Managment

Take the analogy of driving a car. We start driving in first gear and
then go up to fifth gear. In the same say we prepare from now in first
gear so once the month of Ramadhaan starts, it will be easier for us to
get our Ramadhaan ‘Cars’ into fifth gear. The Shayateen, the cause of
sins, will also be imprisoned. It is mentioned on the authority of
Hadhrat Abu Hurairah , “When the month of Ramadhaan comes,
the Gates of Heaven are thrown open and the Gates of Jahannam are
shut, and the devils are put behind bars.” (Sahih Bukhari)
Now it will only be our Nafs that we will have to overcome. When we
have not made preparation (when I say preparation I don’t mean our
samosas, spring rolls and pastries! I mean spiritual progress) before
Ramadhaan then we notice that for the first asharah (10 days), we will
be in fifth gear, and then by the last asharah, we will have stalled, as
our bodies are not used to the ibadah, and also our fasting will have
made us weaker. So Inshallah like Hadhrat Maulana Muhammad
Saleem D.B. advises that from now we gradually increase our speed,
so as Ramadhaan draws nearer we are in the right gear, and can
smoothly carry on throughout Ramadhaan.
It has been mentioned in the book Fazail Ramadhaan that the
messenger of Allah drew our attention to four more things and
advised that we should practice them as much as possible. They are
the recitation of Kalimah Tayyibah, Istighfaar, begging for Jannah
and seeking refuge from Jahannam. Therefore it is regarded an
honour to spend as much time possible in doing this.
Humans are created with greed, knowing this Allah revealed to the
Prophet some of the many rewards we get, and the Prophet in
turn told us the virtues of our deeds. When we hear these virtues, the
desire to gain the virtues will be created in our hearts. I advise that a
portion from the virtues of Ramadhaan be read daily as a reminder for
us. I will include a few Ahaadeeth mentioned in the Fazail e
Ramadhaan section by Hadhrat Shaykh Muhammad Zakariyya (RA).
Salmaan reports, "On the last day of Sha'ban Rasullullah
addressed us and said, 'O people there comes over you now a great
month, a most blessed month in which lies a night more greater in
virtue than a thousand months. It is a month in which Allah has made
Fasting compulsory by day and has made Sunnah the Taraweeh by
night. Whosoever intends drawing near to Allah by performing any
virtuous deed, for such person shall be the reward like the one who
had performed a fardh in any other time. And whoever performs a
fardh shall be blessed with the reward of seventy fardh in any other
time.”
Abu Hurairah relates that Rasullullah said, "My Ummah was given
five things for Ramadhaan which were not given to anyone except
them. For them, the smell from the mouth of a fasting person is
sweeter to Allah than the fragrant smell of musk. On their behalf the
fish in the sea seek forgiveness for the fasting persons until they
break their fast. Allah prepares and decorates a special garden in
Jannah every day and then says (to it), "The time is near when faithful
servants shall cast aside the great trials of the world and come to
you." In this month (for them) evil-minded Shaytaan is chained so as
not to reach unto those evils to which they normally reach during other
months besides Ramadhaan. On the last night of Ramadhaan they
are forgiven." (Reported by Ahmad, Bazzaar and Bayhaqi)
Abu Saeed Khudri relates that prophet said: "During each day
and night of Ramadhaan, Allah sets free a great number of souls from
Hell. And for every Muslim, during each day and night, at least one
prayer is certainly accepted."
Abu Hurairah reports prophet said, “Whoever stands in prayer
and ibadah on the night of Power with sincere faith and with sincere
hope of gaining reward, his previous sins are forgiven.” Reported in Al
Targheeb from Bukhari and Muslim
Anas reports, “Once when Ramadhaan commenced, the
Messenger of Allah said, ‘a month has verily dawned over you
wherein a night lies better than one thousand months. Whoever is
deprived of its blessings has indeed been deprived of (almost) all
good. And none is deprived of its good except he who is completely
unfortunate.”
It is mentioned in the Qur'an. “O you who believe, fasting has been
prescribed for you as it has been prescribed for those before you, so
that you may attain taqwa." (Qur'an 2:183)
The Mufassireen (Commentators) have mentioned that this means
fasting is not just abstaining from the things that nullify the fast. It
means that fasting is for the whole body. To abstain from everything
Allah has prohibited us from doing. The month of Ramadhaan is a
training ground for us. We will be engrossed in worship and abstaining
from sin. May Allah bless us with Ramadhaan so that we can better
ourselves, Ameen.
Sadly we see many of our homes, the TVs will be covered in
Ramadhaan, and sisters will start to wear a scarf. I’m not saying this is
pointless; at least that portion of our lives Allah will not question us,
but what about the rest of our lives. Why is it that on the day of Eid,
the day Allah has given us as a reward of fasting we will carry on as
we did before Ramadhaan?
I will end by the Hadith of the Prophet . Abu Musa Ash’ari
narrated that messenger of Allah said: “He who loves his Dunya
harms his Akhirah, and he who loves his Akhirah harms his Dunya.
Therefore you should give preference to the one that lasts over the
one that is to perish.” (Hakim in Mustadrak)
We have used our whole lives behind the Dunya, let us make a firm
intention, that we will use the blessed month of Ramadhaan correctly
and acquire the mercy of Almighty Allah. May Allah guide us, and let
us benefit the way the Sahaba did, and give us the ability to
change our lives for good - until we breathe our last, not just for
Ramadhaan, I pray that Allah makes us amongst the awliyah kiraam
(his special friends) Ameen.
Hadhrat Jibra'eel ’s Curse
Hadhrat Jibra'eel once came to the Messenger of Allah and
cursed to eternal Hellfire anyone who did not repent and have himself
forgiven in Ramadhaan, to which the Messenger of Allah said
Ameen.
An Archangel’s curse would have been more than enough on it’s own
as a stiff warning, but the Prophet’s Ameen and stamp of approval
makes this curse all the more potent. There is no doubt that whoever
is fortunate enough to live through Ramadhaan but does not seek
repentance, will be sentenced to Hellfire.
How should One Make Taubah?
For one's Taubah to be accepted, the following pre-conditions
apply:
* Give up the sin immediately.
* Regret having sinned. Feel the pain in your heart, just as you
would be pained if you lost a million pounds.
* Resolve never to commit the sin again.
Issue 48 www.rabetah.org July / August 2013 15