10th Month in the Islamic Calendar: Shawwal

10th Month in the Islamic Calendar : Shawwal

Shawwal : Is the tenth month of the Islamic Calendar.

Meaning of the word Shawwaal:- Uplift/breakage.  Before Islam, Arabs believed that any marriage held in Shawwaal would always turn out to be unsuccessful.  Hence, the month deprived the above metioned meanings, however the superstitious belief was later abolished.

The month Shawwal:- From the months of Hajj, Shawwaal is the first of them.  The first day of Shawwal is Eid-Ul-Fitr and also the day when sins are forgiven.

Six fasts of Shawwal:- In the month of Shawwal it is Sunnah to keep six fasts, as narrated in the following Hadith by Abu Ayyub Ansaru (Radi Allahu anhu) that the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa aalihi wa Sallam) has said, "If one throughout his life keeps the fasts of Ramadan and keeps six consecutive fasts in Shawwal it will be as though he has kept a whole life time of fasts, and if one keeps the six consecutive fasts for one Shawwal month it will be as though he has observed fast all year round." (Muslim)

 

 The fast that is observed in the month of Shawwal earns many rewards. It is declared in hadith-i sharifs:
(Whoever fasts for six days in the month of Shawwal after [fasting in] Ramadan becomes as sinless as the day when his mother gave birth to him.) [Tabarani]

(Whoever fasts in Ramadan and also fasts for six days in Shawwal is considered to have fasted for a year.) [Ibn Majah]

(The fast of Ramadan is equivalent to 10 months. The 6 fasts that are observed after Ramadan are equivalent to 2 months. Thus, one attains the reward of fasting for a year.) [Ibn Huzayma]

Some scholars state that it is better to observe the 6 fasts immediately after Ramadan without delay. It is permissible as well to observe them intermittently. One should observe them with the intention of make-up (qada) fasts. When one keeps voluntary or make-up fasts in the month of Shawwal or at other times, it is much better to keep them on Mondays and Thursdays. Two hadith-i sharifs say:
(Deeds are presented on Mondays and Thursdays. I want my deeds to be presented while I am fasting.) [Tirmidhi]

(I fast on Mondays and Thursdays because sins are forgiven on these days.) [Muslim]

(The gates of Paradise are opened on Mondays and Thursdays.) [Muslim]

Events which took place in Shawwal:-

1) Hadrat Aa'ishah Siddiqah (Radi Allahu ta'ala anha) was born in Shawwal four years after Prophethood which is nine years before Hijrah.
 

2) Hadrat Aa'ishah Siddiqah (Radi Allahu ta'ala anha) was married in this month ten years after Prophethood which is three years before Hijrah.
 

3) The fight between Banu Qaynaqaa took place between the battle of Badr and Uhud (Shawwal 2 A.H. after Hijrah)
 

4) The battle of Uhud also took place in Shawwal, three years after Hijrah.
 

5) Hadrat Imam Hussain (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) the Beloved Prophet's (Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa aalihi wa Sallam) grandson (son of Hadrat Fatima Radi Allahu ta'ala anha) was born in the month of Shawwal four years after Hijrah.
 

6) The Beloved Prophet  (Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa aalihi wa Sallam) married Hadhrat Umme Salamah (Radi Allahu ta'ala anha) in Shawwal in the fourth year after Hijrah.
 

7) Hadrat Aa'ishah Siddiqah's (Radi Allahu ta'ala anha) mother passed away in 5 A.H.
 

8) The Beloved Prophet's (Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa aalihi wa Sallam) uncle Abu Talib departed from this world during the middle of Shawwal in the year 5 A.H.
 

9) Imam Bukhari (Radi Allahu anhu) was born on a Friday of Shawwal in the year 194 A.H.

Ramadan, the Month of Fasting

Ramadan, the Month of Fasting

• The Meaning of Ramadan

Ramadan is a special month of the year for over one billion Muslims throughout the world. It is a time for inner reflection, devotion to God, and self-control. Muslims think of it as a kind of tune-up for their spiritual lives. There are as many meanings of Ramadan as there are Muslims.

The third "pillar" or religious obligation of Islam, fasting has many special benefits. Among these, the most important is that it is a means of learning self-control. Due to the lack of preoccupation with the satisfaction of bodily appetites during the daylight hours of fasting, a measure of ascendancy is given to one's spiritual nature, which becomes a means of coming closer to God. Ramadan is also a time of intensive worship, reading of the Qur'an, giving charity, purifying one's behavior, and doing good deeds.

As a secondary goal, fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing sympathy for the less fortunate, and learning to thankfulness and appreciation for all of God's bounties. Fasting is also beneficial to the health and provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits or overindulgence.

• Who Fasts in Ramadan? 

While voluntary fasting is recommended for Muslims, during Ramadan fasting becomes obligatory. Sick people, travelers, and women in certain conditions are exempted from the fast but must make it up as they are able. Perhaps fasting in Ramadan is the most widely practiced of all the Muslim forms of worship.

• The Sighting of the Moon

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The much-anticipated start of the month is based on a combination of physical sightings of the moon and astronomical calculations. The practice varies from place to place, some places relying heavily on sighting reports and others totally on calculations. In the United States, most communities follow the decision of the Islamic Society of North America, which accepts bonafide sightings of the new moon anywhere in the United States as the start of the new month. The end of the month, marked by the celebration of http://kitabulilm.blogspot.com/2012/08/eid-ul-fitr.html , is similarly determined.

• From Dawn to Sunset

The daily period of fasting starts at the breaking of dawn and ends at the setting of the sun. In between -- that is, during the daylight hours -- Muslims totally abstain from food, drink, smoking, and marital sex. The usual practice is to have a pre-fast meal (suhoor) before dawn and a post-fast meal (iftar) after sunset.The Islamic lunar calendar, being 11 to 12 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, migrates throughout the seasons. Thus, since Ramadan begins on January 20 or 21 this year, next year it will begin on January 9 or 10. The entire cycle takes around 35 years. In this way, the length of the day, and thus the fasting period, varies in length from place to place over the years. Every Muslim, no matter where he or she lives, will see an average Ramadan day of the approximately 13.5 hours.

• Devotion to ALLAH

The last ten days of Ramadan are a time of special spiritual power as everyone tries to come closer to God through devotions and good deeds. The night on which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet, known as the Night of Power http://kitabulilm.blogspot.com/2012/08/shab-e-qadr.html , is generally taken to be the 27th night of the month. The Qur'an states that this night is better than a thousand months. Therefore many Muslims spend the entire night in prayer.During the month, Muslims try to read as much of the Qur'an as they can. Most try to read the whole book at least once. Some spend part of their day listening to the recitation of the Qur'an in a mosque.

• Food in Ramadan

Since Ramadan is a special time, Muslims in many parts of the world prepare certain favorite foods during this month.

It is a common practice for Muslims to break their fast at sunset with dates (iftar), following the custom of Prophet Muhammad. This is followed by the sunset prayer, which is followed by dinner. Since Ramadan emphasizes community aspects and since everyone eats dinner at the same time, Muslims often invite one another to share in the Ramadan evening meal.

Some Muslims find that they eat less for dinner during Ramadan than at other times due to stomach contraction. However, as a rule, most Muslims experience little fatigue during the day since the body becomes used to the altered routine during the first week of Ramadan.

• The Spirit of Ramadan

Muslims use many phrases in various languages to congratulate one another for the completion of the obligation of fasting and the 'Eid-ul-Fitr festival. Here is a sampling of them:

History of 17 Ramadan ( The day of Badr )

…which the Muslims won through the complete help of Allah Subhanhu Wa Ta’ala in the blessed month of Ramadhan, 2 AH. Move to the entire entry to read a brief summary of the happenings of the notorious Battle of Badr.

Life in Makkah was becoming unbearable for the Muslims. The disbelievers were not allowing them to worship Allah, and were torturing them. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wasallam, decided to migrate with his companions to Madinah, fleeing the oppression of Quraysh. They left Makkah in secret, leaving behind their property and their money.

The disbelievers in Makkah were very annoyed by this successful migration. They then confiscated everything the Muslims left in Makkah, and used their moneys to equip their caravans with goods to be sold in Syria.

Back in Madinah, the Muslims were thinking of a way to get their property back. “We cannot accept this injustice anymore, we must get our money back by any means,” one of the companions said. “Let us intercept one of their caravans and get back some of our wealth,” another companion said. However, at that time, the Muslims were weak, and not well equipped to fight the Quraysh tribes. Moreover, the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wasallam, would not take such an action until Allah allowed him to do so. Then one day he received the revelation from Allah, saying: “To those Muslims against whom war is waged, permission is given to fight, because they are wronged, and surely Allah is Able to give them victory.” [22:39]. When the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wasallam, got the news that a caravan of the Quraysh tribe was coming from Syria full of goods, in the direction of Makkah, he addressed his companions saying: “Here is the caravan of the Quraysh tribe carrying their wealth with it. Go and intercept it for Allah may give it to you as a booty.”

On the eighth day of Ramadhan, the Muslims gathered a small army comprised of 314 men, 70 camels and only two horses. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wasallam, and his companions took turns riding the camels, marching towards Badr. Most caravans stop at Badr, a location halfway between Makkah and Madinah, to drink from the wells and rest their mounts. Abu Sufyan, the leader of the caravan coming from Syria, was informed that Muhammad and his army had set out to intercept him. He dispatched a messenger to Makkah to tell his people of the imminent danger and to call upon them to come to his help. When the messenger of Abu Sufyan reached Makkah, he turned the saddle of his camel upside down, tore his clothes, and shouted, “The caravan! The caravan! Your goods with Abu Sufyan has been intercepted by Muhammad and his companions. It may be too late to save it. Help! Help!”

The news hit the people of Makkah like a thunderbolt. The disbelievers were greatly shocked. Immediately, they decided to prepare a great army to fight the Muslims. All the tribes supplied men, money, and equipment. They gathered an army of 1300 men strong, 100 horses and a great number of camels. They marched forth toward Badr, boiling with anger.

Meanwhile, Abu Sufyan reached the vicinity of Badr. There he met a Bedouin whom he asked if he had seen an army. The man answered that he came across nobody except two riders on the hill nearby. Abu Sufyan rushed to the place, there he found a datestone which he examined carefully. He exclaimed: “By Allah! This is the feed which the people of Madinah give to their animals.” He knew that the Muslims were not far away. He changed his course towards the west coast, escaping the Muslim army. When he was sure he was completely out of danger, Abu Sufyan dispatched a messenger to inform the disbelievers of Quryash that he no longer needed their help.

However, Abu Jahl, a sworn enemy of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, refused to return to Makkah and insisted that the army march up to Badr. He said with great arrogance: “By Allah, we will not turn back until we get to Badr. There we will stay for three days, slaughter animals, have a feast, drink wine and have the girls sing for us. All of Arabia shall hear of our march, our strength and shall afterwards respect us. Let us march on!” Their army was indeed the greatest ever witnessed by Arabia. Abu Jahl saw in this a golden opportunity to humiliate the Muslims, and if they engaged in fighting, to exterminate Muhammad and his companions, and with them the whole religion of Islam.

The news of the caravan’s escape and the advance of the disbelievers’ army reached the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wasallam. It was alarming news, for the Muslim army was no match to the huge and well equipped army of Quraysh. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wasallam, needed to consult with his companions before making any decisions. The Muhajireen were eager to fight the disbelievers. Their leader, al-Miqdad ibn ‘Amr said to the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, “If you bid us, we will follow you to the extremity of the earth and fight with you until your goal is reached!” The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, was pleased by his answer, however the Muhajireen were a small division of the army. The Prophet needed to know the opinion of the Ansar. Besides, the Ansar had pledged to protect the Prophet as long as he remained in Madinah and were not obliged to fight outside it. At this point, Saad ibn Muath, the leader of the Ansar said to the Prophet, “We have believed in you and regard you as the true Messenger of Allah. We bear witness that what you have been given is the Truth, and on this we have given you our binding promise to hear and obey. March on as you desire and we are with you. By Allah, if you ask us to wade through the sea we will wade through with you, and not one of us will stay behind. Perhaps Allah will show you from us what will please you. March on with us!” The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, was greatly pleased by Saad’s words and issued orders for the army to march on towards the wells of Badr. They encamped near Badr and the Prophet himself sent a patrol to inquire about the position of the enemy. The patrol brought two boys to the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, who questioned them about the enemy’s army. The boys told him they were beyond the sand dune on the other bank of the valley, that they were a huge army, so huge that they slaughter ten camels every day to feed the men. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wasallam, turned towards his commanders and said: “Makkah has thrown to you her most precious treasures!” Meaning their best men.

On the 16th day of Ramadhan, the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, moved to the wells of Badr and encamped there. One of his commanders, al-Hubab ibn al-Munthir who was a military expert said: “May I suggest that we march on with the army and capture the source of water supplies nearest the enemy camp. We shall stay there, destroy all the other wells, and dig a tank near the remaining well to collect water. We would have enough water to drink while our enemy would have none.” The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, took the advice of al-Hubab and camped at the place he selected. Then Saad ibn Muath built a hut on a raised ground for the Prophet, so that he can guide the army. The Prophet himself made sure that his men were ready for the battle. He gave them the orders that they should not be the first to start the fight. The two armies advanced to meet each other. The situation grew very serious and the shadow of death hung over the valley. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, knew that on the outcome of this battle hung the fate of the Muslims and the religion of Islam. It was a battle between Islam and disbelief, between the Truth and falsehood. He knelt down and implored Allah, saying, “O Allah! Should this group of Muslims perish, there will be none left to worship You on earth.”

The first among the Muslims to engage in fighting was Hamza ibn Abdil Muttalib, the Prophet’s uncle, killing a disbeliever who tried to reach the water tank to destroy it. That was the spark that started the battle. Three men among the best Quraysh warriors advanced between the two armies and challenged three Muslims to single combat. Hamza ibn Abdil Muttalib, Ali ibn Abi Taleb and Ubaidah ibn al-Harith among the Muslims advanced. Hamza and Ali killed their opponents in no time, while Ubaidah and his opponent dealt to each other a fatal blow. Enraged by this defeat, the Quraysh army showered the Muslims with arrows, then rushed forward brandishing their swords. They attacked in waves and lost a large number of their men, but were unable to break the Muslim lines. Holding their ground, the Muslims waited until their enemy spent its force, then they counter attacked swiftly with all their strength, carrying away before them the enemies. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wasallam, was leading the Muslims, fighting bravely in the front ranks and reciting the Qur’an at the same time. Suffering a great loss, the army of Quraysh fled before the Muslims, who chased them and took many prisoners. But Abu Jahl, would not admit defeat. He tried to reorganize his broken army, but they fled in disarray, leaving him with a group of spearmen to guard him. This did not deter Muath ibn Amr from getting at Abu Jahl, and hitting him with his sword, then another companion transfixed Abu Jahl with his lance and killed him.

It was a crushing defeat inflicted to the disbelievers who lost 70 of their best men, including 20 of their chiefs. Seventy others were taken prisoners. Fourteen Muslims died in this battle. The news of the Muslim victory reached the people in Madinah who rejoiced greatly. Yet they could not believe their eyes when, on the 23rd of Ramadhan, the Prophet and his companions entered the city triumphantly, dragging along seventy prisoners.

That was the Great Battle of Badr, which took place in Ramadhan. No other battle was more decisive in the history of Islam. Before it, Muslims were weak and constantly persecuted by their enemies. After it, they emerged as one powerful nation to be reckoned with, all by the Grace of Allah, Who is Able over all things.