Shawwal Newsletter

Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

Welcome to our eighth newsletter, as we welcome the month of Shawwal after departing from the blessed month of Ramadan.  We pray that we can carry the spirit of Ramadan within our actions and hearts for the months ahead until we are fortunate to greet it again in sha Allah.
                                                  
FASTING IN SHAWWAL 
Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari radiAllahu anhu mentioned that, “One who fasts the month of Ramadan and then follows it with six fasts of Shawwal, it is as though he has fasted for a lifetime.” (Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)

The Prophet ﷺ explained this when he said: “Whoever fasts for six days after (‘Eid) al-Fitr has completed the year: (whoever does a good deed (hasanah) will have ten hasanah like it).” According to another report: “Allah has made for each hasanah ten like it, so a month is like fasting ten months, and fasting six days completes the year.” (al-Nasai and Ibn Majah). 

The benefit of fasting these six days of Shawwal is that it compensates any shortcomings that may have occurred with the obligatory fasts of Ramadan.  As the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The first thing for which people will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be their salah (prayer). Our Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, will say to His angels – although He knows best – ‘Look at the salah of My slave, whether it is complete or incomplete.’ If it is perfect, it will be recorded as perfect, and if something is lacking, He will say, ‘Look and see whether My slave did any voluntary (nafil) prayers.’ If he did some voluntary prayers, [Allah] will say, Complete the obligatory actions of My slave from his voluntary actions.’ Then all his actions will be dealt with in a similar manner.” (Abu Dawud)

MAINTAINING OUR CONNECTION WITH THE QUR’AN

Habib Ali al-Jifiri (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him) advised everyone to try to recite a portion of the Qur’an on Eid.

If you do this on the day of Eid and the next day and the day after you will maintain the connection you made with the speech of Allah during Ramadan. The comfort you felt and the ease with which you recited it will continue throughout the year. You will not fall into the darkness of abandoning the Qur’an.

O Allah, make us among the people of the Qur’an. Do not make us among those who the Prophet ﷺ complained about to his Lord: The Messenger cried out: “Lord, my people have abandoned this Qur’an.” (Surah al-Furqan 25:30)

INTENTIONS FOR AFTER RAMADAN
We intend to be among those whose entire year is Ramadan
We intend that our connection to Allah is expressed in our actions throughout the day and the night
We intend to serve the Ummah in the best way by focusing on the Three Objectives (knowledge, purification and dawah)
We intend to seek the pleasure of Allah and to make His Messenger ﷺ happy in all that we do
We intend to attain an increase in presence of heart with Allah at all times but especially during the prayer, recitation of the Qur’an and remembrance
We intend to establish gatherings with our brothers and sisters who we love for Allah’s sake
We intend to fast the Six Days of Shawwal and other blessed days like Ashura (9th and 10th Muharram) and the Day of Arafah and at least three days in every month

(by Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)

UPDATES / NEWS
We are completing some projects at present which include “Man of Many Splendours” and the android app for the Dala’il al-Khayrat in sha Allah. We are going to reprint two of our publications aswell, “Essentials of Islam” and “Introduction to the Principles of Qur’anic Exegesis.” 

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Credit:  The Sacred Months (prayers and worship for their special months) – Rizwana Sayed
https://sunnahonline.com/library/hajj-umrah-and-the-islamic-calendar/322-fasting-the-six-days-of-shawwal
https://muwasala.org/2019/06/03/intentions-for-after-ramadan/
https://muwasala.org/2019/06/05/maintaining-our-connection-to-the-quran-on-eid/#more-6007

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