Preface

Alhamdulillah, Ramadan is almost here. Let's all reflect on ourselves and become the best we can be in the opportunity to welcome Ramadan al-Mubarak.

In this Bayan Linnas series and in conjunction with the arrival of Ramadan, we present a title for readers to look at entitled Ahlan wa Sahlan Ya Ramadhan.

First, we pray to Allah ï·» so that we are given blessings, faith, and safety so that we can truly be able to go through Ramadan with worship events, among which we can mention here in welcoming the arrival of Ramadan are:

• Anas bin Malik RA said: “The Messenger of Allah ï·º used to supplicate as soon as the month of Rajab arrived.”

God bless you, and bless you

Meaning: “O Allah, bless us in the months of Rajab and Sha’ban, and bless us in the month of Ramadan.”

Narrated by Ahmad in his Musnad (2346)

 

• From Talhah bin Ubaidillah RA, the Messenger of Allah ï·º prayed when he saw the new moon of Ramadan.

God bless us with Yemen and faith, and peace and Islam, my Lord and God

It means: "O Allah, shelter us with security and faith and blessings, safety and well-being. My Lord and your Lord is Allah."

Ahmad's narration in his Musnad (1397). Syeikh Ahmad Syakir said its isnad is hasan while Syeikh Syu'aib al-Arnaut said this hadith is hasan with other syawahid .

 

• Similarly, it is said that many among the righteous predecessors pray for Ramadan to be filled with various righteous practices. Among their prayers are:

God bless him, and peace be upon him, and peace be upon him.

It means: “O Allah, grant me peace until Ramadan comes, grant Ramadan peace for me and accept from me (the worship in that month).”

Narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Du'a (913) and Abu Nu'aim al-Asbahani in Hilyah al-Auliya' (3/69)

 

 

Our Attitude…

We should feel happy with Ramadan which is about to come with a generous offer from God. On the other hand, the hypocrites feel anxious and stuck with Ramadan. So the words of the Prophet ï·º are true:

أَظَلَّكُمْ شَهْرُكُمْ هَذَا بِمَحْلُوفِ رَسُولِ اللہِ, مَمَرَّ بِالمُمْمِنِينَ A month is good for them, and not with the believers. شرٌّ لَهُمْ مِنْهُ, إِنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَيَكْتُبُ اَجْرَّهُ وَنوَافِلَهُ مِنْ قَبِ انْ يِدِلَُُ, وَيَيْكْتُبُ إِصْرَهُ وَشَقَاءُ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يُدْخِلَهُ

Meaning: “Allah SWT has blessed you with the arrival of this month of Ramadan, with the Messenger of Allah ï·º swearing: “There is no month that passes over the Muslims that is better for them than the month of Ramadan, and there is no month that passes over the hypocrites that is worse than the month of Ramadan. Indeed, Allah ï·» writes down the rewards before the month appears, and also writes down the sins and humiliation before the month of Ramadan.”

Narrated by Ahmad in his Musnad (8870) & Ibn Khuzaimah in his Sahih (1884). The chain of transmission is weak due to the presence of Tamim maula Abu Rumanah.

 

 

How to Welcome Ramadan

There are several ways for us to welcome the arrival of Ramadan so that its arrival brings blessings and grace to us. Among the ways we can mention here are:

1. Improve Intention

The word of Allah SWT:

وَمَآ أُمِرُوْاْ إِلَّ لِيعَبُدُواْ ّلَلَّهَ مُخلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ

Meaning: " They were not commanded except to worship Allah, being sincere to Him in worship."

(Al-Bayyinah: 5)

 

Without intention, it is not considered worship and may just be a habit. Prepare our intention to face this Ramadan only for Allah ï·». If the heart is focused only on seeking the pleasure of Allah ï·», then our deeds after that will also lead to Him.

Improving intentions is not something as easy as saying it on the lips, the Salaf were also not spared from this difficulty. Sufyan al-Thauri Rahimahullah, despite the greatness of his knowledge and character, also once said: "I have never taken care of something that is more difficult than my intention (to be sincere to Allah ï·» )". If this is the case for Sufyan al-Thauri, how much more so for us?

 

2. Pray

If we look at the Salaf in welcoming Ramadan, one of the things they practiced was praying. The same goes for the Prophet ï·º, who in some hadiths narrated about the Prophet ï·º's prayer to be blessed in the month of Ramadan and also when seeing the new moon of Ramadan. We have mentioned some of his prayers in the discussion above.

Although some of the hadiths do not reach the level of authenticity , they can be practiced based on the generality of supplication as long as it does not conflict with Islamic law and the supplication must not be based on the Prophet ï·º.

Al-Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali Rahimahullah in his book, Lataif al-Ma'arif quoted from Ma'la bin al-Fadhl: "They (the Salaf) used to pray to Allah ï·» for six months so that they would be given the month of Ramadan and another six months so that Allah ï·» would accept from them their deeds . "

He also mentioned from Yahya bin Abi Kathir that among the prayers of the Salaf was: "O Allah, save me until the month of Ramadan, accept (the reward) of Ramadan for me and accept my deeds in the month of Ramadan . "

 

3. Increasing Reading of the Quran

Ramadan is a very special month. In it, the Quran was revealed, which is a guide for all mankind. Allah ï·» says:

شَهۡرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهُِرْءَانُ هُدٗى لِّلنَّاsِ وَبَيِّنتٖ مِّنَ الهُدَىٰ وَّمُرْقَانِۚ

Meaning: (The time in which you are required to fast is) the month of Ramadan in which the Quran was revealed, a guidance for all mankind, and clear proofs that clarify the guidance and (explain) the difference between right and wrong. 

(Al-Baqarah: 185)

In a hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah RA, he said:

that Jibreel used to show the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, the Qur'an once every year, so he showed it twice in the year

Meaning: Indeed, Gabriel would repeat the recitation of the Quran with the Prophet ï·º once every year and in the year of the Prophet ï·º 's death , Gabriel repeated it twice.

Narrated by Al-Bukhari (4998)

 

Let's look at the situation of the Salaf in glorifying the Quran during the month of Ramadan, hopefully it can inspire us in doing righteous deeds:

• Ibrahim al-Nakha'i Rahimahullah narrated that al-Aswad completed the recitation of the Quran in the month of Ramadan every two nights. [See Siyar A'lam al-Nubala' , 4/51]
• Qatadah Rahimahullah used to complete the Quran every seven days. When Ramadan arrived, he would complete the Quran every three days. When the last ten days of Ramadan arrived, he would complete the Quran once every day. [See Siyar A'lam al-Nubala' , 5/276]
• From Mujahid Rahimahullah that he completed the Quran in the month of Ramadan once every night. [See Al-Tibyan li al-Nawawi , p. 74]
• Al-Rabe' bin Sulaiman (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) completed the Quran sixty times in the month of Ramadan outside of the prayers. [See Siyar A'lam al-Nubala' , 10/36]
• Al-Imam Malik Rahimahullah, when the month of Ramadan arrived, he left the hadith recitation ceremony and turned to the Quran.
• Al-Imam Al-Zuhri Rahimahullah when the month of Ramadan arrived said: "This month is the month of reciting (reading the Quran) and feeding people."

That was the situation of the Salaf when the month of Ramadan arrived, they glorified it by reciting and concluding it.

 

4. Giving Charity & Feeding

In a hadith narrated by al-Imam al-Bukhari Rahimahullah, from Ibn 'Abbas R.Anhuma:

The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, was the best of people, and the best was what happened in Ramadan, when Gabriel met him, and Gabriel was upon him, peace be upon him. فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ, فَيُدُرِسُُ الْقُرْانَ فَلَرُسُلُ اللَِّّ صلى الله عليه وسلمِ اَجوَدُ بِالْخيْرِ مِنَ الْرِيحِ الْمُرَسَلَةِ‏

Meaning: The Prophet ï·º was the most generous person and became more generous in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel (AS) met him. Gabriel (AS) met the Prophet ï·º every night in the month of Ramadan to review the Quran and then the Messenger of Allah ( ï·º ) became more generous than a swift gust of wind.

Narrated by Al-Bukhari (3554)

 

The large amount of charity given by the Prophet ï·º during the month of Ramadan shows that giving charity during this month has its own advantages. In a hadith narrated by Anas RA, it is mentioned:

سُئِلَ النَّّيِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَىُّ الصَّْمِ اَفْضَلُ بَْدَ رَمَضَانَ فَقَالَ : ‏ Shaaban to increase Ramadan ‏. ØµÙŽØ¯ÙŽÙ‚ÙŽØ©ÙŒ فِي Ø±ÙŽÙ…َضَانَ

Meaning: The Prophet ï·º was asked what fasting is best after Ramadan? The Prophet ï·º replied : Fasting in the month of Sha'ban to glorify Ramadan. He was asked again what charity is the best. The Prophet ï·º replied : Charity in the month of Ramadan.

Al-Tirmizi's narration (663) and al-Imam al-Tirmizi say this hadith is gharib .

 

Likewise, feeding others by preparing food to break the fast is also a form of charity and even has its own reward. This is as narrated in a hadith of the Messenger of Allah ï·º where he said:

مَنْ فَطَّرَ صَائِمًا كَانَ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِهِ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ لَ يَنْقُصُ مِنْ أَجْرِ الصَّائِمِ شَيْئًا

Meaning: Whoever prepares food for a fasting person to break his fast, then he will receive a reward like that of the fasting person and it will not be reduced in the slightest from the fasting person's reward.

Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi (807) and Imam al-Tirmidhi said this hadith is hasan sahih.

 

5. Qiyam

Qiyam is meant here by spending the night in the month of Ramadan worshipping Allah ï·». It is Sunnah for us to perform the obligatory prayer known as Taraweeh Prayer in congregation or individually. There is a hadith that tells about the reward for those who perform Qiyam. It is as the Prophet ï·º said:

مَنْ قَامَ مَعَ الإِمَامِ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ قِيَامَ لَيْلَةٍ

Meaning: Whoever prays Qiyam with the imam until it is finished, then Allah has given him the reward of praying Qiyam all night.

Narrated by Al-Tirmizi (806), Al-Nassa'ie (1605) & Ibn Majah (1327)

 

So seize this opportunity and add to it with other good deeds during the day so that the offer that Allah ï·» has provided can be utilized by us in the best way.

Dr. Sayyid al-Affani said: “We find that the previous Salaf welcomed Ramadan with sincere repentance to Allah ï·» and returned to Him by practicing obedience, improving themselves both internally and externally, preparing earnestly to perform fasting, praying, reading the Quran, remembering Allah and all types of worship.”

 

Cover

Finally, we would like to say here that Ramadan will bring a thousand and one kinds of goodness which can definitely be benefited by true believers, whether it is obligatory or sunnah practices such as tadarus al-Quran, qiyammullail, tarawih prayers and others. The same goes for studying the history of Ramadan through the victories of Muslims since the time of the Prophet ï·º until the present. We certainly find that many Islamic victories occur in the month of Ramadan, as if hinting to us that the month of Ramadan gives spiritual strength and also a strong spirit so that it can chart the peak of success.

Actually, there are many issues regarding fasting and worship during the month of Ramadan and there are always new problems and it is very necessary for us to study and examine issues related to fasting and other worship in order to truly comply with Islamic law. Among the ways to increase understanding of the rulings regarding fasting is to read and also attend related lectures and do not hesitate to ask those who are qualified.

Hopefully, with the arrival of Ramadan this time, it will instill piety in our hearts so that we will gain the pleasure of Allah which will ultimately qualify us to become servants of Allah. Remember the words of the Prophet ï·º:

مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ 

Meaning: Whoever fasts with full faith and hoping for the pleasure of Allah ï·» , all his past sins will be forgiven.

Narrated by Al-Bukhari (38)

 

Therefore, let us all make this blessed month of Ramadan a Spiritual and Intellectual Madrasah that can propel us to the heights of success. That's it, greetings .

 

Judge me,

His Excellency Datuk Dr. Zulkifli Bin Mohamad Al-Bakri

Mufti of the Federal Territory

Date of Input: 17/02/2025 | Updated: 17/02/2025 | asmunir