Gems Of Ramadan ✔

DAY 13 - REVIVE ABANDONED ACTS OF WORSHIP

A successful businessman with Allah seeks all that which pleases Allah and your Ibaadah in itself is a business transaction. I did not bring that terminology from myself, it is directly out of the Qur'an:

Verily, those who recite the Book of Allah (this Qur'an), and perform As-Salat (Iqamat As-Salat), and spend (in charity) out of what We have provided for them, secretly and openly, hope for a (sure) tradegain that will never perish.
(Surat Faatir: 29)

Reciting the Qur'an, performing the Salah and spending in charity both secretly and openly, those are matters of Ibaadah. What about it? They hope for a sure tradegain with Allah that will never perish. Allah called it a tradegain (a business transaction), but a transaction that will never perish and it is a win win deal.

One thing that happens is that most people tend to get locked in on certain Ibaadaat and do not go beyond that to others, and over time some Ibaadaat become strange, abandoned or neglected. There is a long list of those actually but today Inshaa Allah we will talk about three of them.

MAKING ISTIGHFAAR BEFORE FAJR

The first one is asking Allah for forgiveness (making Istighfaar) before Fajr (before the call of Athaan). This is different to Qiyaam and this is different to Taraweeh. A worshipper seeks what pleases Allah in different forms and fashions, that is Ibaadah.

And Allah is All Seer of the (His) slaves. Those who say: "Our Lord! We have indeed believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire." They are those who are patient ones, those who are true (in Faith, words, and deeds), and obedient with sincere devotion in worship to Allah. Those who spend [give the Zakat and alms in the Way of Allah] and those who pray and beg Allah's Pardon in the last hours of the night.
(Surat Aali Imraan: 15-17)

At the end of those verses, Allah says:
وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالْأَسْحَارِ
Sahar (سحر) is the end of the night, right before Fajr. That is why Suhoor (سحور) is called Suhoor, because it is at the end of the night. After you do Qiyaam, after you recite the Qur'an and remember Allah, then you are going to go have a meal with your family right before Fajr. Slip away and ask Allah for forgiveness right before Fajr. There is so much reward in it and so much honour in it that you fall under the verse:
وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالْأَسْحَارِ

We said that Ramadhaan is an Imaanic therapy to start some more Ibaadaat and to better yourself. Start gradually in this, start slow. Maybe five minutes before Fajr or maybe three minutes before Fajr, go sit and make Istighfaar. Do not listen to this and get all hyped up and inspired and then go do hours, because sometimes that is a Shaytaanic tactic. One gets inspired at something and the Shaytaan gets one to exert all his effort in one night, and then he leaves it. Ibaadah is like when you buy a new car. They tell you that you have to break in the engine bit by bit, do not go and drive it at seventy miles per hour from the first day. You have to break the engine in. What little of Ibaadah you do that continues is better than a lump sum that vanishes.

While everyone is sitting at the table eating Suhoor and breakfast, conversing in possibly vain talk and sometimes sinful talk, take a step away and go do Istighfaar. Say Astaghfirullah seventy to a hundred times like the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, or make Istighfaar in any fashion or form. That is the beginning of a new Ibaadah in your life.

All the times are good for Istighfaar, but this time is a time recommended in the Qur'an. Do it and you will be among those praised by Allah in the Qur'an. You do it and Inshaa Allah you will get the forgiveness of Allah.