Ramadan Sale: Everything Must Go!

Red tags are everywhere, 25% off, 50% off, 75% off and more. Everything must go. It's the end of the season, it's the end of Ramadan, and the blessed last ten nights of Ramadan. The pious predecessors used to say, and it was narrated from the Prophet as a hadith, that “Ramadan is nothing but a marketplace, which was established, reached its prime and then came to an end. For some it was profitable and for others was a great loss.” In Ramadan's marketplace, the last ten nights, Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla trades with all merchants:”Allāh has purchased of the Believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the Garden (of Paradise)” (At-Tawbah 9:111)

[10] O you who believe! Shall I lead you to a bargain that will save you from a grievous Penalty?

[11] That yeou believe in Allāh and His Messenger, and that you strive (your utmost) in the Cause of Allāh, with your property and your persons: that will be best for you, if you but knew!

[12] He will forgive you your sins, and admit you to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, and to beautiful mansions in Gardens of Eternity: that is indeed the supreme Achievement. (As-Saff 61:10-13)

Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla supplies commodities for merchants to choose from, and as much as they pay and sacrifice they will get their reward. Aisha may Allāh be pleased with her, narrated: “When the last ten nights of Ramadan begin, the messenger of Allāh would stay up at night in worship, wake his family up, and tighten his lower garment.” She also narrated: “The messenger of Allāh used to show his utmost devotion in worship, the most of which, nothing like any other month of the year, would be during the month of Ramadan. And was most devoted in Ramadan during the last ten nights from it.” (Muslim)

Ramadan's marketplace, according to hadith Aisha, is opened for all merchants who fulfill the following conditions:

1. All merchants must stay vigilant, in worship, during these blessed nights.
2. All merchants must wake their families up to help managing this trade and participate in this sale.
3. All merchants must abstain, temporarily, from sexual pleasure until the end of the season.
4. All merchants must do their utmost, nothing less is accepted. The competition is too furious.
5. No room for laziness; if you snooze, you lose.
6. All merchants must be sincere in their work, no showing off is accepted.
7. All merchants must do their transactions according to the manual, the Qur'an and Sunnah. No innovations are accepted.

As a merchant, you are allowed to walk around Ramadan's marketplace and explore many different things to choose from for trading. You will have the opportunity to choose from different commodities. You can pick one, two or more and you can also mix and match, all is permissible. No limits; merchants can take as many goodness as they desire as long as they pay for it from their time, effort and wealth. It is all about how much you're willing to give and how much you're willing to give up.

Here are some of the events, scheduled to take place on Ramadan's sale season, and let the competition begin.

1.      Reading the manual: The Qur'an

The Qur'an is the divine manual that includes all the operating instructions. All merchants are required to read the manual and follow its instructions. This manual was revealed during this blessed season, and in commemorating this event, the reading of the manual was highly encouraged.

Narrated Ibn Abbas, may Allāh be pleased with him, who said: “The Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, was the most generous of people, and he was even more generous during Ramadan when Jibreel met him. Jibreel used to meet him every night in Ramadan until it was over and the Prophet would go through the Qur'an with him. The Messenger of Allāh was more generous with good things than the blowing wind (which brings rain and welfare).” (Bukhāri)

2.      Black Friday, Qiyamul-Layl

Have you ever stayed late at night to see the lines outside retailer and department stores right after Thanksgiving Day? Black Friday, which follows Thanksgiving Day, is known as the mother of all sales, for its huge bargains and door buster deals. In the last ten nights of Ramadan though, every night is sale season. While people stay awake overnight by the doors of national suppliers to get cheap commodities; praying in hope and anxiety, fearful for losing their chances and sacrificing their sleep, the merchants of the ten nights of Ramadan will be vigilant, standing at night by the doors of the Most Merciful, the True Supplier -Ar-Razzaq. They will be standing there in prolonged prayers and qiyam hoping to buy al-Jannah -Paradise- for a very cheap price; the sincere worship of one night.

The messenger of Allāh salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam says: “Whoever stands (in the night prayer) during Ramadan with faith and expecting reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven” (Bukhāri and Muslim)

3.      Du'aa auction

Place your offer, and get your reward. If you know that Ar-Razzaq subḥānahu wa ta'āla is coming to you and opening the gates of heavens for you, what would you ask for and how much will you give for it?

Abu Hurayrah narrated, the messenger of Allāh said: “In the last third of every night our Lord descends (in the manner that suits His Majesty) to the lowermost heaven and says: “Who is calling Me, so that I may answer him? Who is asking Me so that I may grant him? And who is seeking forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him?”. (Bukhāri and Muslim)

4.      For serious du'aa shoppers onlyA one-hour special sale is offered every night, for serious du'aa shoppers only. Are you one of them?

Jabir may Allāh be pleased with him narrated, the Messenger of Allāh salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: “There is an hour at night, no Muslim attends it, asking Allāh for the goods of this life and the hereafter, except Allāh will meet his demands. And this happens every single night.” (Muslim)

5.      End of season lockout event, I'tikaaf

Have you seen the merchants of Makkah during the peak of the hajj or umrah season? They literally sleep, of the little sleep they get, in their stores, ready to sacrifice their family time, go with the minimum social interaction they can, and lock themselves up in their stores days and nights just for the sake of their business and financial gain. Now, here is your chance.

Lock yourself up in a masjid where Jumu'ah is prayed regularly, sleep little at night and do worship more. After securing them nicely, bid your family goodbye for few nights, carry with you the minimum of this dunya, and make your focus the trade for the akhira. Put yourself into spiritual hibernation, seclude yourself from this world and get yourself a good taste of the Islamic monastic practice, I'tikaaf.

Aisha may Allāh be pleased with her narrated: “Allāh's Messenger used to practice I'tikaaf in the last ten days of Ramadan till he died, and then his wives used to practice I'tikaaf after him.” (Bukhāri and Muslim)

Abu Hurayrah may Allāh be pleased with him narrated: “Allāh's Messenger would make I'tikaaf for ten days in every Ramadan. But when it was the year in which he died, he made I'tikaaf for twenty days.” (Bukhāri)

6.      Clearance night, Laylatul Qadr

One of the odd-numbered nights of the last ten in Ramadan hosts the most generous bargains of all nights; Laylatul Qadr or the Night of Power. It is a clearance night, all sins must be cleared, and fresh you come back from this trade.

Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla says: (Al-Qadr 97:1-5)

[1] We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power:

[2] And what will explain to thee what the Night of Power is?

[3] The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.

[4] Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allāh's permission, on every errand:

[5] Peace!… This until the rise of Morn!

During this special night, there is the best bargain ever: one night of worship is equivalent to more than 83 years of worship. No one can give an offer more generous than this. No one can beat that.

7.      Final offer: antivirus software – Tawbah

As the Messenger of Allāh said, your heartware is the most important part of your body; if the heart was sound the body will be sound too, and if it was damaged everything will fall apart as well. Without securing it with the Tawbah software, it will always remain longing to commit the haram. Tawbah or repentance can clear all diseases of the heartware, for repentance clears all sins. It also amends all bad sectors in your heart, and brings them back positive and clear. Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla says:

“Unless he repents, believes and works righteous deeds, for Allāh will change the evil of such persons into good, and Allāh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Al-Furqaan 25:70)

Your Tawbah is your filter, through which you come out from the month of Ramadan fresh and clean. In order to make sure the software works properly with your heartware, minimum system requirement are needed to be met.

1.      If you find yourself in a hole, first thing to do is: stop digging. Quit the sin.

2.      Reminisces of sin should bring tears not cheers. Regret the sin.

3.      Make a decision to be free, and stand your ground. No return to the sin.

4.      If you happen to have messed up with somebody, remedy the relation. Stay clear with humans.

Ramadan sale is reaching its peak, and merchants are competing for the best and final bargains of the season. With many discounts offered on deeds, you can do little and earn a lot. The most the successful merchants are those who plan their bargains and capital wisely. May the best merchants, worshipers, of this season win the greatest reward; forgivness.