by Sayyada Asharia
And we’re back to the month of Ramadan…except the fasting gets more difficult this year round. Iftar time is at nearly 8pm for 30 days! So how can we survive not eating nor drinking for this long? Here are a few tips:
1. Wake up for sehri. It’s the last time you can eat before you start your fast, so why not make the most of those last few minutes by eating till you’re full? The atmosphere during sehri is also great and it makes your fast seem so spiritual.
2. Sleep. It kills time, it helps you stay away from temptation and at the same time is an act of worship, as the Holy Prophet (SAW) has said: "The sleep of a fasting person is regarded as an act of ibaadah, his remaining silent is regarded as a tasbeeh, the reward for his good deeds is multiplied, his duas are accepted, and his sins are forgiven."
3. Tell the least number of people that you are fasting. Firstly, because they may think you’re crazy and put you off fasting, and secondly, it can cause the fast to become a law to your heart. When you are tempted to break the fast, you may think, “Dad, Mom, and half the mosque know I’m on a fast. If I quit now, I’ll be humiliated in front of all of them.” Your fast is between you and God. When you are being tempted to break, it is not you whole extended family you need to be concerned with!
4. Read Quran. It was revealed during the month of Ramadan, and that is the main reason why we fast during the month, so why not read the Quran to see the meanings laying underneath it? It also kills a lot of time and helps your fast finish quickly!
5. Stay away from the kitchen! All you’ll be able to smell are samosas being fried so stop getting yourself into needless temptation! Next thing you know, you’ll be stuffing yourself with everything you can eat!
6. Don’t keep checking the time. This just creates more pressure, especially when the fast is just about to finish. Maybe it’s just me, but have you noticed that the last few minutes of your fast, while you’re staring at the clock, go the slowest? So don’t wear a watch while fasting!
7. Keep yourself occupied. Doing other stuff takes your mind off your fast. And sometimes, you’re so preoccupied in keeping yourself occupied, that you forget that you’re fasting altogether!
Showing posts with label ramadhan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ramadhan. Show all posts
Saturday, 2 August 2008
Saturday, 1 September 2007
Why don't we pray Taraweeh?
by Mohsin Asharia
During Shahr Ramadhan many Muslims congregate after Isha prayers for Salatul Taraweeh.
The closest we get to praying it is watching Islam Channel from our living room. So why don’t we pray it? Is it
just laziness or is there something else behind it?
DID THE PROPHET (SAW) PRAY IT?
The Prophet is narrated to have prayed Tahajjud
(Namaze Shab) in Shahr Ramadhan, but not Taraweeh
as we know it today:
Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 21, Number 248:
Narrated Abu Salma bin 'Abdur Rahman:
I asked 'Aisha, "How is the prayer of Allah's Apostle
during the month of Ramadan." She said, "Allah's
Apostle never exceeded eleven Rakat in Ramadan
or in other months; he used to offer four Rakat-
- do not ask me about their beauty and length, then
four Rakat, do not ask me about their beauty and
length, and then three Rakat." Aisha further said, "I
said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Do you sleep before offering the
Witr prayer?' He replied, 'O 'Aisha! My eyes sleep but
my heart remains awake'!"
In addition, he always prayed himself, making it
clear not to pray nafilah prayers in congregation:
Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 134:
Narrated Zaid bin Thabit:
Allah's Apostle made a small room (with a palm leaf
mat). Allah's Apostle came out (of his house) and
prayed in it. Some men came and joined him in his
prayer. Then again the next night they came for the
prayer, but Allah's Apostle delayed and did not come
out to them. So they raised their voices and knocked
the door with small stones (to draw his attention). He
came out to them in a state of anger, saying, "You are
still insisting (on your deed, i.e. Taraweeh prayer in the
mosque) that I thought that this prayer (Taraweeh)
might become obligatory on you. So you people,
offer this prayer at your homes, for the best
prayer of a person is the one which he offers at
home, except the compulsory (congregational)
prayer."
TARAWEEH CONGREGATION PRAYERS
The Taraweeh prayers were established in the time
of the Second Caliph, Umar bin Khattab:
Sahih Bukhari Volume 3, Book 32, Number 227:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever prayed at night the
whole month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith and
hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous
sins will be forgiven." Ibn Shihab (a sub-narrator) said,
"Allah's Apostle died and the people continued observing
that (i.e. Nawafil offered individually, not in congregation),
and it remained as it was during the Caliphate
of Abu Bakr and in the early days of 'Umar's Caliphate."
'Abdur Rahman bin 'Abdul Qari said, "I went out
in the company of 'Umar bin Al-Khattab one night in
Ramadan to the mosque and found the people praying
in different groups. A man praying alone or a man
praying with a little group behind him. So, 'Umar
said, 'In my opinion I would better collect these
(people) under the leadership of one Qari
(Reciter) (i.e. let them pray in congregation!)'.
So, he made up his mind to congregate them behind
Ubai bin Ka'b. Then on another night I went again in
his company and the people were praying behind their
reciter. On that, 'Umar remarked, 'What an excellent
Bid'a (i.e. innovation in religion) this is;
but the prayer which they do not perform, but sleep at
its time is better than the one they are offering.' He
meant the prayer in the last part of the night. (In those
days) people used to pray in the early part of the
night."
This hadith clearly shows that not only is Taraweeh
a “Bid’a”, in the Second Caliph’s own words, but it
was also established using his own “opinion”.
WHAT DO OUR IMAMS SAY ABOUT TARAWEEH?
Imams Baqir and Sadiq (as) narrate that the Prophet
(saw) said:
“Verily, the offering of nafila in congregation
during the nights of Ramadan is an innovation…
O people! do not say nafila prayers of Ramadan
in congregation….Without doubt, performing a minor
act of worship which is according to the sunna is better
than performing a major act of worship which is an
innovation.”
[al-Hurr al-`Amili, Wasa’il al-Shi`ah, volume 8, pg 45]
During Shahr Ramadhan many Muslims congregate after Isha prayers for Salatul Taraweeh.
The closest we get to praying it is watching Islam Channel from our living room. So why don’t we pray it? Is it
just laziness or is there something else behind it?
DID THE PROPHET (SAW) PRAY IT?
The Prophet is narrated to have prayed Tahajjud
(Namaze Shab) in Shahr Ramadhan, but not Taraweeh
as we know it today:
Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 21, Number 248:
Narrated Abu Salma bin 'Abdur Rahman:
I asked 'Aisha, "How is the prayer of Allah's Apostle
during the month of Ramadan." She said, "Allah's
Apostle never exceeded eleven Rakat in Ramadan
or in other months; he used to offer four Rakat-
- do not ask me about their beauty and length, then
four Rakat, do not ask me about their beauty and
length, and then three Rakat." Aisha further said, "I
said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Do you sleep before offering the
Witr prayer?' He replied, 'O 'Aisha! My eyes sleep but
my heart remains awake'!"
In addition, he always prayed himself, making it
clear not to pray nafilah prayers in congregation:
Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 134:
Narrated Zaid bin Thabit:
Allah's Apostle made a small room (with a palm leaf
mat). Allah's Apostle came out (of his house) and
prayed in it. Some men came and joined him in his
prayer. Then again the next night they came for the
prayer, but Allah's Apostle delayed and did not come
out to them. So they raised their voices and knocked
the door with small stones (to draw his attention). He
came out to them in a state of anger, saying, "You are
still insisting (on your deed, i.e. Taraweeh prayer in the
mosque) that I thought that this prayer (Taraweeh)
might become obligatory on you. So you people,
offer this prayer at your homes, for the best
prayer of a person is the one which he offers at
home, except the compulsory (congregational)
prayer."
TARAWEEH CONGREGATION PRAYERS
The Taraweeh prayers were established in the time
of the Second Caliph, Umar bin Khattab:
Sahih Bukhari Volume 3, Book 32, Number 227:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever prayed at night the
whole month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith and
hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous
sins will be forgiven." Ibn Shihab (a sub-narrator) said,
"Allah's Apostle died and the people continued observing
that (i.e. Nawafil offered individually, not in congregation),
and it remained as it was during the Caliphate
of Abu Bakr and in the early days of 'Umar's Caliphate."
'Abdur Rahman bin 'Abdul Qari said, "I went out
in the company of 'Umar bin Al-Khattab one night in
Ramadan to the mosque and found the people praying
in different groups. A man praying alone or a man
praying with a little group behind him. So, 'Umar
said, 'In my opinion I would better collect these
(people) under the leadership of one Qari
(Reciter) (i.e. let them pray in congregation!)'.
So, he made up his mind to congregate them behind
Ubai bin Ka'b. Then on another night I went again in
his company and the people were praying behind their
reciter. On that, 'Umar remarked, 'What an excellent
Bid'a (i.e. innovation in religion) this is;
but the prayer which they do not perform, but sleep at
its time is better than the one they are offering.' He
meant the prayer in the last part of the night. (In those
days) people used to pray in the early part of the
night."
This hadith clearly shows that not only is Taraweeh
a “Bid’a”, in the Second Caliph’s own words, but it
was also established using his own “opinion”.
WHAT DO OUR IMAMS SAY ABOUT TARAWEEH?
Imams Baqir and Sadiq (as) narrate that the Prophet
(saw) said:
“Verily, the offering of nafila in congregation
during the nights of Ramadan is an innovation…
O people! do not say nafila prayers of Ramadan
in congregation….Without doubt, performing a minor
act of worship which is according to the sunna is better
than performing a major act of worship which is an
innovation.”
[al-Hurr al-`Amili, Wasa’il al-Shi`ah, volume 8, pg 45]
Devouring the flesh of your Marja
by Mohsin Asharia
When our 12th Imam (may Allah (swt) hasten his reappearance) went into occultation, he left a clear message to the believers:
"And as for the future occurrences, refer to the narrators of our traditions because they are my proof upon you and I am the proof of Allah."
The 11th Imam (as) had already made this quite clear when he said:
"It is obligatory for the populace to follow the jurist who refrains from committing wrong, mentions his faith, opposes carnal desire and obeys Allah's command."
It’s pretty evident from these and other traditions that Taqleed is wajib (if one doesn’t practise Ihtiyat or Ijtehad) and following one’s Mujtahid is also obligatory. Indeed the status of these scholars is beyond doubt.
Imam Ali (as) said: “The reward of a religious scholar is greater than the reward of a person who is fasting on days and establishes prayers during the night and fights in the Holy War for the sake of Allah. And, when a religious scholar dies, there will appear a gap in Islam which cannot be compensated except by a replacement of that (kind).” Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 2, p. 43
We can see that these jurists and maraje occupy a most high position in the eyes of Allah (swt).
So it is sad, when the month of Ramadhan draws to a close and the perennial debates about Eid begin, that we see some members of the community talking about these scholars as if they are pieces of trash.
“Why is that mujtahid causing disunity in our community? We never used to have these problems!” and “He’s living in a third-world country! What does he know about astronomy?” do not seem out of place in these “discussions”. It’s sickening. And it has to stop.
The Maraje begin studying from the moment they can talk and continue for decades. They sacrifice the things we take for granted solely for the pleasure of Allah. They scrutinize every single verse in the Qur’an, and inspect every word and every narrator of every hadith before they come up with a ruling. So what do we do to thank them? “I don’t agree with that ruling! It doesn’t make sense!”
We, many of whom have never even picked up a book, have the guts to try and correct the representative of our Imam (ajfs) . Not only that, some of us even try to find a way out! “Can I follow a different marja on this matter?” How laughable! You’ve put your faith in this jurist because you believe him to be the most knowledgeable, and now you wish to change solely because the ruling doesn’t suit you?
But what is more ludicrous, bordering on humorous, is that after doing all of this, some of us have the stomach to go on and pray for the 12th Imam’s reappearance to fight for him. Yeah right! For some reason, I doubt the Imam will want the very people who slander his representatives in his army!
So let’s do ourselves a favour this month of Ramadhan. Rather than backbiting about the maraje that we are supposed to be following, let’s make a vow to replace those words with kindness, compassion, and mercy for the people who have sacrificed their lives to help us attain salvation.
When our 12th Imam (may Allah (swt) hasten his reappearance) went into occultation, he left a clear message to the believers:
"And as for the future occurrences, refer to the narrators of our traditions because they are my proof upon you and I am the proof of Allah."
The 11th Imam (as) had already made this quite clear when he said:
"It is obligatory for the populace to follow the jurist who refrains from committing wrong, mentions his faith, opposes carnal desire and obeys Allah's command."
It’s pretty evident from these and other traditions that Taqleed is wajib (if one doesn’t practise Ihtiyat or Ijtehad) and following one’s Mujtahid is also obligatory. Indeed the status of these scholars is beyond doubt.
Imam Ali (as) said: “The reward of a religious scholar is greater than the reward of a person who is fasting on days and establishes prayers during the night and fights in the Holy War for the sake of Allah. And, when a religious scholar dies, there will appear a gap in Islam which cannot be compensated except by a replacement of that (kind).” Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 2, p. 43
We can see that these jurists and maraje occupy a most high position in the eyes of Allah (swt).
So it is sad, when the month of Ramadhan draws to a close and the perennial debates about Eid begin, that we see some members of the community talking about these scholars as if they are pieces of trash.
“Why is that mujtahid causing disunity in our community? We never used to have these problems!” and “He’s living in a third-world country! What does he know about astronomy?” do not seem out of place in these “discussions”. It’s sickening. And it has to stop.
The Maraje begin studying from the moment they can talk and continue for decades. They sacrifice the things we take for granted solely for the pleasure of Allah. They scrutinize every single verse in the Qur’an, and inspect every word and every narrator of every hadith before they come up with a ruling. So what do we do to thank them? “I don’t agree with that ruling! It doesn’t make sense!”
We, many of whom have never even picked up a book, have the guts to try and correct the representative of our Imam (ajfs) . Not only that, some of us even try to find a way out! “Can I follow a different marja on this matter?” How laughable! You’ve put your faith in this jurist because you believe him to be the most knowledgeable, and now you wish to change solely because the ruling doesn’t suit you?
But what is more ludicrous, bordering on humorous, is that after doing all of this, some of us have the stomach to go on and pray for the 12th Imam’s reappearance to fight for him. Yeah right! For some reason, I doubt the Imam will want the very people who slander his representatives in his army!
So let’s do ourselves a favour this month of Ramadhan. Rather than backbiting about the maraje that we are supposed to be following, let’s make a vow to replace those words with kindness, compassion, and mercy for the people who have sacrificed their lives to help us attain salvation.
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