بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
We have a few more days before this blessed month of Ramadhan leaves us. Let's try to make up where we fall short, and avoid disobedience and the forbidden at all cost.
Ali ibn Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what are the best deeds during this month’?” ‘He replied: ‘O Abu-Hassan, the best of deeds during this month is to be far from what Allah has forbidden’.
Allah Most High says in the Qur’an: The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn. [Quran, Al-Qadr 97:3-5]
The blessed Laylatul Qadr can be found in any of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, which are the most blessed nights of the year. As such, we should increase our worship and devotion during this period.
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. work harder) and used to pray the whole night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers. [Bukhari]
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace)said: “Whoever stands (in the voluntary night prayer of) Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven. And whoever spends the night of Lailat'ul-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” [Sunan an-Nasa'i]
Such immense rewards are to be gained during these blessed ten nights. How can we afford to miss out on them? Who is to say that we will live to see the next Ramadhan? We must make the best of these ten nights. If we cannot manage all of the ten nights, then as many as we can manage, particularly on the odd-numbered nights: 21st, 25th, 27th and 29th.
There is a saying that a person who fails to plan, plans to fail. So make a plan for each day and each night of these remaining last days of Ramadhan. Write down your plan and follow it.
There are a few points to consider in your worship plan:
Remain in I’tikaf: The best way of catching the blessed night is to remain in I’tikaf, which both men and women can do. If it is not possible for one to remain in I’tikaf for the whole of the ten days and nights, then one should try to remain in I’tikaf for as many days and nights possible. It is also possible to make intention of Nawafil I’tikaf each and every time one enters the masjid to gain rewards for the time spent in the masjid.
Worship all the ten nights: Try to worship the whole of the ten nights or as many days you can manage as that is the best way to catch the unimaginable and incomprehensible rewards of Laylat'ul - Qadr. Each and every good deed from Maghrib until Fajr on Laylat'ul-Qadr is rewarded a minimum of at least 83 years’ of worship. That is longer than most of us will live!
Pray Isha’ and Taraweeh at the masjid. Pray two raka’ahs of tahiyyatul masjid upon arriving at the masjid and four raka’ahs of sunnah (this is often neglected) before the four fard of Isha’. Praying Taraweeh during Laylatul Qadr will bring rewards of over 83 years for each and every letter recited by the imam and for each and every prostration (sajda).
Pray nafl salah, recite the Qur’an or engage in reciting the dua of Laylat'ul-Qadr Du'a as much as possible.
Recite the Qur’an, contemplating and pondering over the words of Allah. The Qur’an was revealed during Laylat'ul-Qadr. So surely we should spend the last ten nights of Ramadhan reciting the Qur’an. Each and every letter is normally rewarded ten good deeds. During Ramadhan, this is increased further but during Laylat'ul-Qadr each letter will be rewarded like one has recited it for over 83 years.
The best nawafil prayer is tahajjud as it is a prayer that allows you to get closer to Allah. It can be prayed after Isha’ until just before Fajr begins. The best recitation of the Qur’an is done during tahajjud prayer. You should recite as much of the Qur’an as you have memorized. In the long prostrations, beg Allah for forgiveness and mercy and surely He will never turn away his slaves who beg of him during this prayer.
Best dua of the last ten nights: اَللَّهُمَّ اِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ ، تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: I asked: “O Messenger of Allah! If I realize Lailat'ul-Qadr (Night of Decree), what should I supplicate in it?” He (Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied, “You should supplicate: Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun, tuhibbul-‘afwa, fa’fu ‘anni (O Allah, You are Most Forgiving, and You love forgiveness; so forgive me).” [At-Tirmidhi]
Devote the last 30 minutes before fajr in making supplication to Allah. Beg and cry to your Lord. Praise and glorify Him by using His beautiful names, asking for His mercy and forgiveness and for our parents, families and ourselves. Ask for anything that your heart desires. Include duas for the Ummah. Surely Allah will accept each and every sincere du'a during these blessed ten nights, especially on Laylat'ul Qadr.
Make a du'a list and be sure to cover everything you can think of so that your mind does not go blank when making du'as on these blessed nights.
Give charity: Any good act such as charity during Laylat'ul-Qadr is rewarded like you have done it for over 83 years.
Eat light: As you will be staying up until Fajr, the more you eat, the harder it will be for you to stay up and the less productive you will be.
Hydrate well: Keep some water with you at all times. This will help you stay up, feel energized and refreshed and have a clearer mind.
Complete all tasks beforehand: Make arrangements to clear as many of your pending tasks as possible or make a plan for tackling them later. This way, we are free to worship during the 10 nights without being distracted by worldly tasks.
Show exemplary character: The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Nothing will be heavier on the Day of Resurrection in the Scale of the believer than good manners. Allah hates one who utters foul or coarse language.” [at-Tirmidhi]. So we must aim to be the best in character during these blessed nights and continue to do so for the rest of the year. We must not argue, swear, backbite, slander or gossip.
No time wasting: We must make a firm intention that during these blessed ten nights, we will not take part in idle talk, watch TV, play computer games or spend time on the social media. There are 355 days in the year for all that – if you really cannot resist. This is just ten nights. There will be indeed an utter loss and regret for those of us who waste these blessed ten nights.
Making life changes: We should make the necessary changes to improve ourselves as Muslims and what better time to make such changes than during these blessed ten nights where we can change our lives forever. We must internalize these changes and make a firm commitment to Allah Most High, and maybe that he will wipe off our sins until we become newborn babies, inshaa Allah.
May Allah enable us to make the best of these nights. May He enable us to catch the blessed Laylat'ul-Qadr and gain the rewards that are promised for it. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
We have a few more days before this blessed month of Ramadhan leaves us. Let's try to make up where we fall short, and avoid disobedience and the forbidden at all cost.
Ali ibn Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what are the best deeds during this month’?” ‘He replied: ‘O Abu-Hassan, the best of deeds during this month is to be far from what Allah has forbidden’.
Allah Most High says in the Qur’an: The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn. [Quran, Al-Qadr 97:3-5]
The blessed Laylatul Qadr can be found in any of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, which are the most blessed nights of the year. As such, we should increase our worship and devotion during this period.
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. work harder) and used to pray the whole night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers. [Bukhari]
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace)said: “Whoever stands (in the voluntary night prayer of) Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven. And whoever spends the night of Lailat'ul-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” [Sunan an-Nasa'i]
Such immense rewards are to be gained during these blessed ten nights. How can we afford to miss out on them? Who is to say that we will live to see the next Ramadhan? We must make the best of these ten nights. If we cannot manage all of the ten nights, then as many as we can manage, particularly on the odd-numbered nights: 21st, 25th, 27th and 29th.
There is a saying that a person who fails to plan, plans to fail. So make a plan for each day and each night of these remaining last days of Ramadhan. Write down your plan and follow it.
There are a few points to consider in your worship plan:
Remain in I’tikaf: The best way of catching the blessed night is to remain in I’tikaf, which both men and women can do. If it is not possible for one to remain in I’tikaf for the whole of the ten days and nights, then one should try to remain in I’tikaf for as many days and nights possible. It is also possible to make intention of Nawafil I’tikaf each and every time one enters the masjid to gain rewards for the time spent in the masjid.
Worship all the ten nights: Try to worship the whole of the ten nights or as many days you can manage as that is the best way to catch the unimaginable and incomprehensible rewards of Laylat'ul - Qadr. Each and every good deed from Maghrib until Fajr on Laylat'ul-Qadr is rewarded a minimum of at least 83 years’ of worship. That is longer than most of us will live!
Pray Isha’ and Taraweeh at the masjid. Pray two raka’ahs of tahiyyatul masjid upon arriving at the masjid and four raka’ahs of sunnah (this is often neglected) before the four fard of Isha’. Praying Taraweeh during Laylatul Qadr will bring rewards of over 83 years for each and every letter recited by the imam and for each and every prostration (sajda).
Pray nafl salah, recite the Qur’an or engage in reciting the dua of Laylat'ul-Qadr Du'a as much as possible.
Recite the Qur’an, contemplating and pondering over the words of Allah. The Qur’an was revealed during Laylat'ul-Qadr. So surely we should spend the last ten nights of Ramadhan reciting the Qur’an. Each and every letter is normally rewarded ten good deeds. During Ramadhan, this is increased further but during Laylat'ul-Qadr each letter will be rewarded like one has recited it for over 83 years.
The best nawafil prayer is tahajjud as it is a prayer that allows you to get closer to Allah. It can be prayed after Isha’ until just before Fajr begins. The best recitation of the Qur’an is done during tahajjud prayer. You should recite as much of the Qur’an as you have memorized. In the long prostrations, beg Allah for forgiveness and mercy and surely He will never turn away his slaves who beg of him during this prayer.
Best dua of the last ten nights: اَللَّهُمَّ اِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ ، تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: I asked: “O Messenger of Allah! If I realize Lailat'ul-Qadr (Night of Decree), what should I supplicate in it?” He (Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied, “You should supplicate: Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun, tuhibbul-‘afwa, fa’fu ‘anni (O Allah, You are Most Forgiving, and You love forgiveness; so forgive me).” [At-Tirmidhi]
Devote the last 30 minutes before fajr in making supplication to Allah. Beg and cry to your Lord. Praise and glorify Him by using His beautiful names, asking for His mercy and forgiveness and for our parents, families and ourselves. Ask for anything that your heart desires. Include duas for the Ummah. Surely Allah will accept each and every sincere du'a during these blessed ten nights, especially on Laylat'ul Qadr.
Make a du'a list and be sure to cover everything you can think of so that your mind does not go blank when making du'as on these blessed nights.
Give charity: Any good act such as charity during Laylat'ul-Qadr is rewarded like you have done it for over 83 years.
Eat light: As you will be staying up until Fajr, the more you eat, the harder it will be for you to stay up and the less productive you will be.
Hydrate well: Keep some water with you at all times. This will help you stay up, feel energized and refreshed and have a clearer mind.
Complete all tasks beforehand: Make arrangements to clear as many of your pending tasks as possible or make a plan for tackling them later. This way, we are free to worship during the 10 nights without being distracted by worldly tasks.
Show exemplary character: The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Nothing will be heavier on the Day of Resurrection in the Scale of the believer than good manners. Allah hates one who utters foul or coarse language.” [at-Tirmidhi]. So we must aim to be the best in character during these blessed nights and continue to do so for the rest of the year. We must not argue, swear, backbite, slander or gossip.
No time wasting: We must make a firm intention that during these blessed ten nights, we will not take part in idle talk, watch TV, play computer games or spend time on the social media. There are 355 days in the year for all that – if you really cannot resist. This is just ten nights. There will be indeed an utter loss and regret for those of us who waste these blessed ten nights.
Making life changes: We should make the necessary changes to improve ourselves as Muslims and what better time to make such changes than during these blessed ten nights where we can change our lives forever. We must internalize these changes and make a firm commitment to Allah Most High, and maybe that he will wipe off our sins until we become newborn babies, inshaa Allah.
May Allah enable us to make the best of these nights. May He enable us to catch the blessed Laylat'ul-Qadr and gain the rewards that are promised for it. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.
Wassalaam
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