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ISLAMIC DISCOURSES
Ramadhaan and Dua
By Maulana Abdul Salaam
We ask ourselves these questions, “Why are we on this earth? What are we here for? What is desired from us? What is our purpose for being created?”
The answer is in the Quran. Allah says: Allah Ta’aala has made us the best of all creations and our purpose is to worship Allah (S.T). Anything else; sleep, work etc. are from the necessities in life.
A person should strive to become Abdullah, he should strive to become a servant of Allah.
Let us never be unmindful of our purpose to Allah (S.T) and that is for IBAADAH and worship of Allah (S.T). The essence of worship is humility and we must humble ourselves before Allah (S.T).
It is to declare His power, His significance and our insignificance, that is humility.
We make dua knowing that Allah (S.T) is Aleem, that He is all Hearing, all Powerful.
Don’t you know that when we make dua, we are really saying-
We are insignificant and You are best of all the questioned ones.
When we make dua, we declare all this and we show humility before our Creator.
Rasool (S.A.W) said: “Dua is the essence of worship.”
Allah says: “Those who are proud to worship me, they will enter Jahannam disgraced.”
The commentators have said that Ibaadah here means “dua”. Those who too proud to make Dua to me, they will enter Hell; small, insignificant and disgraced. (Sura 40 - Verse 60)
Allah (S.T) says: “Call on me, I’ll answer you”.(Sura 40 – Verse 60)
In Surah Baqarah, Allah gives us a bayaan and an explanation of Ramadhaan, and He reveals a verse about Dua, to show the significance of Ramadhaan and Dua, and to show how Dua is connected to Ramadhaan.
The Sahaabas went to Rasool (S.A.W) and said: “Is our Lord close that we could whisper to Him or is He so distant and far that we shout to Him?”
Revelation came down-: “When my servants ask you (O Muhammad), concerning Me then (answer them), that I am near (very near, never out of sight, nothing escapes Me).” (Sura 2 –Verse 186)
Allah’s throne extends over the heavens and the earth, nothing is hidden to Allah (S.T), and Allah (S.T) is a witness to everything.
“I answer the call of the caller when he calls upon me, so let him also answers My call on Me and believes in Me, so that they may be rightly guided.” (Sura 2 – Verse 186)
So if one wants that Allah answers his call, and He does answer our calls, then it is important that we also answer His call.
This verse came during the bayaan on Ramadhaan in Sura Baqarah.
Allah is showing us here the connection between Ramadhaan and Dua, which is the essence of Ibaadat.
Ubaadah ibn Saamit (R.A), a Badri Sahaabi reported – Rasool (S.A.W) said to us one day when Ramadhaan had set in-: “The month of Ramadhaan has come upon you, it is a month of blessings, Allah (S.T) covers you with His special attention (that is He turns to you in this month), so He sends down His special mercy.”
In fact, the first ten days of Ramadhaan – Rasool (S.A.W) said –: “ the first ten days are days of mercy” and Allah (S.T) forgives the sins in this month, He forgives those sins, those mistakes which were done knowingly and unknowingly, major sins and minor sins. As long as we turn to Allah (S.T) and ask Him, He is willing to turn to us with His forgiveness].. and He answers the duas in this month. (TABRAANI)
This is a month to make dua. We should make duas while we are fasting since the Rasool (S.A.W) has said that even the fishes in the ocean make dua for the fasting persons until they break their fast. The fishes and other creatures make dua for us that Allah (S.T) may forgive us for our sins.
As long as we are fasting our duas are accepted. Rasool (S.A.W) spoke about those duas which are accepted, and one of them is: - The fasting one until he breaks it. (Ahmad Bazzar Baihaqi)
So while we are fasting, the fishes in the lakes, in the oceans, in the ponds, in the rivers, are making dua for us. While we are fasting, our duas are accepted. Our duas are accepted at the time of the breaking of the fast. Quite often Rasool (S.A.W) would say at the time of Iftar-: "O, one who is extensive in bounty, forgive me.”
But no specific dua is fixed for the time of breaking fast, but all duas are accepted at this time. Even the creatures are making dua for us!
When the night of Ramadhaan comes in, we are told in hadith-: “That every night, (every single night), Allah (S.T) announces to an angel, to a caller, and this caller announces on behalf of Allah (S.T), three times saying:
“Is there anyone begging for something, desirous of something, that we may fulfill his desires?”
“Is there anyone making TAUBA, repenting, that I may accept his repentance?”
”Is there anyone asking for forgiveness, that I may forgive him for his sins?” (Sahih Ibn Hibban, Baihaqi)
Every night, during the nights of Ramadhaan, this angel announces these three times on behalf of Allah (S.T). and the night is also a time of dua.
Then at the time of Sehri, which is the time of Tahajjud, Subhaanallah, is a very special time for the acceptance of duas.
So the whole month, the entire month is a month of DUA.
Rasool (S.A.W) has said- “Allah answers duas in this month.”
Then Rasool (S.A.W) also said: “Allah looks in this month at your spirit of competition.”
He looks at your spirit and competition with each other, who is performing more Taraweeh, who is trying to get the first Takbeer for his five daily prayer, who is trying to be more punctual in the masjid, who is reading more Quran for this month, [and Ramadhaan and Quran, along with all the other revealed scriptures are connected], who is finishing more Quran in this month? He is finishing two so let me finish three- the spirit of competition.
Who is giving more charity in this month, who is performing more salat in this month? Who is doing more zikr in this month? Who is behaving in a better way in this month? Allah is looking at your competition in this month. It is a month to compete; to vie, not for the Duniya but for the Aakhirah. It is commendable to compete amongst each other. The Rasool (S.A.W) also mentioned in this hadith-: “Allah boasts about you before His angels.”
Rasool (S.A.W)went on to say: “therefore, O people, O Ummat, show Allah (S.T) what goodness you have in you.”
In other words, show him from yourselves what good you can do, for this is the time for doing good.
The hadith continues: “For indeed, a wretched person, an unfortunate person is that one who is deprived, who is made mahroom and deprived from the mercy of Allah (S.T). (Tabrani)
Such a person, in this blessed month of Ramadan who is deprived of the mercy of Allah (S.T), then there is no one lower than him. He is truly a wretched, destitute person. May Allah(S.T) save us from this.
Alhamdullilah, all praises are for Allah for this blessed month of Ramadhaan. May Allah (S.T) give us the full credit of this month, may He allow us to appreciate this blessed month and to receive our rewards in full on the night and the day of Eid.
May He give us the tawfeeq and understanding that after Ramadhaan leaves us, we are able to continue worshipping Him with good spirit and also continue to compete in goodness and that we try our utmost to gain the ridwaan and pleasure of Allah before our death comes upon us. Ameen.
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