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Ramadan the blessed month is going on and we are beneficing
from this holy month. Muslims are praying and keeping fast. Although all month
is full of god blessing but the last ten days of Ramadan (Third Ashra
The last ten days of Ramadan are the
most spiritually charged days of the month. It is a time of special spiritual power as everyone
tries to come closer to God through devotions and good deeds.
The
Prophet (P.B.U.H) said:
“It
(Ramadan)
is the month, whose beginning is mercy, its middle forgiveness and its end
emancipation from the fire (of hell)”
The
last ten days of Ramadan (Third Ashra) are most important and superior to the
early two Ashra as Lailatul Qadar falls in the last Ashra. Also most of the
Muslims practice Itekaf in the last Ashra. Here is a list of few things one
should do during the last Ashra:
a).
The Last ten days are emancipation from the fire so one should strive hard in
these final days of fasting to Ask pardon and forgiveness from Allah. The
Prophet (P.B.U.H) used to devote Himself more intensively to prayers and urged
others too during the last Ashra of Ramadan. Narrated by Aisha (R.A):
“The
Prophet (P.B.U.H) strove harder and took greater pains to observe prayer etc.
during the last ten days of Ramadan than other days” (Muslim)
In
another Hadith reported by Hazrat Aisha (R.A):
“When
the last ten days of Ramadan began the Prophet (P.B.U.H) use to gird up the
loins and keep awake in the nights. The Prophet (P.B.U.H) also wakened the
members of His family (So that they may spend the night in worship too)”
(Bukhari)
b).
One should practice Atekaf in the last ten days of Ramadan. In a hadith
narrated by Aisha (R.A):
‘Allah’s
Apostle used to practice Itekaf in the last ten nights of Ramadan and used to
say, “Look for the Night of Qadr in the last ten nights of the month of
Ramadan” (Bukhari)
We
should not waste the hours and nights of last Ashra and strive hard in
worshipping Allah. One of the best ways is to practice Atekaf in which one
stays in the Mosque and seeks pardon from Allah for his sins
c).
Laila-tu-Qadr or the night of Power is to be searched in the odd nights of last
ten days of Ramadan. It is the night in which the first Verses of Holy Quran were
revealed to the Prophet (P.B.U.H) and this night has utmost importance as
stated in the Hadith of Prophet (P.B.U.H):
“Whoever
stays up (in prayer) on the Night of Qadr fully believing (in Allah’s promise
of reward for that night) and hoping to seek reward (from Allah), he shall be
forgiven for his past sins.” (Muslim)
d).
the last ten days are a basis to make our bond stronger with Allah and to
attain Taqwa. So this is the final step to seek closer to Allah and ask him to
emancipate us from Hell. One can recite Adhkar and Dua’s for this purpose.
e).
It is the best time to prepare for how to spend the rest of the year. Let us
all make a resolution to ourselves to recite Quran with meaning and translation
in the same manner and enthusiasm as we have done in Ramadan. Also pray in the
Mosque as much as we can, just as we are doing during Ramadan.
Also
after Ramadan, if one fasts for 6 days of Shawwal it is equivalent to fasting
for one year. Ayyub (R.A) narrated that the Prophet (P.B.U.H) said:
“Whoever
fasts Ramadan and follows it with six days from Shawwal it is as if they fasted
the entire year.” (Abu Dawud)
