Ramadan (5)

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RAMADAN (5) Slavery had been known since ancient time. It had been established as an institution in the time of Hammurabi (ca. 1760 BC).

Slaves are persons either taken as prisoners of war as captives, or bought. Islam is against slavery, but it abolishes it gradually. Muslims are highly recommended to free their slaves. However, there are some penalties for killing a Muslim unintentionally with freeing a slave and paying blood-money (Q. 4:92). Moreover, slaves have a share in zakat to free them, until there is no more slave to free.

In 1863 President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which freed slaves in held in Confederate state. Later, in 1948 UN Article 4 of the Declaration of Human Rights bans slavery globally. The last country which abolished slavery is Mauritania in 1981. Although slavery has been abolished and banned and now is officially illegal in all nations, slavery or practices akin to it is still going on, and zakat is one of many means to fight this slavery in disguise as well as poverty. Dead Muslims who are leaving his family with a burden of debt has also a share in zakat to relieve him from this burden.

The month of Ramadan is the month of revelation. Imam Ibn Kathīr explains the virtue of Ramadan and the revelation of the Qur’an in it: "Allah praised Ramadan out of the other months by choosing it to send down the Glorious Qur’an, just as He did for all of the Divine Books He revealed to the Prophet. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal reported Wāthilah ibn al-Asqa‘ that Allah’s Messenger said: ْ‫ت‬ ْ​ْ َ‫ضانَْ​ْ َوأ ُ ْن ِزل‬ ْ​ْ ‫لْلَ ْيلَةْ​ْ ِم‬ ِْ ‫ُفْإِ ْب َرا ِهي َْمْ َعلَ ْي ِْهْالس َ​ََّلمْفِيْأَ َّو‬ ُْ ‫صح‬ ْ​ْ َ‫أ ُ ْن ِزل‬ ُ ْ‫ت‬ َ ‫نْ َر َم‬ َْ‫ضان‬ ْ​ْ ‫تْ ِم‬ ْ​ْ َ‫ثْ َع ْش َر ْةَْ َخل‬ َْ ‫لْلِثَ َ​َل‬ ُْ ‫اْل ْن ِجي‬ ْ​ْ ‫ضيْنَْ​ْ ِم‬ َ ‫نْ َر َم‬ َ ‫نْ َر َم‬ َ ‫التَّوْ َرا ْةُْلِ ِستْ​ْ َم‬ ِ ْ ‫ضانَْ​ْ َو‬ َْ‫ضان‬ ْ​ْ ‫تْ ِم‬ ْ​ْ َ‫انْ ِ​ِلَرْ بَعْ​ْ َو ِع ْش ِرينَْ​ْ َخل‬ ُْ َ‫لْ ْالفُرْ ق‬ َْ ‫ْ َوأ ُ ْن ِز‬ َ ‫نْ َر َم‬ The Ṣuḥuf (Pages) of Ibrahim were revealed during the first night of Ramadan. The Torah was revealed during the sixth night of Ramadan. The Injil (the Gospel) was revealed

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during the thirteenth night of Ramadan. Allah revealed the Qur'an on the twenty-fourth night of Ramadan .

(Musnad Aḥmad , 4: 107) There are many major historical events occurred in the month of Ramadan, among which are as follows: 1. Zakāt al-Fiṭr (2 AH) enjoined to every Muslim who has enough provision for a day and a night. This means, even the poor who have enough food to survive for 24 hours have to pay it. At the night of the ‘Id day a poor person would visit his poor neighbour bringing with him his zakat. As they themselves are poor they exchange zakat.

2. The Battle of Badr, (17 Ramadan, 2 AH). This war involves 313 members of the Muslim army to deal with 1,000Makkan idolaters.

In this war, the Muslim army won the battle with the pagans killed 70 soldiers, 70 more captured. The rest fled.

3. The Battle of the Trench (Ramadan-Shawwal 5 AH), the siege Madinah by the Makkan confederates with 10.000 fighters the maximum number they could have with the intention to finish the Muslims once and for all. Suggested by Salmān al-Fārisī trenches were dug along the Northern part of Madinah to prevent the horsemen from being able to attack which took 9 or 10 days to finish. The trench was 5544 meters long, its average width was 4.62 meters, and its average depth was 3.34 meter. No real fighting took place, except a limited duels and skirmishes. Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubādah was injured by an arrow and was taken to a special place near the mosque. The siege lasted for one month, and Allah sent a strong wind that uprooted their tents, and extinguished their fires.

The army retreated in the dark.

4. The conquest of Makkah (10-20 Ramadan 8 AH). The Prophet with his army comprised of 10, 000 Muslims entered Makkah as a victor on 20 Ramadan and destroyed 360 idols around the Ka‘bah.

Five days before the end of Ramadan in the 9H, the Prophet sent

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Khalid bin Walid to destroy the statue al ‘Uzzā the largest statue of the goddess at Nakhla. He sent ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ᾱṣ to destroy alLāt, and Sa ‘d ibn Zayd al-Ashhalī to destroy Manāt.

5. The capture of the Safed fortress from the Crusaders in Ramadan 584 AH (30 August, 1179CE) by Sultan Saladin al-Ayyūbī.

6. . Liberation of Andalusia (Muslim Spain) in Ramadan 93 AH. The Umayyad Caliph ‘Abd al-Malik appointed Mūsā ibn Nuṣayr as ruler of Maghrib (Morocco), who later conquered Tangiers. He then appointed Tariq ibn Ziyad to lead the protected area. With twelve-thousand soldiers Tariq was engaged with the army of the enemy at two nights before the end of Ramadan 92 AH. The battle occurred eight days, ending with the victory of the Muslim army.

One year later, in Ramadan 93 AH, Mūsā ibn Nuṣayr entered Andalusia with 18.000 soldiers, and conquered the neighbouring cities, such as Seville. In Ramadan 138 AH/756 CE ‘Abd alRaḥmān al-Dākhil entered Andalusia and establish a state which ruled for eight centuries where a civilization unknown before flourished.

7. October War (10 Ramadan 1390 AH), also called the 1973 ArabIsraeli War, Yom Kippur War, and Ramadan War (6-22 October 1973), where the Bar Lev Line (named after Israeli general, Haim Ber Lev) in Sinai was captured by the Egyptian army.

While we are still in the month of Ramadan there are many things we are required to do, such as praying in congregation if possible. Some Muslims observe fasting and tarawih prayer in congregation, but after Ramdan then stop praying. They observe the recommended ones, but they neglect the obligatory ones.

In order to be better Muslims bad habits which we temporarily abandon during Ramadan should be continued after Ramdan, such as smoking, overeating, and using foul or harsh language. In a ḥadīth the Prophet s.a.w. said: َّ ‫قَا َل‬ : " ،‫ْفَإِنَّهُْلِيْ َوأَنَاْأَجْ ِزيْبِ ِه‬،‫صيَا َم‬ ِّ ‫ْإِ ََّّلْال‬،ُ‫ْ ُكلُّ ْ َع َم ِلْاب ِْنْآ َد َمْلَه‬:ُ‫َّْللا‬

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ْ ُ‫صوْ ِمْأَ َح ِد ُك ْمْفَ​َلَْيَرْ ف‬ ْ‫ن‬ ْ​ْ ِ ‫ْفَإ‬، ْ‫ْوَّلَْيَصْ َخب‬ ِّ ‫َوال‬ َ ْ‫ْ َوإِ َذاْ َكانَ ْيَوْ ُم‬،ٌ‫صيَا ُمْ ُجنَّة‬ َ ‫ث‬ ْ )‫صائِ ٌْم" (رواهْالبخاري‬ َ ْ‫ْفَ ْليَقُلْ ْ​ْإِنِّيْا ْم ُر ٌؤ‬،ُ‫َسابَّهُْأَ َح ٌدْأَوْ ْقَاتَلَه‬ Allah said: “All the deeds of Adam’s son (people) are for him, except fasting which is for Me, and I will give the reward for it; and fasting is a shield from Hell-fire and if one of you is fasting, he should not use obscenity that day nor shout; and if someone speaks abusively or wants to fight with him, he should say:‘Verily, I am fasting’ (Reported by Bukhari) We try to stop smoking and to avoid using obscenity, shouting and speaking abusively during Ramadan, and continue avoiding these habits after Ramadan. Coffee and tea, although both are addictive, they are too delicious, and it would be difficult to quit them, especially coffee. At the end of the 16th century Catholic priests condemned coffee because of its popularity, saying it was an instrument of Satan, the wine of Islam, and an infidel drink. But sensible Pope Clement is reported to have tasted it and exclaimed, “This Satan’s drink is too delicious to let the heathen have it all to themselves. We shall baptize it and make of it a Christian beverage.”

The Prophet s.a.w. stressed the importance of patience and selfrestrain while fasting when he said: ْ،‫ب‬ ِّ ‫صيَا َم؛ْفَإ ِ َّنْال‬ ِّ ‫أَ ِعفُّواْال‬ َ ‫صيَا َمْلَي‬ ِ ‫ْسْ ِمنَ ْالطَّ َع ِامْ َو َ​َّلْ ِمنَ ْال َّش َرا‬ ْ َ‫صيَا َمْ ِمن‬ ْ ٌْ‫صا َمْأَ َح ُد ُك ْمْفَ َج ِه َلْ َعلَ ْي ِهْ َر ُجل‬ ِّ ‫َولَ ِك َّنْال‬ َ ْ‫ْفَإ ِ َذا‬،‫اصي‬ ِ ‫ْال َم َع‬ ْ )‫صائِ ٌْم“ (رواهْأبوْداؤد‬ َ ْ‫ْإِنِّي‬: ْ‫أَوْ ْ َشتَ َمهُْفَ ْليَقُل‬ Refrain (from something indecent) while fasting, as fasting is not (refrain) from food and drink, but fasting from disobedience; so, if one of you is fasting, and someone is behaving foolishly towards him, or is abusing him, he should say ‘I am fasting’ (Reported by Dā’ūd) Therefore, we should keep refraining from committing disobedience after Ramadan, although we do no fast.

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When we are urged to be generous and to give charity to the needy, especially among our relatives, and to visit them, we should at least continue doing this noble behaviour after Ramadan.

It is recommended to do i‘tikāf (seclusion in the mosque) at the last ten days of Ramadan, as the Prophet did. He did it after performing the fajr (dawn) prayer. The i‘tikāf should be done while fasting and in a mosque where Jum’ah congregational prayer is performed. After Ramadan we can do something like it, staying for a while after performing the obligatory prayer by reading the Qur’an, making some du‘ā’, reciting subḥānallāh (Glory be to Allah), alḥamdu lillāh (Praise be to Allah), and allāhu akbar (Allah is Great) each thirty-three times, as well as āyat al-kursī (Q. 2:255). etc.

The importance of reciting āyat al-kursī is mentioned in some ḥadīths, where the Prophet said: ْ‫ول‬ ْ​ْ ‫ص َ​َلةْ​ْ َم ْكتُوبَةْ​ْلَ ْ​ْمْ َي ْمنَ ْع ْهُْ ِم‬ ِّْ ‫يْفِيْ ُدب ُِْرْ ُك‬ ِّْ ‫نْقَ َرْأَْآيَ ْةَْ ْال ُكرْ ِس‬ ْ​ْ ‫َم‬ َ ْ‫ل‬ ِ ‫نْ ُد ُخ‬ ْ )‫وت ْ(رواهْالنسائيْوْالطبراني‬ َْ ‫نْيَ ُم‬ ْ​ْ َ‫َّلْأ‬ ْ َّ ِ‫ْال َجنَّ ِْةْإ‬ Whoever reads āyat al-kursī at the end of every prescribed prayer, nothing would prevent him from entering Paradise except death .

(Reported by al-Nasā’ī and al-Ṭabrānī) In another ḥadīth the Prophet s.a.w. said: ‫يْفِيْ ُدب ُِْرْالص َ​ََّل ِْةْ ْال َم ْكتُوبَ ِْةْ َكانَْ​ْفِيْ ِذ َّم ِْة‬ ِّْ ‫نْقَ َرْأَْآيَ ْةَْ ْال ُكرْ ِس‬ ْ​ْ ‫َم‬ ْ )‫لْ َحتَّىْالص َ​ََّل ِْةْ ْاِلُ ْخ َرى»ْ(رواهْالطبراني‬ َّْ ‫َّللاِْ َع َّْزْ َو َج‬ َّْ Whoever reads āyat al-kursī at the end of every prescribed prayer, he would be under Allah’s protection until the next (prescribed) prayer.

(Reported by al-Ṭabrānī) The Prophet also said, )‫نْ َذ ْنبِ ِْهْ (متفقْعليه‬ ْ​ْ ‫ْ ُغفِ َْرْلَ ْهُْ َماْتَقَ َّد َْمْ ِم‬،‫ضانَْ​ْإِي َمانًاْ َواحْ تِ َسابًا‬ ْ​ْ ‫َم‬ َ ‫صا َْمْ َر َم‬ َ ْ‫ن‬ Whoever observes fasting in Ramadan with

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perfect faith and seeking reward, he will his previous sins forgiven (Agreed upon) This does not mean that by doing this we will become “born again Muslims”, for the following reasons: a. It does not include major sins, either committing what is prohibited by Allah, such as: drinking alcohol, adultery, sealing, killing innocent people, etc., or not doing what is enjoined by Allah, such as the five-daily prayers, paying zakat and performing hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah once in one’s life-time) for people who can afford it. This kind of disobedience is only forgiven through repentance and following His injunction. b. It does not include our unsettled dealings with our fellow human beings, such as business transactions, paying bills, rents and debts, and our mistakes with them, such as cheating, backbiting, and insulting. We have to pay them and ask forgiveness from them in order to avoid their claim for justice against us in the Judgment Day. Otherwise, we have to pay them by giving them some rewards of our good deeds in this world, and if no more good deed left for us, we shall take the penalty of their bad deeds in this world.

If we hit or abuse someone, and he does not retaliate, although he has the right to do so, it does not mean that he is weak and stupid. He might be smart expecting compensation in the Hereafter where he will take the reward of our good deeds, or give us the penalty of his bad deeds. The consequence is that we are the one who did good deeds, and they got the reward; they are the one who did bad deeds, and we got the punishment.

This is the importance of having two festival days, Id al-Fitr after fasting in Ramadan, and ‘Id al-Adha commemorating the total obedience of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Isma‘il who was also patient to be sacrificed in total obedience to Allah. This is one example of total obedient to Allah, even with something unacceptable

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to reason. Fasting is nothing compared to this total obedience to Allah. It is unlike Iblīs who disobeyed Allah and argued that he should not bow and show respect to Adam who was created from clay while he was created from fire.

In these two festivals Muslims all over the world get together, greet each other, embrace and hug each other, saying, ‘Īd Mubārak ([I wish you] a Blessing Festival Day), Kull Sanah wa Anta Ṭayyib ([I wish you are] in good condition every year), Min al-‘Ᾱ’idīn wa lFā’izīn ([I wish you are] among those who celebrate and those who are successful). To those who are far away from us we contact them through telephone, internet and greeting cards. All of them contain greetings and praying for each other’s well-beings and success. But they miss the most important thing, namely, asking each other’s forgiveness. Malay speaking Indonesian, Malaysian, and Bruneian Muslims do not forget this. They say Mohon Ma’af Lahir-Batin (Please Forgive [me for mistakes I have done to you] obviously (i.e., intentionally] or secretly (i.e., unintentionally). To make it short they say Ma’af Lahir-Batin, and even they just say Lahir-Batin. They say it and they write it in their greeting cards. These two festival days should be the happiest days for us: Allah and our fellow Muslims forgive us. There will be no longer ill-feeling towards each other.

(CIVIC, 02.08.13) Bibliography: Al-Maktabah al-Shāmilah Tafsīfr ibn Kathīr Dr. Shauqi Abu Khalil (Comp.), Atlas of the Qur’an http://islamiceducenter.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/the-month-oframadan-is-not-merely-holy.html http://www.paklinks.com/gs/religion-and-scripture/513545-importanthistorical-events-which-took-place-in-ramadan.html http://www.islamweb.net/ramadan/index.php?page=article&id=13522 4