She Fasts During the Day and Prays at Night in Ramadan...

She Fasts During the Day and Prays at Night in Ramadan...

Excerpt from the Book " The Ideal Musllimah"- By Dr. Muhammad Ali al-Hashimi

Translated into English NASSRUDIN AL-KHATTAB- Chapter 1: The Muslimah and her Rabb

Courtesy of Bing

The true Muslim woman fasts the month of Ramadan, and her soul is filled with faith that:

"Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and hope of reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven."54

She has the attitude of one who truly fasts, whose faculties keep away from all kinds of sins that

may invalidate the fast or diminish its reward. If she finds herself exposed to the trials of hostility

or argument, she follows the Prophet's advice to men and women who fast:

"When any of you is fasting, he should not utter foul words or raise his voice in anger. If then

anyone provokes or fights him, he should say, `I am observing a fast.'"55

"Whoever does not give up false speech and evil actions, Allah (SWT) has no need of his

giving up his food and drink."56

During Ramadan, the true Muslim woman feels that she is immersed in the atmosphere of a month

unlike any other, when good deeds should be multiplied and the gates of goodness should be

opened wide. She knows that her fasting during this month should be only for Allah (SWT), and

that He will give the reward for it, for the reward of Allah (SWT), the Bountiful and Munificent, is

greater and vaster than anyone could even imagine:

"The reward for every good deed of the sons of Adam will be multiplied anywhere between

ten and seven hundred times. Allah (SWT) said: `Except for fasting, because it is for Me and

I Myself will give recompense for it. He gives up his food and his passion for Me.' For the one

who fasts, there are two times of rejoicing, one when he breaks the fast, and one when he

meets his Lord. Verily the smell that comes from the mouth of one who is fasting is more

pleasing to Allah (SWT) than the scent of musk."57

Therefore the wise Muslim woman must strike a balance, during this all-too-short blessed month,

between her domestic duties and the opportunity this month brings to draw closer to Allah (SWT) through worship and good deeds. 

She should not let her household chores distract her from

performing the obligatory prayers at the appointed times, or from reading Qur'an or praying nafil

prayers. Nor should she let traditional late-night family gatherings keep her from praying qiyam allayl

and tahujjud, and making du`a'. She knows the great reward and abundant forgiveness that

Allah (SWT) has prepared for those who stay up to pray during the night in Ramadan:

"Whoever spends the night in prayer during Ramadan out of faith and hope of reward, all his

previous sins will be forgiven."58

The Prophet (PBUH) used to strive to do more good deeds during Ramadan than at other times,

especially during the last ten days of it:

`A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said:

"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to strive during Ramadan, and especially the last ten

days of it, more than he used to at other times."59

`A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) also said:

"When the last ten days of Ramadan began, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) would sty up for

the whole night, wake his family up, strive extra hard, and abstain from marital relations."60

The Prophet (PBUH) used to command the Muslims to seek laylat al-qadr, and encouraged them to

spend that night in prayer:

"Seek laylat al-qadr during the last ten days of Ramadan."61

"Whoever spends the night of laylat al-qadr in prayer and worship out of faith and hope of

reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven."62

This blessed month is a time that is purely for worship. The serious-minded Muslim woman has no

time to spend on chatting and idle pursuits throughout the night. She should not be among those

who while away the night until dawn approaches, whereupon she offers her family something to

eat and they fall into a deep sleep, and may even miss the fajr prayer!

The true Muslim woman and her family should live an Islamic life during Ramadan, striving to

organize themselves in such a way that when they all come back from tarawih prayers, they do not

stay up for too long, because in a few short hours' time, they will get up to pray qiyam al-layl and

then eat suhur, for the Prophet (PBUH) commanded us to eat suhur, as there is much benefit in it:

"Eat suhur, for in suhur there is blessing."63

The true Muslim woman helps all the members of her family to get up for suhur, in obedience to

the command of the Prophet (PBUH) and in the hope of obtaining the blessings of suhur, such as

the reminder to pray qiyam al-layl, and encouragement to go out to the mosque to pray fajr in

congregation, awell as the physical benefits of strengthening the body for the day's fast. This is

what the Prophet (PBUH) used to do and trained his Companions to do likewise:

Zayd ibn Thabit (RAA) said:

"We ate suhur with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), then we got up to pray." Someone asked,

"How much time was there between the two?" He said: "Fifty ayat [i.e. the time it would take

to recite fifty ayat]."64

There is no doubt that Allah (SWT) will increase the reward of the Muslim woman who is the means

of bringing these blessings to her family during Ramadan:

( As to those who believe and work righteousness, verily We shall not suffer to

perish the reward of any who do a [single] righteous deed.) (Qur'an 18:30)

Footnotes:

52. Fath al-Bari, 10/527, Kitab al-adab, bab al-madarah ma'a al-nas.

53. Fath al-Bari, 10/528, Kitab al-adab, bab al-madarah ma'a al-nas.

54. Sahih Muslim, 15/206, Kitab fada'il al-Sahabah, bab fada'il Umm al-Mu'minin 'A'ishah.

55. Fath al-Bari, 8/455, Kitab al-tafsir, bab law la idh sami'timuhu zann al-mu'minina wa'lmu'minat

bi anfusihim khayran [al-Nur 24:12]

56. Al-Samt al-Thamin, 110; al-Isti'ab, 4/1851; al-Isabah, 8/93.

57. Al-Isabah, 8/192.

58. Reported by Tirmidhi, 4/662, Kitab sifat al-qiyamah, 54. He said it is a hasan sahih hadith.

59. Bukhari and Muslim. See Sharh al-Sunnah, 13/109, Kitab al-birr wa'l-silah, bab ma la yajuz

min al-zann.

60. Hayat al-Sahabah, 2/151

61. A sahih hadith narrated by Malik in al-Muwatta', 2/975, Kitab al-kalam, bab ma yu'mar bihi

min al-tahaffuz fi'l-kalam.

62. Sahih Muslim, 1/73, Introduction, Bab al-nahy 'an al-hadith bi kulli ma sami'a.

63. Sahih Muslim, 2/12, Kitab al-iman, bab bayan tafadul al-Islam.

64. Reported by Abu Dawud, 4/371, Kitab al-adab, bab fi'l-ghibah; Tirmidhi, 4/660, Kitab sifat alqiyamah,

51; he said it is a hasan sahih hadith.

65. Bukhari and Muslim. See Sharh al-Sunnah, 1/86, Kitab al-iman, bab al-kaba'ir.

The Muslim woman and her religious duties!

From the Book " The Ideal Muslimah"

In a previous article we mentioned the Prayers of the Muslim woman. Now we will follow with the rest of the Muslim woman's actions.

She Pays Zakat on Her Wealth
The Muslim women pay zakat on her wealth, if she is wealthy enough to be liable for zakat. Every
year at a specified time, she calculates how much she owns and pays what she has to, because
zakat is a pillar of Islam, and there can be no compromise or excuse when it comes to paying it
every year, even if the amount comes to thousands or millions. It would never occur to the true
Muslim woman to try to avoid paying some of the zakat that she is obliged to pa.Many ayat of the Qur'an confirm the interdependence of salat and zakat in the
structure of faith:( . . .Those who establish regular prayer and regular charity . . .) (Qur'an
5:55) ( And be steadfast in prayer: practise regular charity.) (Qur'an 2:43) ( . . . [those
who] . . . establish prayers and regular charity) (Qur'an 2:277)

It is clear to the true Muslim woman that Islam - although it has given her the right to financial
independence, and has not obliged her to support herself or others, which is, rather, the duty of
men - has indeed enjoined zakat on her, and has made zakat a right to which the poor are entitled

She Fasts During the Day and Prays
at Night in Ramadan
The true Muslim woman fasts the month of Ramadan, and her soul is filled with faith that:
"Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and hope of reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven."54
She has the attitude of one who truly fasts, whose faculties keep away from all kinds of sins that
may invalidate the fast or diminish its reward. If she finds herself exposed to the trials of hostility
or argument, she follows the Prophet's advice to men and women who fast:
"When any of you is fasting, he should not utter foul words or raise his voice in anger. If then
anyone provokes or fights him, he should say, `I am observing a fast."

The wise Muslim woman must strike a balance, during this all-too-short blessed month,
between her domestic duties and the opportunity this month brings to draw closer to Allah (SWT)
through worship and good deeds. She should not let her household chores distract her from
performing the obligatory prayers at the appointed times, or from reading Qur'an or praying nafil
prayers. Nor should she let traditional late-night family gatherings keep her from praying qiyam allayl
and tahujjud, and making du`a'. She knows the great reward and abundant forgiveness that
Allah (SWT) has prepared for those who stay up to pray during the night in Ramadan

The true Muslim woman and her family should live an Islamic life during Ramadan, striving to
organize themselves in such a way that when they all come back from tarawih prayers, they do not
stay up for too long, because in a few short hours' time, they will get up to pray qiyam al-layl and
then eat suhurEat suhur, for in suhur there is blessing.".
The true Muslim woman helps all the members of her family to get up for suhur, in obedience to
the command of the Prophet (PBUH) and in the hope of obtaining the blessings of suhur, such as
the reminder to pray qiyam al-layl, and encouragement to go out to the mosque to pray fajr in
congregation, awell as the physical benefits of strengthening the body for the day's fast.

She Observes Nafil Fasts

The true Muslim woman also observes nafil fasts at times other than Ramadan, if it is not too
difficult for her to do so. So she fasts the day of `Arafat, and `Ashura', and the ninth day of
Muharram, because fasting on these days and others is one of the righteous deeds that may
expiate sins.

She goes on Hajj to the sacred
House of Allah (SWT).
The true Muslim woman intends to go on Hajj to the House of Allah (SWT) when she is able to do
so and it is easy for her to travel. Before she sets out on her journey, she takes the time to study
the rules (ahkam) of Hajj in depth, so that when she begins to perform the rituals of Hajj, her
actions will be based on true understanding and her Hajj will be complete according to the
conditions laid down by the shari`ah. It will also be the equivalent of jihad for men, as the Prophet
(PBUH) described it in a hadith narrated by `A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her):
"I [`A'ishah] said: `O Messenger of Allah (PBUH), can we (women) not go out on military
expeditions and fight in jihad with you (men)?' He said, `You (women) have the best of
jihad, and the best of it is Hajj, a blessed Hajj.'" `A'ishah said, "I should never stop going for
Hajj after I heard this from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)."

She goes for `Umbra
Just as Hajj is obligatory for the Muslim woman, so also is `Umbra, if she is able to go - especially
`Umbra during Ramadan, the reward for which is equivalent to that for performing Hajj with the
Prophet (PBUH). This is seen in the hadith narrated by Imam Bukhari from Ibn `Abbas (RAA) who
said:
"When the Prophet (PBUH) came back from Hajj, he said to Umm Sinan al-Ansariyyah,
`What stopped you from going to Hajj?' She said, `Abu so-and-so - meaning her husband -
has two camels; he took one to go to Hajj, and we need the other to irrigate our land.' He
said, `When Ramadan comes, go for `Umbra, for `Umbra in Ramadan is a Hajj.'" According
to another report also narrated by Ibn `Abbas, the Prophet (PBUH) said: "For `Umbra in
Ramadan is equivalent to (performing) Hajj with me."75

She is obedient to the commands of Allah (SWT)
The true Muslim woman does not forget that she is duty bound to perform all the religious duties
that Allah (SWT) has commanded her to do. In this regard her situation is the same as that of a
man, and there is no difference between them except in a few regulations which apply exclusively
to either men or women. Other than that, women and men are equally responsible before Allah
(SWT).
Allah (SWT) says:
( For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and
women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and
constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who
give in charity, for men and women who fast [and deny themselves], for men and
women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in
Allah's praise - for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward.) (Qur'an
33:35)
( Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has Faith, verily, to him will
We give a new Life, and life that is good and pure, and We will bestow on such their
reward according to the best of their actions.) (Qur'an 16:97)
( And their Lord has accepted of them, and answered them: `Never will I suffer to
be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female: you are members, one of
another; those who have left their homes and were driven out therefrom, and
suffered harm in My Cause, and fought and were slain - verily, I will blot out from
them their iniquities, and admit them into Gardens with rivers flowing beneath - a
reward from the Presence of Allah, and from His Presence is the best of rewards.)
(Qur'an 3:195)
Whenever the phrase "ya ayyuha'l-nas (O people or O mankind)" appears in the Qur'an or Hadith,
it includes both men and women. Evidence of this may be found in the hadith narrated by Imam
Muslim.

Xenia's Note: Writing and reading the above, it brought home to me that I have a long way to go to become the " Ideal" Muslimah. I can try, take one day at a time, and ask Allah swt to help me and make it easy for me and all Muslims to obey His Commands. Ameen.