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Friday Talks |
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138 |
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Advantages of the month of Shaban
Written by: Sk. Dr. Younis Salih.
Translated by: Dr. Faheem Bukhatwa.
04 Shaban 1431 h.
16 July 2010 ac.
All thanks be to Allah the Lord of the worlds and peace and prayers be upon His messenger.
The believer in this life as Allah extends his or her life, each day spent in this life ought to be used as an opportunity to increase what will benefit him/her in the next life. Now that the month of Rajab has finished and the month of Shaban has started. The winner is this who started getting ready for the month of Ramadan during the month of Rajab. But, many people have been unaware of the month of Shaban starting. Lets us look at the messenger ppbu and some of the earlier generations. Osama ebn Zaid asked the messenger ppbu: "I have not seen you fast in any other month as much as you fast during the month of Shaban". The messenger ppbu said: {This is a month during which people tend to forget about. And it is a month when the deeds are elevated to the Lord of the worlds. And I would like my deeds to be brought up while I am fasting}. Anas ebn Malik said: "The most loved fasting for the messenger ppbu is during Shaban". The messenger's wives noticed that the messenger ppbu apart from the month of Ramadan, never fasted a full month except the month of Shaban. Some reported that the messenger ppbu used to fast the month of Shaban and continue to fast the moth of Ramadan.
Many scholars see that the best voluntary fasting can be done during the month of Shaban rather than any other month. One reason is the closeness of the voluntary fasting to the compulsory fasting of Ramadan either before it or after it. Just like the regular voluntary (sunnah) prayers which occur before and after compulsory prayers. The reward becomes an extension of the reward for the compulsory worship. Also as in prayers, the reward for confirmed sunnah prayers which happen before or after the compulsory has higher reward than other ordinary voluntary prayers.
As mentioned earlier when Osama ebn Zaid asked the messenger ppbu: "I have not seen you fast in any other month as much as you fast during the month of Shaban". The messenger ppbu said: {This is a month during which people tend to forget (being between the months of Rajab and Ramadan). And it is a month when the deeds are elevated to the Lord of the worlds. And I would like my deeds to be brought up while I am fasting}. What the messenger ppbu said here has two important points:
It is a month that people tend to forget about. The reason is that the month of Shaban occurs between two great months being the Haram (or sanctified) month of Rajab and the fasting month of Ramadan. Indeed many people think that fasting during the month of Rajab has more reward than fasting during the month of Shaban. And this is not true. It is the other way round.
This also has an indication that many people do not realize that some places or times or even people are more famous, yet the less famous are better in part or in totality. So they get busy with the famous and they miss out on the benefit of what to them is less famous. The messenger ppbu wanted to draw attention to the month which is getting less attention. The messenger ppbu pointed out that Allah likes the deeds done when people's attention is elsewhere. The messenger ppbu said: {the best prayer after the compulsory prayers is praying in the middle of the night}. This is indicating praying when most people are asleep.
Another point is that rewards received on deeds of obedience during the times when people are busy or forgetful; are great in value and great in variety. The benefits of such deeds are:
1) Doing this deed is usually hidden or unseen because people are distracted. Hiding the voluntary deed is better especially fasting. As it is free of hypocrisy. It is secretive between the slave and Allah.
2) Such deeds are harder to do. And the best of deeds is the harder ones. The messenger ppbu said: {the reward is relative to the tiredness}. It is always easier to do something if everyone else is doing it, and harder to do something if very few are doing it and also because there will be less people to see and follow or to remind others. The messenger ppbu said: {towards the end of life, time will come when this that does a deed will be rewarded the same as fifty of you (meaning of the companions) because you find who would help you on doing the good deed and they don't}.
The earlier companions used to call the month of Shaban as "the month of recitation". Omro ebn Kaise used to close his shop and free himself for reciting the Koran. Abu-Bakr Al-Bulkhi used to say: "the month of Rajab is the month of sowing and planting. And the month of Shaban is the month of irrigation. And the month of Ramadan is the month of harvesting". How could anyone harvest during Ramadan if one did not plant during Rajab and did not irrigate during Shaban. The month of Rajab has come and gone. What are you going to be doing during this month of Shaban.
Notes:
Adhan - The call to prayer.
- The inhabitants of the city of Al-Medina that received and supported the messenger (PPBU) when he immigrated from Mekkah in the very early years of Islam.
Ansar (or Al-Ansar):
Assalam Alaikum - The Islamic greeting, literately means: Peace be with you. Used when approaching or leaving. When used during approaching it will be like saying: I bring no harm to you . and when said during leaving somebody it will mean: No harm will come to you after I leave.
- is a verse of the Koran. It also means a miracle or a sign from God.
Aya (or Ayah):
- is a mountain outside the city of Mecca that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing Hajj must stay at this location on the same day.
Arafa (or Arafah or Arafat):
Badr - The place of the first significant battle between the Muslims and the pagans of the Quraish. It is located in Saudi Arabia.
Caliph - A Muslim ruler. See: (Khalifa)
Dajjal - Antichrist or the False Massiah.
Dawah - The proliferation of Islamic teachings through word and deed.
Deen (Din) - Religion or way of life.
- talking to Allah; praising him and asking him for help.
Duaa: a prayer in the form of
Fatwa - Legal verdict given based on the Qur'an (Koran) and the Sunnah which are the recorded sayings and deeds of Muhammad.
Ferdose: is the highest level of the all the gardens of Eden or paradise.
Fiqh - Religious law.
Hadeeth: is something reported that the messenger have said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave. It is usually narrated or told by one of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are reported and checked to be genuine. No more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list.
Hajar - The Black Stone set into the corner of the Ka'aba in Mecca. It is said to be a stone from Heaven.
Hajj - The pilgrimage to Mecca which takes place in the last month of the Islamic calendar. One of the five pillars of Islam.
Hasana or hasanas: is the reward for a good deed. a hasana is a point or a merit for a good deed.
Hadith - The sayings and not deeds of the prophet Muhammad recorded by his followers. Considered authoritative and perfect.
Hajj: is the worship of pilgrimage.
Hijra (or Hejrah): the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12 months based on the lunar cycle, each is 29.5 days. Hijra is also used as a name for the Islamic dating system.
Ibadah - Worship. All the words and deeds with which Allah is pleased. These deeds could be prayer and charity.
Iblis - (Ibleese): On of Satan's names.
Ibn (Ebn): the son of. Used by Arabs as part of an individual's name. Example: Ali whose father is Omar or the son of Omar, would be called: Ali Ibn Omar.
Imam (or Emam)- The leader for a prayer. In the Shiaa sect, an Imam is the individual who has the religious authority.
Iman: belief or faith
Injil (Enjeel) - The Bible. The book inspired to Jesus for the Christians.
Islam - Submission, the religion of all the prophets of Allah culminating in Muhammad.
Jannah - The heavenly garden, Paradise. The place of the faithful in the afterlife.
Jihad: is striving in the line of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection of Allah's word. The greatest Jihad is the fight one's self against temptations. It also means "holy war."
Jinn - Supernatural, invisible beings race of beings, below angels. They were made from fire. Like humans, there amongst them are the faithful and the non beleivers and Jinn shall be judged on Judgment Day.
Ka'aba: A cube shaped building in Mecca containing a stone laid there by Abraham and Ishmael. Some say Ka'aba was first built by Adam, and some say by Abraham. It is the holiest place for Muslims. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers. Ka'aba also makes a major part of the pilgrimage in a ritual known as Tawaf.
Khalifa: is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation: "Successor".
Khutbah - A sermon given in a Mosque, usually on Friday.
Kufr - Denial or Disbelief. A term Muslims use for anyone who denies existence of Allah or the prophecy of Muhammed.
Koran - Also spelled Qur'an. The holy book of Islam revealed to Muhammad by Allah through the Archangel Gabriel. Koran literally means "the recital." It is the final revelation of Allah given to the prophet Muhammad. It consists of 114 surahs (or chapters.)
Madinah - (Medinah): A city in the Arabian peninsula (in the country known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to immigrate to. Then it was called Yathrib.
Masjid - A center for Muslim activity. It is referred to as a mosque.
Masiah - A sin, or a sinful act
Mecca or Makkah: is the holiest city for Muslims. It contains the Ka'aba mosque with the famous black cubical shape. Mecca is the birth place of the messenger (PPBU).
Mosque - A Muslim house of worship.
Muhajir - (Muhajireen) Immigrant, one who leaves his home town due to lack of religious freedom. It was first used to describe early Muslims immigrating from Mecca to Median and Ethiopia.
Muhammad - the final messenger and prophet of God whose message abrogated all previous revelations. He received the Koran through the angel Gabriel over a 23 year period. Born in Mecca and died in Medina at the age of 63. His full name: Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah
Muslim - One who holds faith to the religion of Islam.
Nafilah: a voluntary prayer other than the five obligatory prayers; performed at any time.
Nasara - Christians. Nasrani: A Christian individual. Nasraniah: Christianity.
Ommah: is the Arabic word for a nation. It usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.
Paradise - Another word for heaven. A garden of bliss, fruits, rivers and all forms of pleasures imaginable and imaginable. No suffering, disease or death. Service is provided by angels. All live in it an ever lasting youthful life. Promised by Almighty Allah to all faithful, true Jews, true Christians and True Muslims. Paradise is one of two places every person will go to, either Paradise or Hellfire.
PPBU (P.B.U.H.) : Peace and Prayers Be Upon him. A statement Muslims use any time they mention the name of the messenger or make a reference to him.
Qadar - Fate. Preordainment is the teaching that all things, good and bad, are preordained to occur.
Qadr - (night of Qadr): The night when the first revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during one of the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. Or when the Koran was brought down to the nearest heaven in one go, and from there it was brought down in bits and few verses at a time over a period of 23 years. This night is considered the holiest night for Muslims with tremendous advantages.
Qibla - The direction which Muslims turn for daily prayers, towards Mecca.
Quraish - An ancient Arab tribe to which the messenger Muhammad belonged.
Ramadan - The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which is the month of the fast. The holiest month in the Muslim colander.
Salat - Prayers. Generally it covers all forms of worship, but more specifically refers to the Muslim rituals which is performed to worship Allah five times daily.
Shiaa: A sect of Islam that teaches that a religion leader (Imam) should be the political ruler and must be direct descendants of the messenger (PPBU). Therefore, disapproving of all Muslim leaders who ruled After the messenger (PPBU) except Ali, the messenger's grandson.
Shirk - Associating another god with Allah. Or associating anyone or anything with Allah. Or using anyone or anything as a medium to Allah. The opposite of Monotheism or Tawheed.
Siam or Soam- Fasting
Sunni: is a the title of those Muslims who are suppose to be following the life style of the messenger. This differentiates them from the Shiaa of Iran.
Sunna (Sunnah): Is how the Messenger PPBU lived, what he did or said. It includes the way he dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought. Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered to be an important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes. It is also a title give to the main stream Muslims who make 90% if all Muslims.
Surah - A chapter of the Koran.
Tawaf: part of the pilgrimage (Hajj) ritual. It involves walking round the Ka'aba Mosque in anti-clock wise direction a number of seven circles.
Tauhid - Tawheed - Monotheism, in Islam is the teaching that there is only one God who alone is worthy of worship. The first requirement of becoming a Muslim. It is included in the testimony of faith for new Muslims when declaring that God is one: (No God but Allah)
Taqwah - Proper fear and veneration of Allah. A divine spark that enables the person to understand God.
Taurat: The old Testaments and scriptures of Mosa.
Ummah - the word means: a Nation. Usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise stated.
Umrah - (Amrah): A mini hajj. A Minor form of pilgrimage to Mecca. Unlike Hajj which can only be done on the 12th month of the Islamic year, Umrah can be performed at any time.
Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers known as ablution.
Zaboor - The Psalms
Zakat - The third pillar of Islam. Alms giving, charity that is given to the poor.
