Bismillaah-r- Rahmaani-r-Rahiim
Allahuumma Salli Alaa Seyyidina Muhammad wa sallim wa ahlihi wa saabihii wa salam taslima.
The opportunity of Ramada to improve one's Islam through Salat and Zir.
A few examples.
Part One: Specific Acts of Worship
1. Attending Tarawih prayers and the congressional Fajr payer in one night. For those who live far from a congressional prayer facility, to make every effort to go to a masjid on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The benefits are equivalent to full night of worship. (1)
2. Staying busy in Zikr after Fadjr prayer until sunrise and offering two rakkat of Salat. (2)
3. Offering Salat Doha at a Masjid: To make the effort on Saturdays and Sunday s to go to a Masjid and offer Salautul Doha. (3)
4. Reading Sura Sajda and Suratul Mulk during at night.
5. Reading Sura Rahmaanu, Waaqi'ah, and Sura Hadiid together.
6. Delaying Witr until before Suhur, the last meal before Fajr (to offer Qiyam Al-Layil).
7. Reading one Juzz of the Qur'an every day to finish the entire Quran by the end of the month.
For easy planning and practical purpose, the Qur'an has been divided in 30 parts or Juzz. If
a believer read a little bit more than one Juzz a day, he may comlete the entire Quran by the end of the Month. Ramadan is the month of the Holy Quran. It was the practice of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (RSAW) to read the entire Qur'an in Ramadan. It is reported that in his last Ramadan, Jibril (AS) and the Holy Prophet revisted the Qur'an together two times (three times according to some reports).
Part Two: General Acts of Worship All Year Around.
Beside the Taraweh prayers, Ihtikhaf and Seeking Laylat-ul-Qadr, there is not really a difference between the acts of worship presented below and those discussed in the first part above. A believing man or woman should strive to do their best in all time. There is of course a greater emphasis during Ramadan
A. Offering ?Isha, attending Tarawih prayers, and the following Fajr payer in congregation.
For those who live far from a massallla, to make every effort to attend Fajr salat in congregation on Saturdays and Sundays. The benefits are equivalent to full night of worship.
Sahih Muslim, Vol. I. ? B Chapter 46 (H. 656 p.368): ?Abdel ? Rahman b. Abu Amra reported: Uthman B. Affan (RAA) entered the mosque after the evening prayer and sat alone. I came and sat with him, so he said: O, son of my brother, I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) saying: He who observed the ?Isha prayer in congregation, it was as if he prayed up to the midnight, and he who prayed the morning prayer in a congregation, it was as if he prayed the whole night.?
B. Staying busy with Zikr after Fadjr until sunrise and offering two rakaat.
?Simak b. Harb (RAA) reported: I said to b. Samura: Did you sit in the company of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)? He said: Yes, very often. He (the Holy Prophet) used to sit at the place where he observed the morning or dawn prayer till the sun rose or when it had risen; he would stand, and they (the companions) would talk about matters (pertaining to the days) of ignorance, and they would laugh (on these matters) while (the Holy Prophet) only smiled.? S. Muslim (H. 670, p377).
Fiqh us-Sunnah, op. cit).
??According to another Hadith, if a person offers Fajr Salaat in congregation and remains engaged in zikr of Allah until sunrise, and then offers two rakaat of Nafl Salaat, his reward will equal that of a perfect Hajj and Umrah.? The Teachings of Islam, Virtues of Zikr, p. 575.
C. Offering Salatul Duha (at least on Saturdays and Sundays) at a Masjid.
(i) ?Abdullah b. Hariths b. Naufal (RAA) reported: I had been asking about, as I was desirous to find one among people who should inform me whether the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed the forenoon prayer, but I found none to narrate that to me except Umm Hani daughter of Abu Talib (the real sister of Hadrat Ali), who told me that on the day of the Conquest (of Macca) the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon Him came to hour house) after the dawn had (sufficiently) arisen. A cloth was brought and privacy was provided for him (the Holy Prophet). He took a bath and then stoop up and observed eight bows??
S. Muslim. Op. cit p. 407 (H.336R4).
(ii) ?Abu Tharr (RAA) reported that Allah?s messenger (may peace be upon him) had said: In the morning charity is due from every bone in the body of every one of you. Every utterance of Allah?s glorification is an act of charity. Every utterance of praise of Him is an act of charity, every utterance of profession of His Oneness is an act of charity, enjoining good is an act of charity, forbidding what is disputable is an act of charity, and two bows with one prays in the forenoon prayer will suffice.?
S. Muslim op. cit. p. 407 (H.720)
(iii) ?Abdullah ibn Amr says: ?The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) sent an expedition and they obtained lots of booty and returned quickly. The people talked about their quick victory, abundant booty, and quick return. At this, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Shall I not guide you to a closer battle, a greater booty and a quicker return? Whoever makes wudu and then goes to the mosque to pray duha, that is a closer battle, better victory, and quicker return?. This is related by Ahmad and at-Tabarani. Abu Ya?la has something similar to it. (Fiqh us-Sunnah, Supererogatory Prayer, p. 30)
D. Reading Surah Sajda and Mulk.
?According to a ?hadith? one who reads ?surah Tabakallazi? and ?Alif-Lam-Mim-Sajdah? between Maghrib (dusk) salaat and the ?Isha? salaat, is like a person who stands in Salaat throughout the night called ?Lailatul-ul-Qadr?? The Teachings of Islam, Virtues of the Holy Qur?an, p. 360).
E. The Last two Verses of Surat Al-Baqara.
?Ibn ?Abbas (RAA) reported that while Gabriel was sitting with the Apostle (SAS), he heard a creaking sound above him. He lifted his head and said: This is a gate opened in heaven today which had never been opened before. Then when an angel descended through it, he said: This is an angel who came down to the earth who had never come down but today. He greeted and said: Rejoice in the two lights given to you which have not been given to any prophet before you: Fatihat Al-Kitab and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqara. You will never recite a letter from them, but you will be given (a reward for it). S. Muslim H.806, p. 451
F. Delaying Witr until before Suhur, the last meal before Fajr (to offer Qiyam Al-Layil). The time of witr pray begins after salatul ?isha and continues until the time of salatul fajr.
(i) ?Those who regularly perform the tahajjud prayers are the Righteous and are more deserving of Allah?s bounty and mercy. Allah (SWT) says: ?Lo! Those who keep from evil will dwell amid gardens and waterspings, taking that which their Lord gives them. For, lo, they were doers of good. They used to sleep but little of the night and before the dawning of each day would seek forgiveness. (Sura 51-Verses 15-18)
(ii) ?Jabir (RAH) said he heard Allah?s Messenger (may peace be upon him) who said: There is an hour during the night in which no Muslim individual will ask Allah for good in this world and the next without His giving it to him; and that applies in every night.? (H. 757) S. Muslim V. I-B p. 426
(iii) ?Abu Huraira reported what Allah?s Messenger (may peace be upon him) had said: Allah descends every night to the lowest heaven when one ?third of the latter part of the night is left, and says: Who supplicates for Me so that I may answer him? Who asks Me so that I may give him? Who asks me forgiveness so that I may forgive him?? S. Muslim, op. cit (H.758)
For the detailed benefits of the above acts of worship, one can consult Figh us-Sunnah (Superrogatory prayer) As-Sayyid Sabiq and Teachings of Islam by Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya.
(1) Sahih Muslim, Vol. I. - B Chapter 46 (H. 656 p.368): Abdel - Rahman b. Abu Amra reported: Uthman B. Affan entered the mosque after evening prayer and sat alone. I came and sat with him, so he said: O, son of my brother, I heard the messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) saying: He who observed the Isha prayer in congregation, it was as if he prayed up to the midnight, and he who prayed the morning prayer in a congregation, it was as if he prayed the whole night.
(2) Simak b. harb reported: I said to b. Samura: Did you sit in the company of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)? He said: Yes very often. He (the Holy Prophet) used to sit at the place where he observed the morning or dawn prayer till the sun rose or when it had risen; he would stant, and they (the companions) would talk about matters (pertaining to the days) of ignorance, and they would laugh (on these matters) while (the Holy Prophet) only smiled. (Sahih Muslim, op. cit H. 670, p377). See also Fiqh us-Sunnah, op. cit)
(3) Fiqh-us-Sunnah, op. cit. p. 29
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