Sunnats and Aadaab of Ramadhaan – Part 5

1. Sit for i’tikaaf during the last ten days of Ramadhaan if you are able to.

عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال في المعتكف هو يعتكف الذنوب ويجري له من الحسنات كعامل الحسنات كلها (سنن ابن ماجة، الرقم: 2108)

Hazrat Ibnu Abbaas (radhiyallahu anhuma) reports that Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said regarding the one sitting in i’tikaaf, “The mu’takif (remaining in the musjid) stays away from committing sins, and at every moment, he receives the reward for carrying out the various forms of ibaadah that he would have been able to carry out had he not been in the state of i’tikaaf.”

عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال من اعتكف يوما ابتغاء وجه الله تعالى جعل الله بينه وبين النار ثلاث خنادق أبعد مما بين الخافقين رواه الطبراني في الأوسط والبيهقي واللفظ له (المعجم الأوسط، الرقم: 7326)

Hazrat Ibnu Abbaas (radhiyallahu anhuma) reports that Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “Whoever sits in i’tikaaf for a single day seeking the pleasure of Allah Ta’ala, Allah Ta’ala will place between him and the fire of Jahannum three trenches, each trench as vast as the distance between the east and the west.”

2. Search for Lailatul Qadr during the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadhaan.

عن أنس بن مالك قال دخل رمضان فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إن هذا الشهر قد حضركم وفيه ليلة خير من ألف شهر من حرمها فقد حرم الخير كله ولا يحرم خيرها إلا محروم (سنن ابن ماجه، الرقم: 1644)

Hazrat Anas (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that when Ramadhaan began, Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “Certainly this month (of Ramadhaan) has dawned upon you, and within it there is a night greater than a thousand months. The one who is deprived of this night has certainly been deprived of all good, and only the truly deprived ones will be deprived of the good of this night.”

3. On the odd nights, increase your ibaadah. When going to sleep, make the intention of awakening later at night to perform more ibaadah. Try to perform ibaadah before sleeping, as it is possible that you may not wake up later on and engage in ibaadah.

4. On the night of Qadr, recite the following dua:

اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّيْ

O Allah, Indeed You are most forgiving, You love to forgive, so please forgive me.

عن عائشة قالت قلت يا رسول الله أرأيت إن علمت أي ليلة ليلة القدر ما أقول فيها؟ قال قولي اللهم إنك عفو تحب العفو فاعف عني (سنن الترمذي، الرقم: 3513)

Hazrat Aaishah (radhiyallahu anha) reports that on one occasion, she asked Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) what dua she should recite if she finds Lailatul Qadr. Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) taught her to recite the following dua:

اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّيْ

5. The one who performs Esha Salaah and Fajr Salaah with jamaat and he performs twenty rakaats of the Taraaweeh Salaah with the imaam, Allah Ta’ala will bestow him with the reward of standing throughout the night in ibaadah, and if the night was Lailatul Qadr, Allah Ta’ala will bestow him with the reward of Lailatul Qadr.

عن عثمان رضي الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من صلى العشاء في جماعة فكأنما قام نصف الليل ومن صلى الصبح في جماعة فكأنما صلى الليل كله (صحيح مسلم، الرقم: 656)

Hazrat Uthmaan (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “The one who performs his Esha Salaah with jamaat (in the musjid), then it is as though he has spent half the night in ibaadah, and the one who (performs Esha Salaah in the musjid with jamaat and thereafter) performs the Fajr Salaah with jamaat (in the musjid), Allah Ta’ala will bestow him with the reward of spending the entire night in ibaadah.”

عن أبي ذر: قال … فقام بنا حتى ذهب ثلث الليل ثم لم يقم بنا في السادسة وقام بنا في الخامسة حتى ذهب شطر الليل فقلنا له يا رسول الله لو نفلتنا بقية ليلتنا هذه؟ فقال إنه من قام مع الإمام حتى ينصرف كتب له قيام ليلة (سنن الترمذي، الرقم: 806)

Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu anhu) reports, “On the 25th night of Ramadhaan, Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) led us in the Taraaweeh Salaah until half the night had passed. (We enjoyed performing the Taraaweeh Salaah to such an extent that) after the completion of the salaah, we said to Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), ‘If only you could have continued till the end of the night!’  Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, ‘The one who stands with the imaam and performs the Taraaweeh Salaah, Allah Ta’ala writes for him the reward of standing the entire night.’”

6. On the night of Eid, spend some time in ibaadah.

عن أبي أمامة رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال من قام ليلتي العيدين محتسبا لم يمت قلبه يوم تموت القلوب (سنن ابن ماجة، الرقم: 1782)

Hazrat Abu Umaamah (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “Whoever stands up in ibaadah on the two nights of Eid with the hope of attaining reward, his heart will not die on the day the hearts will die.” (“The day the hearts will die” refers to the times of fitnah and fasaad when peoples’ hearts will be negligent of Allah Ta’ala. In such times, Allah Ta’ala will keep his heart alive in His remembrance.)

7. After the month of Ramadhaan, one should endeavour to observe the six sunnah fasts of Shawaal.

عن أبي أيوب الأنصاري أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال من صام رمضان ثم أتبعه ستا من شوال كان كصيام الدهر (صحيح مسلم، الرقم: 1164)

Hazrat Abu Ayyoob Ansaari (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “Whoever observes the fasts of Ramadhaan and follows them with keeping six fasts in Shawaal, then (he will get the reward) as though he fasted the entire year.”