Feeling Demotivated this Ramadan: Remember the Supplication of Jibreel

Islamic Thought

Fahad Ansari

Aug 17 |00:36

Last Updated on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 02:09

We are over half way through the blessed month of Ramadan and many of us are unfortunately still only warming up in our worship and righteous acts. A common excuse for this is that due to the long hours of fasting in the heat, coupled with having to go to work and look after one’s family, it is difficult to strive towards supplementary voluntary acts of worship beyond the taraweeh prayers. The mantra of ‘I am tired’ is probably the most frequent form of dhikr on the tongues of many Muslims today.

We are over half way through the blessed month of Ramadan and many of us are unfortunately still only warming up in our worship and righteous acts. A common excuse for this is that due to the long hours of fasting in the heat, coupled with having to go to work and look after one’s family, it is difficult to strive towards supplementary voluntary acts of worship beyond the taraweeh prayers. The mantra of ‘I am tired’ is probably the most frequent form of dhikr on the tongues of many Muslims today.

As a way of motivating us to hasten towards ihsan (excellence) in our worship so that we get the best out of Ramadan, rather than the bare minimum, it is worth pondering on the following hadith.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ascended the minbar and said: “Ameen, ameen, ameen.” It was said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, you ascended the minbar and said, ‘Ameen, ameen, ameen.” He said: “Jibreel (peace be upon him) came to me and said: ‘If Ramadan comes and a person is not forgiven, he will enter Hell and Allah will cast him far away. Say Ameen.’ So I said Ameen. He said: ‘O Muhammad, if both or one of a person’s parents are alive and he does not honour them and he dies, he will enter Hell and Allah will cast him far away. Say Ameen.’ So I said Ameen. He said: ‘If you are mentioned in a person’s presence and he does not send blessings upon you and he dies, he will enter Hell and Allah will cast him far away. Say Ameen.’ So I said Ameen.”

Although there are three supplications being made in this hadith it is only the first which is the focus of this article. Before studying the content of the supplication itself, let us examine the circumstances surrounding the supplication.

Firstly, who is making the supplication? None other than the Archangel Jibreel (peace be upon him), the greatest, most virtuous and most honourable of all the angels, who has a high rank with Allah and the one whom Allah chose to entrust with revelation revealed to His prophets.

Secondly, who is saying ameen? The Noble Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) – the last Prophet, the Imam of the Messengers, and the one who will intercede with Allah on the Day of Resurrection. In short, the best of creation.

Thirdly, what is ‘ameen’? It itself is a supplication calling upon Allah to answer what has been requested.

Fourthly, where is the supplication being made? On the minbar of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in his mosque in Madinah, the second holiest place in the world after Makkah.

In light of the above four points, it is clear that whatever supplication is being made here is of significant importance. How powerful a supplication must it be if it is uttered by Jibreel (peace be upon him) on the minbar of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who is himself asking Allah to accept the supplication? Knowing the above, we would be foolish to ignore a supplication of such magnitude.

In this hadith, Jibreel (peace be upon him) is essentially supplicating against someone who witnesses Ramadan but is not forgiven in it. So severe is such a failing according to Jibreel (peace be upon him) that such a person should be thrown into the Hellfire and distanced from Allah's infinite mercy. Note that the dua does not mention the sins of this individual, but speaks of them in a general sense such that it is applicable to all - those with many major sins as well as those with few minor ones. Yet, the dua is mercilessly calling for such a person to be thrown into the Hellfire and distanced from Allah's mercy which envelopes all things.

The reason for this is that anyone who fails to be forgiven in the month of Ramadan must indeed be a wretched individual. For this is the month in which the shayateen are chained up, and the month in which the gates of Paradise are opened and people emancipated from the Fire nightly. It is a month therefore in which Allah facilitates us to do good deeds and to avoid committing sins. If this is not enough, Allah motivates us further by promising to multiply the reward for our deeds.

On the last day of Sha’ban, the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave a sermon and said, “O people! A great and blessed month has approached you, a month containing a night better than a thousand months. Allah has made fasting in its days an obligation and prayer in its nights a (recommended) voluntary act. Anyone who seeks nearness to Allah in this month through any virtuous act will be like one who carried out an obligatory act at another time (outside of Ramadan), and whoever performs an obligatory act in this month will be like one who performed seventy such acts at another time. It is the month of patience, and the reward for patience is Paradise. It is the month of equality, the month in which the wealth of the believer is increased.”

It is a time when the mosques are overflowing with worshippers, when entire families who may not offer prayers during the rest of the year, pray obligatory and voluntary prayers in the mosque, when all around you, believers are completing a recitation of the Qur’an, when purses are being emptied to give charity in the way of Allah, and when the tongues are restrained. Indeed it is a time when the believers are united in worshipping Allah. If in such a month someone is unable to obtain Allah’s forgiveness, then wretched indeed is he, and thus, deserving of Allah’s punishment as supplicated for by Jibreel (peace be upon him) and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

We must not be complacent and think that just because we are fasting, we will be forgiven. Only the foolish would remain content with their actions and gamble with their destiny in such a fashion. Instead, we must remember the dua of Jibreel (peace be upon him) and use these precious few days which remain of this blessed month to hasten to good deeds and righteous actions and actively strive for Allah’s forgiveness and mercy so that we can abide in the Gardens of Paradise forever.

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In response to Gene
written by ToGene, August 25, 2011

Perhaps a google search?

Bio request for Fahad Ansari, please.
written by Gene, August 23, 2011

I am not familiar with the author of this article. Can you provide some information for those of us without any knowledge of his background. Is Fahad Ansari a reporter, a researcher, a scholar, a spokesperson, or something else?

I've shared what I learned from this article in other places and found that not everyone would accept it. When I told them of my source, their response was "Fahad Ansari who?".

Not quite so wael
written by Abu Mustafa, August 21, 2011

Not quite so bro Wael. The hadith motivates us by showing us how hard it is to lose out on the barakah of Ramadan, that the one who doesn't get forgiven must have been so neglectful that this dua applies to them.

It also uses negative reinforcement as opposed to positive, both are used by Allah in his messenger, ie. fear of Hell and on the other hand hope in the forgiveness and mercy of Allah and his reward. A believer's eman is balanced by these two wings of fear and hope and either of these are used to encourage and motivate a believer to do good deeds.

So a very strong reminder for me on a personal level. JazakAllah khair Fahad.

How?
written by Am, August 21, 2011

It is a small explanation of a hadith with some advice, if you summarise it, you lose it!

@Wael: Any comment I make on your style of comment above, would not be any different to the style itself. Depending on perspective, you can gain encouragement, fear of Allah, love for Allah etc. Guilt, is also important because it is one way in which we reject bad things.
The reminder benefits the believer, so if you have been reminded, then try to benefit from it.

When Allah has blessed you with some understanding of Islam, that last thing you should do is feel sorry about it. Logical thinking only gets you so far, the key to getting the best out of yourself is seeking more knowledge. Allah can turn the hearts and I ask Allah to turn the hearts of the believers towards Him. Aameen.

Not encouraging
written by Wael, August 18, 2011

This is not an encouraging article. So now, in addition to feeling guilty about not fulfilling my Ramadan properly, I am a wretched individual who should be thrown into Hell? Thanks so much for the encouragement (sarcasm).