Seek Greatest Night Of The Year

The Last 10 days and nights of Ramadan

During the Era of Covid-19 Pandemic

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The Month of Mercy, the Month of Forgiveness, the blessed month of Ramadan came and is passing away very fast. Today is 17^th of Ramadan. Half of the blessed month has passed. Not only that, even two Fridays, the two Jumahs of the blessed month,  has also passed. But fortunately, we are still in the middle part of the blessed month, the part which brings forgiveness. Still there is time to get our sins cleared; still there is time to ask for forgiveness from Allah the Almighty who is ready to forgive our sins. The other half of the blessed month is approaching which is full of Allah’s Mercy and blessing. In this part of the month, especially during the last 10 days and nights, a night which is the greatest night of the year, the Lailatul Qadr. During these ten days and nights, Muslims used to spend in the Mosque for I’tikaf. 

Coronavirus, Stay Home

and social distancing

Ramadan is usually a time of breaking fast together, praying together and spending hours with family and friends. Ramadan is observed as part of the Islamic calendar worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. Muslims traditionally observed Ramadan through prayer, contemplation and through fasting, and through spending times with friends and families. These qualities and characters are demonstrated, especially, in the last part of the blessed month of Ramadan. Within this blessed month, another best part of this month is the last part, or the last ten days and ten nights of Ramadan. There is Lailatul Qadr and Jumah al-Wida.

Due to Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, Mosques are closed; there are no congregational prayers and no Taraweeh prayers at Mosque. So prayers are to be performed at home. According to instructions, stay home, protect the NHS and save lives. Stay at home and maintain social distancing in order to fight coronavirus pandemic. It must be remembered that protection of life in Islam is a priority.

I'tikaf

During the last part of the blessed month of Ramadan, there is I’tikaf. I’tikaf means seclusion and staying in the Mosque with the intention of becoming closer to Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) would perform I’tikaf for last 10 days every Ramadan. In the year that he died, he performed it for twenty days. (Related by Al-Bukhari, Abu Dawud, and Ibn-Majah). The next Friday either on 15^th  of May (22 Ramadan) or 22^nd of May (29 Ramadan) will be the Jumatul-Widah, the last Friday of the Blessed Month of Ramadan. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it will not be possible to perform I’tikaf in the Mosque. So stay at home.

Lailatul Qadr (The Night of Decree)

Lailatul-Qadr is the greatest night of the year like the Day of Arafah is the greatest day of the year. It is a night about which Allah revealed a full Surah, Suratul-Qadr (Al-Qur’an; 97:1-5) and the 3^rd to the 6^th verses of the Surat ad-Dukhan (Al-Qur’an; 44:3-6). Allah the Almighty said in the Qur’an, “Indeed We have revealed it (Qur’an) in the Night of Decree. And what will explain to you what the Night of Decree is? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. Therein descends the Angels and the Spirit (Jibreel) by Allah’s permission, on every errand: (they say) “Peace” (continuously) till the rise of morning!” (Al-Qur’an; 97:1-5). A person who misses Lailatul Qadr is really a deprived person!

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The blessed month has come to you. Allah has made fasting during it obligatory upon you. During it the gates to Paradise are opened and the gates of Hellfire are locked, and the devils are chained. There is a night (during this month) which is better than a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of its good is really deprived (of something great). (Ahmad, an-Nisai and al-Bayhaqi).

Aishah said, “Allah’s Messenger used to practice I’tikaf in the last ten nights and say: ‘Seek out Lailatul-Qadr in the (odd nights) of the last ten days of Ramadan.” (Bukhari and Muslim).

Zakat

The word Zakat in Arabic means purification. The giving of Zakat (obligatory charity) is the third pillar of Islam. There are two types of Zakat: Zakat-ul-Fitr (charity of Eid-ul-Fitr, given to the poor before Eid prayer) and Zakat Al-Maal (purifying charity, paid on one’s wealth).

It is to be noted that Zakat-ul-Fitr was declared by the Prophet (peace be upon him) as a prerequisite for the acceptance of fasting. But when and whom to pay Zakat-ul-Fitr? First of all, who has to pay?  Each and every Muslim, regardless of his social status, is required to give a certain amount of charity usually in the form of food grains, barley, raisin etc. called Zakat-ul-Fitr at the end of Ramadan and before the Eid-ul-Fitr so that every member of the Muslim community, especially the poor, have something to eat on the day of Eid.  It is meant to cement the relationship between the members of the Muslim society, to alleviate the pain of the poor, to cultivate the sense of brotherhood and solidarity in the hearts of the Muslims, etc., said Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi.

Dr. Qaradawi also said, “If a person dies before Maghrib on the last day of Ramadan, Zakat-ul-Fitr would not be obligatory upon him even if he fasted all the other days of the month. Conversely, if a child is born after Maghrib on the last day of Ramadan, i.e. the first night of Shawwal, it would be obligatory to pay Zakat: Zakat-ul-Fitr on his or her behalf. This view is unanimously agreed upon by Muslim scholars.” The head of the household must pay for every member of the family, even for the newborn. The Muslim is supposed to pay Zakat-ul-Fitr (i.e., Zakah of breaking the fast) in the country where he or she spends the first night of the month of Shawwal.

So far as the Zakat-ul-Maal is concerned, it is also obligatory for a Muslim, who possesses the minimum wealth on which Zakat is applicable, to give out Zakat. In his Friday sermon at the Grand Mosque in Makkah al-Mukarramah, Imam and Khateeb Sheikh Dr. Saleh Bin Mohammad Aal-Talib, urged Muslims to be God-Conscious and give charity to the poor and the needy. He said Zakat removes miserliness and cleans the heart from cruelty. 

Allah has stressed on payment of Zakat, which appears in the Holy Qur’an more than 30 times. There are many verses of the Holy Qur’an and sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that urge Muslim to give charity for the sake of Allah. Sheikh Aal-Talib said charity is an act that attracts Allah’s mercy. He said giving charity secretly extinguishes God’s anger and it is a blessing for the person’s wealth. A person who does not give in charity will be punished by removal of the blessing (barakah) from his wealth.

Zakat-ul-Fitr is associated with the Eid and is meant to create happiness in such a way that includes the poor and the needy. That is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Make them (i.e., the poor) rich on this day (i.e. the day of Eid)”

Special situation due to Covid-19 Pandemic

And ICC Ramadan announcement on Zakat

Zakat – al-Fitr and Zakat al-Mal

Speaking about the Zakat al-Fitr and Zakat al-Mal, duty in Ramadan, Dr. Ahmad al-Dubayan, Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre & the London Central Mosque Trust mentioned, “It is also important to remind you that Zakat also in Ramadan is a duty and we can do from the very beginning, not to delay it till the end of Ramadan. Because around us we have many people who need Zakat and now we have more poor people we can send it to anywhere.”

The ICC chief also mentioned, “Zakat al-Fitr could be given at the last two days of Ramadan. Some scholars have given Fatwa especially Imam Abu Hanifah – Zakat al-Fitr could be given in the beginning of the month. Zakat al-Fitr is seven pounds per head for each Muslim. Zakat al-Mal is Zakat from your own saving. This could be also made in the beginning of Ramadan which is 2.5%. You can do it online – both can be done online of the website of the Islamic Cultural centre and the London Central Mosque. I wish good Ramadan Insha Allah.”

Charity in Ramadan

Ramadan is also the month of charity. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “...Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month), shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time; and whoever performs an obligatory deed in (this month), shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Paradise. It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer’s sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Hell-Fire, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all.” (Reported by Ibn Khuzaymah)

Read the Qur'an Everyday

Spend more time with the Qur’an. Read the Qur’an every day. Try to finish at least one time the whole Qur’an during this month by your own personal reading. Pray on time and observe all the prayers. Do not ignore the Tarawih. Make more extra and voluntary prayers. Do as much worship as you can. Do more dhikr (remembering Allah) and du’a (supplication) for yourself and for others. Repent and seek forgiveness for yourself and for others as much as you can. This is the best time for devotion and seeking Allah’s forgiveness. Seek the Night of Qadr by special devotion during the last 10 nights of this month.

The month of blessing and forgiveness is passing away very quickly. Do not miss the remaining last ten days and nights. Let us clear our sins. Let us seek the Night of Qadr.