Ramadan dates, links, etc.

As Salam-o-alaikum,

Start of the 9th Islamic Month of Ramazan-ul-Mubarak 1435 AH

Some important events of this month are as follows:

 7th Death of Hazrat Abu Talib(as)  (possible date)

10th Death of Hazrat Khadija(as)

11th Moakhat – Brotherhood between Muhajireen and Ansaar

13th, 14th and 15th – Ayyam-e-Bayz – the bright days

15th Birth of Imam Hasan(as) – the 2nd Holy Imam – (3 AH)

17th Victory at Battle of Badr – (2 AH)

19th Evening – First probable night of Qadr Shab-e-Qadr 

19th Youm-e-Zarbat – Imam Ali(as) got injured from attack during prayers (40 AH) 

20th Conquest of Makkah (8 AH)

21st Evening – Second probable night of Qadr –  Shab-e-Qadr 

21st Shahadat of Imam Ali(as) – (40 AH) 

23rd Evening – Third probable night of Qadr – Shab-e-Qadr

27th Evening – Another probable night of Qadr – Shab-e-Qadr

25th July – Jumatul Wida –  last Friday of Ramazan-ul-Mubarak – International day of Quds

Inshallah separate detail emails will be sent on each occasion during this month.

Please note that some of the dates mentioned above are not definite dates but some traditions suggest these dates for those events.

When is it likely to be the 1^st of Ramazan?

==========================================

According to scientific projections at http://www.moonsighting.com, the new moon can be sighted easily on Saturday, 28 June 2014 all over the world.Accordingly, the 1st of Ramazan is likely to be the 29th of June 2014 in all parts of the world.

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Welcoming the holy month of Ramazan: 

===================================

Imām Muhammad  ibn ‘Alī al-Baqir (a.s.) says that the month of Ramazān 

was nearing and three days of Shabaan were left when the Holy Prophet 

(sawaw) told Bilal(r.a.) to call people to him. When people came, then 

Holy Prophet Muhammad al-Mustafa (sawaw) mounted the pulpit and 

praised and glorified Allah . Then he said, 

“The month, which you are going to have now is supreme among all other 

months. There is a night in this month, which is better than a 

thousand months. The doors of Hell are closed in this month and the 

doors of Paradise are opened. One who is not forgiven in this month –

Allāh also distances him. Similarly, a person has parents and is not 

able to get himself forgiven Allah distances him. One who does not 

recite Salawat when my name is mentioned in front of him, his 

salvation is not possible and Allah distances him.” 

[Reference:  Sawaabul A’amaal page 98] 

Special duas during Ramazan

===========================

Special duas to be recited during the forthcoming Ramazan have been 

added at http://www.ziaraat.com/aamal/ramzan/ramzan.php. These 

include: 

1) Duas on the advent of Ramazan to be recited upon sighting the moon. 

http://www.ziaraat.com/aamal/ramzan/ramzan01.php 

2) Common duas to be recited in each night of Ramazan. 

http://www.ziaraat.com/aamal/ramzan/ramzan02.php 

3) Dua-e-Sahar 

http://www.ziaraat.com/aamal/ramzan/ramsahar.php 

4) Duas after every Wajib prayer during Ramazan. 

http://www.ziaraat.com/aamal/ramzan/ramzan03.php 

5) Duas for each day of Ramazan. 

http://www.ziaraat.com/aamal/ramzan/ramdua01.php 

6) Duas in the last 10 nights of Ramazan. 

http://www.ziaraat.com/aamal/ramzan/ramlast10.php 

7) Aamal of Shab-e-Qadr

http://www.ziaraat.com/events/shabqadr/shabqadr.php 

Arabic Text, Urdu translation, transliteration, English translation 

and Audio recitation of almost all the above duas are availabe. 

Kindly confirm in your local place the exact date of Shabaan to 

determine the last 3 days. 

Special consideration for fast of Yawm-al-Shak 

============================================== 

 (doubtful if month of Ramazan has begun) 

http://islamic-laws.com/fast_rules.htm 

30th day of Shabaan is called Yamul Shak (doubtful day) if you do not 

receive news about Ramadan,  the  moonsighting on 29th evening or before the end of 30th day. 

It is haram to fast on 30th Shabaan with the intention of 1st of 

Ramadan. 

It is Mustahab to keep fast on 30th Shabaan but the Niyyat (intention) 

should be either: 

(a) with the Niyyat of Ma fiz-zimma (to discharge my responsibility), 

or 

(b) with the Niyyat of any Qaza fast of previous Ramadan, if any, or 

(c) with the Niyyat of Mustahab Shabaan fast. 

If you do a double Niyyat of fasting (i.e. 30th Shabaan or 1st 

Ramadan), then such a Niyyat is wrong according Ayatullah Khui, but it 

is OK according to Ayatullah Khomeini and Ayatullah Seestani. 

If you are fasting on 30th Shabaan, and if, at any time on that day, 

you get the news of moon sighting of 29th Shabaan, then you must 

immediately change Niyyat to Niyyat of 1st of Ramadan. 

If you have fasted on 30th Shabaan (with any Niyyat), and afterwards 

you come to know that it was 1st of Ramadan, then your fast will 

automatically be counted as fast of 1st of Ramadan. 

If you are not fasting on 30th Shabaan, then following actions are 

necessary on you: 

(a) If you get the news after sunset of 30th Shabaan or later that the 

moon had been actually sighted on evening of 29th Shabaan, then you 

have to keep Qaza of 1st Ramadan after the month of Ramadan. 

(b) If you get the news of moon sighting after Zawal time (Islamic mid- 

day), then it is haram to eat or drink or do anything, which is not 

allowed during fasting from that time onward until Iftar time on that 

day, and you have to do Qaza of 1st of Ramadan later on. 

(c) If you get the news of moon sighting before Zawal time (Islamic 

mid-day), then 

          (i) if you have not eaten or drunk anything or done anything which 

breaks fast, you must immediately do the Niyyat of fasting of Ramadan 

for that day, 

         (ii) if you have eaten or drunk something or have done anything which 

breaks fast, then you have to act as if fasting for the rest of the 

day, and then do Qaza of 1st of Ramadan later on. 

Iltimas-e-dua,

Syed-Rizwan Rizvi

Webmaster, www.ziaraat.com

Allahumma Adkhil - my favorite shahr Ramadan dua

Amaal for 19th, 21st

Posted on the Al-Mahdi Youth Association  FB page by Br. Amin Famili

Program Schedule for the Amaal of the 19^th of Ramadhan:

Time	Actual	Description	Recited By
9.45		Dua iftitah and Short duas of month of Ramadhan
10.15		2 rakat salat	Individual
10.20		Munajat of Imam Ali (AS)
10.30		100 Times “Astaghfirullaaha Rabbee Wa­atoobu Ilayh”
10.40		100 Times “Astaghfirullaaha Wa­atoobu Ilayh”
10.50		100 Times “Allahumma al`an qatalata ameeri almu´mineena”
11.00		Duas with the Quran
11.10		Invocations (“bika ya allahu”…)
11.25		Short duas
11.35		15 MIN BREAK	N/A
11.50		Ziyarat of Imam Hussein (AS)
12.00		Ziyarat of Ameenullah (AS)
12.05		Dua Jawshan-e-Kabir	1:
			2:
			3:
			4:
			5:
1.35		15 min Break	N/A
1.50		1/3rd of Dua Abu Hamza Thumali	1:
			2:
			3:
2.30		100 Rakat Salat	Sheikh El-Mekki
3.30		end of amaal	N/A
3.30		Preparation for suhoor	Individual
3.45		Namaz-e-shab	Individual
4.20		Fajr prayers	N/A

Prayers and Supplications for the Month of Ramadan - pdf book

Nice Ja'fari collection of duas for the month of Ramadan in a pdf booklet. Enjoy!

Ramadan : The Spring Season of Hearts

In the name of Allah the most Merciful Beneficent

Ramadan : The Spring Season of Hearts

"O you who believe! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard (against evil). "(2:183)

The blessed month of mercy and forgiveness is once again back in our life. The purpose of this great month and fasting which is prescribed in it is to make us guard against evil and receive guidance from Allah. This glorious month is the period when holy Quran was revealed. Fasting makes our hearts pliant and soft which become capable to receive the guidance. As the different seasons have different effects on the fertility of the soil, so is case of our souls. We see that soil become most fertile and most productive in the spring season. The water which falls from the sky revive the earth and make it fertile. The spring time is the best time to sow seeds as due to greater fertility and producing capacity of earth we'll get good results. Likewise our hearts show different moods in different periods of a year. Some times we feel dead from inside, no word of guidance however may be very wise seem to affect us. Our hearts simply do not incline to listening truth. Sometimes we perceive a little softness and we response to guidance. But the period of holy month of Ramadan in the spring time of our hearts, we incline more towards Our Creator, and response best to guidance. The holy Quran compares the condition of hearts to that of rocks: "Then your hearts hardened after that, so that they were like rocks, rather worse in hardness; and surely there are some rocks from which streams burst forth, and surely there are some of them which split asunder so water issues out of them, and surely there are some of them which fall down for fear of Allah, and Allah is not at all heedless of what you do. "(Holy Quran, 2:74) The human heart which is capable of receiving divine guidance sometimes become header than rocks that even rocks shake in the fear of Allah but sometimes human heart become harder. The holy month of Ramadan creates an environment of spirituality in which even the most deviated ones return to remembrance of Allah and their hearts become pliant to listening to few words of guidance.

This great month is one of the roads to Allah. Man the weary traveler when treads on this road finds peace and tranquility and is drawn near to His Creator. The month revives his soul and reconnects him with His Maker Lord. Imam Sajjad beautifully recites in Sahifa Sajjadia:

"And praise belongs to God who
showed favour to us through His religion,
singled us out for His creed,
and directed us onto the roads of His beneficence,
in order that through His kindness we might travel upon them
to His good pleasure,
a praise which He will accept from us
and through which He will be pleased with us!

And praise belongs to God who appointed among those roads His month,
the month of Ramadan,
the month of fasting,
the month of submission,
the month of purity,
the month of putting to test,
the month of standing in prayer,
in which the Qur'an was sent down as guidance to the people,
and as clear signs of the Guidance and the Separator! "

The holy Quran says "And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones (2:45)" According to several traditions the patience in this verse refers to fasting. In this way the fasting becomes a medium to receive His assistance. Because fasting purifies from inside and creates piety. The Holy Prophet (s) says "If people understood what good there was in the month of Ramadhan, they would have liked that it last for a year."

The guidance and peity is core of fasting and if we are failing in this then we are deserving for this statement of Imam Ali(AS) :"Many persons get nothing out of their fasts but hunger and thirst, many more get nothing out of their night prayers but exertions and sleepless nights. "

Definitely the blessings of this month exceed our understandings and the utmost of them is revival of souls to receive guidance.

May Allah make us receive the blessings of this great month and guide us on the right path!

Understanding al-Iftitah Part 4 of 4

Shaykh Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali

Excerpts from the commentary of Dua al-Iftitah

from Yearn for Allah

Dua al-Iftitah is a well-known supplication and is generally recited during each night of the month of Ramadan. 

[Towards the end of the du'a,] we make a very beautiful and important request to Allah (swt) for ourselves:

اَللَّهُمَّ مَا عَرَّفْتَنَا مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ فَحَمِّلْنَاهُ

وَمَا قَصُرْنَا عَنْهُ فَبَلِّغْنَاهُ

O Allah, let us bear out that which You make known to us as the truth

and let us attain that which we fall short to do.

This concept of 'bearing' is very important. Regarding this, Chapter 62 Verse 5 reads:

مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوْرَاةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ الْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارًا ۚ بِئْسَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ 

The likeness of those who were charged with the Taurat, then they did not observe it, is as the likeness of the ass bearing books, evil is the likeness of the people who reject the communications of Allah; and Allah does not guide the unjust people.

Thus someone may be given a divine book but it does not mean that they will necessarily be able to 'bear' it, meaning that they may not be able to take it on board. Therefore, it is important to carry and uphold the truth that we know, to take it on board, and whosoever is able to do this enjoys a high position. 

Furthermore, we ask Allah (swt) to inform us about the parts of the truth of which we are unaware. It is surely enough for us if this part of the du'a is answered, because we will then know the truth about which we were previously and unaware and we will be able to commit ourselves to and implement the truth which we already do know. It would seem that these are actually the only two things which we really need because in Islam everything is facilitated by commitment to the truth and so if we are committed to the truth then everything else will be sorted out.

Understanding al-Iftitah Part 3 of 4

Shaykh Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali

Excerpts from the commentary of Dua al-Iftitah

from Yearn for Allah

Special salutations to Imam Mahdi (a)

The salutations to Imam Mahdi (a), the Imam of our time, are not limited to simple salutations but instead are expanded on in several phrases and then attention is focused on the last Imam until the end of the du'a.

Firstly we read:

اَللَّهُمَّ وَصَلِّ عَلَىٰ وَليِّ امْرِكَ

ٱلْقَائِمِ ٱلْمُؤَمَّلِ

وَٱلْعَدْلِ ٱلْمُنْتَظَرِ

وَحُفَّهُ بِمَلائِكَتِكَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ

وَايِّدْهُ بِرُوحِ ٱلْقُدُسِ

يَا رَبَّ ٱلْعَالَمِينَ

O Allah, (please do) send blessings to the custodian of Your commandments,

the vigilant guardian, the reliable patron,

and the awaited establisher of justice.

And (please) surround him with Your favorite angels

and assist him with the Holy Spirit.

O Lord of the worlds!

In this passage we ask Allah (swt) to support our Imam (a) with the Holy Spirit. The concept of the Holy Spirit (Ruuh al-Qudus) is very important, especially for Shi'a Muslims. According to the glorious Qur'an and various narrations, one of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to support and guide good people. For example, the Qur'an says that the Holy Spirit supported Prophet Jesus (a) and thus we read in Chapter 5, Verse 110:

إِذْ أَيَّدْتُكَ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ

when I strengthened you with the holy Spirit, 

If we are good and pious people, we too can hope that Allah (swt) will support us and one of the ways in which He (swt) does this is to ask the Holy Spirit to help us.

It should be mentioned that whilst Sunni scholars normally identify the Holy Spirit with the archangel Gabriel, Shi'a Muslims, as taught by the Holy Imams (a) hold that the Holy Spirit is a creature at a higher level than Gabriel. Abu Basir, a great companion of Imam Sadiq (a), says:

'I asked Imam Sadiq (a) about the verse 'They question you concerning the Spirit. Say, 'The Spirit is of the command of my Lord' (17:58).' He responded that the Spirit is a creature greater than Gabriel and Michael.' [Kulayni, Muhammad Ibn Ya'qub, Usul al-Kafi, vol.1 (Tehran Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyya, 1388 AH) p. 273, no.3].

As confirmation of the fact that the Holy Spirit is not the same as Gabriel, one may refer to Verse 4 of Chapter 97 of the Glorious Qur'an which reads:

تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ 

The angels and The Spirit descend in it by the permission of their Lord for every affair,

The verse explains that on the night of Qadr, the Holy Spirit descends along with the angels. This suggests that the Holy Spirit is different from the angels which include Gabriel and Michael.

Understanding al-Iftitah Part 2 of 4

Shaykh Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali

Excerpts from the commentary of Dua al-Iftitah from http://yearnforallah.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/understanding-al-iftitah-part-2-of-4.html

Dua al-Iftitah is a well-known supplication and is generally recited during each night of the month of Ramadan. 

The second theme which is repeated in this du'a regards salutations being offered to the Noble Prophet (s) and His Household (a) and when such salutations are mentioned, then several qualities of the Noble Prophet (s) are described. Some of the qualities of the Prophet's Household in general are also briefly mentioned but when the 12th Imam (a) is described, several of his qualities are referred to. The du'a continues in this spirit of remembrance of the 12th Imam (a) with various requests being made to Allah (swt) regarding the last Imam right up until the end of the du'a where the emphasis then shifts to asking Allah (swt), because of the Imam (a), to grant us our requests concerning what we need for our community.

Regarding the Prophet (s), we read:

اَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِكَ وَرَسُولِكَ

وَامِينِكَ وَصَفِيِّكَ وَحَبِيبِكَ

وَخِيَرَتِكَ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ

وَحَافِظِ سِرِّكَ

وَمُبَلِّغِ رِسَالاَتِكَ

It is interesting to see that the very first quality which has been mentioned here for the Noble Prophet (s) is that he is a servant of Allah (swt)...

...According to this part of the du'a, salutations can increase and expand. When we send salawat (salutations) or salaam (peace) to the Noble Prophet (s) and our Imams (a), we do not send our salutations or peace directly but instead we ask Allah (swt) Himself to send them these salutations and peace. Indeed salaam is a prayer and so we are asking Allah (swt) to send peace to that person.

Thus we say:

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ

'O Allah! Send salutations to Muhammad (s) and his Household.'

And so when we ask Allah (swt) Himself to send salutations, such salutations are not limited to the time when we say them: rather, we can ask Allah (swt) to send salutations all the time. Therefore, we read in one of the Ziyaaraat for Imam Husayn (a):

عَلَيْكُمْ مِنِّي جَمِيعاً سَلاَمُ ٱللَّهِ ابَداً

مَا بَقيتُ وَبَقِيَ ٱللَّيْلُ وَٱلنَّهَارُ

'Be with you, from me, the peace of Allah (swt) as long as I live and (even if I am not alive) as long as there is day and night.' 

[Tusi, Misbaah al-Mutahajjid, p. 776]

So this means that we request Allah (swt) to send His peace to Imam Husayn (a) until the end of time. So, again we have this beautiful concept that the salaam does not remain in the same state but grows and becomes better and better.