The Prophet’s tradition (pbuh) in Ramadan

Praise be to Allah Who made Ramadan shield from punishment and the reward immeasurable. He favours Ramadan in which the Holy Qur’an was revealed over other months. He has also chosen the Muslim Ummah for increased reward and credence. I praise Him in the ways of those who frequently repent and turn unto Him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone; forgiver of sins, severe in punishment. And I bear witness that Muhammad is his slave and Messenger; sent with wisdom and clear elucidation. May Allah bestow peace and blessings on him, his families, his companions and those who follow them, and those who follow those after them, till the day of return. Thereafter, Servants of Allah, I enjoin you and myself to fear Allah, therein lies the pleasure of Allah- the most merciful, and attainment of paradise and safety from fire. The good news on this is related in the Qur’an thus: { تِلْكَ الْجَنَّةُ الَّتِي نُورِثُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا مَن كَانَ تَقِيّاً } [مريم :63] Such is the Garden which We give as an inheritance to those of Our servants who guard against Evil. (19:63) The prophet (pbuh) was made infallible and as the standard by which others’ speeches and actions is measured. His disposition became the scale for weighing others. Allah (swt) made him (pbuh) model for mankind having perfected his nature internally and externally regardless of whether it is in the open or secret. { لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ اْلآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيراً } (الأحزاب:21) “Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of Allah.” (33: 21) He does not talk out of his own desire rather, “It is no less than inspiration sent down to him:”(53:4) (إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ وَحْيٌ يُوحَى) The prophet’s mind is pleasant, his speech is kind, his action is magnificent, he graciously radiates blessing anytime anywhere, God purified his nature internally and externally and favoured him with lofty character. Allah says: { وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ } (القلم:4) (And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.) (68:4) { فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ لِنْتَ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ كُنْتَ فَظّاً غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ َلانْفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ } (آل عمران:159) “It is part of the Mercy of Allah that thou dost deal gently with them Wert thou severe or harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about thee” (10:159) { لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَؤُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ } (التوبة:128) ” Now hath come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves: it grieves him that ye should perish: ardently anxious is he over you: to the Believers is he most kind and merciful.” (9:128) With this background, it is expected of a believer in the course of reforming himself, to take the prophet (pbuh) as his model as reported in the well established proofs. The prophet (pbuh) is the leader of every monotheist and believer to the paradise, therefore, whoever seeks for guidance from other than what he brought; Allah will not accept it, and for him is a painful chastisement. THE PROPHET’S GENEROUSITY IN RAMADAN Ibn Abbas (R.A)- the interpreter of the Qur’an, a great scholar of Islam who lived by the Qur’an, the Hadith and entirely by Islam and radiated the light of the religion, he said: (The Prophet was the most generous amongst the people, and he used to be more so in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel visited him, and he used to teach him the Holy Qur'an) The prophet used to be the most generous person during the visit of his teacher and master- Jibril, who then taught him the book of Allah and the admonition in the verses of Allah- the exalted. The prophet used to be more generous than a fast wind (which causes rain and welfare). The fast wind is the rainfall flowing from the highland with cool taste. When the Arab poet wishes to describe a generous man, he said: “He is more generous that the rain” or “He is more generous than the rain laden wind.” The greatest feature of the prophet’s tradition in Ramadan is generosity and giving, spending, sacrifices and offering. He does not harbor anything, even the tattered clothes he wore, when he was asked for it, he gave it out. It was reported in a Saheeh hadeeth from Sahl Ibn Sa'd he said: (a woman wove a dress for the Prophet (pbuh), he wore it out of the need for it, the a man came to him and said: “O Messenger of Allah! Give me this dress”. The companions said to this man: What God caused to happen to you happened to the prophet (pbuh), the messenger of Allah (pbuh) wore it out of the need for it, and you came to ask him for it, and he does not turn down anyone”. The man said: “I hope that this dress be my shroud” God gave him what he wished, he asked, it became his shroud, and he was shrouded in it. His study of the Qur'an in Ramadan Another of his features is the companionship with the Qur’an, living with it and studying its verses with Jibril. Ramadan is the month of the Qur’an, Allah says: { شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدىً لِلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ } (البقرة:185) Ramadhan 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) (2:185) When Ramadan sets in, the prophet felicitate and congratulate himself, he reduces his task in order to live with the Qur’an, ponder over the meaning and uphold the recitation. The Qur’an took the most precious time of the prophet’s life, because the Qur’an is the only book and greatest miracle sent to him. It is not matched by any other miracle, because other miracles ended by the demise of the prophets. Such as the staff of Musa (AS); it seized when prophet Musa (AS) died. Likewise the miracle of sight for the blind and freeing the leper and life for the dead in the era of prophet Isa ended with his demise. But the Quran marches on in strength and power, addressing generations and nations till the end of time, when Allah shall inherit the Earth and all on it. Therefore, the prophet dedicated the most of his time to the Qur’an in Ramadan. STANDING AT NIGHT IN RAMADAN. In the nights of Ramadan, the prophet rose up to full worship, perfecting the standing for prayers, the prostrations, the ablution, the supplication and the shedding of tears out of piety. However, the late night prayer is today neglected by the ummah due to weak faith and depreciated certainty, except a few saved by Allah’s grace. Generations of the Muslims lived in frigidity, carelessness and laziness, not resembling the generation that existed during the prophet era, except whom Allah grant mercy. Allah says: but few of My servants are grateful! (34:13) ({ وَقَلِيلٌ مِنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ } (سبأ:13)) The prophet lived the nights of Ramadan with Tahajud having known the importance. Allah says: { وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَكَ عَسَى أَنْ يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَاماً مَحْمُوداً } (الإسراء:79). And pray in the small watches of the morning: (it would be) an additional prayer (or spiritual profit) for thee: soon will thy Lord raise thee to a Station of Praise and Glory! (17:79) And the wonderful night, especially during Ramadan, for the Muslim who wants to reform himself, he should increase recitation of the Quran and the prayer of the night- tahajud. This month is for the renewal of spirit and determination, and a precious opportunity which can never be replaced. The month of repentance and emancipation from hell, but in contrast, it is of disappointment, regret, loss and destruction for the one who meet Ramadan but fail to repent from sins becoming a loser and deprived of manumission from fire. HASTENING TO BREAK FAST AND DELAYING THE SAHUR- (PRE DAWN MEAL): The prophet hastened to break the fast saying: (the most beloved servant to Allah is the most early among them to break the fast). The time of breaking the fast is the sunset, as said in the hadith of Umar, (When the night sets in from this direction and the daylight depart from that direction, the fasting person has break the fast). The Jews were delaying the break of their fast, therefore the prophet hastened the breaking of fast, provided the sun set and daylight disappeared. He also uses wet or fresh food for breaking the fast. In the hadeeth of Anas reported by Abu Dawood and Al-tirmidhi, he said: (The Prophet breaks fast with wet or fresh, but if did not find, then he use the dates, and if he did not find, then he sips of water). In the hadeeth of Salman bn ‘Amir reported by Abu Dawood and Al-tirmidhi, he said: The Messenger of Allah peace be upon him said: (Each one of you should break with dates, and if he cannot find, he should drink water, it (water) is purification). Wonderfully, in the wet or fresh food and dates are wondrous mystery for the fasting person as said by Ibn Al-qayyim; when the abdomen goes hungry, dates is the sweetest thing that agrees with the stomach. The sweet date agrees with the stomach. Glory be to Allah, Who taught and guided the prophet to this secret, he is a doctor for the body and the hearts, leading man to Allah- the Exalted. The prophet also delayed the Sahur, provided it does not become the morning. He said (pbuh): “Eat sahur (pre-dawn meal) there is blessing in it.” The blessing in sahur is of three things: 1- It is reviving the tradition of the prophet (pbuh). 2- The time of the sahur is when Allah descends to the closest heaven to the world waiting for people’s request. 3- The strengthens you to withstand the rigours of fast during the day. MUCH OF DHIKR- REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH The prophet engaged himself in lots of dhikr, supplications, seeking forgiveness, etc in Ramadan to give life to the souls. ‘ITIKAAF IN RAMADAN. It among the tradition of the prophet (pbuh) to engage in seclusion in the mosque in the last ten days in Ramadan. May God bless us with the Holy Qur'aan, and benefit us all from the lessons there in. Having said all you heard, I seek forgiveness from Allah for my sins and for you all, Muslims, engage in seeking forgiveness from Him, He is All-forgiving, Most- merciful. THE SECOND SERMON All praises are due to Allah, Who has perfected the religion and favour on us. We praise and thank Him and seek His forgiveness. I bear witness that there is no god except Allah and that prophet Muhammad is His servant and messenger. May the peace and blessings be showered upon him, his household, and all his companions. Know that prayer is a weapon to ward off scourge and evil, and there is nothing more honourable before Allah as prayer. God loves that trait in His servants who prostrate before Him and pour out their requests and complains. Infact, He ordered them to do so and promised them it will be answered. Allah says: { وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ } (غافر:60). { And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell - in humiliation!"} (ghafir: 60). Supplication to God is an expression of need towards Him and the recognition of one’s lack. Umar said: “I don’t get worried over getting answers for prayer, however, I get worried over supplication, for whenever I get inspired to supplicate, I surely know that the answer is with it.” Anas bn Malik said: “Never get incapacitated from supplication, verily none fortified with supplication will be destroyed” Oh Allah grant us Ramadan, assist us to fast and stand in its night for prayers, in faith and anticipation for Your rewards, and make us not among those who only gain hunger and thirst from their fasts, or earns no other reward from their tahajud except fatigue and sleeplessness, grant us good words and works, save us from the fire and all in it including the shackles and horrors.