Ramadan
at a Glance
- Gheyas S Mahfoz Hashmi,
(hgheyas@savola.com)
Ramadan is approaching. It is
the month of Quran. It is the month better than 1,000 months (83
years). Happiness is at every corner. Why should not, it is the month
of Mercy (1st 10 days), Forgiveness (2nd 10 days) and Salvation (last
10 days). It is the month of taking rewards as much one can. It is the
month where Devine Generosity rains. It is a month of raising hands of
request to The Lord of Heavens & Earth. It is the month in
which Shatan is clamped. A good Muslim always awaits Ramadan to receive
it openheartedly and at the end they bid it farewell with eyes full of
tears, because they don’t know if they will be able to see the next or
not. Ramadan expects all Muslims to have same sentiments towards it. A
good Muslim try always to have good use of Ramadan for which Allah
Almighty has given it to His servants as a gesture of His kindness
towards them.
The most important thing that makes Ramadan valuable is the revelation
of Quran in this month from Loh-e-Mahfouz (Heavenly Tablet) to The
House of Heaven. It is reported thrice in the Quran in verses (2/185,
44/3&4 and 97/1-5). The 1st describes that it is Ramadan in
which Quran was ascended. The 2nd specifies the time saying Quran was
revealed in a blessed night (of Ramadan) an it is the night where
angels are assigned to execute commandments of Allah Almighty with
regard to Human Destiny, while the 3rd further specify that Quran was
ascended in the night of Al-qadr (power), e.g. one of the odd nights of
last ten days of Ramadan, which is better than thousands months where
angles and Jebrael come down with the permission of Allah having fate
matters (here it refers to same matter of verse 44/4). This is to
clarify here that some interpreters and most prominent of them is
Hazrat Akramah did confuse with aforesaid verse (44/3&4) that
the revelation of Quran was at the night of 15th Shabaan, as
it was also mentioned in some weak Hadiths.
We understand from above verses that a night was elevated and exalted
to the degree of 1,000 months in terms of sanctity, holiness and
blessing to make it adaptable to receiving the words of Allah Almighty.
Keeping this in view we should think how importance is Ramadan and
precisely last ten days and more precisely Lailat-ul-qadr. We
also know that Rahbaniat (Monasticism) for this nation was closed but
E’TEKAAF during the last 10 days of Ramadan may be replacing it for
getting, Beiznillah, same reward or more.
Some brothers in our society understand, due to lack of
knowledge of Islam, that performing of good worshiping in Ramadan with
sincerety and devotedness can compensate for lack of duties of 11 months.
This is a blunder.
None is exempted whatever great deal of worshiping they do in Ramadan
from their throughout year rights towards Allah Almighty and His
servants. Ramadan is mainly for two things (1) a training of
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religious
requirements whose effects can be felt during the rest 11 months (2)
offsetting optional worships that remained to be done or done little
during last 11 months. Ramadan, however, has two obligatory worships
(1) Fasting (2) (Zakat-ul-Fitr) and two special optional worships (3)
Taraweeh (4) E’tekaaf. The last three items have nothing to
do other
than Ramadan. Reward of all worships in Ramadan increases many folds
due to its importance. Similarly bad actions may have the same effects
or more. Most of the people pay Zakat (2.5%) in this month in order to
get advantage of multiplication of reward. Here I am pleased to give
below a very brief description of worships earmarked for Ramadan.
Taraweeh:
There is different opinion on Rik’at of Taraweeh but 20 is Sunnah of
Hazrat Omar (R) on which conformity is reported. This 20 Rik’at figure
is undisputed among righteous scholars while other figures are
controversial. The prayer is for whole month and completion of
recitation of full Quran in this prayer is another Sunnah.
E’tekaaf:
As per Hanafi School it is a confirmed Sunnah Kefaya, i.e. if a fasting
Muslim from a village or from a Mohallah does it the accountability
gets dropped from all living in the same village or Mohallah. It is ten
days devoted worship at one’s mosque keeping one-self away from
materialist word. Not allowed to come out of mosque except for
essential needs. Its time is from 20th Maghrib till seeing
the moon of Eid. As for woman, she can do it also with her husband’s
consent at home (Hanafi) or mosque (Maliki, Shafayi, and Hanbali).
These are Fiqhi differences which are not required to be discussed
here. 
Zakat-ul-Fitr
(Fitra): Every Muslim is required to pay Zakat-ul-Fitr at the
conclusion of the month of Ramadan as a token of thankfulness to Allah
for having enabled them to observe fasts. Its purpose is to purify
Muslims’ worship from any mistakes and inappropriateness that they
might have committed, and also to help poor and needy.
Those who possess Zakat Nisab (a minimum amount of property) have to
pay Zakat-ul-Fitr (Abu Hanifah), but according to most of the scholars
Zakat-ul-Fitr is incumbent on every free Muslim who possesses one Sa`of
dates or barley which is not needed as basic food for himself or his
family for the duration of one day and night. Sa’ is a certain measure
varies according to foodstuff. It may be 2,176 – 2,520 grams per head.
It may be dates, cereals or its value. It is generally what an
individuals eats. If a Muslim eats high quality Basmati rice, it is
unfair to give lower quality rice or its value.
Its disbursement starts from Eid day after dawn (Fajr) up to before Eid
prayer. In case it was not given before Eid, it could be given after
Eid prayer but it looses its essence and spirit, and some say it is
reprehensible. Therefore, its payment does not get nullified due to
delay. It can be given 1 or 2 days earlier also (Ahmad & Malik)
and can be paid in the beginning of Ramadan (Shafayi), and can be paid
even before Ramadan (Abu Hanifah).
(For any query,
I can be reached at my e-mail)
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