If this month is the best after
Ramadhaan then it is the best month in which fasting is encouraged. Fasting all
of it is recommended. So fi one fasted the days of Dhu al-Hijjah and then
carried on fasting during the month of al-Muharram, then this person has
completed the year with good deeds and started the new year with good deeds. So
his first deeds are good ones and his final deeds are good ones.
It is narrated that the Prophet
[Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “There are no two angels that
take the deeds of the person up to Allaah, every morning and every
mid-afternoon, that has good in them except that Allaah says to the angels,
‘Bear witness! I have Forgiven My Slave what is between these two times’. ”
This is narrated in at-Tabaranee and others.
Ibn al-Mubaarak said, “Whoever
begins and ends his day with Dhikr of Allaah, then it will be written that he
did Dhirk for the whole day.” This shows that ones goods deeds are dictated by
the state he ended them in (i.e. a sign of reward for his deeds is that he ends
his good deeds in a good way).
It is reported in Saheeh Muslim
the authority of Aboo Hurayrah [May Allaah be Pleased with him] that the
Messenger of Allaah [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “The best
of fasting after Ramadhaan is fasting the Month of Allaah, al-Muharram. The
best of the Salaat after the obligatory ones is the night prayer.”
This is clear proof that the
best of fasting after Ramadaan us the Month of Allaah. What this means that it
is the most virtuous month to fast, all of it, after Ramadhaan. There are some
days during the year which could be specifically better than the day in
al-Muharram, such as the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah, especially the Day of
‘Arafah, and the six days of Shawwal and the likes….
What appears to be the case to
me is that voluntary fasting in al-Muharram is of two types:
Firstly, that which is
unrestricted. So the month of al-Muharram generally is the best month to optionally
fast just like the best prayers is the night prayer after the obligatory ones.
Secondly, what is connected to
Ramadhaan (i.e. Sha’baan and Sahwwaal), before it and after it. This type of
fasting is not voluntary in and of itself, rather they are connected to
Ramadhaan. So if one fasts the six of Shawwaal after Ramadhaan then he gets the
reward of fasting a lifetime.
So this is connected to
Ramadhaan but general voluntary fasting is virtuous in al-Muharram.
It is narrated that the Prophet
[Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] ordered some men to fast in the
month of al-Muharram and the generality of the Hadeeth above proves that the
best of voluntary fasting is in this month.
Adapted
from Lataa’if al-Ma’aarif (Pg. 24-25) by Imaam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee (795 H)
[May Allaah have Mercy on him]
Very beneficial stuff. Olla
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