The holy month of Ramadan always comes with its own spirituality, and there are also many special acts of worship through which Muslims try to seize the bounty of time in addition to the double reward.
The nature of worship does not differ much in the month of Ramadan other than it, but the virtue of worship in it is much greater than in the rest of the year, which makes us search for what we can do to please God Almighty.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) addressed his companions on the last day of Sha`ban, saying, “Oh people! A great month has come over you; a blessed month; a month in which is a night better than a thousand months; month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night. Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Heaven. It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer’s sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast, shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Fire of Hell, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all.” [Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah]
In this article, we review the best acts of worship that a Muslim can maintain throughout the month, which are mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Night prayer (Qiyaam)
The night prayer is Sunnah prayer throughout the year, but in Ramadan it takes different forms and has a great reward so that most mosques pray it in congregation, and it is called Tarawih or Tahajjud prayer.
The learned Maliki scholar Al Dardir says in his commentary on the Khalil’s Abridged Maliki Fiqh Manual: “(al-Tahajjud) – the prayer performed at night after sleeping, and it is (also) said, it is called tahajudd in the general sense (i.e. after or before sleeping)”.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to encourage us to pray at night in Ramadaan, without making it obligatory. Then he said, ‘Whoever prays at night in Ramadaan out of faith and the hope of reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven.’ When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) died, this is how things were (i.e., Taraaweeh was not prayed in congregation), and this is how they remained during the khilaafah of Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him), until the beginning of the khilaafah of ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him).”
‘Amr ibn Murrah al-Juhani said: “A man from Qudaa’ah came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah! What do you think if I testify that there is no god except Allaah, and that you, Muhammad, are His Messenger, and I pray the five daily prayers, and fast in the month (of Ramadaan), and pray at night in Ramadaan, and pay zakaah?’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever dies on that will be among the siddeeqeen (those who tell the truth) and the martyrs.’”
I’tikaaf
I’tikaaf means staying in the mosque to worship while abstaining from certain actions for the duration of that stay.
Imam Ahmad said, as was narrated from him by Abu Daawood: “I have not heard from any of the scholars that it is anything other than Sunnah.”
Az-Zuhri said: “How strange the Muslims are! They have given up I’tikaaf, despite the fact that the Prophet never abandoned this practice from the time he came to Madinah until his death.”
A Muslim does not abstain from food and drink during the period of i’tikaf, but he refrains from sexual intercourse, and it is not valid for him to leave the mosque except for necessity. I’tikaf is an amazing way of detachment from all worldly concerns and worshiping God Almighty.
Reading the Holy Quran
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, about the recitation of the Quran, “Whoever draws near to Allah during it (Ramadan) with a single characteristic from the characteristics of (voluntary) goodness, he is like whoever performs an obligatory act in other times. And whoever performs an obligatory act during it, he is like whoever performed seventy obligatory acts in other times.” (Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, no. 1887)
And reading the Holy Qur’an is one of the acts of worship that make the Muslim’s heart softer, and even if he is not proficient in reading, but he tries to learn, he will be rewarded more for his attempts.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said about the person who struggles: “Verily the one who recites the Qur’an beautifully, smoothly, and precisely, he will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels. And as for the one who recites with difficulty, stammering or stumbling through its verses, then he will have TWICE that reward.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Du’aa
Ask God for everything you want during the blessed days throughout the month of Ramadan. In the midst of the verses of fasting, the urge to supplicate and ask God Almighty was coupled.
And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.
Surah Al-Bakarah -187
We ask God for an acceptable fast and a wide reward for us and for you.
