Question:
Assalamu‘alaikum SS Dato’ Mufti. Is the phrase “Do not worship for the sake of Ramadhan for Ramadhan will come and go, but worship for the sake of Allah,” true? Is it wrong to increase one’s worship more than the usual amount of worship in other months?
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam wbt,
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Answering the question above, it is encouraged for us to increase our worships in Ramadhan. The advice above does not contradict this fact. Thus, the salafus soleh said:
كُنْ رَابَّنِيًا وَلَا تَكُنْ رَمَضَانِيًا
“Be the slave of Allah your Rabb, and not a slave of Ramadhan.”
Indeed, increasing one’s worship in the month of Ramadhan is the sunnah of the Prophet PBUH. Especially during the final ten days of Ramadhan.
This is in accordance with the hadith narrated by Aisyah R.Anha, she said:
كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا دَخَلَ الْعَشْرُ شَدَّ مِئْزَرَهُ وَأَحْيَا لَيْلَهُ وَأَيْقَظَ أَهْلَهُ
“With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. keep away from his wives) and used to stay up praying all night, and he would also wake his wives (to pray and recite Qur’an etc..).”
Sahih al-Bukhari (2024)
In another narration, it is stated:
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- يَجْتَهِدُ فِى الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ مَا لاَ يَجْتَهِدُ فِى غَيْرِهِ
“Allah's Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to exert himself in devotion during the last ten nights to a greater extent than at any other time.”
Sahih Muslim (2845)
The above prophetic evidences are clear narrations of how the Prophet PBUH increases his worship in the last ten days of Ramadhan compared to other times.
In truth, the momentum of performing worship in Ramadhan should last until after Ramadhan to the subsequent months, so that the devotion towards Allah SWT is continuous. Furthermore, just after
Ramadhan, there are the obligation of zakat fitrah and hajj, both of which are the pillars in Islam. This is a clear indication that worship in Ramadhan should be continuous, even after Ramadhan.
Let us all reflect on ourselves and increase our worship the best that we are able to, before the blessed month of Ramadhan leave us. At the same time, the worship in Ramadhan should continue after Ramadhan, maximizing our time on this earth to seek and gain the rewards from Allah SWT. This will ultimately lead to taqwa in ourselves. So true is the words of Allah SWT:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
“O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.”
Surah al-Baqarah (183)
May Allah SWT make us be among the people of taqwa. Amin.