Sawm

Image credit: Wikipedia Ramadan ended. (May Allah accept all our prayer, fasting, du’a, and good deeds during this blessed month — ameen!) How should we, as Muslims, act now? We graduated from the school of Ramadan; can life simply return to normal? Our scholars mention a few points about this: Allah says, in surah Baqarah, that Ramadan was prescribed on us in the hope that we gain taqwa. Did we achieve that goal of the school of Ramadan?

By Sheikh Tawfique Chowdhury [https://www.youtube.com/embed/6a2Jpkp6cNM?feature=oembed] Do not let your ‘performance’ until now affect your last 10 days. The moment of forgiveness could be today or anytime in the coming days! It is not all lost! If you sincerely wish it could have been better – Chin up and get ready to make it your best yet! Start with a positive, sincere intention! Today, take a little time to read the Tafseer of Surah al-Qadr to understand what actually happens this night!

Eid Mubarak! As the sahaba would tell each other: May Allah accept our good deeds and your good deeds (from Ramadan). Ameen! Ramadan is still fresh in your mind; the long days of fasting, the pain in your legs and back from taraweeh, and most of all, that biting regret that you didn’t do enough. Would you like to make the next Ramadan even better? With only five minutes worth of effort?

What’s better than a chest of gold and jewels? A post full of Qur’an and sunnah! Bismillah. This is a guest post by an author who compiled a wide number of resources related to fasting, reciting Qur’an, and sincerity of intention. This is a great resource of ahadith and ayaat related to fasting. May Allah grant them a great reward (ameen!) and forgive any mistakes I have made in re-formatting it and linking all the sources to their citations.

Sight the moon, and if you cannot, then count the days … Ramadan is coming, alhamdulillah. Ramadan, a time when all the shayateen are chained up, as the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: Narrated Abu Huraira (radiallahu ‘anhu): Allah’s Messenger (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.

Bismillah. Why did Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) create seasons? All of this–snow, leaves changing, hot summer days and freezing winter nights. In some countries–like Canada, and the US–you have places where Isha time starts around 11pm, or 12am (midnight), and Fajr starts arond 2-3am! You also have days where Isha starts at 6pm, and Fajr starts around 7am. What can we learn from this? The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) gives this away when he narrates: “Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) made the night short so you can pray, and the day short so you can fast.

It’s well-known in our communities, alhamdulillah, that you can pray ‘Isha behind an imam praying Taraweeh. (Which happens if you run late, very late, indeed!) But we’re just going to dive a bit into the details of how and why this is. Note: We do not issue fatwa! For that, please consult Islam Question and Answer! First of all, there is a difference of opinion among the scholars about whether this is permissible or not.

As yet another Ramadan comes, the question arises? should we follow the opinion of the local moonsighting, or the international moonsighting? Great arguments erupt, people insulting each other left and right, breaking ties, breaking families … Brothers and sisters, ya Muslims, WAKE UP!! Realize that all the opinions which are backed by the scholars are correct! What? All of them? Yes. all of them. How does that work? In Islam, we have scholars (‘ulama), and we have people who have the knowledge and tools and responsibility to give fatwa (mujtahidoon).

Bismillah. We are constantly bombarded in this society with diet after diet, new ways to loose weight or supposedly be ‘healthy’. As Muslims, we know that Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) sent the Qur’an to us as a huda, a guide. Not only is the Qur’an a guidance for us in our beliefs, our worship and character, but we learn basic lessons on how to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to Allah.

Bismillah. The sacred month of Muharram is now upon us, and a new year has begun alhamdulillah. InshaAllah I wanted to remind you all and myself of the great sunnan this month has for us: Rasulllah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: “The best of fasting after Ramadaan is the month of Allah, Muharram, and the best of prayer after the obligatory prayers is prayer at night (qiyaam al-layl).” [Saheeh Muslim, #1163]