The Immense Fadhilat / Benefits of Ramadhan

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In Loving Memory of Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Sattar Khan – Ramadhan Series

Here is a short synopsis of a Sohbah given by Almarhum Sheikh Abdul Sattar Khan on 18 March 2023:

• The Mighty Qur’an descended in its entirety from the Preserved Tablet (Loh Mahfuz) to the lowest heavens on the Night of Power (Laylatul Qadr). From there, it was dispensed in stages, over 23 years to Rasulullah ﷺ.
• Allah ﷻ taught Mankind throught the written word, the Holy Qur’an.
• Hence the first command was Iqra – to Read.
• The Qur’an is the Mother of all Holy Books. Millions of books have been written by AwliyaAllah from it. Reading these books provides the raw knowledge from which Sohbahs are built upon.
• Read! One who wants to reach to Servanthood must read constantly. Taking from different Awliya’s understanding will pave the way to a clear view of one’s journey and destination.
• Several Hadeeth from Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani’sق kitab, Sufficient Provision for the Spiritual Traveller on the immense gifts of Ramadhan were shared in this Sohbah.
• Besides the Qur’an, the other matter intricately linked to the fasting month, is family.
• Include your family in your siyam wa qiyam – in your fasting (sahur, iftar) and your night vigil. Don’t do it alone and ignore your family. Show them its beauty by doing it as a jemaah (group).
• The on-going discussion of whether to do 8 or 20 raka’ats for Terawih happened because the Prophet ﷺ spent some days doing Terawih with his family privately and not at the mosque on every single night. Following the Awliya, we not only do 20 raka’ats, but we also try to do this worshipping with our families too, to bond with them and make their hearts familiar and comfortable with worshipping.
• “Save yourselves and your family from the fire.” (Qur’an 66:6)

Do watch the Sohbah for the full elaboration on the points above here:

Here is a transcription of the Sohbah:

Alhamdulillah, we are on the verge of the beautiful month of Ramadhan, a time intricately connected to two very important things. First, Ramadhan is deeply linked with the Quran. It was in this blessed month, on the Night of Laylatul Qadr (Night of Power), that the entire Quran was sent down from the Loh Mahfuz (Preserved Tablet) to the lower heavens. From there, over a span of 23 years, it was gradually revealed to Rasulullah (SAW) to be conveyed to the Ummah. This Kitab (book) came down on a very momentous night, the Night of Power, for the benefit of this Ummah. Thus, the Quran and Ramadhan are intimately linked. 

The first ayah revealed was ‘Iqra’ (Read!) from Surah Al-‘Alaq. Allah commands us to read. And this is a very, very powerful reminder to the believers that Allah Almighty taught us through the written word. We are being taught in the book, a form of a book, the Quran, and so the written word is extremely powerful to convey the message. All Awliya, the Anbiyah, are teaching us from the Book of Allah. So, they call this the Ummul Kitab (Mother of All Books). From this book, all other books emerged. As we mentioned yesterday, from the first mosque, Masjid Nabawi, all the other mosques are daughters of Masjid Nabawi. From the first Dergah, all the other Dergahs are daughters of the main Dergah.

So from this Ummul Kitab, from the Mother of All Books, all other books were written. These include the works of great Saints and scholars such as Shaykh Abdul Qadir al Jailani (Q.S), Shaykh Abdul Khaliq al Gujdawani (Q.S), Shah Naqshband (Q.S), Imam Ghazali (Q.S), Imam Shafi (Q.S.) and the list goes on and on. So from one book, millions of books of guidance have been written. And so, you must remember if you wish to progress in this journey, you must be an avid reader because Allah has commanded us to read.

Allah says ‘Iqra’, the very first command, the first word of the entire Quran that came to us is to read. So it is very important to remember this, because many people when they are in this journey of Tariqah, they don’t really read very much, they just depend on listening to the Sohbahs and then they catch maybe 10% of the Sohbah and they practice only 10% of that so in the end, only 1 or 2% becomes part of their journey and the rest of it is forgotten.

If you visited Mawlana Shaykh Nazim in his younger days, you would see his humongous cupboard filled with books. Mawlana Shaykh Mehmet was saying that his father never hid any knowledge, if he received an inspiration at Tahajjud time, he was the first one at Fajr teaching what he had learnt. But as for his books, he never gave away a single book in his entire life. Whatever he purchased, whatever he had for reading, he kept them in his library, and he constantly referred to them. So as one who is seeking to become close to Allah, you must get into this habit of reading. 

Children must be brought into this world of reading because it is a very powerful medium of teaching. Allah Almighty sent the Kitab down in the form of a written word and Allah Almighty commanded us to read. In fact this ‘Iqra’ is such a powerful and important word that Shaykh Abdul Qadir Al-Jilani (Q.S) said, “In your first Taraweeh of the first night of Ramadhan, it is Sunnah to begin in the first rakaat; After you read the Fatihah, you read ‘Iqra Bismi Rabbikaladhi Khalaq, Khalaqqal Insana Min Alaq, …’ till the end of the Surah (Surah Alaq) because these were the first verses that were sent down to the believers.”

So, we are asked to read the kitabs and parents who are concerned about their children wanting them to progress must ensure they have access to beautiful kitabs. You have Shamail at-Tirmidhi, Ya Ayyuhal Walad (Imam Ghazali) and thousands of books. So go and take some time to look for suitable books to share with your children from a very young age. Once they start to read, they pick up this habit, they will start to gather a lot of knowledge. 

Today, I wish to read from Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani’s (Q.S) kitab to show you how powerful these words are. Not just listening, Sohbah is something that arranges the knowledge you have in the form of a structure. For example, if you are building a house like this, you need to have bricks, you need to have cement, you need to have glass, you need to have wood, right? What you’re reading is providing you with all these raw materials, the Sohbah arranges it until it becomes a beautiful house or a palace so you must have the raw materials. Attending Sohbah without any background in Islam, without any reading, without any knowledge, generally you can’t build anything because you have no raw materials. 

InshaAllah, we will go through some of these beautiful Hadith gathered by Shaykh Abdul Qadir Al Jilani (Q.S) to give you an idea of the beauty of Ramadhan and for you to understand the importance of reading. ‘Iqra’ so that you can actually progress more and more. Don’t be lazy. Take the book, Ihya Ulumuddin is a book that is 8 volumes long, a few thousand pages. It will take you maybe even four or five years to read, if you do a few pages a day. So read, so that you will gain in your knowledge and inshaAllah, by the grace of having a teacher, you’ll also gain an understanding.

Bismillahirahmanirahim, our Holy Prophet (SAW) just before Ramadhan had begun, on the last day of Sha’ban, he gathered the Sahabah and said the following:

“Oh believers, a mighty month has cast its protective shade over you, a blessed month, a month in which there is a night that is better than a thousand months. Allah has made fasting an obligatory duty and the observance of the night vigil (Tahajjud and other acts of devotion), a voluntary practice.

Whoever seeks to draw near to their Lord in this month by performing even a single act of goodness, or fulfilling just one religious obligation, will receive a reward multiplied by 70, compared to performing the same act outside of Ramadhan.

It is a month of patience, endurance (Sabar). It is a month in which the reward of patience is the Garden of Paradise. It is a month of charitable giving. It is a month in which the sustenance or the rizq of a true believer is increased. If someone provides food for a person who is fasting, it will result in the forgiveness of his sins and also freedom from the Fire of Hell. And the one who is receiving the food will be granted a reward equivalent to that earned by the one who is giving the food too, without anything being deducted from either party.”

Upon hearing this, some of the Sahabah said, “Not all of us can find enough food to feed people to break their fast.” The Prophet (SAW) replied, “Allah will grant this reward to anyone who gives some kind of food, a nourishment to a person who is keeping the fast, even if it’s just one dry date, or a drink of plain water or a cup of diluted milk.”

It is the month in which the beginning is Mercy, the middle is Forgiveness and the end is Deliverance from the Fire of Hell. If a slave lightens the burden of another slave in this month, that means a believer makes it easy for another believer, Allah will forgive him and grant him freedom from the Fire of Hell. 

Therefore, during the course of this month you must cultivate four practices and repeat them frequently. Two of these practices will earn Allah’s pleasure, his good pleasure and two are practices you cannot afford to be without.

As for the two practices that will earn your Lord’s pleasure, it is to testify that there is no Lord but Allah and seeking His Forgiveness. And for the two that you cannot afford to be without, it is asking for Paradise and seeking refuge from the Fire.

This is why after Taraweeh, we always recite, “Ashhadu an La ilaha illa Allah, wa Astaghfirullah, Nas’aluka al-Jannah, wa Na‘udhu bika min an-Nar.”,”I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah, we ask you (O Allah) for Paradise and we seek refuge with you from the Hellfire.”

And if someone provides a good meal for someone for breaking fast, Allah will give him a drink from the Fountain of Kawthar from which he will never experience thirst again. 

These are all Hadiths, and I am sharing them so we can understand what the Prophet (SAW) told the Sahabah on the last day of Sha’ban.

On the first night of Ramadhan, the Gates of Paradise will be flung open, and they will remain open until the last night of the month. So, the first night of Ramadhan is a very important night for making Du’a (supplication) and making your intentions for the whole month.

Every time a servant of Allah performs prayer during any night of Ramadhan, Allah multiplies his good deeds. For every act of sujood (prostration), Allah will build for him in Paradise a house made from a single red ruby, a magnificent structure entirely carved from one single gemstone. This ruby palace will have seventy doors, each with two golden leaves, adorned with ornate red ruby knobs.

If someone keeps the fast on the first day of Ramadhan, Allah will forgive his every sin until the last day of Ramadhan and his fasting will be a forgiveness for all his sins. For every day which he keeps his fast, he will be granted a huge, beautiful mansion in the Gardens of Paradise equipped with a thousand doors of gold. 

From early in the morning, 70,000 angels will beg for forgiveness on his behalf, although they will stay out of sight behind a veil, that means you cannot see them. For every act of prostration, he performs by day or night, He will be granted a tree in the Garden of Paradise, mentioned in another Hadith, a tree in the shade of which a rider of the fastest Arabian horse cannot cross the shade of this tree even after 100 years of riding. 

And when the first night of Ramadhan arrives, Allah looks upon His entire creation. If Allah looks at a particular servant, if He even glances at you for a second, that person will never suffer torment or suffering. And every day, Allah looks at a million people in this month of Ramadhan taking them out from the Fire of Hell. So, there is a chance He will look upon us and grant us His Mercy.

As soon as Ramadhan begins, the Gates of Paradise are flung wide open, the Gates of Hell are sealed shut, and the devils are shackled and restrained. The vast gifts of Allah are not only for the men but also for the women among the believers. Every woman amongst the believers will be dressed in 70 fine articles of clothing, no item being the same as any other. This means that every piece of clothing is different and every piece of clothing can be seen at the same time, so there’s some sort of a miracle that a woman can wear 70 dresses and you can see all the 70 dresses that are different and beautiful on her at the same time. 

She will be given 70 kinds of perfume whereby none of the two fragrances are the same, she will be given 70 throne-like raised couches, she’ll be given 70 made from a red ruby studded with pearls, upon each of these couches there will be 70 cushions and over every cushion there will be a canopy. She’ll be given 70,000 females and 70,000 males to look after herself and her husband. Each of these servants will carry a dish made of gold containing some kind of cooked food and the last morsel of which will be found in this food has a delicious flavor that was not found in the first bite.

So, every bite of food from every one of the 70,000 people bringing the food has a different beautiful taste. Her husband will be given special treats as he reclines upon a couch made from the red rubies, such will be his reward for every day on which he has kept the fast of Ramadhan. This is in addition to the countless blessings he has earned through his charitable deeds throughout the Holy Month.

On the first night of Ramadhan, Allah himself will proclaim, “Oh Ridwan Alayhi Salam, open the gates of all Gardens of Paradise! O Malik Alayhi Salam, seal the doors of the Blazing Fire of Hell and keep out those from the Ummah of My Beloved Habib (Salallahu Alayhi wa Salam) who are fasting. Oh Jibraeel Alayhi Salam, descend to the Earth! Capture all the defiant and rebellious devils, bind them in chains, and cast them into the depths of the ocean so they cannot disturb My servants or spoil their fasting.”

On each and every night of Ramadhan, Allah Almighty will call out three times, “Is there anyone who has a request, so I may grant it? Is there anyone who seeks repentance, so I may accept it? Is there anyone seeking forgiveness, so I may forgive him? Who will lend to the Rich One, rather than the poor? Who will trust the One in control of all affairs, rather than one who is powerless?”

The Prophet (SAW) then continued, “Each day during the month of Ramadhan, at the time of breaking fast, Allah frees one million of His servants from the Fire of Hell. Every day, He grants salvation to one million people, whether alive in this world or already deceased, who were destined for Jahannam. However, due to the immense blessings of Ramadhan, Allah forgives them and grants them entry into Jannah.”

So for every day of Ramadhan, one million servants will be forgiven, so we pray for forgiveness for your ancestors as well. Allah Almighty says that all those whom He forgives were originally destined for Jahannam, meaning they had incurred the penalty of damnation. These were among the worst of people, yet due to the immense blessings of Ramadhan, Allah pardons them.

On the night of Jummah, meaning every Thursday night of Ramadhan, and on the day of Jummah itself, Allah’s Mercy is even greater. Every hour on Jummah, He releases one million people from Hellfire. This means that while one million are forgiven on normal days, on Jummah, it happens every hour, 24 times, resulting in 24 million people being freed from the Fire of Hell in a single day.

And on the last day of Ramadhan, Allah will forgive a number equal to the total of all those He has forgiven from the first day until the last. If He has forgiven 500 million throughout the month, then on the final night which is Laylatul Jaza’ah (the night of Hari Raya), He will forgive another 500 million. That’s why I keep saying, don’t go shopping on that night because you should know you’re asking for something that’s more precious than getting a carpet from Geylang (the market). 

As soon as the Night of Power (Laylatul Qadr) arrives, Allah commands Jibraeel (Alayhi Salam) to descend to Earth, accompanied by a huge group of angels. They bring a radiant green banner, which Jibraeel (Alayhi Salam) will place atop the Kaaba. On this sacred night, Jibraeel (Alayhi Salam), who possesses no fewer than 600 wings, unfolds them fully, whereas on other occasions, he uses only two. When he spreads his wings, they extend across the entire distance between the East and the West.

Upon arriving, Jibraeel (Alayhi Salam) instructs the angels accompanying him to enter the Muslim community. They will silently move among the believers who are engaged in prayer, making du’a, hoping to catch Laylatul Qadr. They will greet every believer observing Tahajjud or any form of night worship with Salams (peace).

It is mentioned in another Hadith, that if you want to know if you have received a Salam, you can feel the chills on your body. And if you want to know if Jibraeel Alayhi Salam shook your hand, you will start to tear and cry. 

So they will go and give salaams depending on whether you are sleeping, depending whether you are doing worshiping, depending on whether you are intensely focused, you may get different types of salaam from different types of angels. The highest of which is to shake the hand of Jibraeel Alayhi Salam with those who are chosen. He will give the greeting of peace to every believer who is found to be observing the night vigil, performing the night prayers and practicing Dhikrullah. 

Throughout the night, the angels remain with the believers, exchanging greetings of peace and saying Ameen to every supplication made. They sit with them until the break of dawn, as mentioned in Surah Al-Qadr, ‘Hatta Matla’il Fajr‘ which means, until the emergence of Fajr.

Masha’Allah! Every prayer you make, “Oh Allah, forgive me.” The angels will respond with, “Ameen, Ameen, Ameen!” And since the angels are pure beings, free of sin, their du’as on your behalf are readily accepted by Allah.

At this point, Jibraeel (Alayhi Salam) will call out, “O company of angelic friends, the time has come for us to return home!” As soon as the azan for Fajr is called, all the angels who descended that night, including the millions who shook hands with the believers, will gather around Jibraeel (Alayhi Salam). These angels, who have developed love for the believers and rejoice in their worship, will ask him:

“O Jibraeel (Alayhi Salam), what has Allah decreed for these believers? For we have been saying Ameen to their prayers all night, sending peace upon them, and interceding on their behalf. What reward has Allah granted them?”

Jibraeel (Alayhi Salam) will say, “Allah has pardoned and forgiven them all, except for four types of people. They are, the one addicted to intoxication (anything that makes you hayal, like alcohol or drugs), the one who is disobedient and disrespectful towards their parents, the one who severs ties of kinship (Silaturrahmi) and the Mushahin.”

The Companions (RadhiyAllahu Anhum) then asked the Prophet (SAW) about the meaning of Mushahin, as they had never heard this word before. He explained that a Mushahin is someone who harbors resentment and stubbornly refuses to let go of a grudge. This person holds hatred in their heart, unwilling to forgive or reconcile, even when others encourage them to move on.

People may say, “Let it go, shake hands, forgive and forget, let the past remain in the past..” Yet the Mushahin will insist, “I cannot forgive. I cannot forget what they did.” So these are the four types of people who will not be forgiven on that night of Laylatul Qadr (Night of Power). So be very careful about this. 

When the month of Ramadhan is over and the night of Eidul Fitri has arrived, that night is called Laylatul Jaza’ah (the Night of Rewards), the night of the giving of gifts. That’s why I keep emphasizing to be at home on that night and make your du’as on that night. Allah will send his angels to visit all the towns in the city.

And when we are going out for our Eid prayers, all the roads, all the pavements, leading to every Mosque and Musollah (prayer place) where people are praying are filled with angels. And they are standing on the left and the right, they’re giving salaams to you and so they descend, they position themselves at the entrances of all streets and alleys.

There in a voice that’s audible to every creature that Allah created except for jinn and men, they will issue a proclamation saying, “Oh Ummatun Habib (Salallahu Alayhi wa Salam), come forth into the presence of the Rabbun Kareem, your Generous and Noble Lord who will grant you gifts in abundance and forgive all your terrible sins.” So that’s why that morning, don’t skip the Eid prayers if you can.

If you oversleep, you can pray at home until Zuhur time. But if you can, go to the mosque. Join the prayers as it is very, very blessed. The journey there and coming back, that’s why they say go by two different routes right, so that two different groups of angels will be praying for you and sending you salams. So when the believers emerge and present themselves at the place of prayer, Allah will say to his angels, “All my angels, what is the reward when we hire a labourer when he has done his job?” And the angels will reply, “Oh Allah, Ya Sayyid, you will pay him his wages in full.”

Allah Almighty will say, “I now call you to bear witness, oh my angels, that I have conferred my Acceptance and my Forgiveness as a reward for them fasting, doing the Siyam, Qiyam (which refers to the fasting and night vigil during the blessed month of Ramadhan). O My servants, ask of Me now! By My Might and My Majesty, I swear that in this gathering of yours today, whatever you request regarding your life in the Hereafter, I will grant it to you.

And whatever you seek concerning your life in this world, I will fulfill your need. By My Might, My Power, and My Majesty, I will surely forgive your missteps, as long as you remain conscious and strive to avoid My displeasure.”

This means that if you make a mistake despite trying your best, Allah will forgive you. However, if you deliberately disregard His pleasure and say, “I don’t care” then Allah will not grant you forgiveness. That is why the intention in your heart must always be, “Ya Allah, I want to please You.” And even if you fall, Allah still says, “I will forgive you.”

Allah continues, “By My Might and My Majesty, I will not put you to shame, nor will I expose you to disgrace among those who are faithfully committed to My laws. Now you may depart.”

This means that after completing your Eid prayer, Allah declares, “Go forth, knowing that you have been forgiven, that you have won My approval, and that I am well pleased with you.” Allah is pleased with those who have fulfilled Ramadhan properly. On this day, the angels rejoice and bring the glad tidings from Allah to the entire Ummah, celebrating the completion of their fasting (Siyam) and night prayers (Qiyam).

The Prophet (SAW) said, “If the servants of Allah only knew the immense blessings contained in the month of Ramadhan, they would wish for Ramadhan to last the entire year.” Upon hearing this, the Sahabah eagerly asked, “Ya Rasulullah, tell us more about Ramadhan!” They were always thirsty for knowledge and Sohbah.

The Prophet (SAW) then described the great wonders of Ramadhan, emphasizing that on this day, both men and women will be rewarded generously, and every believer will receive abundant goodness from Allah.

So look forward to the end, Allah will give you his pleasure, subhanAllah, so go all out for this Ramadhan, let it be one in which we attain the pleasure of Allah. May Allah look at us, those whom they say, “Ya Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi wa Salam) Unzhur Alayna (look at us), Ya HabibAllah (Salallahu Alayhi wa Salam) Qod’dho Qot Hiilatii (look at my condition).” Those whom Allah looks at, Allah will never punish.

And so the second thing to remember this Ramadhan, Ramadhan is not just about the Quran, it’s very important to remember about family. This is where the dispute happens when you see people talking about praying 8 or 20 rakaat, because the Prophet (SAW) prayed in the mosque for only a few days and then he went home to pray with his family. We are asked to do twenty, Mawlana said not to go into any debate on the internet, we do exactly as Prophet (SAW) did, we do 20. 

Remember that this Ramadhan is not just about your personal worshipping, spend time with your family if you can some days, do Taraweeh in your home with your families. If you want to do it in the mosque, that is fine, you can finish your Ishak there and come back home to gather your wife and your children and pray with them.

It is a beautiful month, sahur together, break fast together, Tahajjud together. Don’t forget about your family. It’s a very important thing because Allah says in the Quran, “Ku Anfusakum wa Ahlikum Narra”,“Save yourself and your family from the Fire of Hell” (At-Tahrim verse 6).

So don’t be greedy for yourself, remember, you want your children to follow in your footsteps, you want your spouses to be with you in Jannah (Paradise), you want everyone to be safe. So this month of Ramadhan, remember your family as well. 

May Allah gather us among the good ones, may Allah give us the blessedness of being among those whom Allah looks at, whom Allah says, I have granted you My approval, that is why those who have gotten this approval, they are already in Jannah. Even in this Dunya, they have already tasted Jannah. 

Mawlana said, those who understand will say, Ya Allah your pleasure is our Jannah. And similarly, those who defy Allah, they are already in Jahannam, they are already in fire, their life here and they go back to fire there as well. Allah gives us Paradise here in this world and Paradise there for those who have obtained His approval.

May Allah Grant all of us, our spouses, children, descendants to be amongst those who truly, truly reap the maximum harvest of this blessed month of Ramadhan. 

Ameen Ya Rabbal Alameen. Bi hurmatil Habib, Bi hurmatil Fatiha.

• Almarhum Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Sattar Khan

18 March 2023/ 26 Shaʻban 1444 AH

Our beloved Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Sattar Khan reunited with his true love, Allah Almighty, on 11 November 2023.

May Allah forgive his shortcomings, bestow upon him endless blessings, mercy, and light, and elevate his rank for the sincerity of his efforts and contribution during his lifetime. 

May he be placed amongst those closest and dearest to Allah Almighty.

Al-Fatiha for Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Sattar Khan.