DIVINE GIFTS IN THE LAST TEN DAYS OF RAMADAN




We are in a month of munificent goodness, great righteousness and abundant blessings. It is praised abundantly in the Noble Book of Allah The Almighty and the Hadeeths of His Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ). It is the month of the Quran and goodness, and the month when people return to their Lord in a unique and matchless manifestation of faith.

This month is granted a privilege that is not granted to any other month, which is ten blessed days – the last ten days when Allah The Almighty sends His bounty upon His slaves by saving them from Hell. Thus, we should make the best use of them by means of the following:
- Observing I’tikaaf (staying in seclusion for worship) in one of the two Holy Mosques or any other mosque if you cannot observe I’tikaaf in the two Holy Mosques. I’tikaaf is very important for those who devote themselves to the Lord and get rid of many endless worldly engagements. When someone observes I’tikaaf, he refrains from many issues in which he usually indulges. This is witnessed and widely known. If one cannot observe complete I’tikaaf, he should stay in one of the two mosques or spend long hours in it or in any other mosque.

- Reviving all or most of the night by prayers and Thikr (remembrance of Allah The Almighty). With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), used to keep his family awake for the prayers, pray all night and tighten his waist belt (i.e. did not approach women). Praying at night is a great opportunity for whoever is engaged in worldly affairs –the majority of people– and cannot perform Qiyaam (voluntary night prayer); so the least thing people can offer in the last ten days of Ramadan is increasing Qiyaam and reviving the night. It is very strange that some righteous people are in one of the two Holy Mosques but they do not pray except eight Rak‘ahs (units of prayer) depending upon some proofs. They have forgotten that the Companions and the predecessors performed long prayers with many Rak‘ahs and they were the first generation which knew Islam and applied its rulings in the best way. The state of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), was known to them, along with the interpretation and understanding of his noble Hadeeths in the nearest possible meanings and the best interpretations.

- We should not forget that the last ten days include a night that is the greatest night in the whole year namely the Night of Al-Qadr (Night of Divine Decree), which is better than a thousand months. How great is this divine bounty! The one who wastes it has wasted something great. The majority of Muslim scholars agree that this night is one of the odd nights in the last ten nights of Ramadan. Some scholars adopt the opinion that it is the night of the twenty-seventh day. Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, may Allah be pleased with him, swore that it is the night of the twenty-seventh day as mentioned in Saheeh Muslim.

- Increasing reading, reflecting on and understanding the Quran along with increasing Thikr. There is no doubt that these days are the right time for this.

- It is very strange that in spite of the great virtues and ample rewards, some people like to spend their vacations that coincide with the last ten days, abroad. Hence, they are deprived of great benefits. What they will do abroad except spending their time in picnics and recreation at a time when recreation is pointless? Rather, this time should be devoted to worship. A wise person is he who directs his capacities and time to benefit the most from these days of happiness.

- We should not forget in these ten days that we have brothers in the trenches of Jihaad (striving in the cause of Allah The Almighty). The enemies have surrounded them and they are suffering from great calamities. We should not forget them, even if the least we can do is to make sincere supplication from a heart devoted to Allah The Exalted and charity. In this way, we will be the first to win its reward. Lastly, we should not forget the poor and the needy, especially when ‘Eed is approaching

REPENTANCE IN RAMADAN




Allah Says (what means): “And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers that you might succeed” [Quran 24:31]
And also (what means): “O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance” [Quran 66:8] Therefore, repentance is not only requested from one who has committed a sin, but rather it is demanded from all people including the believers who wish to win the great prize of Paradise as well as being prosperous in this life.

One of the great blessings of Allah upon His slaves is that He left the door for repentance open for those who wish to repent and return to Him. Allah made repentance the new dawn that indicates the start of a new day for the journey towards the Hereafter.

Abu Moosaa Al-Ash`ari, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “Allah, the Exalted, will continue to stretch out His Hand in the night so that the sinners of the day may repent, and continue to stretch His Hand in the daytime so that the sinners of the night may repent, until the sun rises from the west”. [Muslim].

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “He who repents before the sun rises from the west, Allah will forgive him”. [Muslim].

`Abdullaah Ibn `Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, reported that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “Allah accepts a slave's repentance as long as the latter is not on his death bed (that is, before the soul of the dying person reaches the throat)”. [Ahmad and At-Tirmithi].

Know that the month of Ramadan is a great opportunity to repent and return to Allah, and it is a chance to renew the pledge with Allah. On the other hand, one must be careful lest Ramadan passes him by without him utilizing the season and without being one of those whom Allah forgave their sins. Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with them, reported that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “May Allah humble the one who lives long enough to witness Ramadan and passes the month without being forgiven”. [At-Tirmithi].

Beloved brothers! This blessed month is the month of the Qur’aan, kindness, repentance, expiation of sins, the descent of mercy and elevation of ranks … So let us rush in repentance to Allah, because the believers will not find comfort except in Paradise … let us take refuge from Allah with Allah and repent to Him before our sins destroy us … let us wake up from our deep sleep as the days pass by very rapidly … let us strive not to be of the deprived ones by undermining the pleasure of Paradise … let us rush and repent and make up for what we have missed out on.

The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) whose sins have been forgiven repents to Allah and asked for forgiveness multiple times in a single day. Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) saying: “I swear by Allah that I seek Allah's Pardon and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day.” [Al-Bukhari].

Al-Agharr Ibn Yasaar Al-Muzani, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "Turn you people in repentance to Allah and beg pardon of Him. I turn to Him in repentance a hundred times a day". [Muslim].

Let us follow the example of our beloved Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) and let us not delay our repentance and let us abandon using the term: “I will do it later on”, and remember that life is nothing but an illusion.

O you who has wasted yesterday and is waiting today … you are killing yourself with sins … repent to your Lord and regret your shortcomings … if you cry and humble yourself before your Lord and ask Him to forgive you, He will accept you and be happy with your repentance.

Indeed Allah is pleased with the repentance of His slaves. Anas Ibn Maalik, may Allah be pleased with him, the servant of the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) narrated: The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "Verily, Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than a person who has his camel in a waterless desert carrying his provision of food and drink and it is lost. He, having lost all hopes (to get that back), lies down in shade and is disappointed about his camel; when all of a sudden he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of its reins and then out of boundless joy blurts out: 'O Allah, You are my slave and I am Your Lord'. He commits this mistake out of extreme joy" [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Do you see how Allah is pleased with the person when he turns to Him in repentance? Who are we for Allah to rejoice for our repentance? We are nothing but weak creatures of His who possess no power. On the other hand, He is The All Powerful, Almighty, The King and The One Who controls the Heavens and the earth.

Let us not give up on the mercy of Allah … we must know that there is no sin too great for Allah to forgive, and that a slave never turns to Him in repentance sincerely, but He will accept and forgive him, as He is The Oft Forgiving and His mercy has encompassed everything.

Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “Allah, the Exalted, has said: `O son of Aadam! I forgive you as long as you pray to Me and hope for My forgiveness, whatever sins you have committed. O son of Aadam! I do not care if your sins reach the height of the heaven, then you ask for my forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Aadam! If you come to Me with an earth load of sins, and meet Me associating nothing to Me, I would match it with an earth-load of forgiveness`” [At-Tirmithi].

When you turn to Allah repentance, never go back to committing the same sins again, as this is one of the most destructive disasters. Never go back after having been blessed and rescued by Allah, because returning to sins after having been rescued has severe consequences. Remember that fasting is not merely refraining from eating and drinking, and that you must shun all sins ands rush to Allah in repentance.

GETTING AHEAD IN THE RACE FOR FORGIVENESS




Getting Ahead in the Race for Forgiveness
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Allah The Almighty exhorts the believers to seek forgiveness and race each other on the road leading to repentance and rewards, so that one does not despair and give up on the mercy of Allah The Almighty. He Says (what means): {“And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the pious.”} [Quran, 3: 133].

The following are some means leading to forgiveness of sins and gaining the closeness and mercy of Allah The Almighty based on evidence from the Quran and Hadeeths (Prophetic narrations):
Accepting Islam
Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {“Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven. But if they return (thereto), then the examples of those (punished) before them have already preceded (as a warning).”} [Quran, 8: 38].
‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “Did you not know that one's [acceptance of] Islam obliterates whatever he did before it?” [Muslim].
Migration
This means to relocate from the land of disbelief to the land of Islam. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {“Then, verily, your Lord for those who emigrated after they had been put to trials and thereafter strove hard and fought (for the Cause of Allah) and were patient, verily, your Lord afterward is, Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”} [Quran, 16: 110].
'Amr ibn Al-‘Aas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “Migration expiates whatever was before it.” [Muslim].
An accepted Hajj
'Amr ibn Al-‘Aas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “An accepted Hajj removes whatever was before it [of sins].” [Muslim]
Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “He who performs Hajj and does not involve (himself) in sexual relations or a sin (during the Hajj), will return from Hajj in a state just like the one his mother gave birth to him in (i.e., free from sins).” [Al-Bukhari]
Supplication upon hearing the Athaan (call to prayer)
Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas,may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “He who says upon hearing the person calling the Athaan, ‘I also bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah alone without a partner, and that Muhammad is His slave and messenger. I accept Allah as a Lord, Muhammad as a messenger, and Islam as a religion’ -- all his previous sins will be forgiven.” [Muslim].
Coinciding with the angels when saying 'Aameen'
Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “When the Imaam says 'Aameen', say 'Aameen', because he who coincides with the angels when saying Aameen will have all his previous sins forgiven.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Coinciding with the angels when saying ‘Our lord for you is all the praise’
The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “When the Imaam says ‘Allah hears he who praises Him’, say, ‘Our Lord for You is all the praise’, because he who coincides with the angels when saying so will have all his previous sins forgiven.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Praying two Rak’ah (units) of prayer attentively
The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “He who properly performs ablution, then prays any two Rak’ah (of Salaah) without being heedless, will get all his previous sins forgiven.” [Ahmad].
Gathering in circles of Thikr (mentioning Allah The Almighty)
Sahl ibn Hanthalah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “It never happens that a group of people gather to mention Allah, but they will be told upon leaving the circle (after finishing): 'Your sins have been forgiven.'” [Ahmad].
Being afflicted by sickness
The Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “Whenever a believer becomes sick, he will be purified from his sins, just as fire purifies steel.” [Al-Bukhari].