RAMADAN (80 pages, Hajj AMINA ‘ADIL, 2/4)
https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6041
Kursî, 2:255).
“O Mûsā, blessed are those who suffer the pangs of hunger for My sake and whose lungs are well nigh parched from thirst! I am even closer to these servants than I am to you, o Mûsā!”
The great Saint Dāwûd al-‡ā’î once fell asleep in daytime dur- ing Ramadān. He had a dream, wherein he saw himself sitting by the banks of a river of Paradise, which was of green emer- ald, the pebbles whereof were of rubies red. Close by were the Huris, the damsels of Paradise whose faces are as radiant as the sun. He gazed upon them full of wonder and exclaimed: “Lâ ilâha illâ llâh, Muªammadu r-rasûlu llâh!” They answered him with the selfsame words and then introduced themselves, saying: “We are intended to be the wives of those who fast and pray during Ramadān, who perform much tasbîª and sajda.”
These Huris are clothed in seventy robes, one upon the oth- er, each robe being of a different shape and colour, and yet one robe does not obscure another and all are wondrously visible simultaneously. The Huris are enthroned on marvelous set- tees of ruby and emerald, and they repose on pearl-encrusted golden beds. Before them are tables upon which are set many bowls and platters containing refreshments and beverages of many kinds. “This feast is laid out for those who have fasted during Ramadān, and it is prepared for them alone” say the Huris, as they await their bridegrooms …
Ib n ‘A bb âs d relates that the Holy Prophet once said: “In the first night of the month of Ramadān a wind springs up from beneath the Divine Throne. This wind blows through the for-
ests of Paradise and stirs the leaves on the branches of its trees, so that they begin to rustle. The rustling of these leaves, how- ever, is so melodious and sweet that even the Huris, whose voices are unequalled for their sweetness and loveliness, look up in surprise and ask of each other from where these sweet sounds might issue. Then a voice will answer them: “It is the first night of the holy month of Ramadān, and a breeze full of Divine Grace has arisen, which stirs the trees in paradise gardens belonging to the nation of Mukammad who are now commencing the fast of Ramadān ...” Then the Huris all in- tone a prayer, saying, “O our Lord, let us be given to those of Your servants who are keeping the fast of this holy month ...”
Ib n ‘Abbâs d has also related that he heard the Holy
Prophet say: “Whoever rises during the first night of Ramadān (in order to pray), Allah will quicken his heart with new life.” Just as one enlivens the night by his prayers and acts of wor- ship, so Allah l will revive his heart after he has died.
When the crescent moon of the month of Ramadān appears,
all the angels around the Divine Throne exclaim from joy, “‡ûbâ li-ummati Muªammad! Good fortune for the nation of Mukammad! What a great blessing to be permitted to witness this holy month!”
The sun, the moon and the stars, the fishes in the sea and the birds in the air, all the creatures Allah has created, and whatever exists between heaven and earth praises the Lord l and asks for forgiveness for the nation of Mukammad and for those who keep the fast. Only Shay†ān, the accursed devil,
cries out in anger and pain, as he is forced to witness all the grace and forgiveness descending upon the sinners whom he
had already regarded as his ready prey. But during this month, Allah forgives all people, and commands His angels to dedicate all their devotions, their fasting, and their invocations to the nation of Mukammad k.
The Holy Prophet has said: “In the first night of Ramadān
all the devils and jinn are bound in chains, so that they might not disturb the fast of the Muslims. The seven gates of Hell are also shut tight, up until the end of the holy month of Ramadān.”
Then the eight gates of Paradise shall be opened, and every night the Lord will call out thrice: “Whoever asks anything of Me, I will fulfill his wishes. Whoever turns to Me to repent, I will accept his repentance. Whoever asks Me for forgiveness, him I shall forgive and deliver him from the fires of Hell.”
The Prophet’s companion ‘Umar d relates about the Holy Prophet k: “When one of my nation wakes during a night in Ramadān and turns about on his bed, the two angels standing
by his bedside say to him, ‘Arise, arise, O servant of Allah! For Allah Almighty wishes to grant you His mercy and forgiveness and to bless you. Therefore rise up!’ If this person then gets up, his bed begins to praise him and it prays for him, saying, ‘O Allah, give him a bed and a resting place in the loftiest reaches of Paradise!’ When he starts to get dressed, his clothing begins to praise him, saying, ‘O Lord, clothe him in the robes of Par- adise! When he slips into his shoes, these praise him and say, ‘O Lord, make his step firm and let him not stumble on the bridge of Zirā†!’ If he picks up a vessel containing water with the intention of making his ablutions, this vessel also prays for him, saying, ‘O Lord, give to him jugs of Paradise, so he might purify himself!’ He then begins to make his ablution (wudû’ ) and the water prays for him, ‘O Lord! As the water purifies his
mouth, so do You purify him from every sin!’ If he then prays two raka‘ât of prayer, his whole house prays for him, saying, ‘O Lord! Should his grave oppress him by its tightness, make it wide and let it be an abode of mercy, not a place of chas- tisement!’ When he makes supplication, Allah Almighty gazes upon him with the Gaze of Divine Compassion and speaks, ‘O My servant, you are My slave and I am your Lord and God. It is your place to ask, and it is Mine to answer; your part is to wish, and Mine is to give fulfillment; it is your part to ask for forgiveness and it is Mine to grant you pardon.’ Thus the Lord speaks to His servant.”
Allah, may He be praised and exalted, spoke to His Prophet Mûsā æ on Mount Sinai and said to him: “I have given two lights to the nation of Mukammad k, so that two kinds of darkness might be illuminated thereby.” Mûsā æ asked the Lord, “What are these two lights?” and the Lord answered
him, “One is the light of Ramadān, and the other is the light of the Qur’ān.” Mûsā, peace be upon him, then asked, “And which are the two kinds of darkness?” The Lord answered, “One is the darkness of the grave, and the other is the dark- ness of the Day of Judgment. Whoever reads the Qur’ān, his grave shall be lit up, and whoever fasts in Ramadān, he will have a light on Judgment Day.”
About the Tarāwîk Prayer
‘Alî, the Holy Prophet’s son-in-law, may
Allāh bless his face, spoke of the excellence of the Tarāwîk prayer, which is a part of the sunna of the
Holy Prophet k. He said:
“Whoever prays the Tarāwîk prayer in the first night of
Ramadān, will be made pure and freed of all sin, just as a new- born child.”
And he said, “Whoever prays the Tarāwîk prayer in the second night of Ramadān, his father and mother will be grant- ed forgiveness, provided they were Muslims.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the third night of Ramadān, an angel will bring him the good tidings from the Divine Throne that he is now purified and that Allah has forgiven him all his sins of the past.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the fourth night of Ramadān, Allah will record for him the rewards of having read all the Holy Scriptures, the Torah, Injîl, Zabûr and Qur’ān.
Whoever prays the Tarāwîk prayer of the fifth night of Ramadān will be rewarded as if he had prayed in the holy mosque at Jerusalem, the Masjid al-Aqsā, or in Medina.
For the Tarāwîk prayer of the sixth night of Ramadān a per- son receives the rewards of having made †awâf of the heavenly house, the bayt al-ma’mûr, and all the stones and dust upon the earth will pray and intercede for him.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the seventh night of Ramadān, will receive the reward of having lived in the time of the
prophet Mûsā, ‘alayhi s-salâm, and having supported him against Pharaoh.
For the Tarāwîk prayer of the eighth night of Ramadān, he will be rewarded as the prophet Ibrāhîm æ was rewarded by his Lord.
For the Tarāwîk prayer in the ninth night of Ramadān, he receives the blessings of having prayed together with the Holy Prophet Mukammad k.
For praying Tarāwîk in the tenth night of Ramadān, Allah
Almighty provides him with all the goodness of this life and the next.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk during the eleventh night of Ramadān, will be without sin at the time he leaves this world, like a newborn child.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the twelfth night of Ramadān, on the Day of Judgment his face will shine as the moon when it is full.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the thirteenth night of Ramadān will be protected from all evils and devils.
Anyone who prays Tarāwîk in the fourteenth night of Ramadān, the recording angels will speak in his defense, say- ing, ‘O Lord, this person has prayed the Tarāwîk prayer,’ and his trial on the Day of Judgment will be made easy for him.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the fifteenth night of Ramadān, the angels of the Divine Throne and the Divine Court will ask for forgiveness for him.
For one who prays the Tarāwîk prayer of the sixteenth night of Ramadān the Lord will vouchsafe safety from the fires of Hell and promises to admit him into Paradise.
For the prayer of the seventeenth night, Allah will grant him the rewards of the prophets, peace be upon them.
In the eighteenth night, an angel will call out from on high: ‘Good tidings to you, O servant of Allah! The Lord is well- pleased with you, and also with your parents!’
For praying Tarāwîk in the nineteenth night, he is dignified by being admitted among the dwellers of the loftiest paradise, the firdaws al-a‘lâ.
For the Tarāwîk prayer of the twentieth night, Allah will grant him the rewards of the martyrs and the righteous.
In the twenty-first night the Lord erects a paradise mansion for him built of pure light.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the twenty-second night of Ramadān he will be led to the place of Judgment with a joyful heart, untroubled by grief and sorrow.
For the Tarāwîk prayer of the twenty-third night of Ramadān Allah will reward him with a splendid palace in Par- adise.
If he prays Tarāwîk in the twenty-fourth night of Ramadān, Allah will grant twenty-four of his supplications during this night.
For the Tarāwîk prayer of the twenty-fifth night of Ramadān, Allah will free him from the punishment of the grave.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the twenty-sixth night of Ramadān will receive the rewards of forty years of prayer.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the twenty-seventh night of Ramadān will pass over the bridge of Zirā† with the speed of lightning.
For the prayer of Tarāwîk in the twenty-eighth night of Ramadān, his rank in Paradise will be elevated a thousandfold. In the twenty-ninth night of Ramadān Allah Almighty will grant him the rewards of a thousand holy warriors for praying
Tarāwîk.
And in the thirtieth night, the Lord Himself will address him, saying, ‘O My servant, eat of the fruits of Paradise and quench your thirst from its rivers, for I am your Lord God, and you are My beloved servant ...’”
Once there lived a man named Mukammad who did not pray or fast for eleven months of the year. However, when Ramadān came around, he arose and washed himself, put on fresh clothes and perfumed his beard. He would then fast and pray, making up all the prayers of the past year. People asked him why he act- ed in this way, and he told them, “This month of Ramadān is the month of repentance and forgiveness; it is a month of mercy and special blessings. I trust my Lord to forgive me all my sins in this month, that is why I always pray during Ramadān.”
It so happened that this man Mukammad died one day and after that several of his friends saw him in their dreams. They all asked him, “How have you fared? How has the Lord treated you?” All of them received the same answer in their dreams: “Allah the All-Merciful has forgiven me my sins on account of my having honoured the holy month of Ramadān.”
Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, re-
ports that the Holy Prophet said:
“Whoever seeks the company of saintly and learned people during the month of Ramadān will receive the reward for the prayers of a whole year for every step towards such an assem- bly, and on the Day of Judgment he will stand together with me before the Throne of Mercy. And whoever prays all the prayers of this month in congregation, for every rak‘a Allah Almighty will grant him a city in Paradise filled with unimag- inable delights. Whoever makes his parents pleased with him in Ramadān, Allah Almighty’s Gaze of Mercy rests upon him. And I am his guarantor, he will enter Paradise!”
If a woman’s husband is pleased with her during Ramadān, she will receive the rewards of Maryam, the mother of the prophet ‘Îsā z, and of Asya p, the wife of Pharaoh.
And if someone looks after the needs of a poor person dur-
ing Ramadān, Allah l will take care of a thousand of his own needs.
Abû Hurayra d relates that he heard the Holy Prophet say:
“If someone lights a lamp in the mosque during Ramadān, Allah will make a light to shine for him in his grave, and He will grant him the reward of all the prayers that were prayed in the mosque in which his light shone. The angels pray for him and the Throne-bearers ask for forgiveness for him as long as his light is burning in the mosque ...”
The Holy Night of Power,
Laylat al-Qadr
he Holy Scriptures were all sent down during the month of Ramadān. The pages of the revelation that the prophet Ibrāhîm æ was given came on the
first day of Ramadān. Five hundred years later, the Torah was revealed, again on the first of Ramadān. Dāwûd æ received the Zabûr in the twelfth night of Ramadān. One thousand one hundred years later, in the eighteenth night of Ramadān the Injîl was revealed to ‘Isā æ. 620 years after that the revelation of the Holy Qur’ān commenced in the twenty-seventh night of Ramadān. That is why this night is marked by special celebra- tions and it is assumed to be the Night of Power, laylat al-qadr.
Sûrat al-Qadr (97)
Bismi llâhi r-raªmâni r-raªîm
Behold we have sent it down on the Night of Power; And what shall teach thee what is the Night of Power? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months;
In it the angels and the Spirit descend,
by the leave of their Lord, upon every command.
Peace it is, til the rising of the dawn.
The Story of Samsun
There exists a traditional account regarding this
Sura whereby the angel Jibrîl æ one day appeared to the Holy Prophet and told him the following story:
“A long time ago there lived in Israel a pious and God-fear- ing man named Samsun. His parents had placed him in the service of the Lord from the time he was a child. He grew to be an unusually strong man, and Allah l gave him such strength that he could singlehandedly defeat a great number
of his foes.
There was a secret to his great strength, but no one knew about it except Samsun himself. He fought tirelessly against the foes of Israel, his only weapon being the jawbone of a camel. In his hand this bone became a sword, and with it he dispatched thousands of unbelievers. This camel bone also was a source of food for him, for whenever he was hungry, cooked and roasted meat would appear between the teeth of this camel bone, and whenever he was thirsty, cool, lim- pid water would stream forth from the teeth of the jawbone. Thus he also had water for his ablutions. At night the bone served him as a lamp. He spent many weeks and months alone in the desert, and by the Grace of God, he depended not on the society of men. He spent his nights in prayer and fasted during the day, and he fought no less than a thousand months against the unbelievers. No one could defeat him, for he was covered by Allah’s protection, and who can raise his hand against Allah?
One day, Samsun went into town. There he saw a wom- an and he desired her. She was one of the unbelievers, but he married her anyway, and for a while they lived together. This woman was named Dalila. Now the unbelievers saw that they had a chance, and they approached the wife of Samsun, saying to her, ‘We will give you great reward, you shall have a sack of gold, if you will deliver your husband to us in chains.’ Dal- ila said, ‘How am I to do this, being that I am but a woman, and weak? You expect me to do what not even your mighti- est fighter has accomplished?’ The leaders of the unbelievers gave her a strong rope and told her to tie him up with it while he slept, and then to call them. She agreed to do this, took the rope and when Samsun finally lay down to rest after long prayers, she tied him hand and foot with the rope. After some time Samsun stirred and woke up intending to make his ab- lutions. He stretched his limbs slightly, as a sleeper will do when he awakes, and as he did so the ropes came away from his hands and feet as if they were no more than cobwebs. Samsun was surprised and asked, ‘Who tied me up here?’ Dalila real- ised that her plan had failed and resorted to feminine wiles. ‘It was I who tied you up, O Samsun,’ she admitted with a charm- ing smile, ‘I wished to find out how strong you really are ...’ Samsun smiled indulgently and forgot the incident.
The next night the plotters supplied her with iron chains with which to bind Samsun while he slept, and she did so. But again, when he stretched his limbs to rise for his prayers, the chains fell off him and clattered to the ground, breaking apart as if they were of clay. ‘What is this?’ cried Samsun, ‘who has bound me with chains?’ Again Dalila admitted that she had done so, adding, ‘I must say, you really do possess tremendous strength! Is there nothing at all that can bind you?’ Samsun then replied, ‘O Dalila, I am a specially dedicated servant of
the Lord and His light radiates from my heart and runs in my veins. It is this light, which burns away all fetters and chains of this world, and there is nothing my enemies can bind me with. The Lord’s light turns all their wills to dust and ash- es.’ Dalila saw that he was in a mood to talk and sought to take advantage of this. ‘So there is nothing in this whole wide world,’ she began, ‘that can overcome you? Is there no power at all that can bring you down?’ Samsun answered, ‘Oh yes, there is a way, but no one knows about it, for it is a secret. My strength is lodged in my hair, which has never been cut. If I were to be bound with my own hair, my strength would leave me and I would be as helpless as a child ...’
Now Dalila knew what she had to do. As he lay sleeping the very next night, she cut off his long hair and braided the strands into ropes. With these she bound him hand and foot, then she called for the guards. Samsun awoke and was unable to free himself of his bonds. Thus his enemies found him, help- less and betrayed upon his bed, and triumphantly they carried him off. Dalila received her bag of gold, and the curse of Allah to go with it.
The princes of the unbelievers prepared a great celebration to take place in the feasting hall. This was a building that rest- ed on many pillars. Samsun was tied between two of these pil- lars, and as the unbelievers drank and made merry, they first of all gouged out his eyes and blinded him. After that they tor- mented him and hurt him in many ways, and in the end they left him slumped between the two pillars to die of his wounds. As he was swooning and close to death, the angel Jibrîl æ appeared to him and said, ‘Take heart, O Samson, for Allah is with you. He has been pleased to exalt your rank to that of the prophets. Ask of Him whatever you wish, He will grant it to you.’ Samsun prayed, then he said, ‘I ask the Lord to
restore me and return to me the strength I once had, so that I might destroy all His enemies here with one blow.’ The angel said, ‘O Samsun, behold, your hair has grown long again, and with it your strength has been returned to you.’ Samsun then felt the strength return to his limbs. He rattled his chains and braced himself against the pillars he was tied to. The pillars gave way and the whole building collapsed, so that the entire company of evil merrymakers was buried beneath it and not a single one escaped his death. Allah Almighty also restored Samsun’s eyes and gave him back his eyesight, and Samsun went out and fought another thousand months against the en- emies of Allah. And a thousand months are eighty-three years and three months.”
When the Holy Prophet k finished telling his companions this story, they became dejected, so that he asked them why this story made them so sad. They replied, “O Rasûlullāh, what a
weak people we are, the nation of the last prophet! What tre- mendous strength and vitality Allah Almighty bestowed upon His hero Samsun whom you have just told us about! Whereas He has granted Him the service of a full two thousand months, that is twice eighty-three years, to fight in His way against the enemies of the Lord, if we should live to see our eightieth year, we can hardly rise from our seat. It strikes us as painful and a bitter loss that we are denied this reward ...”
The Holy Prophet then lowered his head and was silent for some time. When he again lifted his head, the angel Jibrîl æ had come to him and brought him the revelation of the Sûrat al-Qadr, which he then recited to his companions. The Holy Prophet was filled with joy at this revelation. For in this Sura it is said that the revelation of the Holy Qur’ān had begun in the Night of Power, that is to say that the Holy Qur’ān had
been sent down to earth from its seat on the well-preserved tablets, the lawª al-maªfû| in the Divine Presence. Allah, may His glory be glorified, says in this Sura:
“And what shall teach thee what is the Night of Power? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months ...”
He has given this precious night to the nation of Mukammad
k and granted it to them as a gift.
But which night is this sacred night? Generally it is as-
sumed to be the twenty-seventh night of Ramadān, because this is the night when the revelation of the Holy Qur’ān be- gan, but it is not known for sure. It could be any odd night of the month, the first, the third, the seventh, and so on, but with greater probability it is one of the last odd-numbered nights of the month. Allah Almighty has kept this knowledge from us, He has hidden this sacred night within the month of Ramadān so that every day of the month might be honoured. In the same way He has hidden His holiest Name in the Holy Qur’ān, for if this Name were known, no one would ask for any more than this. In this way, however, if someone has read the whole of the Qur’ān, he will also have read Allah’s holiest Name. Likewise, He has hidden His saints and chosen ones among the crowd of common people, so that each one of His servants might be given honour and nobody be despised, for it is impossible to know whether the least likely one might in reality be one of the saints.
During this Night of Power, Allah Almighty commands His great archangels Jibrîl, Mîkā’îl and Isrāfîl z to make ready. Each of these angels then assembles a host of seventy thou- sand angels, each of whom commands another host of seventy thousand angels. These angelic armies then descend upon the
earth, flags flying. One of their standards is the “liwâ’ al-ªamd”
the banner of Praise, under which the Prophet Mukammad k will gather his nation on the Day of Judgment. The second flag is the “banner of Kindness”, the third is the “banner of
Pardon”, the fourth is the “banner of Mercy”. The banner of Praise will be erected between heaven and the earth, the ban- ner of Pardon will be set upon the revered Ka‘ba, the banner of Mercy will be placed upon the Prophet Mukammad’s grave in Medina k, and the banner of Kindness upon the holy house
at Jerusalem.
After the angels have erected these banners in their ap- pointed places, they roam the earth and offer their greetings of peace. They give their salāms to all the believers in this night. They visit the houses of the Muslims and give salāms to those dwell therein. Some houses they greet only from with- out and pass on. Other houses they enter and give greetings before continuing on. Some houses the angels enter and greet their dwellers with great warmth, and yet other Muslims are embraced by the angels and held close. Thus the angels visit all the believers on the entire earth.
Which are the dwellings that the angels only greet from without? They are the ones that harbour a dog, alcoholic drink, or images. – By images are meant not ordinary pictures or photographs of one’s children etc., but images or statues that are revered and held in high esteem, as idols. – Those houses the angels of Mercy do not enter, they salute the in- habitants only from outside and go their way. The houses they enter but leave again very soon, having quickly delivered their salāms, are the houses of the sleepers. These inhabitants are not aware of the holy night, no one is wakeful and engaged in prayer, so the angels greet them and pass on. A third group of dwellings, which the angels enter and where they warmly greet the inhabitants are those in which dhikr and tasbîª are
being performed. The houses where people are at prayer are the ones the angels love most, and into which they enter and embrace those praying within, and Allah Himself sends them His salāms.
One day the Holy Prophet sat musing about the state of his nation and he began to weep. He wept so much that his tears ran over his blessed beard and fell upon the earth. “How will they be able to stand on the Day of Judgment? Will Allah Al- mighty forgive them their sins, or will they be destined for Hell?” He wept for his nation’s sake from the day he was born, all the sixty-three years of his lifetime, up until the hour of his death. He cried, “O ‘Azrā’îl, do not punish my nation, punish me in their stead!” ‘Azrā’îl æ then spoke to the Holy P
Link: https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6041
Kursî, 2:255).
“O Mûsā, blessed are those who suffer the pangs of hunger for My sake and whose lungs are well nigh parched from thirst! I am even closer to these servants than I am to you, o Mûsā!”
The great Saint Dāwûd al-‡ā’î once fell asleep in daytime dur- ing Ramadān. He had a dream, wherein he saw himself sitting by the banks of a river of Paradise, which was of green emer- ald, the pebbles whereof were of rubies red. Close by were the Huris, the damsels of Paradise whose faces are as radiant as the sun. He gazed upon them full of wonder and exclaimed: “Lâ ilâha illâ llâh, Muªammadu r-rasûlu llâh!” They answered him with the selfsame words and then introduced themselves, saying: “We are intended to be the wives of those who fast and pray during Ramadān, who perform much tasbîª and sajda.”
These Huris are clothed in seventy robes, one upon the oth- er, each robe being of a different shape and colour, and yet one robe does not obscure another and all are wondrously visible simultaneously. The Huris are enthroned on marvelous set- tees of ruby and emerald, and they repose on pearl-encrusted golden beds. Before them are tables upon which are set many bowls and platters containing refreshments and beverages of many kinds. “This feast is laid out for those who have fasted during Ramadān, and it is prepared for them alone” say the Huris, as they await their bridegrooms …
Ib n ‘A bb âs d relates that the Holy Prophet once said: “In the first night of the month of Ramadān a wind springs up from beneath the Divine Throne. This wind blows through the for-
ests of Paradise and stirs the leaves on the branches of its trees, so that they begin to rustle. The rustling of these leaves, how- ever, is so melodious and sweet that even the Huris, whose voices are unequalled for their sweetness and loveliness, look up in surprise and ask of each other from where these sweet sounds might issue. Then a voice will answer them: “It is the first night of the holy month of Ramadān, and a breeze full of Divine Grace has arisen, which stirs the trees in paradise gardens belonging to the nation of Mukammad who are now commencing the fast of Ramadān ...” Then the Huris all in- tone a prayer, saying, “O our Lord, let us be given to those of Your servants who are keeping the fast of this holy month ...”
Ib n ‘Abbâs d has also related that he heard the Holy
Prophet say: “Whoever rises during the first night of Ramadān (in order to pray), Allah will quicken his heart with new life.” Just as one enlivens the night by his prayers and acts of wor- ship, so Allah l will revive his heart after he has died.
When the crescent moon of the month of Ramadān appears,
all the angels around the Divine Throne exclaim from joy, “‡ûbâ li-ummati Muªammad! Good fortune for the nation of Mukammad! What a great blessing to be permitted to witness this holy month!”
The sun, the moon and the stars, the fishes in the sea and the birds in the air, all the creatures Allah has created, and whatever exists between heaven and earth praises the Lord l and asks for forgiveness for the nation of Mukammad and for those who keep the fast. Only Shay†ān, the accursed devil,
cries out in anger and pain, as he is forced to witness all the grace and forgiveness descending upon the sinners whom he
had already regarded as his ready prey. But during this month, Allah forgives all people, and commands His angels to dedicate all their devotions, their fasting, and their invocations to the nation of Mukammad k.
The Holy Prophet has said: “In the first night of Ramadān
all the devils and jinn are bound in chains, so that they might not disturb the fast of the Muslims. The seven gates of Hell are also shut tight, up until the end of the holy month of Ramadān.”
Then the eight gates of Paradise shall be opened, and every night the Lord will call out thrice: “Whoever asks anything of Me, I will fulfill his wishes. Whoever turns to Me to repent, I will accept his repentance. Whoever asks Me for forgiveness, him I shall forgive and deliver him from the fires of Hell.”
The Prophet’s companion ‘Umar d relates about the Holy Prophet k: “When one of my nation wakes during a night in Ramadān and turns about on his bed, the two angels standing
by his bedside say to him, ‘Arise, arise, O servant of Allah! For Allah Almighty wishes to grant you His mercy and forgiveness and to bless you. Therefore rise up!’ If this person then gets up, his bed begins to praise him and it prays for him, saying, ‘O Allah, give him a bed and a resting place in the loftiest reaches of Paradise!’ When he starts to get dressed, his clothing begins to praise him, saying, ‘O Lord, clothe him in the robes of Par- adise! When he slips into his shoes, these praise him and say, ‘O Lord, make his step firm and let him not stumble on the bridge of Zirā†!’ If he picks up a vessel containing water with the intention of making his ablutions, this vessel also prays for him, saying, ‘O Lord, give to him jugs of Paradise, so he might purify himself!’ He then begins to make his ablution (wudû’ ) and the water prays for him, ‘O Lord! As the water purifies his
mouth, so do You purify him from every sin!’ If he then prays two raka‘ât of prayer, his whole house prays for him, saying, ‘O Lord! Should his grave oppress him by its tightness, make it wide and let it be an abode of mercy, not a place of chas- tisement!’ When he makes supplication, Allah Almighty gazes upon him with the Gaze of Divine Compassion and speaks, ‘O My servant, you are My slave and I am your Lord and God. It is your place to ask, and it is Mine to answer; your part is to wish, and Mine is to give fulfillment; it is your part to ask for forgiveness and it is Mine to grant you pardon.’ Thus the Lord speaks to His servant.”
Allah, may He be praised and exalted, spoke to His Prophet Mûsā æ on Mount Sinai and said to him: “I have given two lights to the nation of Mukammad k, so that two kinds of darkness might be illuminated thereby.” Mûsā æ asked the Lord, “What are these two lights?” and the Lord answered
him, “One is the light of Ramadān, and the other is the light of the Qur’ān.” Mûsā, peace be upon him, then asked, “And which are the two kinds of darkness?” The Lord answered, “One is the darkness of the grave, and the other is the dark- ness of the Day of Judgment. Whoever reads the Qur’ān, his grave shall be lit up, and whoever fasts in Ramadān, he will have a light on Judgment Day.”
About the Tarāwîk Prayer
‘Alî, the Holy Prophet’s son-in-law, may
Allāh bless his face, spoke of the excellence of the Tarāwîk prayer, which is a part of the sunna of the
Holy Prophet k. He said:
“Whoever prays the Tarāwîk prayer in the first night of
Ramadān, will be made pure and freed of all sin, just as a new- born child.”
And he said, “Whoever prays the Tarāwîk prayer in the second night of Ramadān, his father and mother will be grant- ed forgiveness, provided they were Muslims.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the third night of Ramadān, an angel will bring him the good tidings from the Divine Throne that he is now purified and that Allah has forgiven him all his sins of the past.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the fourth night of Ramadān, Allah will record for him the rewards of having read all the Holy Scriptures, the Torah, Injîl, Zabûr and Qur’ān.
Whoever prays the Tarāwîk prayer of the fifth night of Ramadān will be rewarded as if he had prayed in the holy mosque at Jerusalem, the Masjid al-Aqsā, or in Medina.
For the Tarāwîk prayer of the sixth night of Ramadān a per- son receives the rewards of having made †awâf of the heavenly house, the bayt al-ma’mûr, and all the stones and dust upon the earth will pray and intercede for him.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the seventh night of Ramadān, will receive the reward of having lived in the time of the
prophet Mûsā, ‘alayhi s-salâm, and having supported him against Pharaoh.
For the Tarāwîk prayer of the eighth night of Ramadān, he will be rewarded as the prophet Ibrāhîm æ was rewarded by his Lord.
For the Tarāwîk prayer in the ninth night of Ramadān, he receives the blessings of having prayed together with the Holy Prophet Mukammad k.
For praying Tarāwîk in the tenth night of Ramadān, Allah
Almighty provides him with all the goodness of this life and the next.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk during the eleventh night of Ramadān, will be without sin at the time he leaves this world, like a newborn child.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the twelfth night of Ramadān, on the Day of Judgment his face will shine as the moon when it is full.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the thirteenth night of Ramadān will be protected from all evils and devils.
Anyone who prays Tarāwîk in the fourteenth night of Ramadān, the recording angels will speak in his defense, say- ing, ‘O Lord, this person has prayed the Tarāwîk prayer,’ and his trial on the Day of Judgment will be made easy for him.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the fifteenth night of Ramadān, the angels of the Divine Throne and the Divine Court will ask for forgiveness for him.
For one who prays the Tarāwîk prayer of the sixteenth night of Ramadān the Lord will vouchsafe safety from the fires of Hell and promises to admit him into Paradise.
For the prayer of the seventeenth night, Allah will grant him the rewards of the prophets, peace be upon them.
In the eighteenth night, an angel will call out from on high: ‘Good tidings to you, O servant of Allah! The Lord is well- pleased with you, and also with your parents!’
For praying Tarāwîk in the nineteenth night, he is dignified by being admitted among the dwellers of the loftiest paradise, the firdaws al-a‘lâ.
For the Tarāwîk prayer of the twentieth night, Allah will grant him the rewards of the martyrs and the righteous.
In the twenty-first night the Lord erects a paradise mansion for him built of pure light.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the twenty-second night of Ramadān he will be led to the place of Judgment with a joyful heart, untroubled by grief and sorrow.
For the Tarāwîk prayer of the twenty-third night of Ramadān Allah will reward him with a splendid palace in Par- adise.
If he prays Tarāwîk in the twenty-fourth night of Ramadān, Allah will grant twenty-four of his supplications during this night.
For the Tarāwîk prayer of the twenty-fifth night of Ramadān, Allah will free him from the punishment of the grave.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the twenty-sixth night of Ramadān will receive the rewards of forty years of prayer.
Whoever prays Tarāwîk in the twenty-seventh night of Ramadān will pass over the bridge of Zirā† with the speed of lightning.
For the prayer of Tarāwîk in the twenty-eighth night of Ramadān, his rank in Paradise will be elevated a thousandfold. In the twenty-ninth night of Ramadān Allah Almighty will grant him the rewards of a thousand holy warriors for praying
Tarāwîk.
And in the thirtieth night, the Lord Himself will address him, saying, ‘O My servant, eat of the fruits of Paradise and quench your thirst from its rivers, for I am your Lord God, and you are My beloved servant ...’”
Once there lived a man named Mukammad who did not pray or fast for eleven months of the year. However, when Ramadān came around, he arose and washed himself, put on fresh clothes and perfumed his beard. He would then fast and pray, making up all the prayers of the past year. People asked him why he act- ed in this way, and he told them, “This month of Ramadān is the month of repentance and forgiveness; it is a month of mercy and special blessings. I trust my Lord to forgive me all my sins in this month, that is why I always pray during Ramadān.”
It so happened that this man Mukammad died one day and after that several of his friends saw him in their dreams. They all asked him, “How have you fared? How has the Lord treated you?” All of them received the same answer in their dreams: “Allah the All-Merciful has forgiven me my sins on account of my having honoured the holy month of Ramadān.”
Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, re-
ports that the Holy Prophet said:
“Whoever seeks the company of saintly and learned people during the month of Ramadān will receive the reward for the prayers of a whole year for every step towards such an assem- bly, and on the Day of Judgment he will stand together with me before the Throne of Mercy. And whoever prays all the prayers of this month in congregation, for every rak‘a Allah Almighty will grant him a city in Paradise filled with unimag- inable delights. Whoever makes his parents pleased with him in Ramadān, Allah Almighty’s Gaze of Mercy rests upon him. And I am his guarantor, he will enter Paradise!”
If a woman’s husband is pleased with her during Ramadān, she will receive the rewards of Maryam, the mother of the prophet ‘Îsā z, and of Asya p, the wife of Pharaoh.
And if someone looks after the needs of a poor person dur-
ing Ramadān, Allah l will take care of a thousand of his own needs.
Abû Hurayra d relates that he heard the Holy Prophet say:
“If someone lights a lamp in the mosque during Ramadān, Allah will make a light to shine for him in his grave, and He will grant him the reward of all the prayers that were prayed in the mosque in which his light shone. The angels pray for him and the Throne-bearers ask for forgiveness for him as long as his light is burning in the mosque ...”
The Holy Night of Power,
Laylat al-Qadr
he Holy Scriptures were all sent down during the month of Ramadān. The pages of the revelation that the prophet Ibrāhîm æ was given came on the
first day of Ramadān. Five hundred years later, the Torah was revealed, again on the first of Ramadān. Dāwûd æ received the Zabûr in the twelfth night of Ramadān. One thousand one hundred years later, in the eighteenth night of Ramadān the Injîl was revealed to ‘Isā æ. 620 years after that the revelation of the Holy Qur’ān commenced in the twenty-seventh night of Ramadān. That is why this night is marked by special celebra- tions and it is assumed to be the Night of Power, laylat al-qadr.
Sûrat al-Qadr (97)
Bismi llâhi r-raªmâni r-raªîm
Behold we have sent it down on the Night of Power; And what shall teach thee what is the Night of Power? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months;
In it the angels and the Spirit descend,
by the leave of their Lord, upon every command.
Peace it is, til the rising of the dawn.
The Story of Samsun
There exists a traditional account regarding this
Sura whereby the angel Jibrîl æ one day appeared to the Holy Prophet and told him the following story:
“A long time ago there lived in Israel a pious and God-fear- ing man named Samsun. His parents had placed him in the service of the Lord from the time he was a child. He grew to be an unusually strong man, and Allah l gave him such strength that he could singlehandedly defeat a great number
of his foes.
There was a secret to his great strength, but no one knew about it except Samsun himself. He fought tirelessly against the foes of Israel, his only weapon being the jawbone of a camel. In his hand this bone became a sword, and with it he dispatched thousands of unbelievers. This camel bone also was a source of food for him, for whenever he was hungry, cooked and roasted meat would appear between the teeth of this camel bone, and whenever he was thirsty, cool, lim- pid water would stream forth from the teeth of the jawbone. Thus he also had water for his ablutions. At night the bone served him as a lamp. He spent many weeks and months alone in the desert, and by the Grace of God, he depended not on the society of men. He spent his nights in prayer and fasted during the day, and he fought no less than a thousand months against the unbelievers. No one could defeat him, for he was covered by Allah’s protection, and who can raise his hand against Allah?
One day, Samsun went into town. There he saw a wom- an and he desired her. She was one of the unbelievers, but he married her anyway, and for a while they lived together. This woman was named Dalila. Now the unbelievers saw that they had a chance, and they approached the wife of Samsun, saying to her, ‘We will give you great reward, you shall have a sack of gold, if you will deliver your husband to us in chains.’ Dal- ila said, ‘How am I to do this, being that I am but a woman, and weak? You expect me to do what not even your mighti- est fighter has accomplished?’ The leaders of the unbelievers gave her a strong rope and told her to tie him up with it while he slept, and then to call them. She agreed to do this, took the rope and when Samsun finally lay down to rest after long prayers, she tied him hand and foot with the rope. After some time Samsun stirred and woke up intending to make his ab- lutions. He stretched his limbs slightly, as a sleeper will do when he awakes, and as he did so the ropes came away from his hands and feet as if they were no more than cobwebs. Samsun was surprised and asked, ‘Who tied me up here?’ Dalila real- ised that her plan had failed and resorted to feminine wiles. ‘It was I who tied you up, O Samsun,’ she admitted with a charm- ing smile, ‘I wished to find out how strong you really are ...’ Samsun smiled indulgently and forgot the incident.
The next night the plotters supplied her with iron chains with which to bind Samsun while he slept, and she did so. But again, when he stretched his limbs to rise for his prayers, the chains fell off him and clattered to the ground, breaking apart as if they were of clay. ‘What is this?’ cried Samsun, ‘who has bound me with chains?’ Again Dalila admitted that she had done so, adding, ‘I must say, you really do possess tremendous strength! Is there nothing at all that can bind you?’ Samsun then replied, ‘O Dalila, I am a specially dedicated servant of
the Lord and His light radiates from my heart and runs in my veins. It is this light, which burns away all fetters and chains of this world, and there is nothing my enemies can bind me with. The Lord’s light turns all their wills to dust and ash- es.’ Dalila saw that he was in a mood to talk and sought to take advantage of this. ‘So there is nothing in this whole wide world,’ she began, ‘that can overcome you? Is there no power at all that can bring you down?’ Samsun answered, ‘Oh yes, there is a way, but no one knows about it, for it is a secret. My strength is lodged in my hair, which has never been cut. If I were to be bound with my own hair, my strength would leave me and I would be as helpless as a child ...’
Now Dalila knew what she had to do. As he lay sleeping the very next night, she cut off his long hair and braided the strands into ropes. With these she bound him hand and foot, then she called for the guards. Samsun awoke and was unable to free himself of his bonds. Thus his enemies found him, help- less and betrayed upon his bed, and triumphantly they carried him off. Dalila received her bag of gold, and the curse of Allah to go with it.
The princes of the unbelievers prepared a great celebration to take place in the feasting hall. This was a building that rest- ed on many pillars. Samsun was tied between two of these pil- lars, and as the unbelievers drank and made merry, they first of all gouged out his eyes and blinded him. After that they tor- mented him and hurt him in many ways, and in the end they left him slumped between the two pillars to die of his wounds. As he was swooning and close to death, the angel Jibrîl æ appeared to him and said, ‘Take heart, O Samson, for Allah is with you. He has been pleased to exalt your rank to that of the prophets. Ask of Him whatever you wish, He will grant it to you.’ Samsun prayed, then he said, ‘I ask the Lord to
restore me and return to me the strength I once had, so that I might destroy all His enemies here with one blow.’ The angel said, ‘O Samsun, behold, your hair has grown long again, and with it your strength has been returned to you.’ Samsun then felt the strength return to his limbs. He rattled his chains and braced himself against the pillars he was tied to. The pillars gave way and the whole building collapsed, so that the entire company of evil merrymakers was buried beneath it and not a single one escaped his death. Allah Almighty also restored Samsun’s eyes and gave him back his eyesight, and Samsun went out and fought another thousand months against the en- emies of Allah. And a thousand months are eighty-three years and three months.”
When the Holy Prophet k finished telling his companions this story, they became dejected, so that he asked them why this story made them so sad. They replied, “O Rasûlullāh, what a
weak people we are, the nation of the last prophet! What tre- mendous strength and vitality Allah Almighty bestowed upon His hero Samsun whom you have just told us about! Whereas He has granted Him the service of a full two thousand months, that is twice eighty-three years, to fight in His way against the enemies of the Lord, if we should live to see our eightieth year, we can hardly rise from our seat. It strikes us as painful and a bitter loss that we are denied this reward ...”
The Holy Prophet then lowered his head and was silent for some time. When he again lifted his head, the angel Jibrîl æ had come to him and brought him the revelation of the Sûrat al-Qadr, which he then recited to his companions. The Holy Prophet was filled with joy at this revelation. For in this Sura it is said that the revelation of the Holy Qur’ān had begun in the Night of Power, that is to say that the Holy Qur’ān had
been sent down to earth from its seat on the well-preserved tablets, the lawª al-maªfû| in the Divine Presence. Allah, may His glory be glorified, says in this Sura:
“And what shall teach thee what is the Night of Power? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months ...”
He has given this precious night to the nation of Mukammad
k and granted it to them as a gift.
But which night is this sacred night? Generally it is as-
sumed to be the twenty-seventh night of Ramadān, because this is the night when the revelation of the Holy Qur’ān be- gan, but it is not known for sure. It could be any odd night of the month, the first, the third, the seventh, and so on, but with greater probability it is one of the last odd-numbered nights of the month. Allah Almighty has kept this knowledge from us, He has hidden this sacred night within the month of Ramadān so that every day of the month might be honoured. In the same way He has hidden His holiest Name in the Holy Qur’ān, for if this Name were known, no one would ask for any more than this. In this way, however, if someone has read the whole of the Qur’ān, he will also have read Allah’s holiest Name. Likewise, He has hidden His saints and chosen ones among the crowd of common people, so that each one of His servants might be given honour and nobody be despised, for it is impossible to know whether the least likely one might in reality be one of the saints.
During this Night of Power, Allah Almighty commands His great archangels Jibrîl, Mîkā’îl and Isrāfîl z to make ready. Each of these angels then assembles a host of seventy thou- sand angels, each of whom commands another host of seventy thousand angels. These angelic armies then descend upon the
earth, flags flying. One of their standards is the “liwâ’ al-ªamd”
the banner of Praise, under which the Prophet Mukammad k will gather his nation on the Day of Judgment. The second flag is the “banner of Kindness”, the third is the “banner of
Pardon”, the fourth is the “banner of Mercy”. The banner of Praise will be erected between heaven and the earth, the ban- ner of Pardon will be set upon the revered Ka‘ba, the banner of Mercy will be placed upon the Prophet Mukammad’s grave in Medina k, and the banner of Kindness upon the holy house
at Jerusalem.
After the angels have erected these banners in their ap- pointed places, they roam the earth and offer their greetings of peace. They give their salāms to all the believers in this night. They visit the houses of the Muslims and give salāms to those dwell therein. Some houses they greet only from with- out and pass on. Other houses they enter and give greetings before continuing on. Some houses the angels enter and greet their dwellers with great warmth, and yet other Muslims are embraced by the angels and held close. Thus the angels visit all the believers on the entire earth.
Which are the dwellings that the angels only greet from without? They are the ones that harbour a dog, alcoholic drink, or images. – By images are meant not ordinary pictures or photographs of one’s children etc., but images or statues that are revered and held in high esteem, as idols. – Those houses the angels of Mercy do not enter, they salute the in- habitants only from outside and go their way. The houses they enter but leave again very soon, having quickly delivered their salāms, are the houses of the sleepers. These inhabitants are not aware of the holy night, no one is wakeful and engaged in prayer, so the angels greet them and pass on. A third group of dwellings, which the angels enter and where they warmly greet the inhabitants are those in which dhikr and tasbîª are
being performed. The houses where people are at prayer are the ones the angels love most, and into which they enter and embrace those praying within, and Allah Himself sends them His salāms.
One day the Holy Prophet sat musing about the state of his nation and he began to weep. He wept so much that his tears ran over his blessed beard and fell upon the earth. “How will they be able to stand on the Day of Judgment? Will Allah Al- mighty forgive them their sins, or will they be destined for Hell?” He wept for his nation’s sake from the day he was born, all the sixty-three years of his lifetime, up until the hour of his death. He cried, “O ‘Azrā’îl, do not punish my nation, punish me in their stead!” ‘Azrā’îl æ then spoke to the Holy P
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