Laden with abundant blessings, copious rewards and abounding favours of the Lord of the universe the holy month of Ramadan visits every year, providing us great opportunity to rub off the stains of sins, to cleanse and purify and to instil and enrich our inner self with the quality of Taqwa (piety).
As the holy month progresses, it ascends to its peak in its last ten days wherein the rain of blessings, bounties, favours and rewards becomes the heaviest. This is the reason why the last ten days of Ramadan finds special mention in the Qur’ān and Sunnah. Reports Hazrat Aisha (RA), “When Ramadan entered the last ten days, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to tighten his belt (for prayer), pray for the whole night and awaken His family members (also for prayer).” (Bukhari : 2024)
If we delve into its reason, we find four exclusive bounties during the last ten days. These bounties are:
(i) Lailatul Qadr (The Night of Power) : This is one night in the last ten days of Ramadan aptly called the ‘Night of Power’. The Qur’ān mentions that this blessed night equals the rewards of thousand months (in prayer) (97:3).
This night has assumed such exalted position only because the Qur’ān – the pure and infallible guidance for mankind – was revealed which mankind could not have gotten on its own even by making prayers for thousand months or even for the whole life. It is nothing but the mercy and benevolence of Allah that He gave us this Guide Book called the Qur’ān. This was revealed as nectar by the Most Merciful Lord to resuscitate the entire humanity who was writhing on the brink of death and disaster.
That’s why Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has exhorted us to trace this blessed night in the odd nights of the last ten days and pray (Bukhari:2017). The Prophet said, whosoever stands in prayer in this night with firm faith, attention and alertness all his earlier sins are erased (Bukhari : 2014).
The Prophet ﷺ has also recommended a special supplication in this blessed night i.e. Allahumma innaka afuwwun karimun tuhibbul afwa fa’fu anni (O’ my Lord, you are ever forgiver and generous, you love forgiving, so forgive me.) (Tirmizi : 3513). But it is sheer negligence on our part that we do not pay the requisite heed to the Qur’ān as it deserves.
This night visits every year in Ramadan to remind us of this fact. Throwing light on the importance of this night vis-à-vis our negligent behaviour, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad writes, “Alas! how moanful and mournful your obliviousness and waywardness are. You eagerly search for this night but never search for what was revealed in this night which made it so exalted and powerful. If you really get this, every night is Lailatul Qadr (Night of Power) for you (Tarjumanul Qur’ān, Tafseer Surah Al-Qadr)”.
(ii) Itikaf (The Retreat) : This means to keep oneself secluded in retreat in a mosque for the last ten days of Ramadan. It is mentioned in the book of Hadith that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to regularly go into retreat in mosque in the last ten days of Ramadan. He entered the mosque before sunset of 20th of Ramadan and come out only after the Shawwal crescent had been sighted.
It is one of the most pious acts of merit strongly recommended, though not obligatory. These ten days one restricts oneself in the four walls of a mosque exclusively for prayer and drenches oneself completely in the heaviest rain of blessings, severing all mundane affairs and relations from the outside world with the sole object to achieve closeness to Allah as much as one can through prayers and pious exercises. If done properly, one enjoys savouring the moment, undergoes esoteric experiences and relishes the taste of inner fulfilment and spiritual enlightenment.
(iii) Sadqa-e-Fitr (Fast-breaking charity): It has been made obligatory for all the Muslims to pay Sadqa-e-Fitr (a special form of charity in Ramadan) to the destitute, poor and needy worth about 2.5 kg of wheat or its price per member of a family even on behalf of the one born before Eid prayer. This charity is to be paid preferably in the last days of Ramadan or at the most before Eid prayer. The sole purpose of this charity as mentioned in Hadith is “to remove and purify our fasting of the stains we blemish by vain talks and lasciviousness and also food for the underprivileged.” (Abu Daud – 1609)
This is another favour of our beneficent Lord providing us opportunity to wipe out the blemishes of our fasting to make it acceptable to Allah by paying the Sadqa-e-Fitr, which may well be called expiatory charity. And whoever on earth can claim that his fasting is totally unspotted and uncorrupted by intentional or unintentional violations. Paying off this charity clears our fastings from the stains of any such violation like the hot press that clears the cloth of wrinkles.
(iv) Eid al-Fitr: Just at the end of Ramadan we celebrate Eid al-Fitr. What for? What’s the purpose? The Qur’ān, while mentioning the purpose of it, says, “… so that you may pronounce the greatness of Allah for the Guidance (the Qur’ān) He gave you and you may pay thanks to Him for.” (Al-Baqarah:185).
After the month long fast one earns the quality of Taqwa (Piety and Self-Restraint) necessary to seek guidance from the Qur’ān and then at the close of the month Allah gives us the Qur’ān and makes us its true custodian so that we may cast our life in this mould and establish justice on the earth of Allah.
What can be a better elevation than being the custodian of the pure unalloyed guidance of Allah which makes us Khair-e-Ummah (Best of the people). This elevation we celebrate as Eid al-Fitr, chanting Allahu Akbar (Allah is Supreme), making the world known that this Book establishes the supremacy and sovereignty of Allah on this earth and not of any person, family, clan, tribe caste or colour.
All human beings are the progeny of Adam and Adam was made of dust. Thus we celebrate this occasion of emerging to the clear light from the utter gloom, as Eid by bowing our head in obeisance to Allah, our Lord, our creator – the one and only and paying thanks for this guidance.
This is in brief the exclusive virtues of the last ten days of Ramadan. We should not spoil and fritter away this precious time in shopping and preparation for Eid as is generally observed. May Allah guide us to make full use of this precious period it is meant for.