Idle Pastimes vs. Sacred Moments: Elevating Your Ramadan through Effort and Salawat

Passing time’ whilst fasting

There are many such unwise people who fast but then put the honour of Ramadan aside and indulge in unlawful activities such as playing chess, cards and listening to music in the name of ‘passing time’.

Remember! Playing chess and cards is prohibited even if no money or bet is involved. A’lā Ḥaḍrat رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ has declared it Ḥarām to play cards because they have images of living beings printed on them. He رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ said, ‘Ganjifah (a card game) is prohibited because it shows honour to images in addition to being a useless activity.’ (Fatāwā Razawiyyah (Jadīd), pp. 141, vol. 24)

What is best form of worship?

O fasting Islamic brothers! O seekers of Heaven! Never waste the precious moments of Ramadan in useless and idle activities! Life is very short, so take advantage of its precious moments. Instead of wasting your time by playing cards and listening to songs in the name of ‘passing time’ try to utilize it reciting the Holy Quran and Ṣalāt-‘Alan-Nabī and remembering Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. The more thirst and hunger you endure the more you will be rewarded. It is narrated, اَفْضَلُ الْعِبَادَاتِ اَحْمَزُھَا (The best worship is the one that involves more hardship). (Kashf-ul-Khifā-wa-Muzil-ul-Ilbās, pp. 141, vol. 1, Ḥadīš 459)

Imām Sharafuddin Nawawī رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ has said, ‘The reward and excellence of worship augments when it involves more hardships and expenses.’ (Sharaḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim lin-Nawawī, pp. 390, vol. 1)

Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm Bin Adham رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ has said, ‘The harder a deed is in the world the heavier it will be on the scales on the Judgement Day.’ (Taźkira-tul-Auliyā, pp. 95)

These narrations make it clear that the harder we find it to fast and the more our Nafs resent fasting the heavier our fasts will be on the scale on the Day of Judgement, إِنْ شَاءَ اللّٰہ عَزَّوَجَلَّ.

Oversleeping in fast

Hujjat-ul-Islam Sayyidunā Imām Muhammad Ghazālī عَلَیْہِ رَحْمَۃُ اللّٰہِ الْوَالِی has stated in Kīmiyā-e-Sa’ādat, ‘It is a Sunnah for a fasting person to avoid sleeping in excess during the day, he should remain awake so that he feels hunger and weakness.’ (Kīmiyā-e-Sa’ādat, pp. 185) (Although it is preferable to sleep a little, if somebody passes his time sleeping he will not be a sinner, provided that he fulfils compulsory worships).

Dear Islamic brothers! It is obvious that if someone spent the whole day whilst sleeping, he would not feel any hardship in fasting. Imagine Hujjat-ul-Islam Sayyidunā Imām Muhammad Ghazālī عَلَیْہِ رَحْمَۃُ اللّٰہِ الْوَالِی advises us to avoid even oversleeping because our time would waste, so what about the people who misuse their time playing games and committing Ḥarām acts. Are they not unfortunate and deprived ones? Please try to realise the significance of this month, keep fasts wholeheartedly and earn the pleasure of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.

Yā Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! Grant every Muslim the blessings of Ramadan! Enable us to make the most of this month positively and save us from disrespecting it!

آمِیْن بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْن صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Dear Islamic brothers! In order to develop the motivation of respecting Ramadan, acquiring its blessings, earning virtues and saving yourselves from sins, please join the Madanī environment of Dawat-e-Islami and accompany the devotees of Rasūl in Madanī Qāfilah to acquire knowledge of Sunnah. إِنْ شَاءَ اللّٰہ عَزَّوَجَلَّ You will be amazed to see the results.

Reward of performing Fikr-e-Madinah daily

Here is a summary of the account given by an Islamic brother. اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ I love Madanī In'āmāt and I do Fikr-e-Madinah every day. Once I travelled with devotees of Rasūl in a Sunnah-Inspiring Madanī Qāfilah of Dawat-e-Islami, a global & non-political movement of the Quran and Sunnah.

Our Qāfilah reached Baluchistan (Pakistan). It was in this Qāfilah that Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ opened the door of mercy for this sinner. When I slept at night, I saw the Beloved and Blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللہُ عَلَيْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم in dream. His blessed lips began to move, and these words were uttered, 'I will take with me into Heaven all those who carry out Fikr-e-Madinah everyday in the Madanī Qāfilah.'

Shukriyah kyūn kar adā ho āp kā Yā Mustafa صَلَّى اللہُ عَلَيْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Kay paṛawsī khuld mayn apnā banāyā shukriyah

Yā Mustafa صَلَّى اللہُ عَلَيْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم I'll always remain extremely grateful to you

As you have made me your neighbour in Paradise, I thank you

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيْب صَلَّى اللَّٰه تَعَالَى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

What is Fikr-e-Madinah?

Dear Islamic brothers! For the betterment of the Muslims in the world as well as in the Hereafter, 72 Madanī In'āmāt for Islamic brothers, 63 for Islamic sisters, 92 for male Islamic students, 83 for female Islamic students and 40 for children have been given in the form of a questionnaire. These Madanī In'āmāt booklets can be bought from Maktaba-tul-Madinah. These booklets should be filled in everyday and handed in to the relevant responsible person of Dawat-e-Islami within the first ten days of every Madanī (Islamic) month.

Fikr-e-Madinah is a term used in Dawat-e-Islami which refers to the act of holding oneself accountable for sins, pondering over grave and resurrection, and filling in Madanī In'āmāt booklet whilst reflecting upon virtuous and evil deeds.

Rules of Fasting (Hanafi)*

Excellence of Ṣalāt-'Alan-Nabī ﷺ

After the demise of Sayyidunā Shaykh Aḥmad Bin Manṣūr رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالَٰی عَلَيْہِ, someone from Shiraz had a dream in which he saw Sayyidunā Shaykh Aḥmad Bin Manṣūr رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالَٰی عَلَيْہِ, dressed in a heavenly garment with a crown of pearls on his head, standing in the Miḥrāb (arch) of the main Masjid of Shiraz. The dreaming person asked as to how Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ treated him, he رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالَٰی عَلَيْہِ replied, 'Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ not only forgave me and bestowed upon me (this) crown but also made me enter the Heaven.' When the dreaming person asked the reason for this great privilege, Sayyidunā Shaykh Aḥmad Bin Manṣūr رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالَٰی عَلَيْہِ replied, 'I used to recite Ṣalāt upon the Prophet of mankind, the Peace of our heart and mind, the most Generous and Kind صَلَّى اللہُ عَلَيْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم abundantly and this act of mine brought about my success.' (Al-Qaul-ul-Badī', pp. 254)

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيْب صَلَّى اللَّٰه تَعَالَى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

Dear Islamic brothers! Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has bestowed upon us His great favour in the form of the fasts of Ramadan so that we could attain piety and divine pleasure, as Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ says in Sūrah Baqarah (part 2 verses 183-184):

O those who believe! Fasting has been made obligatory upon you as were made obligatory upon those before you, so that you may become pious. The days are counted. Then whosoever among you is ill or on a journey then same number of fasting in other days, and those who have no strength, should give in fine meal a needy: then whosoever does more good, then that is better for him, and fasting is better for you if you know.

[Kanz-ul-Īmān (Translation of Quran)] (Part 2, Sūrah Baqarah, verses 183-184)