Spending Ramadan In Light Of Sunnah and Hadith Of Muhammad (PBUH)

Besides the fasting that is compulsory during the month of Ramadan, Muslims try to find as much Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as possible, so that they can spend the month of Ramadan the way He did and the things He did during this month so that they could live and spend Ramadan in the true spirit.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the best example for Muslims, therefore, the way He spent Ramadan is the prime example towards Muslims could look and try imitating it in their lives as well. The lines below discuss the ways in which a Muslim can spend Ramadan closest to the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Refrain From Ruinous Speech:

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in His hadith:

“Whoever fails to leave off ruinous speech, and acting on it (during Ramadan), God does not need him to leave off eating and drinking.” (Bukhari)

From this hadith of Prophet (PBUH) it is clear that in Ramadan and during fast a Muslim is to refrain from any kind of ruinous speech. This ruinous speech may include any kind of cursing, abusive language, slandering, backbiting or any speech act which Islam forbids. The hadith emphasizes on the fact that if one cannot control his or her speech during Ramadan, then the fasting is of no use. Therefore, fasting is not limited to controlling thirst and hunger, rather it also means controlling one’s speech and refraining from any kind of such useless and base talking. Anger and bad speech is often because of anxiety and stress also which can be controlled if you follow proper anxiety and depression controlling Islamic tips.

Eating Sufficient:

One of the major problems with Muslims in the month of Ramadan is that we tend to eat the maximum we can during Suhoor so that we don’t feel hungry during the fast and eat the same during Iftaar to recover what has been lost during fast. This is not a wise ploy and it comes in the circle of gluttony, which a Muslim is to avoid. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in His hadith:

“The food of two people is enough for three, and the food of three people is enough for four.” (Bukhari)

Therefore, a Muslim must remember that he or she needs to eat only in sufficient quantity that does not deprive the body of nutrition, other than that there is no need of eating more than required. Moreover, if a person eats more than his or her fill, then one would not feel hungry during the fast and if one does not feel hungry, then the objective of fasting that is to feel the hunger of unfortunate fails to materialize, hence fasting loses its essence. Therefore, a Muslim must refrain from gluttony during Suhoor and Iftaar.

Being Caring Of Others:

Ramadan teaches empathizing with others and feeling what the less fortunate people of the society feel. Therefore, it is imperative that when it comes to overall well being in general and eating needs of the neighbors in particular, a Muslim must be caring towards other Muslim. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in His hadith:

“The believer is not the one who eats his fill when the neighbor besides him is hungry.” (Bayhaqi)

Therefore, during Ramadan a Muslim is to be considerate towards other Muslims and make sure that the neighbors are well fed as he or she themselves are. Moreover, this spirit of being considerate is what Ramadan teaches, therefore, it must be adhered to during the whole month.

At another place, Prophet (PBUH) said:

“The most beloeved of actions to God Almighty, is making another Muslim happy, removing hardship that has befallen him, paying off a debt of his or ridding him of hunger. It is more beloved to me indeed that I walk with my Muslim brother to see to a need of his than secluding oneself in a mosque for a month.” (Tabarani)

Therefore, during Ramadan a Muslim must spread the message of love and peace and try bringing ease into the life of other people so that they also get to enjoy life and experience a better version of it.

Taraweeh:

Taraweeh is another major Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that is specific to the month of Ramadan. There are numerous hadiths in the books that show that Prophet (PBUH) used to stand in prayer after Isha during the month of Ramadan. Moreover, He also offered this prayer in the form of a congregation as well. Therefore, a Muslim must also ensure that the Sunnah of Taraweeh is fulfilled throughout the month of Ramadan.

Itkaaf:

It is narrated by Abu Said Al-Khudri that:

“Allah’s Apostle used to practice Itikaf in the middle ten days of Ramadan and once he stayed in Itikaf till the night of the twenty-first and it was the night in the morning of which he used to come out of his Itikaf. The Prophet said, “Whoever was in Itikaf with me should stay in Itikaf for the last ten days, for I was informed (of the date) of the Night (of Qadr) but I have been caused to forget it. (In the dream) I saw myself prostrating in mud and water in the morning of that night. So, look for it in the last ten nights and in the odd ones of them.” It rained that night and the roof of the mosque dribbled as it was made of leaf stalks of date-palms. I saw with my own eyes the mark of mud and water on the forehead of the Prophet (i.e. in the morning of the twenty-first).” (Bukhari)

Form this hadiht the importance of Itkaaf is clear and a Muslim must also try performing Itkaaf during the last ten days of Ramadan in order to get the maximum blessings by getting closer  to Allah Almighty and make the full use of this Holy month and the blessed night in it.

Conclusion:

In a nutshell, it is imperative that a Muslim tries to spend Ramadan by following the guidelines and instructions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), so that when the month ends, a Muslim turns out to be a better Muslim who is more blessed and closer to Allah Almighty.