The three portions of Ramadhan

[SAFAH]

Bismillah

 

The three portions of Ramadhan

 

 

 

O people, there comes upon you a great month, a most blessed month, in which lies a night greater in worth than one thousand months. Allah has made compulsory Fasting in this month and has decreed wakefulness at night (i.e. Taraaweeh) Sunnah. Whosoever tries drawing nearer to Allah by performing any Nafl (optional) deed in this month, for him shall be such reward as if he had performed a Fardh in any other time of the year. And whoever performs a Fardh, for him shall be the reward of seventy Fardh in any other time of the year. This is indeed the month of patience, and the reward for true patience is Jannah; it is the month of sympathy with one's fellowmen; it is the month wherein a true believer's Rizq (provision) is increased. The month of Ramadhaan, the month of blessings has come to you, wherein Allah turns towards you and sends down to you this special Mercy, forgives your faults, accepts prayers, appreciates your competition for the greatest good and boasts to the angels about you. So show to Allah your righteousness; for verily, the most pitiable and unfortunate one is he who is deprived of Allah's Mercy in this month. (Tabraani)

 

 

 

The First Part

When the month of Ramadhaan comes, the doors of Jannah are thrown open and the doors of Jahannam are closed and the shayaateen are chained up. (Bukhaari, Muslim)

 

On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet , who said: "Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: 'Fasting is Mine and it I who give reward for it. [A man] gives up his sexual passion, his food and his drink for my sake. Fasting is like a shield, and he who fasts has two joys: a joy whin he breaks his fast and a joy when he meets his Lord. The change in the breath of the mouth of him who fasts is better in Allah's estimation than the smell of musk.'" (Bukhari & Muslim)

 

The Middle

And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden the extensiveness of which is the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who guard against evil. (3:132)

 

 

 

The Last part

 

 

 

 

The night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshipping Allâh in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months) [Al-Qadr: 3]

 

 

 

Whoever established prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven; and whoever fasts in the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven [bukhari]

 

Narrated Aisha: With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. work hard) and used to pray all the night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers. [bukhari, Vol 3, Book 32, Number 241]

 

Narrated 'Ubada bin As-Samit: The Prophet came out to inform us about the Night of Qadr but two Muslims were quarreling with each other. So, the Prophet said, "I came out to inform you about the Night of Qadr but such-and-such persons were quarreling, so the news about it had been taken away; yet that might be for your own good, so search for it on the 29th, 27th and 25th (of Ramadan) [bukhari, Vol 3, Book 32, Number 240]

 

Sayyidina Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudree (R.A.) narrates that the Prophet (saw) said: "When the first night of Ramadhaan dawns, the doors of the skies are opened, and none of its doors are then closed until the last night of Ramadhaan. No believing servant (of Allah) performs Salaah during its night (any night of Ramadhaan), but Allah will record for him 1500 hasanah (rewards) for every sajdah that he makes. And Allah will build a home for him in Jannah made out of red ruby, which will have 60000 doors, each of its doors having (interlinked to, leading to) a palace made out of gold, ornamented (beautified and decorated) with rubies. Thus, when he (the mu?min) fasts on the first day of Ramadhaan, all his past sins are pardoned, and seventy thousand malaaika make istighfar for him, daily, from the time of the Fajr salaah, until the sun sets. And for every sajdah that he makes during Ramadhaan, either by day or by night, there will be for him a tree, (in Jannah, so huge that) a person on horseback will ride in its shade for five hundred years." [baijaqi, Targheeb]

 

Narrated Abu Hurayrah: Allah's Messenger said, "Ramadan, a blessed month, has come to you during which Allah has made it obligatory for you to fast. In it the gates of Heaven are opened, the gates of al-Jahim are locked, and the rebellious devils are chained. In it Allah has a night which is better than a thousand months. He who is deprived of its good has indeed suffered deprivation." [Ahmad and Nasa'i transmitted it, Tirmidhi No 1962]

 

Narrated Anas ibn Malik: Allah's Messenger said that when Laylat al-Qadr comes, Gabriel descends with a company of angels who invoke blessings on ever who is standing or sitting and remembering Allah, who is Great and Glorious. Then when their festival day comes, i.e. the day when they break their fast, Allah speaks proudly of them to His angels saying, "My angels, what is the reward of a hired servant who has fully accomplished his work?" They reply, "Our Lord, his reward is that he should be paid his wage in full." He says, "My angels, My male and female servants have fulfilled what I have made obligatory for them, and then have come out raising their voices in supplication. By My might, glory, honour, high dignity and exalted station, I shall certainly answer them." Then He says, "Return, for I have forgiven you and changed your evil deeds into good deeds." He said that they then returned having received forgiveness. [bayhaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-Iman, Tirmidhi, Number 2096]

 

Narrated Anas ibn Malik and Ubayy ibn Ka'b: The Prophet was accustomed to engage in private devotion (i'tikaf) in the mosque during the last ten nights of Ramadan; but one year he omitted it and he engaged in it for twenty nights the next year. [Tirmidhi Number 2102 , and AbuDawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it from Ubayy ibn Ka'b]

 

 

 

Indeed the loser is the person who doesn’t become closer to Allaah(SWT) in this month.

 

 

 

Kaab Ibn Ujrah (RA) relates that Rasulullah (SAW) said Come near to the mimbar and we came near the mimbar. When He (SAW) climbed the first step of the mimbar, He (SAW) said "Aameen", When He (SAW) ascended the second step, He (SAW) said "Aameen", When He (SAW) climbed the third step, He (SAW) said "Aameen" When He (SAW) came down, We said "O Rasool of Allah (SAW), we have heard from you today something which we never heard before" He (SAW) said When I climbed the first step, the angel Jibraeel (A.S.) appeared before me and said

 

 

 

"Destruction to him who found the blessed month of Ramdhan and let it pass by without gaining forgiveness"

 

 

 

upon that I said 'Aameen'. When I climbed the second step, he said,

 

 

 

"Destruction to him before whom thy name is taken and then he does not make Dua for Allah's blessing on me (by saying, for example SAW)."

 

 

 

I replied 'Aameen'. When I climbed the third step, he said

 

 

 

"Destruction unto him in whose lifetime his parents or either one of them reaches old age, and (through failure to serve them) he is not allowed to enter Jannah".

 

 

 

I said 'Aameen'. (Hakim, Baihaqi)

 

 

 

Note In this Hadith, it appears that Jibraeel (AS) gave expression to three curses, upon which Rasulullah (SAW) said Aameen every time. In al-Durr al-Mansoor it is reported that Jibraeel (AS) advised Rasulullah (SAW) to say Aameen. Being an angel of such high mark, Jibraeel 's giving these curses is sure to be accepted. May Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) in His infinite mercy grant us His help and save us from these three dangers.

 

 

 

May Allah grant all Muslims in the blessed month of Ramadan forgiveness, guidance, relief from all hardships, protection from their enemies and the victory against disbelief.

 

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