eid is wednesday, dang it!

Mr. Moo is a genius:

Sha’ban

Fasting During Sha’ban by Imam Zaid

 Usama b. Zayd relates:  “The Prophet, peace and mercy of God upon him, used to fast so many days in succession that we said, ‘He will never break his fast.’ At other times he would go without fasting for so long until we said, ‘He will never again fast;’ except for two days, which he would fast even if they occurred during the times he was not fasting consecutive days. Furthermore, he would not fast in any month as many days as he fasted during Sha’ban. I said: ‘O Messenger of God! Sometimes you fast so much it is as if you will never break your fast, at other times you leave fasting for such a long stint it is as if you will never again fast [voluntarily]; except for two days that you always fast.’ He asked: ‘Which two days are those?’ I replied: ‘Monday and Thursday.’ The Prophet, peace upon him, said: ‘Those are two days in which the deeds are presented to the Lord of the Worlds. I love that my deeds are presented while I am fasting.’ I said: ‘I do not see you fasting in any month like you fast during Sha’ban.’ The Prophet, peace and mercy of God upon him, said: “That is a month occurring between Rajab and Ramadan that many people neglect. It is a month in which the deeds ascend to the Lord of the Worlds, be He Mighty and Majesty, and I love for my deeds to ascend while I am fasting.” Related by Imam Ahmad and Imam Al-Nasa’i

The Night of the 15th of Sha’ban

It is reported from Sayyiduna `Ali (Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “Let all of you spend the night of mid-Sha`ban in worship (i.e. partly) and its day in fasting. Allah descends to the nearest heaven during this night, beginning with sunset, and says: Is there no one asking forgiveness that I may forgive them? Is there no one asking sustenance that I may grant them sustenance? Is there no one under trial that I may relieve them? Is there not such-and-such, is there not such-and-such, and so forth until until dawn rises. [Narrated by Ibn Majah with a weak chain.]

There are many other narrations from the Companions and early Muslims confirming this matter, as mentioned by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali in his Lataif al-Ma`arif, and others.

There is general consensus that weak hadiths may be acted upon for virtuous acts, such as voluntary fasting and prayer, as long as the hadith is not excessively weak, returns to a general basis in the Shariah, and one is not convinced that the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) specifically prescribed it.

A mess o Ramadan Reads

Via Deenport:

Ramadan Health and Spirituality Guide - Print this out and spread it far and wide.   It has some things that aren’t applicable to NA muslims (a 2006 England timetable and UK contacts), but the health info is excellent.

Inner Dimensions of Fasting - from Imam al Ghazali.  There’s more to fasting than being hungry and thirsty.

DeenIslam’s Fasting Section - tons of reads and lectures.

Food for Thought - text of a lecture by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf.

Special Fasting

What is fasting? Abstaining from food and drinks, and sexual satisfaction? This is but the basic level a muslim should seek to keep when they intend to fast.

In his Ihya’ Ulom ud Din, Imam al-Ghazali writes about 3 grades of fasting - ordinary, where one abstains from food, drink and sexual satisfaction, special fasting, where one keeps their organs from sin, and extra special fasting, a level where one’s only concern is with God, and not with anything in this dunya.

While I aspire to the extra special fast, I know I first need to get the basis of my deen in order. What good is it to strive to be one of the true friends of God (awliya) if I don’t do my best to follow the guidelines He has set down for us? So I’m on a fast from backbiting.

Prophet Muhammad (saws) said :”Do you know what backbiting is?” They said, “God and His Messenger know best.” He then said, “It is to say something about your brother that he would dislike.” Someone asked him, “But what if what I say is true?” The Messenger of God (saws) said, “If what you say about him is true, you are backbiting him, but if it is not true then you have slandered him.” (Muslim)