Catch These Special Deeds Before Ramadan
Lailatul Qadr – Night of Honour
Talk by Professor Dr. Ahmad ibn Saifuddin Turkestani
Dr. Mozammel Haque
[From Previous Issue]
Professor Dr. Ahmad bin Saifuddin Turkestani gave a talk on “Catch These Special Deeds Before Ramadan” at the Islamic Centre for Kuwait (ICK) on an invitation of an organiser on 15 Ramadan 1441 Hijri. Addressing the gatherings and audience Professor Dr. Ahmad ibn Saifuddin said, “Brothers and Sisters, I am inviting to a very special meeting - very special one at a very special time – special day, i.e. Friday. I like to thank my brothers who has organising at ICK – the Islamic Centre for Kuwait – They have trust and interest, we have heart-feeling today because we are supposed today to be attending Jumah – but because of the circumstances as you know this Pandemic which is all over the world confined us in our houses, May Allah Subhanahu wa Taala uplifted – the reason are our Masjids, the reasons are our gatherings – near future, very near future by Allah’s Will.”
Before I indulge myself into his talk on this very special topic on and about Ramadan, I would like to introduce him. Professor Dr. Ahmad ibn Saifuddin Turkestani is a professor in the College of Media and Communication at the Imam Muhammad Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was also Former Head of Cultural Affairs Section at the Saudi Embassy in the United Kingdom and worked as Director at the Institute of Islamic Studies and Arabic Sciences in Washington under the Ministry of Higher Education, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Second Part
In this part Professor Turkestani discussed mainly on the recitation of the Glorious Qur’an and Itikaf.
To be closer to Allah
Professor Turkestani said, So we get involved in this night in prayer, in recitation of the Qur’an, in dua, in being kind to people around us within the family, to the neighbours, to outside to the world, just to say good word, be nice, be kind, be generous, just like Prophet peace be upon him, so generous all time; even he was more generous in the month of Ramadan. So these are the good deeds; Sometimes we may say well we have done our prayer; what? Be versified; try to make different kinds of worship. I can read a book on Sirah; I can read a book on the interpretation of the Qur’an. That’s part of worship. That’s part of the righteous deeds. It has not to be recitation of the Glorious Qur’an all times.”
My recommendations:
Make Qur’an Your Friend
Professor Ahmad emphasized, “Though my recommendations for myself and for you is to be as close as much to the Glorious Qur’an; be with the Qur’an at all times; make Qur’an your friend, very close friend- where you enjoy to be always being together; its take time, be attachment. Again like Salah, you feel much attached to the Glorious Qur’an. So we need to do that and nothing better than to recite the Qur’an in prayers. So in prayers you are joining two things – praying and you are reciting the Glorious Qur’an at the same time. I recommend reading the Glorious Qur’an, particularly during the last ten days and nights of Ramadan this time.”
Professor Turkestani also mentioned, “Anything you feel tired or you want to take rest. Yes rest and listen to the Glorious Qur’an. Even listening to it is good. Nowadays some books – audio books for example, have the interpretation. There are some trusted Islamic audio books – I recommend to read that Book of Alushr Alakheer, the the Heart of Qur’an because it is a great book.” This book is available on the net –emphasizing the point – Tawheed – That’s the cornerstone of Islam.
Tawheed – cornerstone of Islam
Speaking about Tawheed, Professor Ahmad Saifuddin said, “The cornerstone of Islam is Tawheed – is to sing with Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala not to take partners – not to associate anyone, anything with Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala. That’s the basis – in fact, the Qur’an and the Sunnah is all about this. Even the start, the Qur’an see the discussion and the dialogue among the Prophets and there we will find they are always talking about Tawheed and devoting yourself to Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala, not to associate partners, not to take anyone, not to worship or dua or supplication. Your tawakkul or your dependency on Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala – everything you do for worship towards Allah and get it from Allah asking help; the thing no one else will be able to do it except by asking Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala. That is the essence of it.
When we do it? Can we do it in odd nights?
Professor Turkestani enquired: When we do it? Can we do it in odd nights? And immediately replied, “Yes, You can do it in odd nights. There is much opportunity in the Lailatul Qadr, in the last ten part of the month of Ramadan. They alternate. According to the scholars of Islam, Lailatul Qadr does not stay on every night on every year, on 27th or even on the odd nights. It could be coming on the even nights; it could come on any night; it could be even on the first night of the last ten days or the last one. Allah knows. We don’t know. So the best thing is to seek it during last ten nights from the beginning of the last ten days and until the end of them and Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala for good reason, kept it hidden.”
“Prophet Sallallahu wa Sallam was told that which night it is of the month. When he came out, the Companions were going to tell them about that. But two persons were quarrelling. There were discussions and they got involved into these terrible discussions so Prophet Peace be upon him forgot. And he said Subhanallah. I was about to tell you; but I forgot as soon as I came out and found out two people were quarrelling,” Dr. Ahmad Saifuddin mentioned.
Lailatul Qadr is hidden:
Wisdom of Allah the Almighty
He also said, “So quarrel is not good. Even if you have a right, try not to quarrel but to convince people nicely and calmly. If they do not accept it, it is upto them. You don’t go to force it; you don’t need to shout. The reason why the Lailatul Qadr is hidden; it’s good. It’s for a good reason; it has wisdom of Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala. To hide it in order for us to get more, to seek, even if, suppose that we have in 27th of Ramadan, we can still do some good in the other nights because the more good you do you are; you are not catching Lailatul Qadr; however you should be keen, you must be very to do this; that’s the very important and significant in that sense much interested.”
Itikaf
Speaking about Itikaf in this special circumstances Covid-19 Pandemic, Professor Ahmad Saifuddin said, “Coming to worship, that cannot be done nowadays in the special term or sense which is Itikaf because Itikaf is done in the Masjid. However, according to some scholars, if you have a place for worship devoted a part of your house to the worship – such as a place for women to pray, away from the noise and from the other rooms where people are in and out, then you could make Itikaf; it is permissible. Sheikh Saad al-Fatri gave this Fatwa recently this month saying that it is permissible for a person or it is possible for a man or any member of the family to seclude themselves to make Itikaf in their own place of prayer. Not in any corner of the house, not in your bedroom, not in your reception or saloon or whatever. No; only in the place where it is devoted and specialised for offering the Salah. If that is a case you can do it.”
Stay away from TV and Social Media
Professor Turkestani said about the value of time in these ten days and night. He said, “Lets say, I would take Itikaf in the general sense, which is to in isolation, a time you need to come back to yourself to reflect, to stay away from noise of children and homes and whatever happened to you and to come towards Allah in recitation of the Glorious Qur’an and in the dua and in just contemplating your life and in planning for your future. Stay away especially in the last ten days and we need to make fasting from two things: first from television and secondly from social media. They take your time; they steal your time and you should be very very cautious not to let you to do that; turn on TV and watch – things will take us from one programme to another and so on and so forth and you find you lost so much time. And the same social media. Social media is helpful if you can use it just only for contact; see that is very very important; so we need to stay away from that in order of time day and night for these ten nights, especially as I said as per general sense of itikaf.”
[To be continued]
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