-->
Date: May 29, 2015
Ramadan literally termed as the ninth month of calendar and the month of fasting for preaching and reaching Allah. When Ramadan comes, all the Islamic devotees get energized and excited to put up the lanterns and decorations all around to welcome the blessed month. We must welcome Ramadan with neat and tidy home, in neat dress and with prayers. Ramadan is the reminder of renewal of your mind and life to reach Allah. All Islamic devotees must fast from water, food and luxuries. The most important thing to remind in Ramadan is that devotees should fast by keeping the oath that this year I want to grow my character to be more like that of Prophet Muhammad and to cherish goodness to the society.
"The best of what a man leaves behind are three: a righteous child who supplicates for him, ongoing charity the reward of which reaches him, and knowledge that is acted upon after him."
Sunan Ibn Mājah
"Every day two angels come down from Heaven and one of them says, 'O Allah! Compensate every person who spends in Your Cause,' and the other (angel) says, 'O Allah! Destroy every miser.'"
Sahih Bukhari
Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. The word Zakat means purification and growth. Quran promotes feeding hungry people and helping the poor. Since, the month of Ramadan is termed as the very month of forgiveness, blessings, helping others, prayers and thanks giving. Zakat is an activity connected with prayer and compassion towards the poor people. Allah says that provide Zakat with prayers and it will make you and the receiver blessed. Conditions for Zakat Giving If you are possessing property in excess of a minimum exemption limit, you must give Zakat to the needy. Another term is that if your wealth equal to or in surplus of Nisab in the beginning and at the end of the lunar year, you must give Zakat. At the same time, at the end of the lunar year if the wealth is less than the Nisab, it is not necessary to give Zakat. It says that Zakat is due on all the gold and silver ornaments, jewellery. All bank deposits and provident fund will fall under the Zakat giving. It is also said that if one has agriculture land irrigated by rain water or by natural water channels or if the land is wet due to a nearby water channel, the yield of the land must be provided as Zakat. Zakat is obligatory on goats, sheep, cows, buffaloes and camels which graze on wild grass, plant leaves and on some feed, now and then given by the owner, and on the above animals meant for sale. Do Not Give Zakat to these People * To a person who owns minimum 7 1/2 tolas of gold or 52 1/2 tolas of silver or equivalent wealth in cash, kind or in trade goods. * To one’s mother, father, paternal and maternal grand-parents, great grand-parents, etc. * To one’s offspring-sons, daughters, grand-children, great grand-children, etc. * to spouse * To other relatives such as brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, etc. * To Sayyeds(descendants of Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh). * To domestic or other servants as wages. * Zakat cannot be given for repairing or maintenance of mosque. * Do not pay Zakat to meet the funeral expenses.
Read MoreRamadan Journal- Day 2 is a great piece of writing from Umm Salihah’s blog Happy Muslim Mama. The author talks about a beautiful Hadith about Ramadan which is the Prophet&8217;s (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) sermon on Ramadan delivered on the last Friday of the preceding month (Shaban). The Hadith reveals many good advices to devotees and a number of promises too. An abridged meaning of this great Hadith is as follows: This is exactly the blessed month of Allah. Ramadan is the month of forgiveness and blessings to the humanity. Its days, nights and hours are the best things in a year. Each of your breath can glorify Allah and his deeds. You have to fast and recite Quran and other holy books of Islam so that Allah would mercy up on you and he will give you a healthy body and heart. You must be compassionate to orphans. If you have committed any sins, you should repent to Allah and raise your hands in dua during Ramadan times. If you give Iftar to a fasting person, your sins would be forgiven. No matter the quantity of the Iftar. It can be a cup of water. That can free you from your past sins. If you honour an orphan, Allah will honour you. If you spread mercy and kindness to others, Allah will spread his mercy up on you. If you cuts a beautiful relation, Allah will cut the mercy from you. If you performs a recommended prayer in this month, Allah will keep the fire of hell away from you. If you performs an obligatory prayer, Allah will reward with seventy prayers in this month. If you prays a lot of time during this month, Allah will reward for you.If you recite one verse of the holy Quran, you will get the rewards of reciting the whole Qur’an during other months. Obeying this wonderful things in the holy month of Ramadan can keep the door of heaven for you, not the hell.
Read MoreProphet Muhammad once said that there are five qualities to act up on by an Islam. 1. Guard yourself against things forbidden, you will be the most worshipful of people. 2. Be content with what God has allotted you, you will be the richest of people. 3. Be good to your neighbour, you will be a believer. 4. Love for people what you love for yourself, you will be a Muslim. 5. Do not laugh much; much laughing deadens the heart. Prophet is the wisest in this universe and his goodness of mind was only excelled by his goodness of character, whose creation and nobility was not narrowed or ruffled by anything. Prophet was a person whose doors kept open for all his devotees&8217; questions and doubts. Muhammad never said no to anything for which he was asked. We the mankind must follow prophet&8217;s style that to constantly mindful of God, waste no time in useless talk and chant his prayers. He lived his time as a common man and lead a legendry simple life. He used to do the house works himself. Prophet was a person who never satisfied his hunger and gave a share to the needy at the same time. Prophet is the greatest teacher to mankind on how to live in this universe and we must follow his path by leaving the sins and gaining the goodness.
Read More