A word by the Shaykh on the issue of whether a person's deeds end with the end of Ramadan.
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The Shaykh : All praise is due to Allah; we praise Him, seek His help, and seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own selves and from the evil of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide, and whomsoever He leaves to misguide, none can guide. And I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. Allah the Exalted sent him with guidance and the religion of truth, so he conveyed the message, fulfilled the trust, advised the nation, and struggled in the cause of Allah with true struggle. May the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, upon his family, upon his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows: O my brothers, this is the first meeting after the month of Ramadan in the year 1415 AH, and it is the twenty-fifth of the monthly meetings. It takes place on this night, the eighteenth of Shawwal in the year 1415 AH.
It is appropriate that we speak about two topics.
The first topic: Did a person's deeds end with the end of Ramadan? The answer to this question is no; a person's deeds do not cease except by death, as Allah Blessed and Exalted said: meaning until death comes to you. And as He the Exalted said regarding Ya'qub: [Al-Baqarah 2:132] And as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1376Sahih (Darussalam) So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not set a limit for the cessation of hope except by what? By death. Then, did the deeds performed in Ramadan, such as fasting, standing in night prayer, and charity, cease with the end of Ramadan? No. There is prescribed fasting on days other than Ramadan, including the fasting of the six days of Shawwal. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 759Sahih (Darussalam) These six days should follow the month of Ramadan, meaning a person should begin them from the second day of Shawwal and continue with them, for in that lies hastening to good deeds. It is also easier because a person has become accustomed to fasting in Ramadan, so it is easy for him to continue. And because if a person delays them, he may procrastinate, saying "I will fast tomorrow, I will fast tomorrow," until the days pass. These six days are attached to Ramadan. So whoever fasts them before making up what he owes from Ramadan will not attain their reward, because the Messenger (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him) said: Sunan Ibn Majah 1716Sahih (Darussalam) If he had fasted them before making up the missed days, they would have been following, not attached. If someone asks, "Perhaps there is an excuse; a person may have left fasting in Ramadan due to illness, and the illness continued until the end of Shawwal, then Allah healed him and he began making up the fasts, and Shawwal ended," we say in that case he should fast them attached to Ramadan, even if it is in Dhul-Qa'dah, even if the month of Shawwal has passed. This is because he left fasting them in Shawwal for an excuse, so he makes them up after it, just as Ramadan is left for an excuse and made up after it.
Among the prescribed fasting is for a person to fast the Day of 'Arafah, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 749Da'if (Darussalam) Except for the pilgrim, for it is not recommended for him to fast on the Day of 'Arafah, so that he may be strong and free to devote himself to supplication on that day.
Among the prescribed fasting is fasting the Day of 'Ashura, which is the tenth day of the month of Muharram, because it is the day on which Allah saved Musa and his people and destroyed Fir'awn and his people. However, one should fast the ninth day before it, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 1134b
Among the prescribed fasting is fasting the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 757Sahih (Darussalam) And fasting is righteous deeds.
Among the prescribed fasting is for a person to fast three days of every month, whether from the beginning of the month, the middle, or the end, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to fast three days of every month, not caring whether he fasted them from the beginning of the month, the middle, or the end. But it is better that they be the white days, meaning the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth days.
Among the prescribed fasting is fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to fast them and said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 2358Hasan (Darussalam)
Among the prescribed fasting is fasting one day and breaking the fast the next, and this is the best of fasting, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) to 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As:
So, did fasting cease with the end of Ramadan, or not? Answer: No. Did standing in night prayer cease with the end of Ramadan? No. Standing in night prayer is prescribed every night. The best is after the middle of the night until one-sixth of the night remains, then you sleep. That is, it is better to sleep the first half of the night, then stand for the third, then sleep the sixth. This is how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) guided 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As, and he said: If that is not feasible for you, then stand in prayer, even if it is a little, at the end of the night, because the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, descends to the lowest heaven when one-third of the night remains Sunan Abi Dawud 4733Sahih (Al-Albani). And conclude your prayer with a single rak'ah, which is the witr, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was asked about the night prayer and said: Sahih al-Bukhari 990
As for charity, it also has not ceased. Charity is prescribed at all times. In fact, the successful person makes his eating, drinking, and spending on his family an act of charity. Your spending on yourself is charity, and on your family is charity. In fact, spending on the family is better than charity to others. That is, if you have ten riyals and you ask, "Should I give this in charity to a poor person, or spend it on my family because they are in need?" We say: spend it on your family.
Then, the recitation of the Qur'an has not ceased with the end of Ramadan. Reciting the Qur'an is prescribed at all times. A person should make it his habit to have a specific portion (hizb) that he maintains every day, so that his days do not pass without reciting the Qur'an.
As for what follows: O my brothers, this is the first meeting after the month of Ramadan in the year 1415 AH, and it is the twenty-fifth of the monthly meetings. It takes place on this night, the eighteenth of Shawwal in the year 1415 AH.
It is appropriate that we speak about two topics.
The first topic: Did a person's deeds end with the end of Ramadan? The answer to this question is no; a person's deeds do not cease except by death, as Allah Blessed and Exalted said:
And worship your Lord until certainty comes to you.
وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُO my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims."
يَابَنِيَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَWhen a person dies, his deeds are cut off except for three
إذا مات الإنسان انقطع عمله إلا من ثلاثWhoever fasts Ramadan, then follows it with six from Shawwal, then that is (equal in reward) to fasting everyday.
من صام رمضان ثم أتبعه ستا من شوال فكأنما صام الدهرWhoever fasts Ramadan then follows it
من صام رمضان ثم أتبعهAmong the prescribed fasting is for a person to fast the Day of 'Arafah, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
I anticipate that Allah will forgive (the sins) of the year after it, and the year before it.
أحتسب على الله أن يكفر السنة التى قبله والسنة التي بعدهAmong the prescribed fasting is fasting the Day of 'Ashura, which is the tenth day of the month of Muharram, because it is the day on which Allah saved Musa and his people and destroyed Fir'awn and his people. However, one should fast the ninth day before it, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
If I live till the next (year), I would definitely observe fast on the 9th
لئن بقيت إلى قابل لأصومن التاسعAmong the prescribed fasting is fasting the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than those ten days.
ما من أيام العمل الصالح فيهن أحب إلى الله من هذه الأيام العشرAmong the prescribed fasting is for a person to fast three days of every month, whether from the beginning of the month, the middle, or the end, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to fast three days of every month, not caring whether he fasted them from the beginning of the month, the middle, or the end. But it is better that they be the white days, meaning the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth days.
Among the prescribed fasting is fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to fast them and said:
Those are two days in which deeds are shown to the Lord of the worlds, and I like my deeds to be shown (to Him) when I am fasting.
إنهما يومان تعرض فيهما الأعمال على الله فأحب أن يعرض عملي وأنا صائمAmong the prescribed fasting is fasting one day and breaking the fast the next, and this is the best of fasting, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) to 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As:
Fast one day and break the fast one day; that is the fasting of Dawud, and it is the best of fasting.
صوم يوما وأفطر يوما فذلك صيام داود وهو أفضل الصيامSo, did fasting cease with the end of Ramadan, or not? Answer: No. Did standing in night prayer cease with the end of Ramadan? No. Standing in night prayer is prescribed every night. The best is after the middle of the night until one-sixth of the night remains, then you sleep. That is, it is better to sleep the first half of the night, then stand for the third, then sleep the sixth. This is how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) guided 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As, and he said:
This is the night prayer of Dawud, and it is the best of night prayer.
هذا قيام داود وهو أفضل القيامand says: (Is there anyone) who prays to Me so that I may accept his prayer? (Is there anyone) who asks of Me so that I may give him? (Is there anyone) who asks for my forgiveness so that I may forgive him?
فيقول من يدعوني فأستجيب له، من يسألني فأعطيه، من يستغفرني فأغفر لهas two Rak`at followed by two Rak`at and so on and if anyone is afraid of the approaching dawn (Fajr prayer) he should pray one Rak`ah and this will be a Witr for all the Rak`at which he has prayed before.
مثنى مثنى فإذا خشى أحدكم الصبح صلى واحدة فأوترت ما قد صلىAs for charity, it also has not ceased. Charity is prescribed at all times. In fact, the successful person makes his eating, drinking, and spending on his family an act of charity. Your spending on yourself is charity, and on your family is charity. In fact, spending on the family is better than charity to others. That is, if you have ten riyals and you ask, "Should I give this in charity to a poor person, or spend it on my family because they are in need?" We say: spend it on your family.
Then, the recitation of the Qur'an has not ceased with the end of Ramadan. Reciting the Qur'an is prescribed at all times. A person should make it his habit to have a specific portion (hizb) that he maintains every day, so that his days do not pass without reciting the Qur'an.