124THKHUTBAH DELIVERED AT AREA 10 JUMA’AH
MASJID ABUJA, BY YAHYA GARBA AL-YOLAWI, ON 16TH JUNE, 2017/ 21st RAMADAN
1438 AH
TOPIC:LAST TEN (10)
DAYS OF RAMADAN
All praises and thanks
are due to Allah (SWT), the Lord of mankind, jins and all that exist. Peace and
blessings be upon the leader of humanity, Prophet Muhammad (SAW), His
household, His companions and those who followed his footsteps till the Day of
accountability.
Respected brothers and
sisters in Islam, our last week’s Khutbah centered on Significance of giving
out charity in Ramadan and today’s sermon will discuss the topic: Last ten days
of Ramadan.
Today is Friday, being the 21stday
of Ramadan, we have already started witnessing the last ten blessed days of
Ramadan. The last ten days of Ramadan are very special days in the life time of
every Muslim. According to the scholars, they are the most blessed days in the
blessed month of Ramadan, the month that the Glorious Quran was revealed.
Scholars says although the Prophet’s sins was forgiven, he used to devote
himself even more in worship during these last ten days, hoping to be come
closer to Allah [SWT]. Aisha (R.A) said, “With the start of the last ten days
of Ramadan, the Prophet used to tighten his waist belt and used to pray all the
night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers”. (Bukhari).
For Muslims, the last
ten days should be a period to perfect one’s fast and avoid anything that may
break it. It is a time to give more charity and to settle disputes and forgive
one another. It is also a time for soul searching, evaluating one’s life,
supplicating, and asking for forgiveness. This should be done sincerely because
if Allah accepts one’s supplications, the reward is the expiation of one’s
sins. Therefore, it is a time for us to reactivate ourselves in the last 10
blessed days of Ramadan. We must not miss this great opportunity otherwise we
will regret it forever. We should strive to seek out night of destiny, night of
power that is hidden in one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, particularly in
the odd numbered nights. Witnessing that night in worship is better than 1000
months or 83 years six months of worship. May Allah [SWT] assist us to witness
night of destiny.
Some ways to maximize your reward in the last
ten (10) days of Ramadan include.
1. WE SHOULD INCREASE OUR WORSHIP AND DEVOTION TO
ALLAH (SWT):
Aisha (RA)
reported: With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet (SAW)
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)
2. OBSERVING MID-NIGH
PRAYERS (TAHAJJUD):
It was narrated from
Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “Whoever prays at night in
Ramadan out of faith (Iman) and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will
be forgiven. “This hadith is indicative of the virtue of praying qiyam in
Ramadan, and shows that this is one of the ways to attained forgiveness of
sin.Forgiveness here is conditional upon “Iman and hope of reward”, as stated.
What is meant by “Iman” is that when a muslim stands to pray Qiyam, he believes
in Allah SWT, and believes in His promise and in the virtue of praying qiyam,
and in the greatness of its reward with Allah. “Hope of reward” means that he
is seeking the reward from Allah and is not doing it for any other purpose suchas
showing off, etc.
So the Muslim should be
keen to pray Taraweeh, Tahajjud or Qiyamullail and should be patient in
completing the prayer with his imam. He should not neglect any part of it, or
leave before his imam, even if his imam does more than eleven or thirteen
rak’ahs, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Whoever prays qiyam with the imam until he finishes, it will be recorded that
he spent the night in qiyam.” It is only a few nights, which only the wise men make
the best of before they are gone. If a person is keen to pray whatever rak’ahs,
he wants to at the time of the pre-dawn (suhur time), then he should not pray
witr again at the end of his prayer; rather it is sufficient for him to pray
witr with his imam in Taraweeh or qiyam. Because of the hadith of ‘Ali bn Abi
Talib (May Allah be pleased with him)
who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
said: “There cannot be two witrs in one night.”
3.
THE BEST TIME TO DO QIYAM IS IN THE LAST PART OF THE NIGHT.
Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet (SAW)
said, "When the last one third of the night remains, our Lord, the
Glorious One, descends towards the lower heaven and proclaims: 'Is there anyone
supplicating to Me so that I grant his supplication? Is there anyone begging of
Me for anything so that I grant him his wish? Is there anyone who seeks My
forgiveness so I forgive him?'" (Bukhari and Muslim)
4) WHAT TO SAY ON
LAYLAT AL-QADR –
One of the best dua’s
that can be recited on Laylat al-Qadr is that which the Prophet (SAW) taught
‘A’isha (RA). It was narrated by al-Tirmidhi, who classed it as saheeh, that
‘A’ishah said: I said: “O Messenger of Allah, If I know which night is Laylat
al-Qadr, what should I say?” He said: “Say: Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibb
al-‘afwa fa’fu ‘anni (O Allah, You are All-Forgiving and You love forgiveness
so forgive me).”
5. OBSERVING
I’TIKAF IN THE LAST 10 DAYS:
I’tikaf
refers to going into seclusion in the mosque for the sole purpose of
worshipping Allah and attaching oneself and one’s heart to His worship. I’tikaf
provides an opportunity to the believer to get closer to Allah by temporarily
freeing oneself and one’s mind from the activities and worries of this world.
This provides an excellent opportunity to train oneself to disassociate
temporarily from the worries of the world by focusing on constant remembrance
of Allah (azkar), reading Qur’an, observing qiyaamullail (mid-night prayers)
and other acts of worship. I’tikaf is a great Sunnah: Aishah (RA) reported that
the Prophet (SAW): “Use to perform I’tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan
until Allah the Mighty & Majestic, took him.” (Bukhari & Muslim).
Some of the rules for I’tikaf include: a person
should stay in a mosque for the
duration of the I’tikaf (except for certain things as described below in the prophetic
sayings: Aisha (R.A) reported that when the Prophet (SAW) observed I’tikaf, he did
not enter the house except to relieve himself. Muslim and she also said (RA)
reported that when the Prophet (SAW) observed I’tikaf, he did not enter the house
except to relieve himself. Muslim and she also said (RA) that “The Messenger of
Allah (SAW) used not to enter the house except for things that a person needs
when he was observing I’tikaf.” Bukhari
Muslim. Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: How sound is
the hadeeth “There is no I’ tikaf except in the three mosques”? If the hadeeth
is saheeh, does that in fact mean that I’tikaf can only be observed in the three
mosques? He replied: I’tikaf is valid in mosques other than the three mosques,
but it is essential that the mosque in which I’ tikaf is observed is a mosque
in which prayers are held in congregation. If no prayers are held in congregation
(Juma’a) there, then it is not valid to observe I’tikaf there.However, if a
person has vowed to observe I’tikaf in one of the three mosques then he is
obliged to do so in fulfillment of his vow. (Majmu’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 15/444).
‘Aisha (RA) said: “The Sunnah for the mu’tak if is
not to visit any sick person, or attend any funeral, or touch or be intimate
with any woman, or go out for any reason except those which cannot be avoided.”
Abu Dawud.
Shyakykh Ibn Baaz (May Allah have mercy on him)
said: I’tikaf means staying in the mosque to worship Allah, whether that is for
a longer or shorter period, because there is no report- as far as I know- to
indicate a specific length of time, whether one day, two
days or more. Fataawa
al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 15/441.
6. UMRAH IN RAMADAN IS
EQUIVALENT TO HAJJ
Jbn ‘Abbas narrated, that “When the Prophet
returned after performing Hajj (major pilgrimage), he asked Umm Sinaan
Al-Ansaariyyah, ‘Why did you not perform Hajj?’ She replied, ‘ The father of
so-and – so (i.e., her husband) had two
camels and he went on pilgrimage on one of them, and the second is used for the
irrigation of our land.’ The prophet said (to her): ‘An Umrah (minor
pilgrimage) in Ramadan is of the same kind to Hajj with me (in terms of
reward).” (Al-Bukhaari and Muslim)
According to another
narration, he told her: “When Ramadan comes, do ‘Umrah as (the reward for) it
then is equivalent to Hajj.
7. No disputing
over number of Rakaat in Tahajjud
and Taraaweeh.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen on of the greatest scholars of this time (may Allaah have mercy
on him) was asked on the matter and he
replied: “…Here we say that we should not go to extremes or be negligent. Some
people go to extremes in adhering to the number mentioned in the Sunnah, and
say that it is not permissible to do more than the number mentioned in the
Sunnah, and they aggressively denounce those who do more than that, saying that
they are sinners. This is undoubtedly wrong….”
“…We have no doubt that
their intentions are good and they are doing their best to come to the right
conclusion, but that does not mean that they are correct…”
8. Completing the whole prayers (Rakaats) with imam:
The Messenger of Allah ( SAW) said: “Whoever stands
with the imam until he finishes (the prayer), the reward of qiyaamul-layl will
be recorded for him.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 806; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 646).
We ask Allah the most
high to accept our fasting, devotion and grant us ability to witness the
blessed night of (Qadr). Ameen.
Contact: yahyalyolawi@gmail.com
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