The End of Ramadan, Eid and the Six Days- Habib Umar

The End of Ramadan

We thank Allah for the blessing of Ramadan and for all that He has enabled us to do in this blessed month. Ahead of us is the last of the odd nights, the 29^th night, in which Laylat al-Qadr is sought. It may also be the last night of Ramadan. The Messenger of Allah e said that on the final night of the month everyone would be forgiven.[1] His Companions asked if this night was Laylat al-Qadr.

He replied: “No, do you not see that when workers finish their work they are paid their wages in full?”[2]

Every night in Ramadan Allah decrees the safety of 600,000 people from the Fire (in some narrations one million). Then on the last night he decrees the safety of the same number of people that he decreed on every night of the month.

We ask Allah for the best of endings as “actions are judged by their endings.”[3] While using whatever is left of the month to perform good actions we should also spend some time seeking forgiveness (istighfar). As some of the early scholars said this patches up any “holes” that we may have made in our fasting and is like a seal on our actions.

We must also pay our Zakat al-Fitr if it is compulsory upon us to do so. The Messenger of Allah made Zakat al-Fitr compulsory as purification for the fasting person from vain and coarse speech and to provide food for the needy.[4] It is thus a means of purification for the fasting person and a means of assisting the poor at a time of celebration which Allah wishes for all to take part in. It has also been narrated that our fasting is suspended between the heavens and the earth and not accepted by Allah until we pay our Zakat al-Fitr.[5] One of the early scholars said that Zakat al-Fitr is to fasting what the prostration of forgetfulness (sajdat al-sahwu) is to the prayer. We should refer to the scholars in our locality for details on how it should be paid and distributed.

The Night of Eid

Allah says that He wants you to finish the prescribed period and to glorify Him for the fact that He has guided you, perhaps you shall be grateful.[6] “Finishing the prescribed period” means completing the fast of Ramadan. One of the means of “glorifying Him” is in making takbir, which is an expression of our gratitude to Allah for His guidance and enabling grace (tawfiq). We should fill the night before Eid with takbir from Maghrib up until the Eid prayer in the morning. The takbir is not limited to a specific time or place but rather it should be made at all times in our houses and mosques and in the streets (without causing disturbance). We should read it with our hearts filled with the greatness of Allah so that we are not merely repeating words without experiencing their meaning.

It is a Sunnah of the Prophet e to give life to the night before Eid, meaning spending whatever time we are able to during that night in worship and remembrance such that the night comes alive. The least we should do is to pray Maghrib, Isha and Fajr in congregation and then devote whatever time we are able to Allah. The mosques of Tarim fill in the the second half of the night with people reading the Qur’an in groups, praying and making takbir together at intervals. At the end of the night everyone comes together for a khatm and du`a.

 It is mentioned in the hadith that whoever gives life to the nights before the two Eids Allah will give life to his heart on the day when hearts die.[7] What is primarily meant is safety on the Day of Judgement but even in this life the majority of people’s hearts are dead, starved of the remembrance of Allah and heedless of the return to Him. Remembering Allah on nights such as these, however, when most people are busy with other things, will give life and tranquility to our hearts.

Eid then will be a true celebration, an expression of our gratitude to Allah for the ability to worship and remember Him in the previous days and nights.

There are different forms of the takbir. Here is one of them: 

اللهُ أَكبرُ اللهُ أَكبرُ اللهُ أَكبر , لا إله إلا الله , الله أكبر الله أكبر ولِلَّهِ الحَمْد (three times)

الله أكبرُ كَبيرا والحمدُ لله كثيرا وسُبْحانَ اللهِ بُكْرَةً وأَصيلاَ .

لا إله إلا الله لا نَعْبُدُ إلا إِيَّاهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الكافِرون .

لا إله إلا الله  وَحْدَه صَدَقَ وَعْدَه ونَصَرَ عَبْدَه  وأَعَزَّ جُنْدَه وهَزَمَ الأَحْزَابَ وَحْدَه

لا إله إلا الله واللهُ أكبرْ ولِلَّهِ الحَمْد

“Allah is most great, there is no god but Him, all praise belongs to Him.

There is no god but Him and we worship none but Him in complete sincerity even if the disbelievers dislike it.

 There is no god but Him alone. He fulfilled His promise, gave victory to His slave, made mighty His forces and He alone destroyed the Confederates. Allah is most great, there is no god but Him, all praise belongs to Him.”

The scholars say that whenever it is recommended to remember Allah it is also recommended to mention His Messenger e. Had it not been for him there would be no Ramadan or Eid or takbir. For this reason we should add, in honour of our Messenger, his Companions, wives and progeny:

اللهُمَّ صلِّ على سَيِّدِنا محمد

وعلى آلِ سَيِّدِنا محمد

وعلى أَصْحابِ سَيِّدِنا محمد                                                   

وعلى أَنْصَارِ سَيِّدِنا محمد

وعلى أَزْواجِ سَيِّدِنا محمد

وعلى ذُرِّيِّةِ سَيِّدِنا محمد

وسلِّمْ تَسْليماً كثيراً

     

We should do what we are able to implement the other sunnahs of the Eid which can be found in the books of fiqh. Among them are taking a bath whether or not one is attending the Eid prayer and wearing one’s best clothes and best perfume. One should eat an odd number of dates before the Eid prayer and walk to the prayer, taking a longer route on the way there and returning by a different route. One should shake hands with one’s brethren, congratulate them on the Eid and ask that their actions be accepted by Allah. One should be especially generous to one’s family, display one’s happiness on the occasion and try to visit one’s relatives and friends.

The Six Days of Shawwal

The Messenger of Allah e said that whoever fasts Ramadan and then fasts six days in the month of Shawwal has fasted the whole year,[8] since each good deed is multiplied by ten. Thus the thirty days of Ramadan equal three hundred days and the six days equal sixty which together make up the whole year of three hundred and sixty days.[9] He also said that whoever does this is as free from sins as a new born baby.[10] It is thus recommended to fast any six days of Shawwal. It is better that they be fasted consecutively and this is one of the reasons why the people of Tarim generally fast the six days from the second of Shawwal, immediately after Eid. The Ramadan schedule and atmosphere thus continue for another six days. It is also easier on the self (nafs) to continue doing what it has become accustomed to, whereas if fasting these six days were left to the end of the month it would be much harder to achieve. The people of Tarim then celebrate Eid a second time once they have fasted the six days and they have attained the promised reward.

Note: the rulings mentioned are based on the Shafi`i school. Other schools may differ slightly.

---

[1] Except the categories mentioned in the other ahadith: the one who disobeys his parents, cuts kinship ties, uses intoxicants or harbours hatred for his fellow believers

[2] Narrated by al-Bayhaqi

[3] Narrated by al-Bukhari

[4] Narrated by Abu Daud and Ibn Majah

[5] Narrated by Abu Hafs bin Shahin. Hafiz Ibn al-Mundhiri said that its chain of narration was good.

[6] Al-Baqarah 2.185

[7] Narrated by al-Tabarani

[8] Narrated by Muslim

[9] Narrated by al-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Ibn Khuzaymah

[10] Narrated by al-Tabarani

Dua’a at-Ta’if

Dua’a at-Ta’if- translation

“O Allah! Unto You do I complain of my weakness, of my helplessness and of my lowliness before men.  

O most Merciful of the merciful. 

O Lord of the weak and my Lord too. 

Into whose hands have you entrusted me?  Unto some far off stranger who receives me with hostility? 

Or unto a foe whom you have empowered against me? 

I care not, so long as You are not angry with me. 

But Your favouring help, that were for me the broader way and the wider scope.  

I take refuge in the light of Your countenance whereby all darknesses is illuminated and all things of this world and the next are rightly ordered, 

lest You make descend Your anger upon me or lest Your wrath beset me. 

Yet it is Yours to reproach until You are well pleased. 

There is no power and no might except through Thee.”

Dua’a at-Ta’if- transliteration

Allahuma inni ashku ilayka da'fa quwwati
wa qillata hilati wa hawani 'alan naas
ya arhamur rahimeen
annta Rabbul mustad'afeen wa anta rabbi
iliman takiluni?
illa ba'eedin yatajahhamuni?
aw li 'aduwwin mallaktahu amri?
illam yakun bika 'alay ghadabun fa la ulbaali
walakin 'aafiyatuka heya awsa'u li
a'uthu binoori wajhika allathi ashrakat lahu a thulumaat
wa salaha 'alayhi amrudunya wal akhira
min an yanzila bi ghadubak aw yahilla 'allaya sakhutak
lakal 'utbu hatta tarda
wala hawla wala quwwata illa billah al 'alyul 'atheem.

Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings be upon him)

Habib Umar bin Hafidh Ramadan Message :)

Praise be to Alllah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah bless His chosen trustworthy servant, our liege-lord Muhammad; the one who brought to us guidance and the religion of clear truth. May Allah bless him, his pure family, his noble and blessed companions and those who follow in their footstep till the Day of recompense.

To proceed:

To our brothers (and sisters), and our beloved for the sake of Allah Most High, the people of Laa ilaaha iIlla Allah Muhammadur Rasulullah, the Muslims of Australia: Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.

O Brothers and loved ones for the sake of Allah, transcendent in His Highness, those who believe in Him and His messenger, peace and blessings be upon him his family and his companions;  

We congratulate you on the coming of the forgiveness and mercy and release from the fire; the arrival of the month of Ramadan. The noble month in which Allah began to send down the Quran; He The Exalted and Esteemed said, “The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Quran was sent down as guidance to mankind, with clear signs containing clear signs and discrimination.”

The coming of this month is highly significant for you, O believers. Indeed your chosen Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him his family and his companions, would endeavour and strive in Ramadan like no other month and he would strive in the last ten days of it like he would not in the rest of the days of Ramadan.

 He, peace and blessings be upon him his family and his companions, was the most generous of people and he was most generous in Ramadan. When Jibreel Alayhissalam met him in Ramadan, he was more generous than a cool breeze.

It is duty upon you to welcome the month with happiness and thankfulness to Allah most high. Indeed His caller announces in the nights of Ramadan, “O seeker of good come forward, and O seeker of evil fail and fall short.” On the first night of this month the doors to heaven are opened so that not a door of them is closed for the duration of this month, and the doors to the fire are closed so that not a door is opened for the duration of this month; and the rebellious shayateen are chained.

O believers in the first night of the month Allah looks upon His creation and whoever Allah looks upon, He will never punish.

O believers, indeed it is a month of generosity and blessings from Allah most high. He made it obligatory upon us to fast the month, and the Messenger of Allah established the Sunnah of reviving its nights in prayer, thus whosoever fasts the month and revives its nights out of faith and anticipation of reward from Allah, comes out of his sins like the day his mother gave birth to him. Whosoever fasts the month, his past sins are forgiven; whosoever stands its nights in worship his past sins are forgiven.

O believers, in welcoming this month expand your intentions, Rise to your Lord, Transcendent Most High, by following his chosen servant Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, his family and his companions. Show those who surround you a reality from the beauty of this Deen, it is the month of generosity, be generous to your neighbors both Muslim and non Muslims. Give them what you can, offer what you can. Present to them a meaning of excellence, whereby a reality of your great Deen and the noble way of Alllah will be made clear to them, thereby following in the footsteps of your Prophet who was most generous in Ramadan.

Be people of generosity by displaying noble character traits.

Be people of generosity by giving and spending according to your ability, and by being of benefit to those around you both Muslim and non Muslim. Show them the greatness of this religion and its generous nature (samaha). Show them the noble character traits it contains, and the uprightness of its path.

Meet the month with reverence and humility because in this month are divine manifestations and superabundant blessings and goodness; He increases in it the reward of a nafl recommended to the reward of a fardh and the reward of a fardh  is multiplied by 70 times. Moreover some narrations have stated that the reward is multiplied to 1000 times. This is the favour of Allah that he grants to whom he wishes; seize the opportunity of the honourable month.

Take advantage of the fasting in it. Indeed Allah is training us with this fasting so that we may ascend in the meanings of adherence to the commandments, and to ascend in the meanings of our aspirations and resolutions.

The abstaining from the necessities of life during the day, namely eating, drinking and marital relations and everything else that nullifies the fast is a declaration that we are a people of determination, we are not imprisoned nor are we enslaved by our lower selves or desires.

For the sake of Allah we leave our desires and for His sake we leave all that He has made forbidden for us, therefore we observe Adab (etiquette) in our fast for Him by being careful with speech so that we do not utter any lie, backbiting nor any harm to anyone of His servants.

O believers!

It is a blessing, to arrive at this noble month when in it is a night better than a thousand months; no one is denied its blessing save the deprived one.

O believers!

It is most becoming for us to revise our relationship with the Quran in this month. That which we have already memorized we repeat and contemplate its meanings; if we don’t understand the meaning in Arabic then a translation of these meanings in a language that we know and understand.

O believers!

It is the month of benevolence, the month of patience and the reward for patience is paradise. It is the month of maintaining family relations, it is the month of looking out for ones neighbours’.

O believers!

The month of seeking forgiveness and asking Allah for Jannah, seeking refuge in Him from the fire, and renewing the pledge with the two testimonies of faith. Our Prophet said, “Perform 4 actions abundantly in Ramadan, 2 actions are pleasing unto your Lord and 2 you cannot do without. As for those that are pleasing unto your Lord; to testify that there is no God other than Allah and seek His forgiveness (istighfaar). As for the 2 actions that you cannot do without, ask Him for Jannah and seek refuge from the fire. Therefore it is most becoming of a believer to repeat in this month “Ash-hadu an laailaha illah Allah nastaghfirullah nas alukal jannah wa nauthu bika mina annar.”

O believer!

Break your fast on Halal and delay the suhoor so long as you don’t fall in doubt. Do not delay the Iftar as soon as you are sure of sunset. Uphold the taraweeh prayer every night, it is best 20 raka’as, surely the one who upholds it will have revived the nights of Ramadan in prayer and you have heard the authentic hadith, “Whosoever stands the nights of Ramadan in worship out of faith and anticipation of reward from Allah all his past sins are forgiven.”

Allah forgives  in this month and its last night everyone who does not associate partners with Allah, all the Muslims except one who breaks family ties, the disobedient to his parents, the one who consumes intoxicants and the one who holds grudges in his heart against Muslims. So cleanse yourself and your house from that which denies you this mercy.

Be truthful to your Lord and be joyous at the flowing generosity from the presence of the All Merciful, Loving, Kind, Most High.

May Allah take by my hand and yours O believer may he assist you  and guide you to integrity in conduct and assist you with enabling grace to properly take advantage of the nights and days of the month so that you may attain His vast blessing and generosity  Most high

O Allah Bless for us Ramadan O Allah make us from the emancipated released and protected by You from the fire, in Ramadan

O Allah make us from amongst those who are granted the maximum portion of its goodness Indeed it has come to us that Your prophet peace and blessings be upon him his family and his companions that You emancipate in every night of the month 600,000 people from the fire and the last night You emancipate as many You emancipated in the whole month.  


-Can't remember where I got this from, either Abdul Karim Yahya's blog or an email from wayfarers, all credit goes to Habib Umars translators, I'm just sharin the love :)

"Alhamdulilah"

Asalamualaykum

Here are some Daar Aisha Tafsir gems that I thought amazing to share about such a common phrase we use...

'Alhamdulilah'

This is a most excellent praise of Allah..

One day Umar bin khattab  radiyAllahu anhu went to sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib radiyAllahu anhu and asked him what was the importance of the phrase "Alhamdulilah" to which Ali radiyAllahu anhu responded by saying 'This is a statement Allah loved for Himself, is pleased with for Himself and likes that it be repeated'.

Not only that but this is a statement that attracts the attention, love and pleasure of Allah..
Abdullah bin Abbas said: 'Alhamdulilah is the statement of appreciation and when a servant says Alhamdulilah Allah says My servant has praised Me'

Allah loves that we praise Him..

Rasulullah salallahualayhiwasalam receives a man who informs him that out of love for praising Allah he has come up with his own form praise, he recited it to Rasulullah salallahualayhiwasalam, to get the ok that its ok, and Rasulullah salallahualayhiwasalam said,

"Your Lord loves to be praised"

Allah 'alek ya Rasulullah! Rasulullah salallahualayhiwasalam was happy with his passion for wanting to praise Allah and his coming up with his own form of dhikr. This is a very noteworthy point, look at the beautiful mannerisms of Rasulullah salallahualayhiwasalam were, khayru mu'alliman wa murrabian! He didn't say to him what's wrong with you, how could you come up with your own form of praise, my praise that I taught is sufficient, you don't need more than that, are you out of your mind etc. etc. etc. he was actually commending him on his love for praising Allah and that his love drove him to make up his own form of hamd... This form of praise that this man made is extremely famous and recited up until today in peoples dua and I'm sure they don't know the beautiful story behind it... It is a dua that I've heard recited in dua al Qunut in salatul witr and it is this:

"Allahuma lakal hamdu kama yambaghi li jalala wajhika wa 'atheema sultanik"

"O Allah to you belongs the Hamd that is suitable for Your Grace and Your Face and the greatness of Your Supreme Authority"

How was Allah's reaction to this mans composed praise?

Upon the Authority of Abdullah ibn Umar may Allah be pleased with him he heard the Messenger peace be upon him say: "A servant of Allah once said, Allahuma lakal hamdu kama yambaghi lil jalali wajhika wa atheema sultanak "O Allah! Yours is the Hamd that is suitable for the grace of Your Face and the greatness of Your supreme Authority." The two angels (raqibun atid- observers and recorders, also named kiraman katibeen- honourable scribes, who record our deeds) were confused as to how to write these words (they didn't know how much reward to record for it because it was a new statement that they were unfamiliar with). So they ascended to Allah and said, "O our Lord! A servant has just uttered a statement and we are unsure how to record it for him". Allah said while having more knowledge in what His servant has said, "What did My servant say?" (Allah wanted to hear the statement from them, Allah!) They said, "O Allah! Yours is the Hamd that is suitable for the grace of Your Face and the greatness of Your Supreme Authority", Allah said to them "Write it as My servant has said it, until he meets Me (on the Day of Rising) and then I shall reward him for it".

The return is so extraordinary that they wont be able to comprehend it and so the One who rewards greater and multiple folds more than what we can imagine will save the reward with Himself until He meets him. Allah!

We also have a ranking for the praises of Allah. Jabir bin Abdullah narrates that Rasulullah salallahualayhiwasalam said the best of form of remembrance (dhikr) is la ilaha illa Allah and the best supplication (dua) is Alhamdulilah...


Scholars say that in order to understand its importance one should know that it is the beginning of everything and the end of everything. Alhamdulilah is the opening phrase of the Quran after the basmallah (which some scholars of exegesis don't actually consider the basmallah as a verse but rather a divider/dua, but in hafdh 'an 'asim which is the majority of the Qurans of the world one would find the basmallah as the first verse, anyway that's a different subject altogether!) it is the beginning and opener of the Quran's first chapter and the Quran itself is the guiding light for our lives and conduct and when we move forward to surat Yunis verse 10 Allah says when the believers enter Jannah they will say "Alhamdulilah..." and that is finale, that is our objective filled.

Alhamdulilah!

Allahuma lakam hamdu 

kama yambaghi li jalala wajhika 

wa 'atheema sultanak

Alhamdulilah 'ala ni'matil Islam

wa kafa biha ni'ma!

Ramadan: When Feeding Others in Need Supersedes Our Own Hunger and Greed 07/08/11 BY HAMZA YUSUF.

As Ramadan moves along, we realize the rapidity with which the month travels. The word “month,” derived from “moon,” essentially measures one lunar cycle: the roughly 28.5 days it takes the moon to circle the earth. A lag time is involved due to the earth’s spin and its own movement around the sun. The Qur’an tells us that fasting is prescribed so we may learn to ward off evil, and then reminds us of the “limited days” (ayyaman m’adudat) before fasting comes to an end (2:183-184). The plural form used for “days” is known in Arabic morphology as a “plural of paucity,” meaning the number is not large. In other words, Ramadan is a limited time of spiritually powerful days.

During Ramadan, one can achieve spiritually what would take far longer during other times of the year. But restraining our zest for food is a prerequisite. In his book Hujjat Allah al-Balighah, Imam Shah Wali Allah al-Dahlawi explains that our faith provides special times of blessing that have enhanced spiritual power, and only a receptive soul will experience great openings during such times. To prevent the openings from blockage, he recommends, among other things, ensuring that the stomach is not sated. This advice is in the prophetic tradition. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The worst vessel the son [or daughter] of Adam ever fills is his [or her] stomach.” He also said, “It is enough for the son of Adam to eat a few morsels that will maintain his back’s uprightness. But if he must add more to his stomach, then let it be one third for food, one third for water, and one third for air.” The Persian scholar Sahl al-Tustari was asked about a man who ate once a day, and he replied, “This is the way of the prophets.” Asked about someone who eats twice a day, he said, “This is the way of the righteous.” Finally, he was asked about someone who eats three meals a day, and he replied, “Build for him a trough!” Abu Madyan al-Ghawth, who laid the foundations along with Imam al-Ghazali for the way of Shaykh Abd Allah al-Haddad of Hadhramaut, remarked that his own path was one of hunger.

Ramadan is an especially opportune time to reflect on the blessings of food and satiety. When we eat less, our stomachs shrink, and we feel full after a few bites at the end of the day. Fasting allows us to experience once a year what many throughout the world experience almost daily. Hunger, for them, is not a choice; it is simply a fact of life. Currently, Somalia and other parts of East Africa are gripped by a devastating drought, and the lives of millions of men and women — and sinless children — hang in the balance. Such tragedies make some people ask, “Where is God?” But God may very well answer with a question: “Where are you?!” After all, these catastrophes are avoidable. A recent study of global food wastage indicates that we waste millions of tons of food each year. Even a portion of that would ward off any potential famine.

*****                                                *****                                                *****

Somalia has gone through great tragedies of late. We should not forget that in the not too distant past, Somalia was a wonderful pastoral society of profoundly spiritual people. The occasional clashes of clan and feuds over water were usually resolved by the elders without bloodshed. Somalis had an irenic culture largely bilingual due to their love of Arabic and immersion in a classical training in the Yemeni tradition of islam, iman, and ihsan. They were people who would wake before dawn to call on their Lord before setting out for a rural day’s work. I know this both from my own elderly Somali friends whom I cherish, and also from my time in a very similar society in West Africa. In fact, the Somali of Mauritania are descendants of Somali migrants from East Africa. Some of the most brilliant scholars I met in Mauritania are from the Somali people. In the San Francisco Bay Area, our own dear Shaykh Abdar Rahman Tahir, a brilliant scholar of Arabic from Somalia, was a student of the great master of Arabic, Muhyiddin Abdul Hamid.

Somalia’s recent history has unfortunately been one of political upheaval and the collapse of civil society and functional government. As it emerged from the weight of colonialism, it fell victim to Cold War politics and international intrigue due to its important strategic spot in the Horn of Africa. Now the persistent poverty has been compounded by drought and famine, even as internal violence makes everything far worse. Yet Africans in general are always low on the so-called world community’s list for help. Higher up on the list are the bailouts of Wall Street firms or the financial institutions of Greece or Italy or Spain because those have consequences for people in the West. But when it comes to starving Africans, one hears the refrain, “When are they going to help themselves?” That is the thinking of Iblis. The Qur’an quotes the mentality of such people; they say, “Shall we feed those whom had God could have fed if He willed?” (36:47). The Prophet, peace and blessings upon him, said, “You are aided by aiding the weak among you.”

Somalia deserves to have the aid of all of us.

*****                                                *****                                                *****

It is Ramadan, a time when our own self-induced hunger should bring us a bit closer to those whose hunger is caused by circumstance, not choice. I am in the Emirates now and have seen the generosity of the government and its people here in coming to the aid of Somalia; they have sent about 900 tons of food and have begun well-drilling operations. But much more needs to be done. The Red Crescent is extremely active there, as are other charitable organizations.

Charity conquers the greed of our souls and actualizes the solidarity of humanity, as those who have reach out to those who have not with love, compassion, and faith. Let us all remember them tonight at iftar as we break our fasts and pray for them. Let each of us find it in our hearts to do something, no matter how small, to address the problem. And let us not forget to pray for our brothers and sisters in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Afghanistan, whose Ramadan is filled with trials and tribulations, while most of ours are filled with relative ease and comfort.

In this blessed month of Ramadan, let us do what we are able for those in need, whose hunger and pain is likely to outlast this brief month.