Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I would like to know how i can take advantage of the last 10 days of ramadan to get the reward of laylatul qadr? the problem is that i am going to have my period during these last 10 days? i cant read the quran because i dont know arabic plus i cant touch it anyways. i cant go to the mosque and pray. or pray at home either way. i know i can make dua and tasbeeeh but that is not all i want to do because it would get kind of boring just doing tasbeeh and dua alll night for the 10 days. is there any other kind of worship i could do to get this reward?

i think i read a hadith somewhere saying that women get more hasanat if they pray at home? so that means i shouldnt bother going to the mosque and praying? i went to the mosque thinking i was getting a better reward.

i would like to inshallah fast the 6 days of shawwal inorder to get the reward of fasting the whole year. however do i have to make up for my missing days in ramadan first and then fast the 6 days. or can i fast the 6 days of shawwal and then the days i missed sometime else in the future. i dont want to fast the days i missed in ramadan and the 6 days of shawwal all in that one month. it will be like fasting half of shawwal. so what is your opinion?

i would really appreciate a quick reply because the last 10 days of ramadan is approaching soon.

your sister in Islam

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Women last ten days 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 Questions: I would like to know how i can take advantage of the last 10 days of ramadan to get the reward of laylatul qadr? the problem is that i am going to have my period during these last 10 days? i cant read the quran because i dont know arabic plus i cant touch it anyways. i cant go to the mosque and pray. or pray at home either way. i know i can make dua and tasbeeeh but that is not all i want to do because it would get kind of boring just doing tasbeeh and dua alll night for the 10 days. is there any other kind of worship i could do to get this reward?

Al-Bukhari and Muslim record from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (saws) said: "Whoever prays during the night of qadr with faith and hoping for its reward will have all of his previous sins forgiven.

A menstruating woman is indeed not permitted to offer canonical prayers, or visit the mosques, or touch a copy of the Glorious Quran; but she can still worship her Lord Most Merciful on this most blessed of nights and avail of all its benefits and rewards… and that is by remembering her Lord, extolling and praising Him, remembering one’s sins and seeking His sincere forgiveness, and in absolute humility and hope making as many supplications as one can to their Lord Most Gracious; for nothing is dearer to Allah than His humble slave raising their hands and making supplications to Him.

Abu Hurairah reported, "The Prophet (saws) said, "Nothing is more dear to Allah than one's supplication to Him.''

Narrated by Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.

Nu'man b. Bashir reported that the Prophet (saws), said, "Verily supplication is worship."

Narrated by Ahmad and Sunan.

Salman reported that the Prophet (saws), said, "Your Lord, the Blessed and the Exalted One, is Modest and Generous, and He loathes to turn away His servant empty-handed when he raises his hands to Him in supplication."

Narrated by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban.

One of the best supplications one can and should make on this most blessed of nights is the one the Prophet (saws) taught Hadrat Aisha (r.a.):

Aishah said: "I asked the Prophet (saws): 'O Messenger of Allah (saws), if I know what night is the Night of Qadr, what should I say during it?' He (saws) said: 'Say: O Allah, You are The Pardoner and You love to pardon, so pardon me.' "

Related by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and by at-Tirmidhi

Your Question: i know i can make dua and tasbeeeh but that is not all i want to do because it would get kind of boring just doing tasbeeh and dua alll night for the 10 days. is there any other kind of worship i could do to get this reward?
Dear and Beloved Sister, any good deed done for the sole purpose of attaining the Pleasure and Good Will of the Lord Most Gracious is regarded as worship in the Sight of the Lord! Here are a just a few of the deeds which hold enormous weight in the Scales of the Lord Most Gracious:

1. If one or both of your parents are alive, visit them, serve them, say a good kind word of respect and honor to them, thank them for all that they have done for you, and express your love and respect for them like you have never done before; only for the Pleasure of Allah. This would be a great deed and a form of worship in the Sight and Scales of your Lord.
2. If you are married, be absolutely and devoutly obedient to your husband; only for the Pleasure of Allah. This would be a great deed and a form of worship in the Sight and Scales of your Lord.
3. Call or visit your relatives and close friends between whom and you the Shaytaan might have sown some animosity and amend relations with them only for the sake of Allah Subhanah. This would be a great deed and a form of worship in the Sight and Scales of your Lord.
4. Visit or call a loved-one who is sick, or help one who is impoverished, or spend on the poor and the needy, or feed one who is hungry, or just simply say a kind word to every one you meet; only for the sake of Allah Subhanah. These would be great deeds and a form of worship in the Sight and Scales of your Lord.
5. And if one finds it difficult to do good deeds, then make intention to stay away from doing bad deeds like gossiping, abusing, rebuking, reviling, cursing or even mocking or laughing at and hurting someone only for the fear of Allah Subhanah. These would be great deeds and a form of worship in the Sight and Scales of your Lord.

Dear and Beloved Sister, apart from the actual rites and rituals of worship, any good one does, even if it may seem absolutely insignificant in the sight of this world, if done with the right intentions and only for the Pleasure and Good Will of the Lord, they hold tremendous weight in the Scales and Sight of Allah Subhanah, the Lord of the Worlds.

Your Question: i think i read a hadith somewhere saying that women get more hasanat if they pray at home? so that means i shouldnt bother going to the mosque and praying? i went to the mosque thinking i was getting a better reward.

Ahmad and at-Tabarani record that Umm Humaid as-Sa'diyah came to the Messenger of Allah(saws) and said: "O Messenger of Allah (saws), I love to pray with you." The Prophet(saws) said: "I am aware of that, but your salah in your residence is better for you than your salah in your people's mosque. And your salah in your people's mosque is better than your salah in the [larger] congregational Mosque."

Islam has made it permissible for the believing woman to offer their prayers in the mosques if they wish to do so, but there is absolutely no doubt that the prayer of a believing woman slave of Allah in the privacy of her home is better than her prayer in the mosques.

Your Question: i would like to inshallah fast the 6 days of shawwal inorder to get the reward of fasting the whole year. however do i have to make up for my missing days in ramadan first and then fast the 6 days. or can i fast the 6 days of shawwal and then the days i missed sometime else in the future. i dont want to fast the days i missed in ramadan and the 6 days of shawwal all in that one month. it will be like fasting half of shawwal. so what is your opinion?

Abu Ayyub al-Ansari reported that the Prophet (saws) said: "Whoever fasts during the month of Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal, will be [rewarded] as if he had fasted the entire year."

Related by Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ahmad, Abu Dawood.

Dear and Beloved Sister in Islam, the obligatory fasts that one missed are a debt one owes to Allah Subhanah, and they must be made up before one intends to make the voluntary or extra fasts.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan