I'ithikaaf and Laila-tul-Qadr

In an article published in the Mauritius-based news paper Le Mauricien on 14 August 2012 Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) explained the significance of the last Ten days of the Fasting Month of Ramadan for the spiritual life of the believers. Drawing upon Qur’anic promises and Prophetic traditions and the long-established Muslim practice of going into a spiritual retreat (I’ithikaaf) in those days, the messenger of Allah of our times exhorts Muslims to “do plenty of acts of worship which shall earn him (or her) the pleasure of Allah”.   

For the benefit of our esteemed readers, we are reproducing the article below:

Our Muslim brothers and sisters have prepared themselves to go into retreat during the ten last days of Ramadan to seek the “Laila-tul-Qadr” (that is, the Night of Destiny). They are into retreat in the Mosque, and are in another state of mind to concentrate themselves wholly on such acts of worship as the obligatory prayers, the voluntary prayers, the remembrance of Allah, reading of the Holy Quran and even devoting them to the learning of Deen and working for the spread of the message of Allah. In a nutshell, they shall do such acts which shall profit both their soul and Islam, be it in this world and the hereafter.

What is the Laila-tul-Qadr? 

Both the Quran and Sunnah provide us an insight into the meaning of such a night and its impact on the lives of Muslims. In the Holy Quran, Allah says: 

“Surely, We have revealed it (that is, the Qur'an) during the Night of Destiny. And what will make you understand what the Night of Destiny is? The Night of Destiny is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by the command of their Lord, with the divine order on everything. All is peace until the appearance of dawn.” (Chapter 97, verses 2-6)

Traditions relate that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was on his way to inform the Muslims of the date of the Night of Destiny, when he encountered two persons who were quarrelling, and thus because of that interruption, he forgot its specific date. He expressed hope that it was good for Muslims. His noble wife, Hazrat Aisha (ra) informs us: “The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) used to go in seclusion in the mosque during the last ten days of the month of Ramadan, saying 'Look for the Night of Destiny in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.'” (Bukhari and Muslim). So, the possible nights for this blessed night are the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th.

Ramadan and the “Lay-latul-Qadr”

“The month of Ramadan is that which the Quran was revealed.” (2: 186). The holy month of Ramadan carries with it the Divine promise of a thousand blessings for the believers. Believers seek to attain nearness to Allah the Most High in this holy month by engaging in a lot of Zikr, Tilawat Quran and Salaat / Namaz (both Farz and Nawafil). In his Friday Sermon of 10 August 2012, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba)of Mauritius explained the special blessings of Ramadan by linking it with Surah Al- Qadr, the 97^th Chapter of the Holy Qur’an. The Khalifatullah, then, explains the Holy Prophet’s practice of offering Tarawih prayers in Ramadan and clarifies its relation with the Tahajjud prayers and also the number of Rakaat in Tarawih prayers by describing the historical/special circumstances in which Hadhrat Umar (ra) asked for additional prayers to be offered in Ramadan.    

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

“In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. Surely We revealed it on the Night of Majesty; And what will make you understand what the Night of Majesty is? The Night of Majesty is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by the permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.” (97: 1-6)

In this Qur’anic chapter Al-Qadr (97), it is stated that the period when the Holy Quran was being revealed was a time of great blessings and the reward for worship, righteous actions and other efforts for the sake of religion that could have been attained at that time cannot be paralleled in any other age. The pronoun “hu” (it) in anzalnahu (we revealed it) refers to the revelation of the Holy Quran on the Night of Majesty.

Elsewhere in the Holy Quran it is mentioned: “The month of Ramadan is that which the Quran was revealed.” (2: 186). This tells us that the Night of Majesty is in the month of Ramadan. According to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), it is one of the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan, that is, it is either the 21^st, 23^rd, 25^th, 27^th or 29^th night. It has been called the Night of Majesty because it is a great grandeur and honour and which man should value with total respect and reverence. There is no doubt that the night in which the Holy Quran was revealed – an extraordinary gift and an incomparable Book of guidance to mankind – should be regarded with the highest honour and respect.

RAMADAN: the Harmony of Good Living

In an article in the Mauritius-based newspaper “LE SOCIALISTE” published on July 31, 2012 the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius reflected on the special blessings of fasting for the human body, mind and soul. The fasting month of Ramadan is a spiritually rewarding time for the believers as it allows them to seek to reach the source of all perfection through abandoning one's ego and personal desires by focusing on Allah, the Most Exalted. [Inset: "Craving for the blessings of Allah"- a Painting by Pakistani artist Khurso Subzwari ]. 

We reproduce the article below for the benefit of all our esteemed readers.

“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed to those before you that you may become righteous.” (2: 184)

Fasting has been prescribed to all people before the advent of Islam. Each prophet of God came to teach their people through divine intervention a form of fasting which shall suit their needs, both physically and spiritually.

Fasting is voluntarily not eating food for varying lengths of time. Fasting in Islam can be observed with the intention to cleanse one’s body and mind from all kinds of ills, but mostly to come closer to God, for when the body and mind is cleared of food and other privations, then the soul also is cleansed. This occurs especially when fasting is observed along with acts of worship to seek the pleasure of God Almighty, our beloved Master and Creator.

The Significance of Ramadan

In his Friday Sermon of August 03, 2012 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius (atba) explained the significance of the Fasting month of Ramadan in the Islamic Calendar. Fasting is being prescribed for the believers so that we may act righteously and guard ourselves against evil. At an individual level, fasting enables a person to bear hardships and thereby strengthens his/her ability to withstand complex problems and life situations. At another level, it enlarges the empathy and fellow-feeling in us vis-a-vis the suffering humanity. Fasting also enables a person to detach his/her material self from the preoccupations of a mundane life and to discover the spiritual side by spending time in the remembrance of Allah, the Most High.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

  

What makes the ninth Islamic month so significant? The answer is to be found in the Holy Quran, in the verse which I just recited before you, in Surah Al-Baqara . It tells us:

“The month of Ramadan (is that) in which the Quran was revealed, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights (the new moon of) the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and (wants) for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that (to) which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.” (2: 186)

Commenting on the above verse, firstly, I wish to point out that this revelation says that the Quran was revealed for mankind. Whereas all other previously revealed books were meant for specific people and specific times, the Quran is a source of guidance for all peoples and all times. The month of Ramadan is therefore a sacred month because of a great event that took place during it, that is, the start of revelation of the Holy Quran.

Secondly, the Quran was revealed for the benefit of mankind with clear proofs of guidance and discrimination (from right and wrong). Therefore this book comprises all truths; such truths as mankind may stand in need of at any time and in any circumstances.

Thirdly, there is the instruction that whosoever is on home ground and in their normal circumstances, should fast during this month of Ramadan. Now for what reason do we have to observe the fast? Again, referring to the Holy Quran, we read: O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous. (2: 184)

‘Forgo Shirk and Bid’ah in Ramadan’

[This is the second and final installment of the special video message delivered by the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius (atba) on the 10^th day of Ramadan, on July 30, 2012. The first part of the essay was published here at the Sahih Al Islam Blog on August 02, 2012 and is available at:  http://sahih-al-islam.blogspot.in/2012/08/a-ramadan-in-times-of-elect-of-allah.html ].

Unfortunately many Muslims today have a bad conception of fasting and the activities of the faster. They stay as in a state of hibernation and spend most of their time in bed. If they come to fear Allah, they stand only for the hours of prayers (Salat) and then they go to sleep again. This sleep makes them become lazy. And their (spiritual) activities decrease. Ramadan is a time of intense activity for the true believers, who will gladly deny food and drink, and make enormous efforts in the path of Allah.

Moreover, a thing of concern for us today is the innovation in the Iftaar of the believer, that is, the breaking of the Fast. Nowadays Muslims brothers and sisters are making the Iftaar become a feast, a moment of excessive rejoice and eating and drinking. The Iftaar of the faster should have been simple for the breaking of the fast is an act of Ibaadat (worship).

This practice to make a feast out of the Iftaar in the month of Ramadan are known to occur nowadays in the Muslim Arab countries, and it is most unfortunate that in a little island like Mauritius this practice has become widespread among the other Jamaats.

Recently on my Dawa mission, I have met Muslim brothers and it is sad to see that now they are losing their valuable time in preparation of great “Iftaari” or Iftaar party. It is a shame for the Muslims to have reached such a point that the blessed norms of the month of Ramadan are not respected at all. Muslims automatically fast and rejoice excessively at the breaking of the fast.

It is known that our Nabi Kareem (saw) has encouraged the believers to break the fast really quickly and to go to perform their Maghrib prayer as soon as possible after the Iftaar, for it is a joy for the faster to break his fast and meet with his Lord. But to make a feast out of it? This is indeed out of the question!

A RAMADAN in the times of an Elect of Allah

THE HOLY QUR'AN promises enduring divine blessings for the believers. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) confirmed that at the head of every century, the Elect of Allah shall make an appearance- to guide the Ummah in the path of the Shari’ah and to teach them the hidden treasures of the Holy Book and the Divine verities. Allah, the Most High raises whomsoever He wants. And He knows where to place His message. The appearance of the Khalifatullah and Muhyi-ud- Din Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius (atba) in the new Century of Islam confirms the veracity of the enduring teachings of the Holy Qur’an. In a special video message delivered on July 30, 2012 (on the 10^th day of Ramadan), the Messenger of Allah of our times calls the attention of believers to the extraordinary spiritual opportunity being made available to mankind by the Creator and reflects on the profound meaning of Ramadan.

Read the Extracts from the Special Sermon:

 O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous. (2: 184)

We are living the days of Ramadan, a glorious and blessed month bestowed to us by Allah so that we can come closer to Him all the more. And if we were negligent to Him and His commandments before, therefore Ramadan comes as a training and a reminder for us to grip firmly to Deen (religion) and not to lose sight of our duty to Allah, to His Messenger Hazrat Muhammad (saw) by following his Sunnah and also to follow the Messenger of Allah, the Khalifatullah of your time.

In this present era, we are witnessing extraordinary days of Ramadan, whereby it is Ramadan everyday of our lives (that is, the believers in the Divine Manifestation) for we have got the unique opportunity to live ISLAM as in the times of the past elects of Allah, whereby Allah sends down His Holy Spirit and revelations and inspirations are spread through not only the Messenger of Allah of his time but also his pious disciples and believers who toil night and day to spread the message of Allah in all four corners of the world. Alhamdulillah.

Fasting and Travelling: Prophetic Traditions

DURING THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN, believers are generally expected to observe fasting in normal circumstances. Many of them, however, may have to go on regular travels as part of their everyday life routine. Arduous journeys may also have to be undertaken by some people and fasting on such occasions may entail hardship for the persons concerned. Some of them, may have a health situation that necessitates continuous medication. Islam takes into account these diverse physical and health conditions of the believers and it offers the possibility of replacing the missing fasts with an equal number of days in other/ better times. Both the Holy Qur’an and the noble practice of the Holy Prophet (sa) affirm the exceptions under special circumstances. In his Friday Sermon of July 27, 2012 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius explained at length the essential wisdom of these benign teachings of Islam.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

“And whoever is ill or on a journey - then (to replace the missed fasts) an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship.” (2: 186)

In this verse of the Holy Quran, Almighty Allah is referring to the travellers and the sick people. Allah says: “And whoever is ill or on a journey - then (to replace the missed fasts) an equal number of other days.” (2: 186)

A traveller who sets on a journey within a distance which enables him not to shorten his prayer, he can either fast or not fast and replace the missing fast or fasts afterwards, but if he sees that he is able to fast, then he can fast.