Importance of Ramadhan

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His  forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol,  no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: IMPORTANCE OF RAMZAN AS PER QURAN & PROPHET SAWS HADIS

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1967        Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Paradise is decorated for Ramadan from the beginning of the year till a following year, and when the first day of Ramadan comes, a wind under the throne blows some of the leaves of paradise on the maidens with large bright eyes, and they say, `My Lord, appoint us husbands from among Thy servants, with whom we shall be happy and who will be happy with us."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1962        Narrated byAbu Hurayrah

Allah`s Messenger (peace be upon him) 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."

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 4.754         Narrated byIbn Abbas

The Prophet was the most generous of all the people, and he used to become more generous in Ramadan when Gabriel met him. Gabriel used to meet him every night during Ramadan to revise the Qur`an with him. Allah`s Apostle then used to be more generous than the fast wind.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.226         Narrated byAbu Huraira

I heard Allah`s Apostle saying regarding Ramadan, "Whoever prayed at night in it (the month of Ramadan) out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven."

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.241         Narrated byAisha

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.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 9.519         Narrated byAbu Huraira

The Prophet said, "Whoever believes in Allah and His Apostle, offers prayers perfectly and fasts (the month of) Ramadan then it is incumbent upon Allah to admit him into Paradise, whether he emigrates for Allah`s cause or stays in the land where he was born." They (the companions of the Prophet) said, "O Allah`s Apostle! Should we not inform the people of that?" He said, "There are one-hundred degrees in Paradise which Allah has prepared for those who carry on Jihad in His Cause. The distance between every two degrees is like the distance between the sky and the Earth, so if you ask Allah for anything, ask Him for the Firdaus, for it is the last part of Paradise and the highest part of Paradise, and at its top there is the Throne of the Beneficent, and from it gush forth the rivers of Paradise."

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.125         Narrated byAbu Huraira

The Prophet said, "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."

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.86 Narrated byIbn Abbas

When the Prophet returned after performing his Hajj, he asked Um Sinan Al-Ansari, "What did forbid you to perform Hajj?" She replied, "Father of so-and-so (i.e. her husband) had two camels and he performed Hajj on one of them, and the second is used for the irrigation of our land." The Prophet said (to her), "Perform `Umra in the month of Ramadan, (as it is equivalent to Hajj or Hajj with me (in reward)."

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2390  Narrated byAbuHurayrah

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If anyone breaks his fast one day in Ramadan without a concession granted to him by Allah, a perpetual fast will not atone for it.

Ref:  The Night of Qadr

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 97 Surah Al Qadr verses 1-5: We have send down this (Quran) in the Night of Glory.   And what do you know what the Night of Glory is?   The Night of Glory is better than a thousand months.   The angels and the Spirit descend in it with every decree,  by the leave of their Lord.   That Night is all peace,  till the rise of dawn.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.234         Narrated byAisha

Allah`s Apostle said, "Search for the Night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1964        Narrated byAnas ibn Malik

Anas told of Allah`s Messenger (peace be upon him) saying when Ramadan began, "This month has come to you, and it contains a night which is better than a thousand months. He who is deprived of it is deprived of all good, but only those who are denied prosperity are deprived of it."

Your Question: WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO WORSHIP IN THIS HOLY MONTH OF RAMZAN

The absolute best way to worship in this Holy Month of Ramadan is to take the example of the one who was the best in his worship to Allah;  Mohamed ar Rasool Allah (saws).

1. It is obligatory on every muslim adult to fast in this Holy Month of Ramadan.
2. It is obligatory to pray the ‘fard’ prayers,  like it is for every other month.
3. Pray as many ‘nafl’ or voluntary prayers in this blessed month of Allah as is possible.
4. Recite and study the Holy Quran as much as possible.
5. Spend as much of the night as possible in praying and supplicating Allah for forgiveness of past sins.
6. Give as much charity and sadaqa as possible in this blessed month,  as is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).   It is preferable to give out the ‘zakah’ (obligatory charity) in this month.
7. If possible,  try and do the Umrah pilgrimage to the Sacred House in this blessed month,  for the Prophet (saws) said that the reward of Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent as having done the pilgrimage of Hajj with him (saws).
8. Try to do ‘itiqaaf’ (isolate yourself for worship of Allah) as was the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah.  
9. Excel in doing all kind of good deeds,  and abstain from all evil deeds in this blessed month.

One of the wives of the Prophet (saws) asked him the best supplication one could make to Allah in this blessed month,  and the Prophet (saws) told her to pray like this: “Allah Humma innaka Afu-wan,  Tohibbal Affwa,  Fahfo Anna”.

“O Allah,  you indeed are the All-Forgiving.   You love to Forgive;  thus (please) forgive me”.

Try to pray the above supplication as many times as possible in this blessed month.    Allah forgives and saves more people from the Hell Fire in this Blessed Month,  than any other month of the year.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan