Shaykh Muhammad: The last ten days of Ramadan have a great virtue. I wish you would speak about this, and about how to tighten the waist sash mentioned in the hadith. What is meant by it?
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The questioner : Shaykh Muhammad: The last ten days of Ramadan have a great virtue. I wish you would speak about this, and about how to tighten the waist sash mentioned in the hadith. What is meant by it?
The Shaykh : The last ten days of Ramadan have a great virtue, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to single them out for i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), for standing in prayer throughout the night, and for waking his family to pray. They contain Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree), which is better than a thousand months. Therefore, a person should not waste them by wandering through the markets here and there, or by staying up late in the houses, for he would miss much good in doing so.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in the first ten days of the month, then he performed it in the middle ten days hoping for Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree). Then it was told to him that it is in the last ten days, so he began to perform i'tikaf in the last ten days hoping for this great night. I urge my brothers to seize the opportunity to pray with the imam in these nights and not to leave until the imam finishes his prayer, for by doing so, the standing of the night is recorded for them. The people in Makkah pray the first part of the night with one imam and the last part of the night with another imam. The imam with whom they pray in the first part of the night performs witr (the odd-numbered night prayer). Some people like to stand in prayer in the last part of the night with the second imam. If one performs witr with the first imam, then when the imam says the closing salam, he prays one rak'ah (a unit of prayer) so that his witr becomes even. There is no blame on him for this, for this is analogous to the prayer of a resident behind a traveling imam: when the traveling imam finishes the two rak'ahs and says the salam, the resident stands and prays the remainder. So this man who joined the first imam, who performs witr in the first part of the night, and who intends to stand with the second imam in the last part of the night, should intend, when the first imam stands for the final rak'ah of witr, that he wants it to be even. He prays it as two rak'ahs so that his witr with the second imam in the last part of the night is complete.
The Shaykh : The last ten days of Ramadan have a great virtue, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to single them out for i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), for standing in prayer throughout the night, and for waking his family to pray. They contain Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree), which is better than a thousand months. Therefore, a person should not waste them by wandering through the markets here and there, or by staying up late in the houses, for he would miss much good in doing so.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in the first ten days of the month, then he performed it in the middle ten days hoping for Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree). Then it was told to him that it is in the last ten days, so he began to perform i'tikaf in the last ten days hoping for this great night. I urge my brothers to seize the opportunity to pray with the imam in these nights and not to leave until the imam finishes his prayer, for by doing so, the standing of the night is recorded for them. The people in Makkah pray the first part of the night with one imam and the last part of the night with another imam. The imam with whom they pray in the first part of the night performs witr (the odd-numbered night prayer). Some people like to stand in prayer in the last part of the night with the second imam. If one performs witr with the first imam, then when the imam says the closing salam, he prays one rak'ah (a unit of prayer) so that his witr becomes even. There is no blame on him for this, for this is analogous to the prayer of a resident behind a traveling imam: when the traveling imam finishes the two rak'ahs and says the salam, the resident stands and prays the remainder. So this man who joined the first imam, who performs witr in the first part of the night, and who intends to stand with the second imam in the last part of the night, should intend, when the first imam stands for the final rak'ah of witr, that he wants it to be even. He prays it as two rak'ahs so that his witr with the second imam in the last part of the night is complete.