02/01/2022
● Duties of the Three Holy Months [01/02/22]
“Shukr to Allah ﷻ, we have reached the Three Holy Months. The Holy Months are Rajab, Sha’ban and Ramadan. Our Holy Prophet ﷺ says in a Hadith Sharif, O God, bless us in Rajab and Sha’ban and“ ,”اللَّ ُه َّم َبا ِرك لَنَا ِفي َر َجب َو َشع َبا َن َوبلغنا َر َم َضا َن“ bring us to Ramadan.” It shows the value of these holy months. People of old times used to show more respect and importance to these months. People of the present time don’t even know about them. Three months have come, five months are gone; they don’t care. They don’t care at all. They only worry about Dunya and are running after worldly matters. Only when Ramadan comes, they understand a little. Otherwise, they don’t value the Three Holy Months at all.
In old times, even those who were afflicted with sins, for the honor of these months, they would quit doing sins. For example, those who drank alcohol used to quit drinking up until the end of the Three Holy Months. Allah ﷻ would guide some of them, and they would quit completely. And even if some of them started again, Allah ‘Azza wa- Jalla would guide them as well for the honor of the Three Holy Months. Therefore, to show respect to these three months is very good for us. These are the months that our Holy Prophet ﷺ honored and told about their virtues. There are great virtues in them. There are at least ten Thawab for one deed. During these months, it can be ten, even a hundred times more than that, Shukr to Allah ﷻ. That is why, we should as much as we can do goodness, do more worship, make Tasbihat, read Qur’an and recite Salawat during these months; it is a great benefit for us.
There are certain Tasbihat. They have distributed them, Shukr to Allah ﷻ, they can be reached by everyone. That has to be done. People can do all of them. Those who cannot, should do as much as they can. Allah ﷻ will write virtues and Thawab according to their intentions insha’Allah. Sometimes, not everyone can read Qur’an. Instead, they can recite Surat al Ikhlas, make Salawat and Tasbihat. Allah ﷻ will accept them with the permission of Allah ﷻ, because Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla says that people should do as much as they can. They shouldn’t take on more burden than they can carry. It is fine to do as much as they can. But they should remember the virtues of these months and ask for the virtues of these months from Allah ﷻ every day so that He ﷻ gives them from these virtues and from their Barakah.
Also, there would be Khalwa/seclusion from the beginning of Rajab until the 10th of Sha’ban for forty days. There is no permission for the Big Khalwa/seclusion yet. However, for people of Tariqah, seclusion is an obligatory thing. If people of Tariqah don’t make seclusion here, they will make it in their graves. Therefore, a partial seclusion is done, as easiness, Shukr to Allah ﷻ. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim had said it. Everyone can do it. They can do it from Tahajjud until sunrise, or between ‘Asr and Maghrib, or between Maghrib and Isha, or from ‘Asr until Isha. There is permission to do it for everyone. It can be started tonight and done until the 10th of Sha’ban. To do so is the means for more Thawab.
There is also fasting. Whoever wants to fast, these days are good for fasting. You can fast for three months, or on Mondays and Thursdays. By keeping up that throughout the Three Holy Months, you will attain the virtues of fasting as well. To give Sadaqah and Zakah during these months is also more virtuous and a way to attain more Thawab.
If there are more things to be done, they haven’t come to our mind, but the most important thing is to show respect to these months. “Rajab is My month. Sha’ban is the month of our Holy Prophet ﷺ and Ramadan is the month of the Ummah”, said Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla. These months are very holy. Awliya and pious ones used to perform more worship during these months. They worship all the time, but these months have more Barakah. Insha’Allah they will bring Barakah to us as well, and there will be strength to our Iman insha’Allah. We will attain the kindness of Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla and attain His ﷻ forgiveness insha’Allah. May it be blessed. Mubarak to all. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq. Al-Fatiha.”
-- Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Adil ق
