer, which may not be combined with, for instance, the regular sunnah of Dhuhr.
It is stated in Bushrā al-Karīm: “Whatever is not, in meaning, an absolute voluntary prayer, such as the Duha sunnah… is not subsumed under another. Rather, if he intends something else along with it… the prayer is not validly entered. This is because combining two obligations, two specified supererogatory prayers, or an obligation and a specified supererogatory prayer invalidates the prayer in cases not built upon overlapping, as ritual purification (ṭahārah) is.”
Third: If the two acts are absolute voluntary prayers (nawāfil muṭlaqah), or one of them is, where the texts of the Sharīʿah show that the aim of the voluntary act is to fill the time with worship, then overlapping of intentions is permissible. An example is the obligatory Dhuhr prayer together with the sunnah of greeting the mosque (taḥiyyat al-masjid). And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on waiving a debt owed by a debtor and counting it toward zakāh?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Waiving a debt owed by a debtor, with the intention of counting it toward zakāh, does not fulfill the zakāh obligation. Rather, it constitutes an ordinary act of charity, for which Allah rewards the giver generously — since one of the conditions for the validity of zakāh is that the person paying it must form the intention of zakāh at the actual moment the wealth is paid out. In this case, the debt has already been established as a standing obligation upon the borrower, so it is not valid to simply redirect the intention toward zakāh after the fact.
It is preferable, instead, for the creditor to first collect the debt from the debtor, and then return to him the amount of money he is required to pay as zakāh — or a portion of it — if the debtor happens to fall under one of the eight categories that Allah, the Exalted, has commanded be given from zakāh.
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik, from the books of the Shāfi‘ī school: "If someone gives [money] to a poor person, stipulating that the recipient return it to him in payment of a debt owed to him, or says, 'I am making what you owe me into zakāh, so take it [as such]' — this is not valid. But if he gives it to him with the [unstated] intention that the recipient will use it to repay him, or says, 'Repay what you owe me, so that I may [then separately] give it to you as zakāh,' or the debtor himself says, 'Give it to me, so that I may [then] repay you with it' — this is valid, and there is no binding obligation for the recipient to actually fulfill this [informal understanding]." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the meaning of the Prophetic statement that a boy is held in pledge (murtahan) for his 'aqīqah?

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
The first interpretation: That if the boy dies in infancy without an 'aqīqah having been performed on his behalf, he will not intercede for his parents on the Day of Resurrection. This is the position of Imam Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, and Imam al-Khaṭṭābī concurred with him, stating: "The finest of what has been said regarding this matter is the position adopted by Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal." — [Fatḥ al-Bārī by Ibn Ḥajar,{Vol.9/P.594]
The second interpretation: That the child is likened to a pledged object (marhūn) — one from which full benefit and enjoyment cannot be derived until it is redeemed. A blessing is only made complete upon the one blessed when they fulfil the obligation of gratitude (shukr), and the prescribed expression of gratitude for this particular blessing is what the Prophet ﷺ established as Sunnah — namely, the slaughtering of the 'aqīqah on behalf of the newborn as an act of thankfulness to Allah the Almighty and as a supplication for the wellbeing and safety of the child. This is the position of Mullā 'Alī al-Qārī. See: [Mirqāt al-Mafātīḥ Sharḥ Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ, Vol.7/P.2688]
And Allah Almighty knows best.

Is it permissible to sacrifice imported livestock (Such as Romanian, Australian, etc.)?

 

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
As long as the sheep meets the prescribed Sharia age and is free from disqualifying defects, it is valid for sacrifice regardless of its country of origin. Therefore, it is permissible to offer sacrifices from various sources, such as: Romanian, Australian, Spanish, Indian, Sudanese, local (Baladi) livestock, and others. And Allah the Almighty knows best.