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In the name of Allah most gracious most merciful.
Ramadan - Getting ready for Ramadan
Written by: Abdurrazzak Taher Farih
Translated by: Dr. Faheem Bukhatwa.
23 Shaban 1443
25 Mar 2022
Dearly beloved in Allah,
Ramadan is in one week. This great month will soon approach us. Allah Has selected this month out of all the months in the year during which this great worship of fasting is to be performed. This worship of fasting is one of the pillars of Islam. Allah says: {O You who have faith, fasting is decreed or dictated onto you just as it was decreed upon those before you, in order that you may become God aware and God fearing (2-183)}. In this verse, a very special call from the Almighty was made. And who is the call for? The call is aimed at those who have faith. Ebn Masood may God be pleased with him said: If you hear Allah says: {O you who have faith} then pay attention and listen carefully. It is either something good you are commanded to do, or something evil you are ordered to refrain from. It means, you out of this nation, who have faith into Allah and His messenger. Allah Has made fasting compulsory for you. Fasting is to refrain from food, drink and intercourse with your husband or wife with the pure intention of fasting for the sake of Allah the Almighty from dawn until sundown.
Fasting is cleansing to the souls and bodies. It is purification from all impurities and bad actions. Fasting is limitations to routes and ways of Satan and evil. Allah, then mentioned in the verse, that fasting is decreed upon us just as it was decreed upon those before us. That means the people and nations who lived before our times. Allah then terminated the verse with saying: {in order that you may become God aware and God fearing}. This answers the question Why? Why we do fasting? First, fast in order to obey Allah’s command, then it is in order that you should reach or achieve the God fearing and God awareness status.
Dearly beloved,, in order to welcome Ramadan we need to be ready and prepared for it. This requires four steps of preparations.
The first step in welcoming Ramadan is for us to be happy and delighted with it approaching, just as our prophet ppbu used to be.
The second step in welcoming Ramadan is repentance. Repent to Allah the Almighty. Make a pure and clear repentance. Allah says in His book: {O You who have faith, Repent to Allah a clear and pure repentance. (66-8)}. A clear and pure repentance means: a true repentance, a firm repentance, a repentance that wipes out all sins that preceded it. Repentance cleanses many impurities for this who repents. It re-focuses the person and stops him from his/her addictive sins. Repentance supersedes what came before it.
The third step in welcoming Ramadan is to ensure prayers are done in congregations with other worshippers (Jamaa) in a mosque. That is the best way to get closer to Allah. A prayer is the best of all deeds of obedience, and the greatest ritual of this faith of monotheism (one God).
The prophet ppnu said: {Prayers in congregation (Jamaa) exceeds the a single person prayer by twenty seven degrees or levels}. Prayers in a congregation or a group will place you in the shade of the thrown of the Most Gracious, the Almighty on the day of resurrection. The prophet ppbu said: {Seven types of people, Allah will shade them in His shade or shadow on a day where there is no shade except His shade}. And one of the seven types of people he mentioned is: {and a man whose heart is attached to mosques}.
The forth step in welcoming Ramadan: is making plenty of supplications (Duaa). Make a lot of Duaa. Be repetitive and be insistent in what you ask of Allah. Repeat requesting Allah that He would make you successful, and that He would help you to be obedient to Him, and that He makes deeds of obedience be easy for you to do, and makes you love doing those deeds of obedience.
Allah says: {Your God says: Ask me (or make Duaa) and I will answer (40-60)}. The messenger ppbu said: {Asking Allah is a worship}.
When considering Asking Allah (or making Duaa to Allah) and with relation to the month of Ramadan, there are three types of duaa:
First type: For a slave to ask Allah to allow him or her to live (or extend his life) in order that they shall witness the month of Ramadan. Where they say: “O Allah, make us witness Ramadan or Extend our life so we make it to Ramadan”.
Second type: A slave calls his or her God to make them successful and guide them to doing good deeds. They may ask Allah: “O Allah help us during the month of Ramadan to do fasting and night prayers and help us do deeds that are loved to You”.
Third type: A slave calls and asks his or her God to make them one of those whose deeds are accepted, and be spared from hellfire. They may say: “O Allah, make us during Ramadan amongst those whom You accepted, and by the end of Ramadan grant us pardon from Hellfire”.
Notes:
Adhan - The call to prayer.
Ahmad (Ahmed)- Another name for the messenger Muhammad (PPBU).
Allah - The Arabic word for "god." It is often used as a name for God in Islam.
- The inhabitants of the city of Al-Medina that received and supported the messenger (PPBU) when he immigrated from Mekkah in the very early years of Islam.
Ansar (or Al-Ansar):
Assalam Alaikum - The Islamic greeting, literately means: Peace be with you. Used when approaching or leaving. When used during approaching it will be like saying: I bring no harm to you . and when said during leaving somebody it will mean: No harm will come to you after I leave.
- is a verse of the Koran. It also means a miracle or a sign from God.
Aya (or Ayah):
- is a mountain outside the city of Mecca that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing Hajj must stay at this location on the same day.
Arafa (or Arafah or Arafat):
Badr - The place of the first significant battle between the Muslims and the pagans of the Quraish. It is located in Saudi Arabia.
Caliph - A Muslim ruler. See: (Khalifa)
Dajjal - Antichrist or the False Massiah.
Dawah - The proliferation of Islamic teachings through word and deed.
Deen (Din) - Religion or way of life.
- talking to Allah; praising him and asking him for help.
Duaa: a prayer in the form of
Fatwa - Legal verdict given based on the Qur'an (Koran) and the Sunnah which are the recorded sayings and deeds of Muhammad.
Ferdose: is the highest level of the all the gardens of Eden or paradise.
Fiqh - Religious law.
Hadeeth: is something reported that the messenger have said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave. It is usually narrated or told by one of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are reported and checked to be genuine. No more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list.
Hajar - The Black Stone set into the corner of the Ka'aba in Mecca. It is said to be a stone from Heaven.
Hajj - The pilgrimage to Mecca which takes place in the last month of the Islamic calendar. One of the five pillars of Islam.
Hasana or hasanas: is the reward for a good deed. a hasana is a point or a merit for a good deed.
Hadith - The sayings and not deeds of the prophet Muhammad recorded by his followers. Considered authoritative and perfect.
Hajj: is the worship of pilgrimage.
Hijra (or Hejrah): the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12 months based on the lunar cycle, each is 29.5 days. Hijra is also used as a name for the Islamic dating system.
Ibadah - Worship. All the words and deeds with which Allah is pleased. These deeds could be prayer and charity.
Iblis - (Ibleese): On of Satan's names.
Ibn (Ebn): the son of. Used by Arabs as part of an individual's name. Example: Ali whose father is Omar or the son of Omar, would be called: Ali Ibn Omar.
Imam (or Emam)- The leader for a prayer. In the Shiaa sect, an Imam is the individual who has the religious authority.
Iman: belief or faith
Injil (Enjeel) - The Bible. The book inspired to Jesus for the Christians.
Islam - Submission, the religion of all the prophets of Allah culminating in Muhammad.
Jannah - The heavenly garden, Paradise. The place of the faithful in the afterlife.
Jihad: is striving in the line of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection of Allah's word. The greatest Jihad is the fight one's self against temptations. It also means "holy war."
Jinn - Supernatural, invisible beings race of beings, below angels. They were made from fire. Like humans, there amongst them are the faithful and the non beleivers and Jinn shall be judged on Judgment Day.
Ka'aba: A cube shaped building in Mecca containing a stone laid there by Abraham and Ishmael. Some say Ka'aba was first built by Adam, and some say by Abraham. It is the holiest place for Muslims. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers. Ka'aba also makes a major part of the pilgrimage in a ritual known as Tawaf.
Khalifa: is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation: "Successor".
Khutbah - A sermon given in a Mosque, usually on Friday.
Kufr - Denial or Disbelief. A term Muslims use for anyone who denies existence of Allah or the prophecy of Muhammed.
Koran - Also spelled Qur'an. The holy book of Islam revealed to Muhammad by Allah through the Archangel Gabriel. Koran literally means "the recital." It is the final revelation of Allah given to the prophet Muhammad. It consists of 114 surahs (or chapters.)
Madinah - (Medinah): A city in the Arabian peninsula (in the country known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to immigrate to. Then it was called Yathrib.
Masjid - A center for Muslim activity. It is referred to as a mosque.
Masiah - A sin, or a sinful act
Mecca or Makkah: is the holiest city for Muslims. It contains the Ka'aba mosque with the famous black cubical shape. Mecca is the birth place of the messenger (PPBU).
Mosque - A Muslim house of worship.
Muhajir - (Muhajireen) Immigrant, one who leaves his home town due to lack of religious freedom. It was first used to describe early Muslims immigrating from Mecca to Median and Ethiopia.
Muhammad - the final messenger and prophet of God whose message abrogated all previous revelations. He received the Koran through the angel Gabriel over a 23 year period. Born in Mecca and died in Medina at the age of 63. His full name: Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah
Muslim - One who holds faith to the religion of Islam.
- Nafilah: a voluntary prayer other than the five obligatory prayers; performed at any time.
Nasara - Christians. Nasrani: A Christian individual. Nasraniah: Christianity.
Ommah: is the Arabic word for a nation. It usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.
Paradise - Another word for heaven. A garden of bliss, fruits, rivers and all forms of pleasures imaginable and imaginable. No suffering, disease or death. Service is provided by angels. All live in it an ever lasting youthful life. Promised by Almighty Allah to all faithful, true Jews, true Christians and True Muslims. Paradise is one of two places every person will go to, either Paradise or Hellfire.
- PPBU (P.B.U.H.) : Peace and Prayers Be Upon him. A statement Muslims use any time they mention the name of the messenger or make a reference to him.
Qadar - Fate. Preordainment is the teaching that all things, good and bad, are preordained to occur.
- Qadr - (night of Qadr): The night when the first revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during one of the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. Or when the Koran was brought down to the nearest heaven in one go, and from there it was brought down in bits and few verses at a time over a period of 23 years. This night is considered the holiest night for Muslims with tremendous advantages.
Qibla - The direction which Muslims turn for daily prayers, towards Mecca.
Quraish - An ancient Arab tribe to which the messenger Muhammad belonged.
Ramadan - The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which is the month of the fast. The holiest month in the Muslim colander.
Salat - Prayers. Generally it covers all forms of worship, but more specifically refers to the Muslim rituals which is performed to worship Allah five times daily.
Shiaa: A sect of Islam that teaches that a religion leader (Imam) should be the political ruler and must be direct descendants of the messenger (PPBU). Therefore, disapproving of all Muslim leaders who ruled After the messenger (PPBU) except Ali, the messenger's grandson.
Shirk - Associating another god with Allah. Or associating anyone or anything with Allah. Or using anyone or anything as a medium to Allah. The opposite of Monotheism or Tawheed.
Siam or Soam- Fasting
Sunni: is a the title of those Muslims who are suppose to be following the life style of the messenger. This differentiates them from the Shiaa of Iran.
Sunna (Sunnah): Is how the Messenger PPBU lived, what he did or said. It includes the way he dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought. Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered to be an important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes. It is also a title give to the main stream Muslims who make 90% if all Muslims.
Surah - A chapter of the Koran.
Tawaf: part of the pilgrimage (Hajj) ritual. It involves walking round the Ka'aba Mosque in anti-clock wise direction a number of seven circles.
Tauhid - Tawheed - Monotheism, in Islam is the teaching that there is only one God who alone is worthy of worship. The first requirement of becoming a Muslim. It is included in the testimony of faith for new Muslims when declaring that God is one: (No God but Allah)
Taqwah - Proper fear and veneration of Allah. A divine spark that enables the person to understand God.
Taurat: The old Testaments and scriptures of Mosa.
Ummah - the word means: a Nation. Usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise stated.
Umrah - (Amrah): A mini hajj. A Minor form of pilgrimage to Mecca. Unlike Hajj which can only be done on the 12th month of the Islamic year, Umrah can be performed at any time.
Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers known as ablution.
Zaboor - The Psalms
Zakat - The third pillar of Islam. Alms giving, charity that is given to the poor.
