Ramadan, the Month of Multiplication of Rewards

By: Sri Astuti, Journalist of MINA

The holy month of Ramadan is an opportunity for Muslims to compete in increasing worship. This is because in the month of Ramadan, the value of goodness from any activity that has the value of worship is higher than other months. Our good deeds will be rewarded with a double reward.

There is a hadith that mentions the multiplication of the reward for deeds in the month of Ramadan with a certain number such as the hadith:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ أَظَلَّكُمْ شَهْر عَظِيْم ، شَهْرٌ فِيْهِ لَيْلَة خَيْر مِنْ أَلْف شَهْر ، جَعَلَ اللهُ صِيَامَهُ فَرِيْضَةً، وَقِيَامَ لَيْلِهِ تَطَوُّعًا ، مَنْ تَقَرَّبَ فِيْهِ بِخَصْلَة مِنَ الخَيْر كَانَ كَمَنْ أَدَّى فَرِيْضَة فِيْمَا سِوَاه، وَمَنْ أَدَّى فِيْهِ فَرِيْضَة كَانَ كَمَنْ أَدَّى سَبْعِيْنَ فَرِيْضَةً فِيْمَا سِوَاه

Meaning: “O mankind, a glorious month has come to you. In that month there is a night that is better than a thousand months. Fasting is made as an obligation. The night prayer is a sunnah practice. Whoever does good in that month like he does his duty at other times. Whoever carries out his obligations in that month is like fulfilling seventy obligations at other times.” (Narrated by Al-Mahamili and Ibn Khuzaimah).

For that, in this glorious month of Ramadan, with the blessings of the opportunity that Allah has given us, we can meet him again. Let’s also make it an opportunity to multiply the deeds of worship, increase the number of rewards.

The deeds of worship that we can do to increase our reward in the month of Ramadan include:

1. Loves to give alms

Fasting also teaches us about caring for others as a place to be able to increase alms. Moreover, the pandemic has an impact that has brought many of our brothers and sisters to difficult conditions. Giving charity by setting aside money or sharing food is a practice that we can do in this month of Ramadan.

Although in other months almsgiving is also a rewarding practice and increases sustenance, but giving alms in the month of Ramadan is the most important.

In the hadith it is said, which means: “The best charity is charity in the month of Ramadan.” (HR At-Turmudzi from Anas).

In another hadith it is stated:

مَنْ فَطَّرَ صَائِمًا كَانَ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِهِ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ لاَ يَنْقُصُ مِنْ أَجْرِ الصَّائِمِ شَيْئًا

Meaning: “Whoever feeds the fasting person, then for him the reward is like the fasting person, without reducing the reward of the fasting person in the slightest.” (HR Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Ahmad).

2. Increase Dhikr and Prayer

One way to achieve virtue and reward in the month of Ramadan is to multiply prayers and dhikr in the month of Ramadan. Each of us must not be separated from mistakes and mistakes. To erase the sins that we have committed, then we must multiply dhikr. So that Allah opens the door of His forgiveness and gives a great reward. As His word:

وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

Meaning: “Men and women who mention (name) Allah a lot, Allah has provided for them forgiveness and a great reward.” (Surah al-Ahzab: 35).

3. Increase Reading Al-Quran

Reciting the Quran in the month of Ramadan is one of the most important acts of worship and also one of the means to get closer to Allah, hoping for His pleasure, obtaining His virtue and reward.

Al-Quran itself was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam in the month of Ramadan.

عَنْ عَبْد اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ رضى الله عنه يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- « مَنْ قَرَأَ حَرْفًا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَلَهُ بِهِ حَسَنَةٌ وَالْحَسَنَةُ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا لاَ أَقُولُ الم حرْفٌ وَلَكِنْ أَلِفٌ حَرْفٌ وَلاَمٌ حَرْفٌ وَمِيمٌ حَرْفٌ .

Meaning: From Abdullah bin Mas’ud radhiyallahu ‘anhu, “Rasulullah sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam said: “Whoever reads a letter from the book of Allah (Al-Quran) then he gets one good. Meanwhile, one good deed is rewarded 10 times. I did not say, ‘Alif lâm mîm’ is one letter but alif is one letter, lam is one letter, and mim is one letter.” (HR At-Tirmidhi).

We can read the Al-Quran during this month of Ramadan, either individually (Tilawah) or gather with holaqoh in mosques (Tadarus).

In the hadith it is stated:

مَا اجْتَمَعَ قَوْمٌ فِيْ بَيْتٍ مِنْ بَيُوْتِ اللَّهِ يَتْلُوْنَ كِتَابَ اللًّهِ وَيَتَدَارَسُوْنَ بَيْنَهُم إِلاَّ نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّكِيْنَةُ وَحَفَّتْهُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ وَغَشِيَتْهُمُ الرَّحْمَةُ وَذَكَرَهُمُ اللُّه فِيْمَنْ عِنْدَهُ

Meaning: “When a people gather in one of Allah’s houses (mosques) while reading the Qur’an and praying to each other together, peace will surely descend upon them, Allah’s mercy will cover them, the angels will protect them and Allah will call them to Allah. creatures who are with Him.” (HR Muslim).

4. Tarawih Prayers and Evening Prayers

This practice has many virtues, including the forgiveness of our past sins, as mentioned in the hadith:

مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ

Meaning: “Whoever prays at night in Ramadan out of faith and hopes for a reward from Allah, his past sins will be forgiven.” (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim).

5. I’tikaf

I’tikaf is an act of worship ordered by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and he himself always does it in the month of Ramadan. As mentioned in the hadith:

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اَللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ:- أَنَّ اَلنَّبِيَّ – صلى الله عليه وسلم – كَانَ يَعْتَكِفُ اَلْعَشْرَ اَلْأَوَاخِرَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ, حَتَّى تَوَفَّاهُ اَللَّهُ, ثُمَّ اعْتَكَفَ أَزْوَاجُهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ

Meaning: “From ‘Aisha radhiyallahu ‘anha, she said that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam used to do Itikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan until he was left by Allah. Then his wives performed Itikaf after he died.” (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim).

Those are some of the practices that we can do to gain multiple rewards in the month of Ramadan, there are many other practices that we can do.

Let’s make this Ramadan an opportunity to get as much reward as possible and forgiveness from Allah by increasing the productivity of our acts of worship.

May Allah give us another chance to meet the next Ramadan, the month of multiplying the reward of our deeds. Amen. (T/RE1).

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)