Seasons of Worship: Ramadan - Shaykh Sajid Ahmed Umar

Seasons of Worship: Ramadan

By Shaykh Sajid Ahmed Umar

O servants of Allah and O children of Adam, we begin in the name of Allah praising Him, seeking His guidance, seeking His blessings, and we seek refuge in Him from the evil of ourselves and the adverse consequences of our deeds. We confidently testify that whomsoever He guides none can misguide, and whomsoever He misguides none can guide. And we request praises and blessings upon our master and teacher and leader, the best of all messengers, the final messenger, the seal of all prophets, Muhammad ibn Abdullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.

I bear witness that there is no one worthy of worship besides one Allah and that Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ is His messenger.

Seasons of Worship: Allah Raises Certain Times in Rank

My dearest brothers and sisters in Islam, indeed from Allah's infinite mercy and kindness is that He creates and He gives parts of His creation a level, a rank, a precedence and importance over other parts — and in doing so He provided an opportunity for the ummah of seasons of worship.

From these seasons of worship, brothers and sisters in Islam, is this very day — the day of Jumu'ah — the best day upon which the sun rises. As we learn in the hadith in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 7, Hadith 1862)

The best day upon which the sun rises is the day of Jumu'ah. On this day Allah created Adam عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ and entered him into paradise and removed him from paradise, and the coming of the Hour will not happen except on a Friday. May Allah make us from the people of Al-Firdaws when the coming of the Hour arrives. Ameen, Ya Rabb.

Because Allah created the days of the week and raised in rank Friday, this day became a season of worship for the Ummah of Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ, in which our deeds are multiplied. And thus we see from the pious before us those who would not leave for Jumu'ah except that they would take with them something to give in Sadaqah. It is said that one would look for anything to give in Sadaqah, even if it was a slice of bread — given how important this day is and how deeds are multiplied therein, and recognizing the fact that it is a season of worship within the week of a believer.

The Month of Ramadan: A Gift That Keeps Gifting

Like this, O servants of Allah, Allah created the months of the year and He raised in rank the month of Ramadan and gave it a level, a precedence, a status far greater than every other month of the year. Accordingly, Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ says:

The best of all months is the month of Ramadan.

This month, brothers and sisters in Islam, knocked our doors about three weeks ago and it brought to us unprecedented gifts — for Ramadan is not just a gift, but a gift that keeps gifting. It is an idea of an unprecedented gift containing within it unprecedented gifts.

It knocked our doors with the gift of the Qur'an, for this is the month of Al-Qur'an, and the gift of fasting. The gift of mercy and forgiveness. The gift of the doors of Jannah being widely opened and the gift of the doors of the Hellfire being tightly shut. The gift of the shayateen being chained so that we can become the best version of ourselves during this month. It came to us with the gift of I'tikaf and the last ten nights of Ramadan. The gift of the night of power and decree and virtue — Laylatul Qadr. The gift of Sadaqatul Fitr and the gift of the day of Eid — inshallah, may Allah give us life to witness this — and along with it the gift of having the ability to be freed from the Hellfire.

This month Allah raised in rank and when He did so He made it a season of worship for none other than the Ummah of Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.

The Last Ten Nights: A Season Within a Season

Like this, O servants of Allah and O children of Adam, Allah created the nights of the year and He raised in rank ten nights and He made them the best nights of the entire year. And in doing so Allah created for this Ummah yet another season of worship.

Ramadan — a season of worship — with within it another season of worship, to help the Ummah of Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ build an unprecedented paradise for themselves. The last ten nights of Ramadan — which for many of us entered last night — brothers and sisters in Islam, is a season of worship like no other. Life is too short to make it shorter by wasting seasons of worship like these, brothers and sisters in Islam.

And I know we understand the last ten nights of Ramadan to be special because one of these nights hosts another season of worship — the night of power, the night of decree, the night of special virtue, the night which the Qur'an describes as being better than one thousand months. But it is also special, brothers and sisters in Islam, for other reasons.

From them, as the scholars of Islam say, it denotes a third of Ramadan, and the general principle within Islamic scholarship and Islamic jurisprudence is الثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ — a thuluth kathir — a third is a lot. So these ten nights provide us the opportunity to worship much, and Allah will judge our month based on the levels of worship that we observed for His sake alone and bless our entire month based on the majority of our actions in this month.

So this is not just ten days, brothers and sisters in Islam, or ten nights — but it is an idea of hope. Ten nights of hope that, irrespective of the first twenty days and nights of Ramadan, we still have much to go, much that we shouldn't waste. And if we are diligent in these days, then inshallah we will redeem ourselves in terms of our weaknesses for the first twenty days and nights of Ramadan.

Another reason, brothers and sisters in Islam, why these ten nights of Ramadan are special is because of them being the last ten nights of Ramadan — chosen in and of itself, void of the idea of Laylatul Qadr — because we know that the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ maintained himself in the masjid during these nights, and he revived these nights, and he woke up his family during these nights — during all of the nights of Ramadan, when he knew when Laylatul Qadr was and when he didn't know when Laylatul Qadr was. So he did this صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ given the importance of these nights.

Allah has given us life to witness Ramadan and then life to witness these nights. May Allah grant us life to witness the night of power and decree and virtue, and the end of this month, and the gifts that come with this month coming to an end. May Allah take us to the end safely, in good health and in good faith, with good deeds. And may Allah make our deeds the best of deeds. Ameen.

Practical Acts of Worship for the Last Ten Nights

O servants of Allah and O children of Adam, we praise Allah for the gift of life during the best nights of the year. Brothers and sisters in Islam, as we look after these nights and we are diligent with the season of worship — as we pursue searching for the night of power and decree and virtue, a night which is better than 1,000 months, not equal to 1,000 months but better than 1,000 months.

Only Allah knows the reality of these nights, brothers and sisters in Islam. Through this night — the night of Al-Qadr — we are able to build Jannah for more than 1,000 years. And if we catch it for multiple years, then we can build Jannah in a way far greater than those who lived practically for 1,000-plus years. This is a mercy from Allah that we can compete with those who lived longer than us in building Jannah, without having to go through the stresses of living in this difficult life for centuries. SubhanAllah.

1. Salat al-Tarawih and the Night Prayer

From the greatest acts of worship of these nights is Salat al-Tarawih — do not miss Salat al-Tarawih. And even better, when you go back home, if you are not staying in the masjid, worship Allah with some units of prayer by yourself at home during the last third of the night.

When we look into the books of fiqh, brothers and sisters in Islam, no scholar disputes the night prayer being part and parcel of the nights of Ramadan — and especially, especially part and parcel of the last ten nights of Ramadan. The only difference of opinion which they have is which is better: to pray during the earlier part of the night or the latter part of the night.

We know that Umar ibn al-Khattab رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ, when he gathered the ummah behind Ubayy ibn Ka'ab, he said: "Those who are praying now after Isha — this is very good, and those who pray during the last third of the night — then this is better." And Ubayy ibn Ka'ab himself رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ would lead the believers, and on some days not finish with them — he would go home and pray into the last third of the night.

So to the best of your ability, brothers and sisters in Islam, look after salah during this night.

2. I'tikaf — Seclusion in the Masjid

From the greatest acts of these nights, brothers and sisters in Islam, is seclusion, and the best place of seclusion is the masjid. The Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ spent these nights in the masjid. And when Abdullah ibn Unais, who was an imam with the Bedouins outside of Medina, asked the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ — he said to him: "I can't come to the masjid because I'm leading them out of the city. But give me one night to come." The Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said: "Come to the masjid on the 23rd." And the scholars say that it was taught that on that year, Laylatul Qadr was on the 23rd — so he advised his companion, as part of his search for the night of power and his acts of worship, to stay in the masjid.

All of us have different circumstances, brothers and sisters in Islam. Some people work a single shift, some people double shift, some people cannot take time off during the last ten nights of Ramadan, so they have to sleep. The point is — whether you are in the masjid or not, revive the night prayer. And if you can be in the masjid for longer, be in the masjid for longer. And if you can't be there for longer, then be in the masjid for a shorter time, but have the intention that this is part and parcel of your worship during these nights.

3. The Two Greatest Du'as of These Nights

The two greatest du'as you can make during these nights are, number one, from the hadith of Aisha رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا. When she asked the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ in terms of what she should say if she feels that she is living through the night of power, he said صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: say —

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3513 — classed as Sahih)

That is: O Allah, You love to efface sins, so efface my sins. Not just forgive, but efface — a perfect forgiveness. O Allah, You love to forgive perfectly, so forgive me perfectly. Keep your tongues moist with this du'a.

Another du'a, brothers and sisters in Islam, is the du'a Allah tells us in the Qur'an with regards to the people of Hajj, the praiseworthy ones:

Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. The scholars of Islam say that this du'a is a du'a that the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ frequented the most during his lifetime. So look after these two du'as especially.

4. The Opportunity for Double Forgiveness

Also do not forget, brothers and sisters in Islam, the earlier point about reviving the night in prayer — if you do so, you gain for yourself the opportunity to be forgiven twice. Because the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 37; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 759)

Whoever stands Ramadan, believing in Allah and having good faith in His reward, Allah will forgive his sins. So that is one forgiveness. And then he said:

Whoever stands the night of power, believing in Allah and having good hope in Allah's reward, Allah will forgive his previous sins. So for those who stand every night during the month of Ramadan — هَنِيئًا لَكُمْ — congratulations to you, for you have adopted for yourself the opportunity to be forgiven مَرَّتَيْنِ — to be forgiven twice.

5. Staying Close to the Qur'an

Also, brothers and sisters in Islam, do not forget to keep your eyes peeled to the Qur'an. This is from the greatest acts of worship — to be stuck to the Qur'an — for we are in the month of Al-Qur'an. No doubt, the Qur'an is our companion throughout every month, but Ramadan is especially the month of Al-Qur'an as the Qur'an describes it:

The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Qur'an was revealed. And Allah again says:

That we revealed the Qur'an during the night of Al-Qadr. So, brothers and sisters in Islam, be close to the Qur'an.

Stay away from your phones. If your excuse for using your phone is the Qur'an, but as you read the Qur'an notifications are popping up and you are being distracted — look after yourself. Life is too short to make it shorter through wasting time on social media applications, on your phones, speaking to other people. Just 10 nights, brothers and sisters in Islam, dedicated to Allah for the sake of your Akhirah.

And know and understand that Allah is perfect from ever and He is perfect forever. Your worship will not raise His majesty. Your lack of worship will not decrease His majesty. These nights are only for us —

Whoever does good deeds, it is for yourself.

Closing Du'a

May Allah forgive our past and inspire our futures and bless us with more and more. May Allah not forbid us from witnessing the night of Al-Qadr. May Allah write our names during this month from those who witnessed the night of Al-Qadr and those who are freed from the Hellfire. And may Allah bless us to witness many, many more Ramadans whilst we are in good health and a good state of iman.