1441 Year Ramadan Day 28 What have you learnt?

*Ramadan Day 28*

*What have you learnt?*

Alhamdulilah! Alhamdulilah!! Alhamdulilah!!!

We thank Almighty Allah (Subhanahu Wa Taala) to spare our lives to witness this miraculous month (Ramadan). Brothers and sisters in Islam, we present concise characteristics of the people of paradise and things you should know about Ramadan. This is because of our frequent interactions with many nominal Muslims in the social media group. We need brief to them.

Things you should know about Ramadan 1441 AH, Islam’s holy month of fasting

Ramadan will start with the first confirmed sighting of a new moon.

Muslims around the globe observed the holy month of Ramadan, which began 27 days ago.

The holy month: all you need to know

1)    Ramadan, the ninth month for Muslims.

2)    The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle, in which 12 months add up to 354 days.

3)    This is why the first day of Ramadan moves back by 11 days each year and its conclusion, Eid, is announced on sighting of the moon, which varies from region to region.

4)    Mosques issue a schedule for those fasting according to local sunrise and sunset times. In London, the first fast begins at 3.43 am and ends at 8.33 pm, and the final fast begins at 2.48 am and ends at 9.14 pm. In Nigeria is different!

5)    Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, the other four being testimony of faith, daily prayers, charity and the Hajj – making a pilgrimage to Mecca.

6)    Muslims see Ramadan as a time for recharging their faith with extra focus and discipline in prayers and the teachings of the Qur’an. Once the month of fasting is complete, there will be three days of celebration – the Eid al-Fitr.

Throughout the fasting period this year, we experienced COVID 19, and Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and partake in nightly feasts.

Here are things to know about Islam’s sacred month:

1.0 WHAT IS RAMADAN?

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is the holy month of fasting, spiritual reflection and prayer for Muslims.

It is the month in which the Prophet Muhammad (Sallalahu Alaihi Wa Salaam) was revealed the holy book — Quran — to Muslims.

The word “Ramadan” itself is taken from the Arabic word, “ramad,” an adjective describing something scorching dry or intensely heated by the sun.

2.0 WHEN IS RAMADAN?

The Islamic calendar is based on the moon’s cycle and not the sun’s (what the Western world uses), so the dates vary year to year.

By the Gregorian solar calendar, Ramadan is 10 to 12 days earlier every year.

In 2020, Ramadan started on night of Thursday, April 23 against Friday, April 24 and last through Saturday, May 23, depending on sighting of moon, In shaa Allahu.

In some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, special infrared cameras are used to capture the new moon.

According to Forbes, the new moon was born at 3:27 a.m. Coordinated Universal Time on April 23, 2020. That translates to 11:30 p.m. EST on April 22. At that moment, “when the Moon is between Earth and the Sun sees the far side of the Moon illuminated,” Forbes said, “no-one on Earth can see anything of the Moon.” A few hours later, however, a very slim crescent moon appeared for those who have yet to see it.

With this year’s observance occurring amid the coronavirus pandemic, traditional activities was drastically cut in Muslim-majority nations around the world and might affect even Eid Fitr Congregational prayers from country to country.

The lunar months last between 29 and 30 days, depending on the sighting of the moon on the 29th night of each month. If the moon is not visible, the month will last 30 days.

3.0 WHAT DO MUSLIMS DO DURING RAMADAN AND WHY?

Ramadan is known as the holy month of fasting, with Muslims abstaining from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset.

Fasting during the holiday is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, along with the daily prayer, declaration of faith, charity and performing the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

More than 1,400 years ago, Muslims were commanded to fast during Ramadan.

The fast is intended to remind Muslims of the suffering of those less fortunate and bring believers closer to Allah (Subhanahu Wa Taala).

During the month, Muslims also abstain from habits such as smoking, sex, and gossip; this is seen as a way to both physically and spiritually purify oneself while practicing self-restraint.

4.0 HERE’S WHAT A DAY OF FASTING DURING RAMADAN IS LIKE:

• Muslims have a predawn meal called the “suhoor.”

• Then, they fast all day until sunset.

• At sunset, Muslims break their fast with a sip of water and some dates, the way they believe the Prophet Muhammad (Sallalahu Alaihi Wa Salaam) broke his fast more than a 1400 years ago.

5.0 HOW IS THE END OF RAMADAN CELEBRATED?

Towards the end of the month, that’s last 10 days, Muslims expect celebration Laylat al-Qadr or “the Night of Power/Destiny” — a day Allah (Subhanahu Wa Taala) sent the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (Sallalahu Alaihi Wa Salaam) to reveal the Quran’s first verses.

On this night, which falls on one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, Muslims practice intense worship as they pray for answers and seek forgiveness for any sins.

To mark the end of Ramadan, determined by the sighting of the moon on the 29th night of Ramadan, a 3-day celebration called Eid al-Fitr brings families and friends together in early morning prayers followed by feasts and fun. This year’s Eid Fitr is not the same as last due to pandemic COVID 19.

6.0 DOES EVERY MUSLIM FAST DURING RAMADAN?

According to most interpreters of the Quran, children, the elderly, the ill, pregnant women, women who are nursing or menstruating, and travelers are exempted from fasting while some pay back while others pay Fidya.

Some interpreters also consider intense hunger and thirst particularly in desert areas as well as compulsion (someone threatening another to do something) have exceptions. Refer to relevant Fiqh.

Many Muslims in Muslim-majority countries, for example, observe the month-long fast during Ramadan.

In fact, in Saudi Arabia, Muslims and non-Muslims can be fined or jailed for eating in public during the day, according to the Associated Press.

But in the United States and in Europe, or western world many Muslims the ruling might not apply.

7.0 RAMADAN: ‘IT WILL BE A TEST BUT THE PEACE YOU GET IS BEAUTIFUL’

A month of fasting brings both challenge and rewards.

Hundreds of millions of Muslims across the world embarked on Ramadan, the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic calendar, in which it is believed the Qur’an was revealed to the prophet Muhammad (Sallalahu Alaihi Wa Salaam). For 29/30 days, many Muslims will be fasting – no food, no water – from sunrise to sunset, getting on with life while taking on one of the greatest acts of faith. Not eating, or drinking even the tiniest drop of water, is hard.

It is more difficult still in the long days of a British summer, where the morning meal (sahour) has to be eaten by 2.30 am and the fast can’t be broken with the evening meal (iftar) until after 9 pm. Some will dedicate more time to meditative prayer or studying the Qur’an. As so many will attest, the challenge is mental rather than physical. Feeling weak or lethargic by the end of the day is common, but the body adjusts and willpower is extraordinary – as with any sort of training, fasting gets easier as you go on.

Exemptions are made for the elderly, the young, anyone who is ill, for women who are pregnant or menstruating, and for those travelling. In these cases, fasts are made by fidyah – donating money or food to those in need. Fasting during Ramadan isn’t just about resisting the temptation to eat: it also means no sex, no smoking, no bitching, no general bad behaviour in daylight hours. Instead, love, charity, kindness and prayer are prioritized. Consider it a spiritual detox.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PEOPLE OF PARADISE

Question: I was trying to find some evidence for the following characteristics of the people of Paradise: the height of the believer will be like that of the height of Sayyiduna Adam (peace be upon him), sixty cubits or ninety feet; their beauty will be like that of Sayyiduna Yoosuf (peace be upon him); their age will be like that of Sayyiduna ‘Eesaa (peace be upon him), between thirty and thirty-three years; their melodious voices will be like that of Sayyiduna Daawood (peace be upon him); their forgiving and easy-going nature will be like that of Sayyiduna Ya‘qoob (peace be upon him); their patience will be like that of Sayyiduna Ayyoob (peace be upon him); their characteristics and habits will be like those of Sayyiduna Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah  be upon him). Could you please shed light on the soundness of these characteristics?

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

There are a number of hadiths which speak of the physical characteristics of the people of Paradise, through which we may learn some of the details about the world of the unseen with which we hope that Allah , may He be glorified and exalted, will honour us by causing us to see it and enjoy it.

Firstly: Their height will be sixty cubits

The evidence for that is the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah  be pleased with him), which he narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah  be upon him):

“Allah  created Adam in His image, and he was sixty cubits tall. When he created him he said, ‘Go and greet that group of angels who are sitting and listen to how they greet you, for that will be your greeting and the greeting of your descendants.’ So he said, ‘Al-salaamu ‘alaykum (peace be upon you),’ and they said, ‘Al-salaamu ‘alayka wa rahmat-Allah  (Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah .’ So they added (the words) ‘wa rahmat-Allah .’ Everyone who enters Paradise will be in the form of Adam, but mankind continued to grow shorter until now.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6227) and Muslim (2834). A cubit is a measurement of length, which in modern terms is approximately 64 centimetres, as mentioned in al-Mu‘jam al-Waseet (1/311).

Secondly: their bodies will be free of hair.

Thirdly: their age will be between thirty and thirty-three years.

The evidence for that is the hadith of Mu‘aadh ibn Jabal (may Allah  be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah  be upon him) said:

“The people of Paradise will enter Paradise hairless and beardless, with kohl-rimmed eyes, with an age of thirty or thirty-three years.”

Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (2545); he said: it is hasan ghareeb. Also narrated by Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad (13/315), from Abu Hurayrah and other Sahaabah.

The hadith was classed as saheeh by Abu Haatim in al-‘Ilal (3/272) and al-Albaani in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah (6/1224).

It was classed as hasan by the annotators of al-Musnad (Mu’sasat ar-Risaalah edn.), and by al-Haythami in Majma‘ az-Zawaa’id (10/402).

The word jurda (translated above as “hairless”) is the plural of ajrad, which refers to one whose body is free of hair, as noted in al-Qaamoos (p. 347).

The word amrad (translated above as “beardless”) refers to a young man his moustache has started to grow, but his beard has not yet grown. Al-Qaamoos (p. 407).

Al-Mubaarakfoori (may Allah  have mercy on him) said:

With regard to the word “or” [in the phrase “thirty or thirty-five years old”], the uncertainty is one the part of the narrator. In the hadith of Abu Hurayrah as narrated by Ahmad, Ibn Abi’d-Dunya, at-Tabaraani and al-Bayhaqi, it definiteively says, “thirty-three years old.” This is how it also appears in the hadith of al-Miqdaam which was narrated by al-Bayhaqi with a hasan isnaad, according to what is mentioned in at-Targheeb. End quote.Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi (7/254).

Fourthly: their beauty will be like the beauty of Yoosuf (peace be upon him).

Fifthly: their hearts will be like the heart of Ayyoob (peace be upon him).

These two characteristics are mentioned in two hadiths:

The first hadith was narrated by Ibn Abi’d-Dunya in Sifat al-Jannah (no. 210), where he says:

Al-Qaasim ibn Haashim told us: Safwaan ibn Saalih told us: Rawaad ibn al-Jarraah al-‘Asqalaani told me: al-Awzaa‘i told us, from Haaroon ibn Ri’aab, from Anas ibn Maalik, who said: The Messenger of Allah  (blessings and peace of Allah  be upon him) said: “The people of Paradise will enter Paradise as tall as Adam (peace be upon him), sixty cubits of the cubits of the king, as beautiful as Yoosuf, the same age as ‘Eesaa, thirty-three years, speaking the language of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah  be upon him), hairless, beardless, with kohl-rimmed eyes.”

This is a da‘eef isnaad. There was a difference of opinion as to whether Haaroon ibn Ri’aab- who was trustworthy and a devoted worshipper – heard directly from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah  be pleased with him). Jaami‘ at-Tahseel (p. 292).

Rawaad ibn al-Jarraah ash-Shaami was classed as da‘eef by many scholars. They criticized him for the presence of munkar (odd reports), reports narrated only by him and some discrepencies among his hadiths. Al-Bukhaari said: He got confused, and his hadith were of hardly any value. Abu Haatim said: His memory changed at the end of his life, although he was originally trustworthy. An-Nasaa’i said: He was not strong; he narrated more than one munkar (odd) hadith, and he got confused. Abu Ahmad Ibn ‘Adiyy said: Most of what he narrated is not accepted, although he was a righteous shaykh, and in the hadiths of the righteous there are some odd reports. But his hadith may be written down, and Ibn Hibbaan mentioned him in the book ath-Thiqaat. He said: He makes mistakes and goes against the reports narrated by trustworthy narrators. Ad-Daaraqutni said: He is matrook [i.e., his hadiths are to be rejected]. See: Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb (3/289).

The second hadith:

It was narrated that al-Miqdaam ibn Ma‘di Karib (may Allah  be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah  (blessings and peace of Allah  be upon him) say: “On the Day of Resurrection, everyone from the miscarried foetus to the feeble old man will be gathered together in the form of Adam, with the heart of Ayyoob and the beauty of Yoosuf, beardless and with kohl-rimmed eyes.”

We said: O Prophet of Allah , and what about the disbeliever?

He said: “He will be made huge for the Fire, until the thickness of his skin is forty cubits, and his molars will be like Uhud.”

This hadith was narrated via three isnaads:

1.. Via Yazeed ibn Sinaan Abu Farwah ar-Rahhaawi. He said: Abu Yahyaa al-Kilaa‘i told me, from al-Miqdaam.

It was narrated by al-Fasawi in al-Ma‘rifah wa’t-Taareekh (2/59); Ibn Qaani‘ in Mu‘jam as-Sahaabah (3/106); at-Tabaraani in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer (20/280); al-Bayhaqi in al-Ba‘th wa’n-Nushoor (no. 410); ad-Daylami in Musnad al-Firdaws (8785); and Ibn ‘Asaakir in Taarekh Dimashq (60/193, 184). In al-Mataalib al-‘Aaliyah (no. 4750), Ibn Hajar attributed it to Abu Ya‘laa al-Moosili.

This is a da‘eef isnaad because of Yazeed ibn Sinaan. Ahmad, Ibn al-Madeeni and an-Nasaa’i said: It is da‘eef. Ibn Mu‘een said: His hadith is nothing. Ibn ‘Adiyy said: Most of his hadiths are not known. See: Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb (11/336).

Al-Haythami said in Majma‘ az-Zawaa’id (10/334):

It was narrated by at-Tabaraani. Its isnaad includes Yazeed ibn Sinaan Abu Farwah ar-Rahhaawi, who is da‘eef, but was somewhat trustworthy. End quote.

2.. The second chain of narration is from Ishaaq ibn Ibraaheem ibn Zibreeq al-Homsi: ‘Amr ibn al-Haarith told us, from ‘Abdullah ibn Saalim, from Muhammad ibn al-Waleed ibn ‘Aamir az-Zubaydi: Saleem ibn ‘Aamir told us, that al-Miqdaam ibn Ma‘di Karib told them that the Messenger of Allah  (blessings and peace of Allah  be upon him) said: “There is no one who dies in utero or old age – and all people are among that – but he will be resurrected thirty years old. Whoever is among the people of Paradise will have the frame of Adam, with the appearance of Yoosuf and the heart of Ayyoob. Whoever is among the people of Hell will be made huge and immense like mountains.”

Narrated by at-Tabaraani in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer (20/280); al-Bayhaqi in al-Ba‘th wa’n-Nushoor (no. 411).

Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah  have mercy on him) said:

This isnaad is not saheeh, for two reasons:

The first reason is that ‘Amr ibn al-Haarith al-Homsi was not proven to be of good character. Adh-Dhahabi said: He narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Saalim al-Ash‘ari only, and the only one who narrated from him was Ishaaq ibn Ibraaheem ibn Zibreeq, and a slave woman of his whose name was ‘Alawah. Thus he is not known to be of good character, and Ishaaq ibn Ibraaheem ibn Zibreeq is da‘eef. Al-Haafiz said: He is acceptable, i.e., when corroborating reports are found, and that was done, as we shall see below.

The second reason is that there was a difference of opinion concerning Ishaaq ibn Ibraaheem. You have seen above that adh-Dhahabi stated definitively that he was da‘eef; something similar was stated by al-Haafiz when he explained the reason: he was sadooq (honest) but got confused a great deal. Muhammad ibn ‘Awf accused him of telling lies. End quote.As-Silsilah as-Saheehah (6/47).

Ibn Katheer (may Allah  have mercy on him) said regarding the first and second chains of narration: There is weakness in both of them. End quote.An-Nihaayah (p. 273).

3.. The third chain of narration was narrated by Abu Nu‘aym in Sifat al-Jannah (no. 268). He said: Abu Muhammad ibn Maasi told us: Ahmad ibn Abi ‘Awf told us: ‘Eesa ibn Musaawir told us: al-Waleed ibn Muslim told us, from ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Yazeed ibn Jaabir, from Saleem ibn ‘Aamir, from al-Miqdaam ibn Ma‘di Karib.

Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah  have mercy on him) said:

This isnaad would be saheeh were it not for the fact that al-Waleed ibn Muslim narrated it by saying ‘an [“from”, rather than saying “So-and-so told us”]. End quote.As-Silsilah as-Saheehah (6/45).

Conclusion: each of the chains of narration of this hadith on its own is da‘eef (weak), but perhaps it may be regarded as stronger when the chains of narration are put together. Hence al-Mundhiri classed the hadith as hasan in at-Targheeb wa’t-Tarheeb (4/274), and Shaykh al-Albaani classed it as saheeh in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah (no. 2512).

Thus it becomes clear that what is mentioned in the question of the characteristics of the people of Paradise is true, apart from three characteristics:

A melodious voice like that of Sayyiduna Daawood (peace be upon him);

A forgiving and easy-going attitude like that of Sayyiduna Ya‘qoob (peace be upon him);

And characteristics and habits like those of Sayyiduna Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah  be upon him).

We have not found any evidence for these three characteristics.

And Allah knows best.

Source:

Islam Q&A, 153285, https://m.islamqa.info/en/answers/153285/characteristics-of-the-people-of-paradise

And Allaah knows best.

May Allah Almighty accept our fast and blessed us

May Almighty Allah reward us abundantly and accept our Ibadaah. Ameen