Ramadan during Coronavirus
Friday Message on Sha’ban 24, 1441/ April 17, 2020

 

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ فَمَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَنْ كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ (185) وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِي إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ (البقرة 185-186)
The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur’an was sent down as guide for mankind, as clear proofs of guidance and as the Criterion. So, whosoever among you is present in the month fast it. but if anyone is ill, or on a journey, then (fasting) period is some other days. Allah wants ease for you; He does not want hardship for you. So that you complete the prescribed period and magnify Allah for having guided you; and haply you give thanks. When My servants ask you about Me, I am truly near. I answer the call of the caller when he calls me. So, let them respond to Me and believe in Me, that they may be led aright. (Al-Baqarah 2:185-186)
We are approaching the blessed month of Ramadan. This is a very blessed time of the year for the whole Muslim Ummah. It is a time when Allah sent down the Qur’an for the guidance of humanity. It is a time when Allah sends His special blessings upon the believers and honors them with His mercy and forgiveness. The Prophet -peace be upon him- used to give good news to his companions at the arrival of the month of Ramadan. He used to say,
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «أتاكم رمضان شهر مبارك فرض الله عز وجل عليكم صيامه تفتح فيه أبواب السماء وتغلق فيه أبواب الجحيم وتغل فيه مردة الشياطين لله فيه ليلة خير من ألف شهر من حرم خيرها فقد حرم» (رواه النسائي وصححه الألباني).
A blessed month has come to you. Allah -the Mighty, the Glorious- has made obligatory on you its fasts. In this month, the gates of Heaven are opened, and the gates of Hell are closed, and rebellious devils are chained. In this month there is a night that is better than one thousand months. Whosoever is deprived of its goodness is really deprived. (Al-Nasa’i)
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «من صام رمضان إيمانًا واحتسابًا غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه، ومن قام ليلة القدر إيمانًا واحتسابًا غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه» (رواه البخاري ومسلم)
Whosoever fasts Ramadan with faith and seeking reward from Allah, all his previous sins will be forgiven. Whosoever prays during the Night of Qadr with faith and seeking reward from Allah, all his previous sins will be forgiven (Bukhari and Muslim)
There are many other Ahadith that extol the beauty and greatness of this month. It is a time that provides a great opportunity for everyone to improve himself/herself spiritually and morally and it is also a time to be more charitable and caring towards others. The reward of every good deed multiplies in Ramadan. We should indeed welcome this month and benefit from it.
Ramadan, however, is coming this year at a difficult and challenging time, not only for us but for the whole humanity. It is a time of pandemic. 80% of the countries of the world have been locked down. Humanity is trying to control the spread of this virus with care and caution. It is important that we support these efforts and be part of the solutions. This means that we shall continue keeping our Masajid closed for five daily prayers, Friday prayers and Tarawih prayers. This means that we shall not be able to have our Iftars together. Many other programs and activities will not be held in our Masajid. In every State and every County, Muslims have to adjust their activities according to the local government’s instructions. These instructions are good for us. It is our duty to observe the rules to protect our lives and lives of others. Fortunately, we can still do things that are obligatory upon us.
For this Ramadan we have to change and adjust some of our programs and activities without giving up anything that is essential and obligatory during Ramadan. We pray to Allah to accept from us and remove this affliction from the face of the earth. We need Allah’s many blessings. This is a great opportunity to make efforts to receive them with sincerity and devotion.
We need to make some special physical and spiritual preparations. Remember, that this Ramadan will not be Masajid-focused but home- and family-focused. Plan all your Ramadan activities for your homes.
1. Prepare your home especially for Ramadan – make it extra clean and organized with Islamic art, decorations to create a special Masjid environment. Talk to your family, especially the young children, about the blessings of Ramadan.
2. Have your timetable for daily fasting visible to everyone in the family.
3. Prepare a schedule for daily prayers, Qur’an reading, preferably together, and reading some other books or watching Islamic video lectures etc. Avoid other movies. Have sometime for physical exercise as well.
4. We used to invite our family members and friends for Iftar during Ramadan or contribute for the collective Iftar at the Masjid. This year we cannot hold these programs. Whatever amount you used to spend on these iftar parties, give that money as charity or as donation to your Islamic organizations, masajid or charities.
5. Plan to give your ZakatulFitr early. It is about 10 dollars per person in the family and it should be given to the poor and needy. If you pay your Zakat in Ramadan, it is good to do that as soon as possible. The reward will be multiplied.
As for your spiritual preparation:
6. Repent from all sins and mistakes, seek forgiveness of those whom you might have offended and ask Allah to forgive you, and bless you and your family. May Allah make it easy for you to fast and accept it from you.
7. Intend to fast every day. Those who are not well, seek their doctors’ advice. If they are told not to fast, they can fast later. Those who cannot fast at all can pay Fidya. It is one day’s meals or the value for every fast missed. We estimate about $12 dollars a day. Those who cannot afford that should seek Allah’s forgiveness. Allah does not put a burden on anyone beyond his/her capacity.
8. Plan to pray your five daily prayers in Jama’ah with your family at home. Do Nawafil and Tilawah every day. Try to finish the whole Qur’an in your personal reading at least once in this month.
9. Plan to pray your Tarawih prayer at home this year. Tarawih is Sunnah and it is not required to pray it in the Masjid. It is good to listen to the whole Qur’an in Tarawih prayer. If you are not a Hafiz or have no Hafiz at home, you can recite whatever part of the Qur’an you know by heart, even short surahs from the end of the Qur’an. You are also allowed during Tarawih to read from the copy of the Qur’an or your mobile phone if it has Qur’an app.
10. I’tikaf is only in Masjid. So this year you cannot do it. Make du’a that Allah accept your intention and reward you and bless you to do it with good health next year.
Make Du’a that Allah make everything easy for you and accept from you. We are sad because of the pandemic but thank Allah that we are well and can fulfill many of our obligations in spite of some difficulties.

 

Editor: Akhtar M. Faruqui
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