Slaves of Allah, surely the month of Ramadan will be leaving us, and only a little remains of it. So whosoever amongst you has done good, then upon him is completing it with good. And whosoever amongst you has neglected this month, then let him end it with the best, for deeds are by their endings.
Enjoy what remains of these few last nights and days, and commit to righteous deeds that will bear witness for you infront of The All-Knowing King, and when this month ends, say goodbye with the best farewell and greeting.

Al-Hafidh ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali (rahimahullah)

Al-Hafidh ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (rahimahullah) listed five specific Sunnan from the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam in relation to the last ten nights of Ramadan. Of these specific Sunnan (plural of sunnah):

1) Staying up at night. A’isha (radi Allahu anha) said: The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) would pray and sleep during the 20 days [of Ramadan], then during the ten [last nights] he would stay awake and tighten his belt. [Narrated in Ahmad, Authentic] What is understood from staying awake at night is staying up for most of it, as A’isha also said, “I did not know of Allah’s Messenger praying the whole night until morning.” [Muslim]

2) Waking up family. A’isha (radi Allahu anha) reported that Rasul Allah (alayhi salaatu wa salaam) would wake up his family during the last ten nights. [Bukhari] Sufyan ath-Thawri said: “It is beloved to me that I pray tahajjud and that I strive more [in worship, good deeds etc] and that I wake up my family for prayer if they are able to when the last 10 nights come.”

It is also reported that the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) would come at night to Ali and Fatimah (radi Allahu anhuma) and say: “Won’t you both stand up and pray?” [Bukhari and Muslim]

It is reported in Al-Muwatta’ that Umar (radi Allahu anhu) would pray during the night then when he reached half of the night he would wake up his family for prayer and say to them, “The prayer, the prayer (as-salah, as-salah)” and then recite the ayah, “And enjoin prayer upon your family and be steadfast therein.” (20:132).

3) The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) would tighten his belt. There are two major opinions on what this statement means among the scholars. The first meaning is that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam would strive and work harder and increase in his worship. The other meaning is that the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) would keep away from his wives (i.e., marital relations), and this is the opinion of many of the predecessors such as Sufyan ath-Thawri. He explained this hadeeth to mean that the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) would not return to his bed until the month of Ramadan had passed.

4) Bathing between Maghrib and Isha. A’isha (radi Allahu anha) reported that the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) would bathe between the “two Adhans”. [Translator's note: This hadeeth has been graded weak.] Ibn Jareer said, “They would love to bathe every night of the last ten nights.” It was also reported that Al-Nakha’i would bathe every night of the last 10 nights. Furthermore, of the Salaf were those who would bathe and wear perfume on the nights they hoped to be Laylatul Qadr such as Abu Ayyub Al-Sakhtayani who would bathe and wear two new garments.

We should note that beautification on the outside will not be complete without beautification on the inside. Beautifying oneself from the inside is sought with repentance, returning to Allah and purification from the filth of sins; for beauty of the outside while destroying the inside does not amount to anything.

Furthermore, it is not appropriate for an intimate conversation with a king to take place except with beautifying and purifying the apparent and hidden; specifically with the King of the Kings, the One who knows the secrets and that which is more hidden. He is the One who does not look to your forms but rather looks to your hearts and deeds. So whoever stands before Him, let him beautify his outer with clothing and his inner with Taqwa.

إذا المرء لم يلبس ثيابا من التقوى ٭ تقلب عريانا و إن كان كاسيا

If a person does not dress with the garment of Taqwa, he will become naked even if clothed.

5) I’tikaaf (seclusion in the Masjid). A’isha (radi Allahu anha) reported that the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) would perform i’tikaaf in the last ten nights of every Ramadan until he passed away. [Bukhari and Muslim] In Bukhari, it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah (radi Allahu anhu) that the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam)  used to stay in I’tikaf for ten days in the month of Ramadan, but stayed for 20 days during the year he died.

The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam), seeking Laylatul Qadr, would perform I’tikaf in these ten nights to disconnect from that which occupied him, clear his mind and seclude himself, remembering and supplicating His Lord.

So the one in I’tikaf has confined himself to the obedience of Allah and His remembrance and cut himself off from all distractions. He has engaged himself wholeheartedly with all that brings him closer to his Lord, with no other aim except to attain the pleasure of Allah. And when the ties of knowledge and love of Allah are strengthened, then is the person bestowed with total isolation with Allah.

Jabir bin Abdillah (radi Allahu anhuma) said: “When you fast, then your hearing should fast, and your sight and your tongue from lying and sinning. Let there be a tranquility and calmness over you on the days of your fasting, and do not make the days that you are not fasting and the days you are fasting equal.”

Some of the Salaf used to say: “Indeed Allah, the Most High, has made the month of Ramadan as a competition for His creatures, in which they may race with one another to His pleasure, by obeying Him. Thus, one group comes first and so they prosper and another group comes last and so they fail.”

Al-Zuhri said: “When Ramadan comes, then it is [the time for] reading Qur’an and feeding others.”

Hafsah bin Sireen said, “Fasting is a shield for the one who does not rip it apart - and backbiting will rip it apart.”

Some of the Salaf would say: “For me to invite 10 of my companions and offer them iftar is more beloved to me than freeing 10 slaves from the children of Isma’eel.”

Abu Al-Aliyah said: “The one who is fasting is in a state of worship - as long as he does not backbite- even if he is sleeping on his bed.”

Ubaydah Al-Salmani said: “Be cautious of the two that break the fast: backbiting and lying.”

Mujahid said: “If you want your fasting to be complete and sound, then stay away from backbiting and lying.”

It was narrated that when Abu Hurayrah (radi Allahu anhu) and his companions were fasting, they would sit in the masjid and say: “let’s purify our fasting.”

-Taken from the short treatise “Ramadan is Before Us” - Shaykh Muhammad al-Muqaddim

For those of us who are serious about studying Islam and becoming full-time teachers and preachers, it is necessary to have a solid educational foundation in Islam. To achieve this, a person must systematically study each of the basic Islamic sciences while specializing in one or two that most interest them. It must be noted that without a solid educational foundation in Islamic sciences, the person will (generally) lack the depth to do any serious academic work.

But before we jump into the glorious world of Islamic sciences, we must satisfy the two mighty prerequisites: Qur’an and Arabic. The student of Islamic knowledge must be proficient in his/her reading of Qur’an (ideally, should be a hafidh of Qur’an), should know basic tafsir of the ayaat and should recite and ponder over the Qur’an habitually.

As for Arabic, proficiency in Arabic consists of reading comprehension, listening comprehension, writing/typing proficiency, and solid understanding of the grammar.

For those of us who satisfy these two prerequisites, we often face a stubborn obstacle: its not always feasible to travel abroad for a period of 4-6 years to study Islam.

But alhamdulillah, now there is a great alternative available. Those who are proficient in Qur’an and Arabic and want to study Islam from authentic sources systematically – which means studying all the basic sciences and specializing in one or two – there is Al-Madinah International University.

Continue reading here.

Allah ta’ala says,

Those who believed and were fearing Allah: for them are glad tidings in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. (10:62-63)

Allah has connected receiving these glad tidings in the dunya and aakhirah to emaan and taqwa. The glad tidings the believer receives in this dunya are many; such good praise, love for them in the hearts of the believers, good dreams, the ease of doing good deeds, having good character, protection from bad character and everything they are given as a result of Allah’s Kindness upon them.

The glad tidings the believer receives in the aakhirah are in stages:

• Firstly, when their souls are taken.
• Secondly, when they are in the grave and they receive the news of Allah’s Pleasure and Everlasting Bliss.
• Thirdly and most importantly, entering the gardens of Jannah and being saved from the hell-fire.

-Tafseer Imam as-Sa’di (rahimahullah)

Abu Hurayrah (radi Allahu anhu) narrated that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: “The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, but in both there are good.” (Saheeh Muslim)

The ’strong believer’ does not mean a believer who is physically strong, but rather it means a believer who is strong in his emaan. This is because physical strength can be harmful if it is used to disobey Allah ta’ala. In its essence, physical strength is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy. If a person uses this strength to benefit his dunya and aakhirah then it becomes praiseworthy. But, if he uses this strength to help himself in disobeying Allah, then it becomes blameworthy.

The strong believer, the one who has strong emaan, will be consistent upon what Allah has made obligatory and he will, with the will of Allah, increase in performing the supererogatory deeds. On the other hand, the weak believer who has a weak emaan will be very negligent in completing the obligatory acts and in leaving of the forbidden.

Then the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “but in both there are good”, and this means that both the strong believer and the weak believer have good in them. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) added this so that the people would not think that there is no good in a believer with weak emaan - rather, the weak believer has good in him, and of this good is that he is, without a doubt, better than the disbeliever.

-Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen rahimahullah, Riyaad as-Saaliheen

While many of us remember to supplicate to Allah (azza wa jal) for guidance, knowledge, and Paradise, there is one important thing that we forget to include in our prayers. In a narration that many of us are familiar with, the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: ” Unquestionably, in the body there is a lump of flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt, and behold, it is the heart.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

Countless scholars of Islam have dedicated books upon books to reformation and purification of the heart because it is the key to success or destruction. Just as doctors today tell us that having a healthy heart is the key to having a healthy body, the Prophet (alayhi salaatu wa salaam) conveys to us that having a good heart is the key to righteousness. Anas (radi Allahu anhu) narrated that asking for a firm and obedient heart was one of the constant supplications of the Prophet (alayhi salaatu wa salaam); and one narration from Umm Salamah (radi Allahu anha) states that this was the duaa he made the most. This duaa is: ”Allahumma ya Muqallib al Quloob thabbit qalbi ‘alaa Deenik,” “O Turner of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your Religion.”

However, there is another authentic duaa from the sunnah of the Messenger that is narrated in Saheeh Muslim that isn’t as well known. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Verily, the hearts of all the sons of Adam are between the two fingers out of the fingers of the Compassionate Lord as one heart. He turns that to any (direction) He likes. Then Allah’s Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

‏اللَّهُمَّ ‏ ‏مُصَرِّفَ ‏ ‏الْقُلُوبِ ‏ ‏صَرِّفْ ‏ ‏قُلُوبَنَا عَلَى طَاعَتِكَ ‏

Allāhumma Musarrif al-Qulūbi Sarrif Qulūbana ‘alā Tā’atika

O Allah, Turner of the hearts, direct our hearts to Your obedience.

Word for Word Translation and Audio

Read and download the word for word translation here.

Listen and download it here.

Selected Word Analysis

Musarrif/Sarrif: Both of these words are from the same root which has many meanings. Of those meanings are, to turn, to divert, to turn from another direction, to avert, and to change. The meaning of this word in this duaa is to turn or divert. How is this word different from “Muqallib al-Qulūb?” There are a few differences linguistically, but the essence of both supplications is the same. Qallaba, just like Sarrafa, means to change and turn the direction of something. The linguistic difference is that qallaba points more to constant moving and turning about, while sarrafapoints to changing of the direction. When we make this duaa, we are asking Allah (azza wa jal) to sarrif, turn and divert our hearts to His Obedience, while in the other duaa, we are asking Allah to thabbit, make our hearts firm on Islam, and not qallib because the heart is constantly changing about and turning directions.

Qulūb: Qulūb is plural of qalb which means the heart. Qalb is the general word for heart. It comes from the root which means something that turns around and about and upside down, as mentioned above. It is the nature of hearts that they are constantly changing.

Tā’atika: Tā’ah means to obey and to submit. The beauty of this word is that it not only means to submit one’s self, it specifically means to submit willingly, voluntarily and on one’s own free will. We are asking Allah ta’ala to direct our hearts to willingly submit and obey Him.

Points of Benefit

• Supplications on the heart are found both in the Qur’an and Sunnah. In the Qur’an, the believers supplicate, “Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us.” (3:8) Also in Surah Hashr, “And [there is a share for] those who came after them, saying, “Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed.” (59:10) Both of these duaas are seeking refuge in Allah in corrupted hearts  - the first duaa seeks refuge in deviation after guidance, and the second duaa for evil and ill feelings towards fellow Muslims.

• The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) constantly made duaa for a righteous and good heart. From this we learn the status of the heart, and to also supplicate as much as we can for an obedient and firm heart upon Islam.

• The nature of the heart is to constantly change, and by asking Allah ta’ala in this supplication to direct our hearts to His Obedience shows that we are constantly falling short in our obedience to Him. To make this duaa is to ask Allah to keep changing back our hearts to His Obedience as we are prone to falter.

• Scholars like Imam ibn Qayyim (rahimahullah) and ibn Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) state that the intelligence and the understanding of a human lies in their heart, and not necessarily their brain. Their evidence for this statement is the ayah, “So have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the chests.” (22:46) Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) says that the brain is like the secretary processing information, then it reaches the heart and the heart decides to do good or evil based on that information.

• The heart is the foundation. We must purify our hearts from associating partners with Allah, from bid’ah, from ill feelings against our fellow Muslims and any other evil deeds in our character and our theology. The Muslim should focus on the reformation of their heart as well as accumulating good deeds. The heart is the source of good deeds, and the heart is where we will be tested on the Day of Judgment. Allah (azza wa jal) says, “But does he not know that when the contents of the graves are scattered, and that within the chests is brought out, indeed, their Lord with them, that Day, is [fully] Acquainted.” (100:9-11)

• In another hadeeth of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam), he pointed to his heart and said three times, “Taqwa (consciousness and fear of Allah) is here.” [Musnad Ahmad] This hadeeth shows us that when the heart fears Allah, then the limbs will follow, just as the first hadeeth narrated that, “if it is sound [the heart], the whole body is sound.”

• This duaa is a constant reminder for us that we are not in control of our guidance. It is crucial for us to make duaa for our hearts on a regular basis because we do not know where our hearts will stand tomorrow. The hearts of the children of Adam are between the two fingers of Allah, so who else can we turn to than Musarrif al-Qulūbto keep our hearts towards the direction of His obedience?

أيها المقيم على الخطايا والعصيان، التارك لما أمرك الرحمن، المطيع للغويّ الفتان، إلى متى أنت على جرمك مصرّ، ومما يقرّبك إلى مولاك تفرّ؟ تطلب من الدنيا ما لا تدركه، وتتقي من الآخرة ما لا تملكه، لا أنت بما قسم الله من الرزق واثق، ولا أنت بما أمرك به لاحق.يا أخي، الموعظة، والله لا تنفعك، والحوادث لا تردعك. لا الدهر يدعك، ولا داعي الموت يسمعك، كأنك يا مسكين لم تزل حيا موجودا، كأنك لا تعود نسيا مفقودا.

O you who persists on mistakes and wrong doings; O you who has turned away from what the most Loving and Compassionate commands; O you who obeys the falsifier of the path and the creator of calamities … How long are you going to insist on your misbehavior? How long are you going to keep yourself distant from your Lord? How long will you seek from this world what you cannot have, and keep away from the other world by that which you cannot possess? Neither are you sure of what Allah prepared of sustenance for you, nor are you satisfied with that which He has commanded for you. O my brother, by Allah, admonition does not seem to benefit you. Afflictions do not seem to threaten you. Time does not leave you and the call of death does not reach your ears. As if, you poor man, would live forever and you weren’t meant to expire and be forgotten?

– Ibn al-Jawzi (rahimahullah), Bahr ad-Dumoo’

From the Fruits of Sincerity - A Good End:

Anas (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “When Allah wants good for His slave, He occupies him with work.” The Companions asked, “And how does He occupy him with work?” The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “He grants him the ability and opportunity to do righteous deeds before his death, then He takes his soul in that state.” [Ahmad, Saheeh according to shaykh Albani]

Abu Umamah (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “When Allah wants good for His slave, He purifies him before his death.” The Companions asked, “and what is the purification for the slave?” The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “righteous deeds that Allah inspires to Him until he dies upon it.” [Tabarani, Saheeh according to shaykh Albani]

Abu ‘Inabah (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “When Allah wants good for His slave, He makes him pleasant*.” The Companions asked, “and what makes him pleasant?” He sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “He opens the door of righteous deeds for him before his death, then He takes his soul in that state.” [Ahmad, Saheeh according to Shaykh Albani]

*The actual word in the hadeeth is عسله which literally means to make sweet, from the word for honey.

Al-Munawi (rahimahullah) says in Faydh al-Qadeer [summarized]:
This hadeeth likens the provision of righteous deeds that Allah gives to His slaves to honey - it is good and beneficial, sweetening whatever is added to it and making whatever it mixes with better.

-Taken from تعطير الأنفاس من حديث الإخلاص by shaykh Sayyid al-’Affani hafidhahullah.

“The Year is like a tree, The days of Rajab are its foliation, The days of Sha’ban are its branching and the days of Ramadan are wherein its fruits are reaped. The reapers are the believers. It is befitting for the one who has blackened his pages with sins to whiten them with repentance in this month, and for the one who has squandered his life in idleness to profit in it from what remains of his life.” (Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali)