The Spring of the Holy Qur'an
The month of Ramadhan has been aptly named the spring of the Qur'an. During this month, believers set aside more time than usual to understand the word of Allah, to learn and ponder over its verses. Muslim homes and mosques ring with the beautiful recitation of this glorious book. It is the season of Qur'an reciting, when the desire to learn and understand the word of Allah blooms and flourishes, just as the natural world blossoms in the Spring.
The following Ahadith show the importance of reciting the Qur'an in the holy month: Invoke your Lord in right earnest, with hearts that are free of sin and evil, to enable you to fast and to recite His Book (the Qur'an).
Holy Prophet (s) Whoever recites an ayat from the Qur'an (in Ramadhan) will receive a similar reward as the one who recites the entire Qur'an in other months.
Holy Prophet (s) Everything has a springtime, and the springtime of the Qur'an is the month of Ramadhan.
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a) Invoke Allah, ask for forgiveness, recite the Qur'an, and repent to Allah for your sins more frequently, so that the blessings of the month of Ramadhan may come to you, while you are sincere to Allah, the Exalted.
Imam Ali ar-Ridha (a) The Holy Qur'an contains great cures for mankind, beautiful gems of wisdom for life, and the best instructions for happiness in this world and the Hereafter. God speaks to human beings through it, and it is incumbent upon all believers to find out for themselves what God has said to them.
Reciting the Holy Qur'an
Many Muslims like to complete the recitation of the entire Qur'an in this blessed month. If that is not possible, at least a portion of the holy Book should be read during this month. The reward for it is much greater than in other months.
Recitation of the Holy Qur'an has many benefits. The following Hadith illustrate some of these benefits: Illuminate your homes by reciting the Holy Qur'an . . for if the Holy Qur'an is recited frequently in a house, it brings blessings for the family, and the house will give light to those in Heaven as the stars of Heaven give light to those on the earth.
Holy Prophet (s) The heart gathers rust like iron. Remove this rust by the recitation of the Qur'an.
Holy Prophet (s) Whoever derives pleasure from the recitation of Qur'an, will not be depressed by the departure of friends.
Imam Ali (a) How to recite the Qur'an
Do wudhu before reciting. It is forbidden to touch the writings of Qur'an without wudhu. Even when not touching the writings, it is recommended to do wudhu before reciting the Qur'an. See protection of Allah from the Shaytan. Recite with a beautiful voice. The Holy Qur'an should be read slowly, with a beautiful voice and consideration for the rules of recitation. The Holy Prophet (s) says: Give beauty to the Qur'an with your voices. And when he was asked as to who had the best voice for recitation, he said: The person who, when you listen to him, you realize that he fears Allah. The Holy Prophet (s) has also said: Everything has a decoration, and the decoration for the Qur'an is a beautiful voice. Interact with the Qur'an. Another important point to remember is to interact with the Qur'an when reciting it. When reading verses which promise blessings and reward for the believers, one should be excited and hopeful. But on reading descriptions of punishments meted out to those who disbelieved and displeased Allah, a believer is fearful and seeks refuge in Allah. Sometimes Allah asks a questions, as in Sura ar- Rahman, Which of the bounties of your Lord will you two deny?. Commentators say a recitor of the Qur'an should answer that by saying None of your bounties, my Lord, do I deny. This type of interacting with the Qur'an makes the Qur'an alive, not just a book to be read. Understanding the Holy Qur'an.
It is important that believers try to understand what Allah has revealed in the Holy Qur'an. It is a book of guidance, and to derive and act upon this guidance, we need to read and understand its verses. The fourth Imam (a) says: The Qur'anic verses are treasures of Knowledge and whenever a treasure is opened, you have to see what lies therein. Ponder over the verses of the Qur'an, and learn from them, for they are the best of lessons. Understanding the Qur'an could be done through reading the translation, thinking about the words used in the verse, the causes of revelation, and reading and discussing the commentary provided by knowledgeable scholars.
Understanding and pondering over the verses of the Holy Qur'an is an important duty of all Muslims. Allah talks to us through the Qur'an, and we need to read and understand what He says in it. Many Muslims believe that understanding the Qur'an is the duty of scholars, and they are content to just recite the verses without giving them much thought. The Holy Prophet (s) will complain about such Muslims on the day of Judgement. The Qur'an says he will say: O my Lord! My people took the Qur'an very lightly. By studying and pondering over the verses of the Qur'an, we will not be among the group the Prophet (s) will complain about on the day of Judgement.
Exercises
These exercises are to familiarize students with the contents of the Qur'an. This will Inshallah bring an appreciation for the holy Book, and an increased understanding of what God has sent us for guidance. Choose one surah of the holy Qur'an for students to memorize, understand, ponder over, and read commentary of. Surahs could be chosen according to Grade level and available material. Some good sources of commentary for surahs are: Choose some Qur'anic verses on important topics for students to learn. They could memorize them, understand them, ponder over them, and read or discuss relevant commentary. Some verses which could be included are: Let students make their own schedules for Quranic recital during the holy month. This could include reading of translation and/or commentary. Let the students memorize the hadith on importance of reciting and understanding the Qur'an. Discuss the following important topics with the students during the holy month: Revelation and compilation of the Qur'an Miracles of the Qur'an The need of guidance for human beings.
Supplicating to the Almighty
The holy month of Ramadhan is a special time for supplicating to Allah. Dua, or supplication, is especially encouraged. Believers spend a lot of time in this month praying to the Almighty, asking for their needs of this world and the Hereafter. Apart from the recommended duas for the nights and days of this blessed month, we are told to be in a constant state of prayer and dua.
The following Ahadith show the importance of Dua in the month of Ramadhan: Supplicate (in Ramadhan) with your hands raised at the times of prayer, as these are the best of times during which the Almighty looks at His servants with mercy. (He) answers if they supplicate, responds if they call, grants if they ask, and accepts if they entreat. Holy Prophet (s) Pray and seek forgiveness more frequently in the month of Ramadhan. Prayer wards off misfortune, and forgiveness cleanses your sins. Imam Ali (a)
What is Dua?
Dua is a simple acceptance of the difference between the existences of God and the human being.
- The existence of Allah as the source of all good, perfection, independence and bestowal.
- The existence of the human being as a vessel of poverty, need, dependant on constant bestowal and favor.
Thus the human being needs to ask for and receive the favors of the Almighty. He is in constant need for what only Allah can give Him. To help him achieve his dreams, to give him success and happiness in this world and the Hereafter, he needs the favors of Allah.
The Almighty God, in His mercy and love for the human being, has allowed believers to ask from Him, and has promised to answer them. This is a great favor of God. The following Qur'anic verses show how Allah invites believers to ask from Him: And when my servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the supplicant when he calls upon Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me, that they may walk the right way. (2:186) Call unto Me, I will answer you. Those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell. (40:60) Call your Lord humbly and secretly, He loves not the transgressors. (7:55) And call on Him, fearing and hoping, surely the mercy of Allah is near to those who do good. (7:56) Many Hadith also emphasize the importance of supplicating to Allah: Dua is the weapon of the believer, and the pillar of faith, and the light of the heavens and the earth. Holy Prophet (s) Know that He who owns the treasures of the skies and the earth has permitted you to pray to Him, and has promised you acceptance of the prayer. He has commanded you to beg of Him in order that He may give you, and to seek His mercy in order that He may have mercy on you.
He has opened for you the door of repentance. Therefore whenever you call Him, He hears your call, and whenever you whisper to Him, He knows the whisper. You place before him your needs, unveil before Him yourself, complain to Him for your worries, beseech Him to remove your troubles, seek His help in your affairs, and ask from the treasures of His mercy what no-one else has the power to give, namely long life, health of body, and increase of livelihood. Imam Ali (a) Letter 31, Nahjul Balagha Allah loves the believers who ask from Him, and supplicate constantly. The Holy Prophet (s) has said that on the Day of Judgement, two men with very similar deeds will enter Heaven. One of them will see that the other is granted a rank above him. He will ask Allah: "My Lord! We have the same actions. Why have you preferred him over me"? Allah will reply, "He asked from Me, and you did not".
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (a) often encouraged his companions to ask from Allah. He once said to Maysar, his companion : O Maysar! Supplicate, and do not say the affair has been destined. Surely there are ranks with Allah which cannot be reached except through asking. If the servant (of Allah) closes his mouth and does not ask, he will not be given anything, so ask and you will get. O Maysar, the door that is knocked often is most likely to open.
Dua is a great tool given to believers by Allah. Using dua they can achieve great things and overcome many problems. One who has been given the power of Dua can never lose hope, as in his hands lies a great weapon. It is man's own loss if he does not make use of the tremendous potential of Dua.
Effects of Dua Pleases the Almighty
Allah loves that believers should pray to Him constantly. He says in the Holy Qur'an: Allah would not care for you were it not for your supplications. (25:77).Ahadith also tell us of how Allah loves those who pray and ask from Him: God loves nothing better than that His servants ask from Him. Imam al-Baqir (a) Supplicate, for there is nothing like Dua to get you closer to Allah, and do not leave out your minor needs, for the One who is the Master of the major needs is also the Master of the minor ones. Imam as-Sadiq (a) Gives Peace and Contentment.
A person who prays to Allah, putting all faith and trust in Him, never feels alone or lonely. He has harnessed his own insignificant power onto a being who is the Supreme Power, and who has promised to answer His call. This gives him great peace of mind. It makes him confident that with the help of Allah, all things can be done. He knows also that whatever happens to him is the decree of the Wise, the almighty. Says the Holy Qur'an: Those who believe and whose hearts are set at rest by the remembrance of Allah, surely by Allah's remembrance are hearts set at rest. ( 13:28)
Increases Knowledge and Humility
Most duas teach us about the greatness of Allah, and His qualities. They also make us aware of our lowly position and our helplessness. That is why Allah says: Call unto Me, I will answer you. Those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell. (40:60) Those who do not ask from Allah are described as the proud ones. Believers are encouraged to pray all the time, and for all things - even those which seem minor. Allah once told Nabi Musa (a), O Musa! Ask Me for everything, even the mending of your shoelace. When a human being realizes that he is in constant need of the favors of Allah, this will prevent him from becoming proud and arrogant. It reminds him of his own neediness and poverty.
Changes what is destined
Dua reverts what has been destined. Although Allah decrees all things, He has given us the ability to make changes through Dua. The Holy Prophet (s) has said: What is destined cannot be averted except through Dua. Another Hadith says: Indeed caution cannot save you from what is destined, but what can save you from it is Dua. Imam Ali (a) Averts Difficulties
Many problems and difficulties in life can be avoided by praying to Allah. He is in complete control, and can keep away all afflictions from those who ask Him for that. The following Ahadith explain the importance of Dua for avoiding difficulties: Whoever fears difficulties should supplicate, Allah will never let the difficulties come to him. Imam as-Sadiq (a) Surely Dua meets the difficulties, and the two join together until the Day of Judgement. Imam al-Kadhim (a) Etiquette of Dua
As we spend more and more time reciting Duas during the holy months of Rajab, Shabaan, and Ramadhan, it is necessary to know the correct etiquette of Dua. Supplicating to the Almighty should be done in the appropriate manner - in the manner that Allah loves - in order to benefit fully from it. The following are some of the Etiquette of Dua according to Hadith.
Begin with Bismillah: A Hadith of the Holy Prophet (s) says: No dua which has Basmalah (saying of Bismillahir Rahmaneer Raheem) at the beginning of it is rejected. A dua should begin in the name of Allah, putting all trust and hope in Him alone. Describing Him as Kind and Merciful creates confidence that the dua will not be rejected.
Send Blessings on Muhammad and his family: A Hadith of the 6th Imam (a) says: Whoever has a wish he wants Allah to fulfill, let him begin with blessings on Muhammad and his family, then let him ask his wish, and end by sending blessings on Muhammad and his family. Allah is nobler than to accept the first and the last (the blessings) and reject the middle. Salawat is a dua for the Holy Prophet (s) and his family. Whoever includes that dua is assured of the acceptance of his dua for himself.
Praise and Glorify Allah: Every Dua should begin with the praise of Allah, the recognition that He alone has the Power and Might over everything. A supplicant increases in his humility as he acknowledges the greatness of the Almighty. He realizes that everything is in the control of God, and if He wishes, the dua can be accepted and answered immediately.
Acknowledgement of Sins: When supplicating to Allah, one should be aware of and confess that one is a sinner, undeserving of the favor of Allah. Humility and apprehensiveness are commendable qualities in the one who supplicates.
Pray emotionally: Allah says in Hadithe Qudsi to Nabi Isa (a): O Isa! When you ask from me, supplicate to me the supplication of the grief stricken, the overwhelmed, the one who has no helper ... and do not supplicate to Me except in an emotional state. Your grief should be only one. Whenever you pray to Me in such a way, I shall answer you. A soft heart and tears are the best weapons of a human being in his quest to achieve nearness to Allah. When one prays emotionally, the Dua is very sincere and acceptance is assured.
Pray for others: Whoever prays for others pleases the Almighty greatly. A Hadith of Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a) says: Nothing is more swiftly answered than a Dua recited for others. According to the Holy Prophet(s), the Dua of a believer for other believers is returned to him as many times as the number of believing men and women from the beginning of creation to the Day of Judgement.
Have confidence that Allah will answer your prayers : When praying, the supplicant must have trust that Allah will answer his prayers. A Hadith says, Whenever you recite Dua, assume that what you need is at the door.
Dua is always answered
Whoever asks something from Allah, his dua is always heard and answered. Sometimes it is not answered in the way the supplicant expects. No dua is rejected. Allah is more noble than to tell His servants to ask from Him, and then reject their dua. Many Ahadith tell us of how Allah always answers the supplicant, and is pleased with Him. A believer who prays and asks from Allah, is guaranteed one of three things: Either his dua is answered immediately Or he is given a reward for it for the Hereafter Or a difficulty is averted from him During the month of Ramadhan, believers try and spend as much time in dua as possible. This is the month in which dua carries even greater reward than usual, a month in which the mercy of Allah guarantees immediate acceptance of dua.
Exercises
The following are some examples of what children could do as they study the importance of dua. Teachers can choose to study a specific dua, encourage students to compose poems, write essays, or even write a play on the effectiveness of dua on daily life. Write a story of someone who was in a great difficulty. Show how faith in Allah and dua helped the person. Explain the change in emotional and mental state after supplicating to Allah, and entrusting Him with the problem. List ten things you usually do each day for which you could ask help from Allah. Remember that dua is not only for major problems. Even simple everyday tasks could be improved greatly with the help and support of the almighty. Read the section from Nahjul Balagha where Imam Ali (a) advises his son about Dua in Letter 31. Write in your own words how you would use that section of the letter to advise one of your friends. Choose one of the whispered duas (Munajaat) from Saheefa as-Sajjadiyyah to read and ponder over. What does Imam say which makes his duas very effective? What do you understand about the relationship Imam has with Allah?
Seeking Forgiveness from Allah
The holy month of Ramadhan is an excellent opportunity to have one's sins forgiven. Allah's blessings and mercy are so abundant in this month that anybody who truly repents in it, becomes as free of sins at the end of the month as when he was born. It is a glorious chance offered to us by the Almighty, a chance to cleanse and purify ourselves from the filth of sins and evil. The Holy Prophet has advised believers: O people ... your back is breaking under the heavy load of your sins, so prostrate yourself before Him (in Ramadhan) for long intervals, and make it lighter.
It is a proof of the love of the Almighty that each year he gives us a chance to clean our record and make a fresh start. Contrary to those who think that Allah is strict and harsh, that He will punish us as soon as we err, Allah gives us many chances to undo the wrong we have done towards Him. The month of Ramadhan is the best of these chances. All the duas for this month teach us to plead for forgiveness and deliverance from the punishment. One who recites these duas sincerely, and is truly repentant, is assured of forgiveness.
The Holy Qur'an says about seeking forgiveness: And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden the extensiveness of which is the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who guard against evil. (3:132) And whoever does evil, and oppresses his soul, then seeks forgiveness of Allah, he will find Allah to be Forgiving, Merciful. (4:110) Will they not turn to Allah and seek His forgiveness, and Allah is oft-forgiving, Merciful. (5:74) The following Hadith talk beautifully and eloquently on Istighfar (seeking forgiveness): Fortunate is the person who finds in his record of deeds a lot of seeking forgiveness. Holy Prophet (s) The similitude of Istighfar is like the leaves on a tree. The tree is shaken, and the leaves fall off. Imam Ridha (a) Fragrance yourselves with Istighfar so the stench of sins does not disturb you. Imam Ali (a) Seek forgiveness abundantly, for Allah has not taught you how to seek forgiveness except because He wishes to forgive you. Holy Prophet (s) Necessity of Istighfar in the life of a believer
When Allah created the human being, He gave him the faculty of good and evil. The human is free to choose his actions. He can decide to do a good deed, and stay on the right path. Or he can decide to do an evil deed and disobey his Lord. He has two sides to him; the intelligence and conscience that guide him towards good, and the evil soul that invites him to do wrong. The status of the human being with Allah depends on the type of actions he chooses to commit. The record of deeds he commits in this world will determine his end, whether in Heaven having earned the pleasure of Allah, or in Hell, deserving of the wrath and displeasure of Allah.
What happens when a human being sometimes chooses wrong, submits to his evil soul and ignores the dictates of his conscience? Is he doomed to forever carry the burden of that sin? Knowing that human beings were prone to slip, Allah in His immense mercy and wisdom, has opened the door of Istighfar for His servants, the door of seeking forgiveness after a sin. So whoever commits a sin, but repents and wishes he had not committed it, and knows that he will not do it again - at least will try never to repeat it again - can enter that door, and have the sins erased from his record.
Istighfar is the weapon of believers against the Shaytan who tries to lead them into Hell through inviting them to sin. According to a hadith of the Holy Prophet (s), Iblees declared to Allah that he would continuously try to lead humans astray so long as they were alive. Allah answered that He would continuously forgive them so long as they sought His forgiveness.
The best time to seek forgiveness is during the early hours of the morning before dawn. That is a very special time, when all duas are accepted. The Holy Qur'an describes the believers as those who seek forgiveness at the time of dawn.
The holy month of Ramadhan is a time when there is a general amnesty for sinners. Allah invites the sinners to come and seek His forgiveness. This is an opportunity that must not be missed, for no-one knows if he/she will be alive for the next year. When a criminal is told that the government is issuing pardons for those who seek it, to commemorate a happy event, he will jump at the chance to avoid punishment. He can save himself years in jail, a lot of misery and torture, by seeking pardon. It is a golden opportunity which no sensible person would miss. Similar is the case of the sinner who has disobeyed his Lord. He is a criminal, and when Allah offers a special pardon, the sinner seizes the chance. He would like to erase his sins and relieve himself of the burden of disobedience.
Conditions of Istighfar
It is important to note that to seek forgiveness, and then continue committing the same sin, is a sin in itself. It is wrong to mock and deceive oneself into thinking that one can seek forgiveness without having a firm intention to quit sins. That kind of Istighfar is a mockery, and will earn the displeasure of Allah. The following Ahadith clearly illustrate the evils of that type of attitude: Seeking forgiveness but continuing to sin, is a new sin. Imam Ali (a) One who seeks forgiveness for a sin, and does it, has mocked his Lord. Imam Ali ar-Ridha (a) The best way of seeking forgiveness is through regret and avoidance (of sins) Holy Prophet (s) Once Imam Ali (a) heard someone saying: Astaghfirullah. Imam told him: Do you know what Istighfar is. Istighfar is meant for people of high positions. It is a word that stands on six meanings: To repent over the past. To make a firm determination never to repeat it. To discharge all the rights of people so that you may meet Allah quite clean with nothing to account for. To fulfil every obligatory act which you ignored (in the past) so that you may now do justice with it. To aim at the flesh grown as a result of unlawful earnings, so that it may melt by grief (of repentance) till the skin touches the bone and a new flesh grows between them. To make the body taste the pain of obedience as you previously made it taste the sweetness of disobedience. On such occasions you may say Astaghfirullah.
Exercises Let the students familiarize themselves with the Arabic words: Ghafar, al-Ghafur, Istighfar. Write the Arabic as well as the English equivalent. Older children could write and memorize some of the relevant verses and hadith on Istighfar. Choose a hadith to work on. The hadith could be displayed with illustration on a board, written in calligraphy, use cut out letters, felt etc. to make a decorative hadith. Write an essay on one of the following: Shaytan's reaction upon finding out that Istighfar is allowed and encouraged for believers. The difference between our record of deeds with Istighfar, and without Istighfar. The story of a person's regret on the Day of Judgement when he sees his record devoid of Istighfar while the records of others shine brightly because of Istighfar. How seeking forgiveness constantly helps us stay away from sins and be closer to the Almighty.
