On Ramadaan
March 24, 2023 § Leave a comment
Shaikh ʿUthaimīn said, “During the day [in Ramaḍān] you are in a state of worship from Fajr to sunset [because fasting in Ramaḍān] is one of the pillars of Islam and you are carrying it out from fajr to sunset—even if you are asleep, even if you are buying and selling, even if you are talking to your friends, you are all the while engulfed in one of the pillars of Islām, subḥānallāh.”
Jalasāt Ramaḍāniyyah, vol. 1, p. 11.
On Overeating and Being Obese | No. 44 | “Withhold Your Belching from Us.”
May 5, 2020 § Leave a comment
From Ibn ʿUmar رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ, “A man belched in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ so he said, ‘Withhold your belching from us. For indeed those who eat their fill most in the world will be the hungriest on the Day of Resurrection.’”
Abu Juhaifah [the Companion رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ in the above narration] said, “So I haven’t eaten my fill for thirty years.”
Silsilah, no. 343, [1260], Al-Jūʿ, p. 27.
Uthaimeen on Not Giving Reminders During Taraaweeh
May 28, 2018 § Leave a comment
Ibn Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, was asked: Here in Kuwait we have a reminder after four rak’ahs during the night prayer, is that allowed? And if it is, how is this reminder to be conducted?
Uthaimeen: I hold that it should not be done. Firstly, because it isn’t from the Salaf’s guidance. Secondly, because some people like to come to tahajjud and then leave to go home [as soon as it’s finished]. Having a reminder hinders them, bores them, and forces them to stay to listen to it.
If a reminder is not received well then its harm is more than its benefit, and that is why the Prophet ﷺ used to look after his Companions by preaching to them at suitable times and wouldn’t make it burdensome for them or repetitive. So I hold that leaving it is more correct. And if the Imaam does intend to preach to the people then let him do it at the end, when the prayer has completely finished.
Also see Shaikh al-Albaani’s answers here and here, and another of Shaikh Uthaimeen’s answers here.
Al-Khudair on How a Person Can Protect his Fast
May 18, 2018 § Leave a comment
Questioner: How can a person protect his fast?
Al-Khudair: When a person visualises the excellence of fasting and the many rewards associated with it, and the greatness of opening the fast especially when it is an obligatory one, when he pictures that, then there is no doubt that he will strive to guard his fast from things that ruin it, and the Salaf used to guard theirs by staying in the mosque, since when a person is in his house or the place where he sits or mixes with other people he might be susceptible to things that could harm his fast, intentionally or unintentionally, but when he sits in the mosque—and the mosque is the house of every person who is conscious of Allaah—you can’t imagine him backbiting anyone, because he is conscious that it is a place of obedience and not sin, just as he will protect himself from harming himself in relation to things connected to his wife for example, because he is in the mosque etc., for this reason it was reported from the Salaf that they would guard their fasts by staying in the mosque.
Ibn Baaz’s Ramadaan Advice in 1993
May 17, 2018 § Leave a comment
Questioner: What words of advice do you direct to the Islamic Ummah concerning the month of Ramadan?
Ibn Baaz: بسم الله، والحمد لله، وصلى الله على رسول الله، وعلى آله وأصحابه، ومن اهتدى بهداه، أما بعد
Concerning the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadaan for this year 1414H/1993 I advise my brother Muslims in all places to fear Allaah, and to race to all that is good, to exhort one another to truth and to be patient in that, cooperating upon righteousness and taqwaa, being wary of everything that Allaah has forbidden, of all sins in all places, especially during this precious month, for it is a great month in which righteous deeds are multiplied, and the sins of the people who fast and stand in prayer during it out of sincere faith and seeking its reward from Allaah are forgiven, due to the saying of the Prophet ﷺ, “Whoever prays during the night in Ramadaan out of sincere faith and seeking its reward from Allaah, will have all of his previous sins forgiven.” [Reported by Bukhaari and Muslim] And his saying ﷺ, “When Ramadaan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained up.” And his saying ﷺ, “Fasting is a shield. When any one of you is fasting, he should neither indulge in obscene language nor raise his voice. If anyone reviles him or tries to quarrel with him he should say, ‘I am fasting.’” And his saying ﷺ, “Allaah the Exalted and Majestic said: ‘Every act of the son of Adam is for him, the reward of every (good) deed of a person is multiplied tenfold, except fasting which is (exclusively) for Me, and I will reward him for it. He has abstained from food and drink, and sexual pleasures for My sake. The one who fasts experiences two pleasures: he feels pleasure when he breaks his fast and he will be joyful when he meets his Lord, and surely the breath of someone fasting is better smelling to Allah than the fragrance of musk.”
And he ﷺ used to give his Companions the joyous news of Ramadaan’s arrival, saying to them, ‘The month of Ramadaan has come to you, a month of blessings, Allaah sends down Mercy in it, wipes away sins, answers supplications, boasts of you before His Angels, so show Allaah good from yourselves, for the wretched one is the one who is deprived of Allaah’s Mercy in it.’ And he ﷺ said, ‘Whoever does not give up evil and ignorant speech, and acting in accordance with it, then Allaah has no need of him giving up his food and drink,” reported by Bukhaari in his Saheeh and the hadiths about the excellence of Ramadaan and the encouragement to do extra [good] deeds in it are numerous.
So I advise my brother Muslims to remain steadfast during its days and nights and to compete [with each other] in all good deeds, amongst which is increasing in ones recitation of the Noble Quran with reflection and understanding and increasing how much one says Subhaanallaah … alhamdulillaah … Laa ilaaha illallaah … Allaahu Akbar … and astaghfirullaah and in how much one asks Allaah for Paradise and seeks refuge from the Fire and in all good supplications [in general].
Just as I also advise my brothers to increase in giving in charity, and in consoling the poor and needy, paying attention to producing one’s zakaah and giving it to those who deserve it, along with paying attention to calling to Allaah سبحانه, educating the ignorant, enjoining the good and forbidding evil with gentleness, wisdom and a good manner, whilst being careful of all sins and sticking to repentance and remaining steadfast upon the truth, doing so due to His Saying, ‘And turn to Allaah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed,’ [24:31] and His Saying, ‘Indeed those who say, ‘Our lord is Allaah,’ and then follow the straight path there is no fear, nor shall they grieve. Those are the companions of Paradise, abiding eternally therein as reward for what they used to do.’ [46:13-14]
May Allaah grant everyone success in doing that which pleases Him, and may He grant refuge to all from trials that lead one astray, and from the whispers of the Devil, indeed Allaah is the Magnanimous, Most Generous.
Ibn Baaz on the Blessing of Even Reaching Ramadaan
May 17, 2018 § Leave a comment
Questioner: Are there any particular legislated acts a Muslim should do to welcome the [arrival of the] month of Ramadan?
Ibn Baaz: Ramadaan is the best month of the year because Allaah سبحانه وتعالى singled it out by making it obligatory to fast during it and made it the fourth pillar of Islaam, and He legislated that the Muslims pray during its nights as the Prophet ﷺ said, “Islaam is built on five (pillars): testifying to (the fact) that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, establishing the Prayer, paying the Zakaah, Pilgrimage to the House (Ka’bah) and fasting [the month of] Ramadan.” [Reported by Bukhaari and Muslim] And he ﷺ also said, “Whoever prays during the night in Ramadan out of sincere faith and seeking its reward from Allaah, will have all of his previous sins forgiven.” [Reported by Bukhaari and Muslim]
I don’t know of anything specific to welcome Ramadaan apart from the fact that a Muslim should do so with joy, happiness, delight and thanks [shukr] to Allaah that He has allowed him to reach Ramadaan, and that He has granted him success in allowing him to be from the people who are alive to see it and who are competing to perform good deeds during it—for [even] reaching Ramadaan is a tremendous blessing from Allaah and for this reason the Prophet ﷺ would give his Companions the joyous news of its advent, clarifying its excellence and the huge reward that Allaah has prepared for the people who fast and stand in prayer during it. And it is legislated that the Muslim welcomes this precious month with sincere repentance and by preparing to fast and stand to pray in it with a sincere intention and truthful resolve.
Uthaimeen on Not Wasting Ramadaan Looking for Different Types of Food and Being Excessive
July 27, 2012 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “If the people have no concern except to have a variety of food, to sleep during the day, and to talk during the night about things which will not benefit them–then there is no doubt that this is a squandering of a priceless opportunity which may not come again to that person in his lifetime. So the resolute man is the one who progresses in Ramadaan according to [an amount of] sleep that is fitting at the first part of the night, and by standing to pray in Tarawih, and standing to pray at the end of the night if he can, and likewise he is not excessive in his food or drink.”
48 Su’aal fis-Siyaam, pp. 19-20.
Uthaimeen on Giving the Differing Seasons of Worship Their Due Worth
July 20, 2012 § 1 Comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “O People! Fear Allaah, the Most High, and be grateful to Him for the seasons of goodness that He has bestowed upon you, and the excellence and dignity that He has given you. Value these seasons/times and give them their true worth by performing acts of obedience and actions which will bring you closer [to Him] and by refraining from committing sins and destructive actions [mubiqaat]–for these seasons were only made to expiate your sins and to increase your good deeds and to raise your ranks.”
Ad-Diyaa al-Laami, vol. 3, p. 15.
Gifts of Knowledge 