The Last Ten Days of Ramadhan
EsinIslam
Ramadan
Ramadan Explorer
By
Magda Azzam
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ''If any Muslim
comes out of Ramadan without gaining forgiveness and goodness, he is a real
loser.'' (reported by Ibn Hibban and At-Tabarani)
The last ten days of Ramadan are very special days in the life of every
Muslim. According to Muslims, they are the most blessed days in the blessed
month of Ramadan, the month the Qur'an was revealed. Muslims believe that
although the Prophet Muhammad was promised Paradise, he used to exert himself
even more in worship during these last ten days, hoping to draw closer to
Allah. The Prophet's wife `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said,
''With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet used to tighten
his waist belt (i.e., work hard) and used to pray all the night, and used to
keep his family awake for the prayers.'' (reported by Al-Bukhari)
For Muslims, the last ten days should be a time to perfect one's fast and
avoid anything that may break it. It is a time to give more charity and to
settle disputes and forgive one another. It is also a time for soul searching,
evaluating one's life, supplicating, and asking forgiveness. This should be
done sincerely because if Allah accepts the supplications, the reward is the
remission of one's sins.
The best time to do it is in the last part of the night. Abu Hurayrah reported
that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ''When the last one
third of the night remains, our Lord, the Glorious One, descends towards the
lower heaven and proclaims: Is there anyone supplicating to Me, so that I
grant his supplication? Is there anyone begging of Me for anything, so that I
grant him his wish? Is there anyone who seeks My forgiveness, so I forgive
him?'' (reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
During the last third of Ramadan, one should read more Qur'an and remember
Allah more often, even constantly.
The last ten days are also known for i`tikaf (spiritual retreat). The Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform i`tikaf in the mosque during
the last ten days of Ramadan, barely sleeping during that time. I`tikaf
requires a total devotion to Allah; it is a sort of vacation with Him. The
time is spent worshiping, performing extra salah (ritual Prayers), reading the
Qur'an, making dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and du`aa' (supplication). One
should leave behind the cares of this world, and even eat and sleep in the
mosque. Those who cannot perform i`tikaf for ten days should try to do it for
a shorter time, if only for one night or a day or two.
Laylat Al-Qadr also occurs during the last ten days of Ramadan. The Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) said, ''Any Muslim who stands in Prayer
during Laylat Al-Qadr out of faith and sincerity, his previous sins will be
forgiven.''
EsinIslam
Ramadan
Team
©
EsinIslam.Com
Add Comments