HADITH No. 1
Salmaan (RA) reports, "On the last day of Sha-baan
Rasulullah () addressed us and said, '0 people there
comes over you now a great month, a most blessed month
in which lies a night more greater in virtue than a
thousand months. It is a month in which Allah has made
Fasting compulsory by day. And has made sunnah the
Taraaweeh by night. Whosoever intends drawing near to
Allah by performing any virtuous deed, for such person
shall be the reward like the one who had performed a
fardh in any other time. And whoever performs a fardh,
shall be blessed with the reward of seventy faraa-idh
in any other time.
This is indeed the month of patience, and the reward
for true patience is Jannah ( paradise. It is the
month of sympathy with one’s fellowmen. It is the
month wherein a true believer’s rizq is increased.
Whosoever feeds another who fasted, in order to break
the fast at sunset, for the feeder there shall be
forgiveness of sins and emancipation from the fire of
Jahannam (hell}, and for such feeder shall be the same
reward as the one who Fasted (who he fed) without that
persons reward being decreased in the least."
Thereupon we said, “0 messenger of Allah, not all of
us possess the means whereby we can give a fasting
person to break his fast.” Rasulullah replied, “Allah
grants the same reward to the one who gives a fasting
person to break the fast a mere date, or a drink of
water, or a sip of milk.”
“This is a month, the first of which brings Allah’s
mercy, the middle of which brings His forgiveness and
the last of which brings emancipation from the fire of
Jahan-nam.”
“Whosoever lessens the burden of his servants
(bonds-men) in this month, Allah will forgive him and
free him from the fire of Jahannam.”
“And in this month four things you should continue to
perform in great number, two of which shall be to
please your Lord, while the other two shall be those
without which you cannot do. Those which shall be to
please your Lord, are that you should in great
quantity bear witness that there is no deity to
worship except Allah (i.e. recite the Kalimah Tayyibah
Laa llaaha illallaah) and make much Istighfaar beg
Allah’s forgiveness with Astagirfirul-laah).” And as
for those without which you cannot do, you should beg
of Allah, entrance into paradise and ask refuge in Him
from Jahannam."
“And whoever gave a person who fasted water to drink,
Allah shall grant that giver to drink from My
fountain, such a drink where after that person shall
never again feel thirsty until he enters Jannah.”
Reported by ibn Khuzaimah in his 'Saheeh.
COMMENTARY
All the points which this Hadith draws attention have
been further emphasized in numerous other Ahaadith on
the great virtues of Ramadhaan. Quite a number of
important points are brought to our notice.
Firstly, it should be noted that Rasulullah ( )
delivered this sermon at the end of the month of
Sha-baan the obvious reason being that he intended to
put into our minds the great importance of Ramadhaan
so that we could remember and not allow one second of
this month to go by without giving it the full
importance it deserves. Thereafter attention is drawn
to Laylatul Qadr, about which more is said later. Then
attention is drawn to the fact that fasting has been
made compulsory by Allah who also made sunnah the
Taraaweeh 'salaah by night.
From this Hadith it is noted that the command for
Taraaweeh prayers too comes from Allah Himself.
Besides this in all the Ahadith wherein Rasulullah
(SAW) says, I have made it sunnah", is mainly to
emphasize its importance. All the authorities of the
Ahlus sunnah wal Jamaa’ah are agreed upon the fact
that Taraaweeh is sunnah. (Bur-haan mentions that only
the Rawaafidh deny this.)
Maulana Shaah Abdulhaq Dehlawi wrote in his book: “Maa
Thabata Bis sunnah” that should the people of any town
fail to perform Taraaweeh prayers, the Muslim ruler
should make them do so by force