Fasting In Shawwal

It's been over a week since Eid is over. Hopefully you all had a relaxing and an enjoyable break. Eid along with a wedding function for a friend gave me an added reason to enjoy and celebrate.

Now that I am well rested and back to routine, I am planning on keeping the six Shawwal fasts.

Fasting six days of Shawwal after the obligatory fast of Ramadan is Sunnah Mustahabbah. It is recommended for the Muslim to fast six days of Shawwal, and in this there is great virtue and an immense reward. Whoever fasts these six days will have recorded for him a reward as if he had fasted a whole year, as was reported in a Saheeh Hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). 

Abu Ayyoob (may Allah be pleased with him) reported

that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 

Whoever fasts Ramadan and follows it with six days of Shawwal, it will be as if he fasted for a lifetime.”

(Narrated by Muslim, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) explained this when he said: “Whoever fasts for six days after Eid ul-Fitr has completed the year: (whoever does a good deed (hasanah) will have ten hasanah like it).” According to another report: “Allah has made for each hasanah ten like it, so a month is like fasting ten months, and fasting six days completes the year.” (al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah). 

It was also narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah with the wording: 

“Fasting for the month of Ramadan brings the reward of ten like it, 

and fasting for six days brings the reward of two months, 

and that is the fasting of the whole year.”

The Hanbali and Shaafa’i fuqaha’ explained that fasting six days of Shawwal after fasting Ramadan makes it as if one has fasted for an entire year of obligatory fasts, because the multiplication of the reward applies even to naafil fasts, because each hasanah brings the reward of ten like it.

Another of the important benefits of fasting six days of Shawwal is that is makes up for any shortfall in a person's obligatory Ramadan fasts, because no one is free of shortcomings or sins that have a negative effect on his fasting. On the Day of Resurrection, some of his naafil deeds will be taken to make up the shortcomings in his obligatory deeds, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“The first thing for which people will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be their salaah (prayer). Our Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, will say to His angels – although He knows best – ‘Look at the salaah of My slave, whether it is complete or incomplete.’ If it is perfect, it will be recorded as perfect, and if something is lacking, He will say, ‘Look and see whether My slave did any voluntary (naafil) prayers.’ If he did some voluntary prayers, [Allah] will say, complete the obligatory actions of My slave from his voluntary actions.’ Then all his actions will be dealt with in a similar manner.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood).

I Am Not A Muslim, But Ramadan Changed Me

Below is an article I came across on HuffingtonPost.com. How blessed Ramadan is can truly be understand by reading this article. This lady has not yet reverted to Islam, but she is absolutely fascinated by Ramadan and Muslims' actions during the month. SubhanAllah!

Here's the article:

My apartment is located in between three of the area's most frequented bars. At 3 a.m. on a Sunday, I can hear the remainder of Saturday night's revelers as they pass my window; singing, chatting and shouting under the street lights. I've never been much of a party girl, yet I can relate more easily to the 3 a.m. scene outside my window than the one I find myself facing inside. It is 3 a.m. and I'm alone at my kitchen table, eating porridge in the dark. My mini-Ramadan began with a lonely breakfast accompanied by the drunken songs of strangers on the street below.

As Ramadan drew to a close this weekend, many Muslims around the world reflected on the month that passed. I am not a Muslim and won't be actively celebrating Eid this week. Yet I have been reflecting on my own experiences this month. I too have learned a great deal.

I had never really fasted before. I grew up as a Roman Catholic and as a child I'd unwilling give-up crisps or biscuits as a token gesture during Lent. Today I self-identify as a Liberal Quaker and there is no specified imperative compelling me to fast as part of my community's religious experience. As an interfaith activist I have encountered friends from a number of different faiths quietly, humbly abstaining from food and drink. Watching my friends fasting, often whilst they are working and during the long summer days, I have felt a sense of wonder and to be honest, confusion. I found it hard to imagine that going without food could bring me closer to God. Surely it would only make me distracted, grumpy and hungry. This Ramadan, I decided that an experience of fasting was long-overdue. Maybe it was possible for me, a food-loving, non-Muslim, to learn something by taking part in this important Islamic month. But thirty days? You must be joking. I was determined to try at least three.

Sunday, July 29, marked the solemn Jewish holy day Tisha B'Av, a day when many Jewish people fast. This seemed an appropriate day to begin my own fast since I was traveling with a Jewish friend to an interfaith Iftar that evening. My friend explained that in the Jewish tradition, fasting can take on different meanings and purposes depending on the occasion of the fast. A fast might make you feel discomfort as a way of relating to the suffering of ancestors or at other times, eating could be a distraction from the spiritual and therefore it is better to go without food. I listened with genuine interest and tried to understand, but by the end of that day, as I took the first bite of a juicy date, I couldn't quite comprehend that my discomfort had made me feel any closer to the divine. As I prayed later that evening, however, something strange began to emerge. My hungry conscious self did not anticipate subconscious ramblings expressing feelings of gratitude and happiness. I felt blessed for the day, in spite of myself.

Staying with a dear friend for the next two days, I tried to fit into her Ramadan routine. Prayer soon became far more regular than I'd ever known, not to mention it acted as a good distraction from thoughts of food. Going to the mosque each evening, I sat at the back in quiet contemplation, glancing toward my Muslims sisters' as they bowed and prostrated, whilst listening to extracts of the Quran in Arabic; I could little understand it, yet still I recognized its beauty. One thing I love about Islam is that it is a religion deeply rooted in and centered on praying. During Ramadan this is strengthened, as Muslims try to spend more time at the mosque, joining together as a community for the night prayers.

Community is certainly an element of Ramadan that uplifted me. Sharing in the fast with my friend and her family made me quickly feel like part of this small community, not to mention the trips we made to the homes of extended family and the sharing of food at the mosque on my final day of fasting. One reason that I chose to fast during Ramadan in particular, is because in my experience, of all the world religions, Islam is perhaps the most misunderstood and often misrepresented. Last Autumn, I attended a debate on multiculturalism which very quickly turned in to a tirade against Islam. The first speaker set the tone by telling a story of Muslim school children being denied water on the hottest day of the year during Ramadan. The facts of this story remain unclear yet in my experience the younger siblings of the family were beyond enthusiastic about Ramadan. They were learning to fast gently: one day on, one day off. But they clearly wanted to fast. It felt as if they recognized fasting as sharing in something bigger, something that was uniting the family and the whole community. Certainly, I felt united through shared experience. And it goes without saying that I was welcomed warmly (and not without a certain degree of curiosity) when I was found to be a non-Muslim fasting for Ramadan.

Although I only fasted for three days, the experience has stayed with me, so that even now, weeks later, I am still reflecting on that time. There is much to be learned from Ramadan. Not just about the Muslim community and improving religious literacy, I learned a great deal about myself. I didn't know that I had such strong will power, having given in to the first stomach rumble at the earliest opportunity before the fast. Inspired by my experience, my approach to food and eating has now improved for the better. Perhaps obvious lessons I take away include reasserting self-control and developing increased empathy with those who have no choice but to go without food.

As a result of the conversations I shared and through my limited understanding (after just three days of fasting), I reflected that the reason why Ramadan is so special and potentially so transformative is because of the sustained effort and the notion of focus that this both allows and creates. We might try day in and day out to live our faith, to express our beliefs as best we can through out daily actions, but we are human; we will and we do fail. What is wonderful about Ramadan, I think, is that it is a full month out of 12 where one can become deeply self-reflective, to look back on the efforts of the year that has past and look forward to the year ahead. Of course we can be (and one might argue ought to be) self-reflective at any other time of the year. But perhaps the fasting, the sense of community, the shared experience and the self-control presented during Ramadan offers a much needed helping hand. I know that I could use a helping hand once in a while. So this may have been the first time, but it will not be the last time that this Quaker will be fasting.

Ready For Eid-ul-Fitr?

With Eid ul Fitr just round the corner and the successful culmination of Ramadan fasting, a great sense of excitement and joy rents the air. Homes, streets, parks, malls, mosques and hotels have been spruced up with flowers, plants, perfumes and designer lights for the three-day Eid celebrations.

Thousands of families have been thronging markets across for the past few days: buying new clothes, sweets, greeting cards and gift items for their near and dear ones. Gardens, beach-fronts, amusement parks and other important public places have been cleaned as these places will be bustling with activity during the holidays.

Eid al Fitr, a three-day celebration, is a great institution that embodies Islam’s message of love, peace, unity and security to all. Eid is also a ‘Thanksgiving Day’ because the first thing the faithful Muslims do is to assemble in a brotherly and happy environment for Eid prayers to offer their gratitude to Allah (SWT) for the countless blessings that they enjoy.

Eid brings people together, builds bonds of brotherhood and provides a platform for sharing this happiness with the underprivileged sections of society by way of giving them obligatory charity before proceeding for Eid prayers. The distribution of Fitr (alms) to the poor also constitutes a major part of the Eid activities.

Once the Eid ul Fitr moon is sighted the preparations for the Eid celebrations begin.

Eid ul Fitr prayer is an integral part of Eid, which is worth mentioning. According to the practices of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Eid Prayers are conducted in open grounds under the open sky. All the Muslims visit the prayer grounds in the morning on this day and recite the Takbir “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar” (which means Allah is the Greatest) just before the prayers are offered.

Soon after the Eid Prayers, a 'Khutba' (Islamic sermon) is delivered. The person reciting the 'Khutba' leads the prayer and is called the 'Khateeb'.

After the prayer and sermon, there is usually a gathering at the Muslims' houses where all their near and dear ones accompany them in the Eid meals. Muslims wish each other Eid Mubarak (Happy Eid). All the children receive gifts as a token of love from all their relatives as Eid is the day to exchange gifts among each other. 

The entire day is marked with the triumph and happiness spread all around. 

Defining Life takes this apportunity to wish all the Muslims round the world a very blessed Eid ul Fitr.

Laylatul Qadr And Its Importance

So valuable is this Night of Qadr that the Quran devotes a special surah to it:

لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ - “Lailatul Qadr is better than a thousand months!” [Surah -Al- Qadr:3] 

ليلة القدر is commonly translated as 'Night of Decree'.

Allah (SWT) knows everything. He informs His angels what He has decreed for the people for the upcoming year. قدر  also means nobility, honour and dignity. So it’s called (Laylatul-Qadr) because of its greatness and nobility.

It is made unknown which night of Ramadhān it is. Some said it is the twenty seventh of Ramadhān, while others had the view that it is the twenty first, twenty third, twenty fifth or twenty ninth – meaning that it is one of the odd number nights of the last ten nights of Ramadhān. `Ayshah (RA) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Look for it in the odd nights of the last ten nights.”

It is not specified in order to help the believers spend more nights in worship and devotion, not remaining content with only one night. And also as Al-Aloosy said: “to remove us from some blame, in comparison to if we knew when the Night of Qadr was, and we become lazy”.

It is not an ordinary night like other nights, but a night in which destinies are made. It marks the revelation of a Book which changed the destiny of not only the Quraysh or Arabia, but of the entire world.

لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ: The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.

ليلة القدر The Night of Decree – this is mentioned (in place of a pronoun) to show how important and majestic this Night is in the sight of Allah (SWT).

The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months: The good acts performed during this night are superior in value to the good acts of a thousand months in which the Night of Decree is not included (which is estimated around 83 years and 4 months). The average lifespan of the Muslim nation is 60 – 70 years. Allah (SWT) is offering us a lifetime full of worship's reward, per every year, within one night time.

Abū Hurayrah (RA) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever spends Laylatu-Qadr in prayer, with faith and seeking Allah’s reward, will have whatever proceeds of his sins forgiven.”

(Al-Bukhārī and Muslim)

It is recorded that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned a man from among the children of Israel who set out for Jihād in the cause of Allah (SWT) for one thousand months. When this was mentioned to his companions they were amazed and wished that they too could do the same good deed. Therefore, Allah (SWT) revealed this Sūrah as a mercy and blessing from Him, saying that spending this night in worship is far better than worshipping Allah (SWT) for a thousand months.”

Others said that this خير (better) – refers not just to worship, but also to doing good with others. So if you have broken up with someone (i.e. a relative, a Muslim friend etc.) - then this is the best night to do the good of uniting with them and removing the hard feelings between each other.

This ayah could mean that The Night of Qadr is better than all times. An infinity context is being implied.

`Aayshah (RA) said, “I asked the Prophet; “O Messenger of Allāh! If I observed the Night of Decree what should I say?” He replied, “Say, “O Allāh! You are the Forgiving; You love to forgive, so forgive me.”

"اللهم إنك عفو تحب العفو فاعف عني"

Five things to do on Laylatul Qadr:

1. Recite the Qur'an abundantly.

2. Strive to gain forgiveness.

3. Do much Superogatory Prayers (Nafil).

4. Increase in Dhikr (Rememberance of Allah).

5. Make much Dua'a.

May Allah (SWT) give us the blessing in witnessing and following the Night of Qadr in this year and the upcoming years, and give us love and understanding of the Qur'an, and its implementation. May Allah send peace and blessings upon His Messenger Muhammad (SAW), Ameen!

Burmese Muslims And The Blind World

While the rest of the Islamic world engages in rituals of the Holy month of Ramadan, fasting, praying and giving alms, the Muslim community of in Burma and Syria is being incessantly targeted and slaughtered mercilessly. 

In the recent months, thousands of Burmese Muslims have been butchered, while brutal methods of torturing, killing, inflicting physical and causing mental harm on them were employed by the Buddhists who are in majority in the country. Others are forced to flee for their lives and dwell in squalid conditions. Instead of resolving the problem by protecting the minority Muslims, the Burmese military regime, covertly supported the Buddhist rioters, which created greater hardships for the Muslims. 

Eye witnesses disclosed that Buddhist extremists torched several mosques, shops and houses of Muslims, while police and security forces of Myanmar remain silent. Even Burmese military and police have been found involved in massacre, target killings, disappearances and rape of Muslim women.

Meaniwhile In Syria, the past 17 months of conflict have been nothing less than a nighmare. Muslims are being forced to bow to Assad and worship him as a God. Stories of killings, rape and torture beyond human imagination are becoming part of the "normal" news.

“History will judge this Council,” U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a July 13 e-mailed statement. “Its members must ask themselves whether continuing to allow the Assad regime to commit unspeakable violence against its own people is the legacy they want to leave.”

Are these Muslims being helped? Your guess is only as good as ours. We hear of refugee camps being set up, maybe monetary aid being sent. We cannot really blame anyone for not helping unless we have done our part.

Truth is, in the age of internet, massacres of Burmese poor, innocent and helpless Muslims are continuing amid high felonious silence and complete boycott of international media.

International community, which proclaims itself as the sole saviour of the world and is committed to stop all sorts of terrorism, has turned a blind eye to the massacres and inhuman behaviour meted out to Burmese Muslims, who are the most persecuted community in the world.

The United Nations that dispatched international observers to Syria to prevent citizens from violent groups loyal to the Syrian government understands that its sole condemnation would bring the climate to normalisation. Even though this is the world’s largest and powerful institution, it is not considering on any proposal to send a team of international observers to Rohingya to prevent the lives of children, men and women.

Muslim countries, who always are on one platform against terrorism and that cannot see a single person having extremist ideas, too are keeping their mouth shut over this madness by Buddhist monks and their followers. These Muslim countries issue every hour a new press release over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria; however, they don’t have a single word about Burmese Muslims and against Myanmar government.

These are Muslim countries, which have references from Qur’ān and Hadith as well as have Fatwas from prominent religious institutions to give their stand on war against terrorism a solid point, find no Qur’ānic verses that ask Muslims to help and assist with all means to oppressed Muslim community in any part of the world.

In short, there is no word to express what Burmese Muslims have been facing there. It is known, that any country, Muslim or non-Muslim, will not come forward to save them as they are not directed by the United States.

This is a blind world where blind humans live with no soul and with no sense of human values.

What We Can Do To Help:

Abu Said al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) had said:

"Whoever amongst you sees anything objectionable, let him change it with his hand, if he is not able, then with his tongue, and if he is not even able to do so, then with his heart, and the latter is the weakest form of faith." [Sahih Muslim]

Living miles and miles away from these people and knowing that we cannot do much to help these people, we should at least have it in our hearts that what's happening is wrong and beyond humanity. And we should try our best to spread the word, considering the media has turned a blind ear to the situation.

Reasons For Enjoining Good And Forbidding Evil:

~ Aspiring for Allah’s reward for doing so.

~ Fearing Allah’s punishment for neglecting this duty.

~ Experiencing rage due to transgressions of bounds and prohibitions laid down by Allah.

~ Wishing well for the believers, feeling compassion and mercy towards them, and hoping to save them from Allah’s punishment and wrath in this life and the Hereafter for the wrongs they had allowed themselves to commit.

~ Exaltation of Allah, glorifying and loving Him. He is entitled to be obeyed, never to be disobeyed; remembered, never forgotten; that life and wealth be sacrificed to safeguard his bounds against transgression.