الحمد لله رب العالمين، والصلاة والسلام على أشرف الأنبياء والمرسلين، نبينا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين أما بعد
As the month of Ramadhaan comes to an end, Allaah, The Most High, has afforded His believing servants the opportunity of attaining forgiveness and a great deal of good in the last ten days and nights of this blessed month. In this period of the month; the believer should only increase in acts of obedience and good, in order to take advantage of what remains of this virtuous month, as Ibn Rajab (rahimahullaah) said:
“Truly, your month has taken to decreasing, so you should increase in action.”[1]
The way that one should approach these final days is a very important matter which each of us should pay great attention to, since that which we wish to seek out and attain is Laylatul Qadr and the forgiveness of Allaah and of being freed from the Fire and success in the Hereafter, it is therefore necessary that we approach it in the correct manner. Ibn Rajab (rahimahullaah) said:
“Whoever hopes to be freed from the Fire in the month of Ramadhaan should come with the factors which are requisites of being freed from the Fire, and they are facilitated during this month.”[2]
The manner and method that one should approach these last ten days and nights is further elaborated by Shaikh Muhammad bin Saalih al-‘Uthaimeen (rahimahullaah) who said:
“O people; you are indeed in the last ten (days) of this noble month, therefore take advantage of it with obedience to Allaah, The Supreme Lord, do well with regard to the fasts in its days, and illuminate its nights with standing (in prayer), and seal it with repentance and seeking forgiveness and asking Allaah for pardon and for being freed from the Fire.
How many a people hoped to reach these ten, yet demise reached them, so they came to be in their graves; pledged (and so obliged) – unable to increase in righteous deeds nor in turning in repentance from neglect and heedlessness. Whilst you have reached it by the Favour of Allaah – in a state of sound health and well-being, so strive hard in them with righteous action and supplication, perhaps you may attain an endowment from the mercy of Allaah, The Most High, and so you are granted prosperity with it in the life of this world and the Hereafter.
Servants of Allaah; indeed our Prophet would venerate these ten, and would designate them with the performance of I’tikaaf in the Masjid in order to vacate himself to engage wholly in the worship of his Lord, and in order to seek out Laylatul Qadr – about which Allaah said in His Book:
لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ
((The Night of Al-Qadr [Decree] is better than a thousand months)) (Al-Qadr: 3)
The meaning of that is that it is better than thirty thousand nights or close to that, better than it in its blessing, and that which The Noble Lord confers in it upon His servants from mercy and forgiveness and answering the supplication and accepting deeds.
So strive O servants of Allaah in seeking it out just as your Prophet used to do, for when the ten (nights) would enter, he would tighten his lower garment and would remain awake spending his night in the worship of his Lord.
So strive – servants of Allaah in pursuit of that blessed distinguished night, and seek out its good and its blessing through safeguarding the obligatory prayers and a great deal of standing (in prayer) and in the payment of zakaat and giving in charity and guarding the fast and being plentiful in acts of obedience whilst avoiding sins and misdeeds and being distant from enmity between yourselves as well as hatred and rancor. Indeed, rancor is from the reasons for deprivation of good in Laylatul Qadr, indeed the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) came out to inform his companions of Laylatul Qadr, when two men from the Muslims quarreled –meaning that they argued and contended, thus it was raised due to that.
Be plentiful in making supplication whilst in prostration after saying: ‘Glorified is My Lord, the Most High’ and other than it from that which has been reported. Since supplication to Allaah in prostration is worthy of being answered, and the closest that the servant can be to his Lord is whilst he is prostrating, and be plentiful in making supplication whilst sitting between the two prostrations – such that it is approximate to the prostration, and cause your hearts to be attentive in your prayers – the obligatory of them and the supererogatory of them, and be sincere in your supplication and earnestly implore your Lord, since He loves those who beseech in supplication due to His Love of generosity and munificence. Allaah, The Most High, said:
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ
((And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – then indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be rightly guided.)) (Al-Baqarah: 186)
O Allaah, grant us ability to make supplication, and confer gracious bestowal upon us of that of response. O Allaah accept our supplication and our acts of worship, and overlook our shortcomings and our sins. O Allaah forgive us and our parents and all of the Muslims, indeed You are The Oft-Forgiving – Bestower of Mercy.”[3]
As Ramadhaan Draws to an End
Ibn Rajab (rahimahullaah) said: “Servants of Allaah; indeed the month of Ramadhaan is resolute upon departure, and there does not remain from it except a little. So whoever from among you performed excellence in it – then upon him is completion, and whoever had been neglectful; then let him conclude it with good outcome – since actions are by their final conclusions. Therefore savour of it from that which remains of the small number of nights and days, and see it off with righteous deeds so that it may be a witness for you by way of them before The King – The All-Knower, and bid it farewell upon its parting with the purest complement and salutation.”[4]
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[1] Lataa-if al-Ma’aarif p.253
[2] Lataa-if al-Ma’aarif p.291
[3] Ad-Diyaa al-Laami’ min al-Khutab al-Jawaami’ p.601-603 (abridged)
[4] Lataa-if al-Ma’aarif p.294-295
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