I’m not writing this piece to tell you about the benefits of Ramadan. We came almost half-way through Ramadan. I’m sure you have learned a lot about it by now. My concern is that we are observing Ramadan the same way as we spent the previous years. We all get hit by euphoria: the Salah, the Terawih, the Iftar, the donation, etc… with mostly temporary devotion. But don’t you think it’s time to bring a change in our behaviors, to raise ourselves to level of a good personality, to become a better Muslim or to accomplish something we have been procrastinating, to change bad habit or action? One of the benefits of Ramadan is that it helps to break a bad habit and help bring about a necessary change.
“Fasting is not as simple as not eating and drinking from dawn to dusk -- the practice helps break away from the enslavement of habit-forming vices,” said Fahad Faruqui, on his opinion piece for the Huffington Post.
It might be smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, hanging at a wrong place, or may be habits such as too much TV, wasting time on the Internet or a video game, etc. They all are easy to avoid during Ramadan. Fasting and other activities during Ramadan will keep us away from these habits and help us look in to our inner self. So why not capitalize on the momentum?
What do we need to do to make the necessary changes during Ramadan and keep them forever? I have no straight forward answer but strongly recommend taking a good example.
Meditation: Prophet Mohammed (SAW), as mentioned in the Sira, used to meditate during Ramadan to look for a solution for his people at that time of absolute hopeless situation. Sitting only by himself at the cave of Hira, he thinks for hours about his people, the quagmire his people are in and the remedy to look for. It’s in one of those days the prophet (SAW) had received the revelation of the Quran. So, if we need to change things, why not take the best of the best example and contemplate deeply, by sitting quietly and get through all our worries and short comings-- cure our selfishness, disrespectfulness, ignorance and arrogance.
"Only by a tough discipline of self-control can we learn detachment, thus experiencing inner calm, and challenge the ideology of greed which is threatening the planet." Abdal hakim Murad, a Muslim scholar and lecturer at Cambridge University said.
During Ramadan, sometimes we might be carried away by the gathering of the people around us. Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s good to have company during prayers, Qiraa and even during Iftar. But at least, we need to allocate some time during the day or night to ourselves and think through all the challenges we have today.
To understand that why we do things we shouldn’t do, those negative things that are happening in our family and in the community, and to solve them isn’t a one month process thus shouldn’t be limited to Ramadan. The best way to keep the energy of Ramadan is to use the holy month as a spring board and jump through the rest of the year. For instance, we might be interested to involve in the community affairs or donate money; we can allot some amount of money for every month and keep the momentum, or to volunteer at the community programs, schedule to keep the task for the whole year. In our personal life, let’s look around our family, our neighbors and see if there is anyone who needs help, or to strive to learn new things about our religion as well as life in general.
My friends - a habit of wasting time and money, being ignorant to our religion and community, even too much talk and backbiting, most of all, being self-centered, are among the things we should avoid forever, not just for Ramadan. So, as Yasir Quadi of the Almaghrib Institute mentioned on one of his lectures about Ramadan, the level of our eman (faith) will obviously go down after Ramadan. However, he said,we should not let it go down as low as it used to be before Ramadan. If that is the case, Quadi stated, it would defy the purpose of Ramadan.
Let’s pray and work hard to stay generous, caring, and devoted.
Salam
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The Etiquette for Salat al-Jumuah
"O believers, when the call is proclaimed for the prayer on Friday, come to the remembrance of Allah and leave off business, that is better for you if you but did know." [Al-Jumuah, 62:9]
Purifying and cleaning oneself
The person intending to perform Salat al-Jumuah is highly encouraged to have ghusl (full bath or shower). The majority of the scholars are of the opinion that the ghusl for Salat a-Jumuah is recommended (sunnah) but not obligatory. The ghusl is performed starting from the time of Fajr Prayer. Also, if a person performs ghusl and then later invalidates his ablution, he need not repeat the ghusl. Making ablution (wudhu) suffices. Furthermore, one ghusl may be used for removing sexual defilement (janabah) and for Salat al-Jumuah.
Going early to the masjid
There is a great reward in going early to Salat al-Jumuah, beginning after sunrise. By leaving for Salat al-Jumuah, one gets the reward of waiting for the Prayer, making dhikr (remembering Allah) and voluntary prayers during that time. Abu Umamah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam) said, "The angels sit at the doors to the Masjids and with them are scrolls in which they record the people [who come]. When the Imam appears, the scrolls are rolled up." Abu Umamah was asked, "Does the one who comes after the Imam still have a Friday Prayer?" he said, "Certainly, but he is not one of those who is recorded [as coming early]." [Ahmad and al-Tabarani]
Dressing well for Salat al-Jumuah
This is a special time that requires Muslims to appear in the best manner possible. One should therefore put on his best attire for Salat al-Jumuah.
The Prophet (sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam) said, "If one has the means, he should buy two pieces of clothing, other than his work clothes or [everyday clothing], to wear on Friday." [Abu Dawud]
Performing tahiyyat al-Masjid
If a person comes late to the Friday Prayer while the Imam is delivering the khutbah, should he pray the two rak`ahs of tahiyyat al-Masjid (prayer of greeting the mosque) and the sit or should he simply skip them? The strongest opinion is to perform the tahiyyat al-Masjid based on the Hadith of the Prophet (sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam): "If one of you comes to the Masjid, he should pray two rak`ahs before he sits" [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. However, tahiyyat al-Masjid is not required of the person giving the khutbah. Also, this requirement is limited only to prayers offered in a Masjid.
Walking to the Masjid whenever feasible as there is a reward for every step taken to the Masjid.
Avoiding stepping over people to get to a particular spot in the Masjid.
Avoiding dividing two people who are sitting together.
Not making someone stand and taking his place.
Not clasping one’s hands and intertwining one’s fingers while waiting for the prayer.
Sitting in the front rows and close to the Imam whenever possible.
Remaining quiet while the Imam is delivering the khutbah. This actually includes listening to the Imam and not playing with anything while the Imam is speaking.
Going to the Masjid in a state of calmness and not being hurried.
Reciting surah al-Kahf (surah 18) as an authentic Hadith states: "For whoever recites surah al-Kahf on Friday, it will be a light for him from that Friday to the next." [Al-Bayahaqi and Al-Hakim] The surah could be read any time of the day.
Indeed, Salat al-Jumuah is one of the most important acts of worship in Islam. The Prophet (sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam) has described the wonderful blessings and benefits that Allah has vouchsafed upon Muslims through this magnificent act. Knowing how important this prayer is in Allah’s sight, Muslims must do their best to perform it in the best way possible. They should strive and sacrifice for the sake of this Prayer.
A short story of Bilal - Compiled from online resources
by Bilal Mohammed, August 3, 2010
Bilal Ibn Rabah is one of Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) companions, and one of the greatest figures in the history of Islam. Bilal originally was a black slave from Ethiopia, belonging to Umayyah ibn Khalaf tribe. It was said that Bilal was a tall thin man, and slightly hump-backed. He had thick grayish hair. He moved about silently – never speak unless somebody talk to him.
Bilal was restrained by the class system; a slave in the hands of the most harsh tribe of Bani Jumuh and under the scourge of one of the dirtiest polytheistic elements of the Age of Ignorance -Umayyah son of Khalaf.
However, what make his personality most clear and presents him as a model of virtue during the course of history and for all times to come, and lends him greatness, is his true, revolutionary, and unwavering faith. It is a psychological miracle that a person who is an illiterate slave of about twenty years old and has been brought up in the most deplorable system of values and has become habituated to it, should completely reform himself in the shortest possible time and display an exact effect of this reformation in spite of the severest spiritual and corporal torture.
Bilal started to hear people talking about Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), specially in the discussions between his master and guests. Soon he felt drawn and knew that his only resolution is to embrace the religion of justice and dignity, Islam, and so he did. He would listen to Abu Bakr, another companion of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) calling to Islam, and gradually he found his heart strongly attached to this religion. He went with Abu Bakr to the Prophet, (PBUH), and declared his submission to Islam. He was the seventh person to embrace Islam. Abu Bakr and others of the same tribal status, were safe from harm by the Quraysh tribe, which was very much against Islam and a great enemy to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
However, the anger of the disbelievers fell upon the Muslims who had no tribe to defend them. Umayyah ibn Khalaf used to force Bilal (after embracing Islam) to go outside in the morning of a very hot day wearing a suit of armor where he would then throw him face down in the sand and leave him to bake in the sun. He would not return except to turn him on his back.
The civilization of unbelievers is mostly founded upon five negative principles:
It is based upon power, and power is inclined toward oppression.
It seeks to realize individual self-interest, even though this causes people to rush about madly trying to earn possessions.
It considers life as a struggle, which causes internal and external conflict.
It unifies through national and/or racial separatism, and feeds this selfish solidarity by swallowing the resources and territories of "others," both of which engender terrible conflict.
It strives to satisfy novel caprices or aroused desires (whether the satisfaction is real or not), and so brutalizes people's tastes and aspirations.
Islamic civilization on the other hand is founded upon five positive principles:
It rests upon right (not power), which requires justice and balance.
It encourages virtue, which spurs mutual affection and love.
It considers life as consisting of mutual help, which leads to unity and solidarity.
It unifies people through a common religion in a common state, leading them to internal peace, and brotherhood and sisterhood, and it creates a willing self-defence against external enemies, guiding people to the truth.
It elevates people, through knowledge and moral perfection, to higher ranks of humanity.
Source: Friday Nasiha: Issue 591
Compiled From: The Words, "The 12th Word," Said Nursi, p. 147
