The seventh type:

"He who fasts in Ramadan and is diligent at its beginning in prayer but becomes lazy after some days, especially in the most virtuous days at the end of Ramadan."

The intelligent Muslim tries his best to seize opportunities and seasons of goodness because life is short, sins are abundant and the matter is serious. Ramadan is a season of diligent work and there is no room for sleepiness and laziness. However, you will find him, who was perplexed by the affairs of this worldly life, keen on good and the paths thereof at first. However, no sooner does he enter it but life and all of its concerns distract him. Thus, his determination weakens and his power declines. It is a loss that this negligence occurs at the end of the blessed month which consists of virtuous days and nights that have no comparison throughout the year. The virtue and honor of the night of Qadr (i.e. decree) is sufficient.

The eighth type:

"He who fasts in Ramadan and is keen on observing the Taraaweeh prayer but misses the obligatory prayers at the same time."

There is no doubt that obligations are given priority over voluntary acts of worship and that duties are given precedence over recommended acts. How can we describe he who neglects the obligatory prayers either because of sleeping or because of whatever does not suit this blessed month. Meanwhile, he is keen on praying Taraaweeh. This person wronged his own self, deprived it of what was imposed upon it and cared for the acts of obedience that are considered voluntary and additional.

The ninth type:

"He who fasts in Ramadan and prays in the congregation of the Muslims. However, he is not keen on attending the Takbeer of Ihraam with the Imam and sometimes misses the congregation. Moreover, he abandons the regular voluntary prayers that are to be performed before and after the obligatory prayer."

Many young people are afflicted with this problem and rather from those who are considered among the religious. You only ever see them in the last rows making up for their prayers. To all these people, we say: do you not like to be among those whom the Prophet described, saying: "Whosoever prays forty days with the congregation, attending the initial Takbeer of the prayer, will be free of two things; Hellfire and hypocrisy." [Hasan] We should also not forget the statement of the Messenger of Allah : "The best rows of men are the first rows and the worst are the last." [Muslim]

The tenth type:

"He who fasts in Ramadan and preserves the prayer in congregation and Ramadan motivates him to strengthen and increase his faith."

These guided people are the maintainers of the Masaajid. Ramadan has the greatest impact in their spiritual life. You find each of them in this blessed month keen on hastening to the Masjid upon hearing the Athaan or directly before it and preserving the first rows. We say to them: “Praise and thank Allah The Almighty, ask Him from His bounty, expose yourselves to the blessings of your Patron, ask Him to help you preserve this level in Ramadan and outside Ramadan and beware of untwisting your spun thread after it is strong!”

The eleventh type:

"He who fasts in Ramadan and in the days (it is recommend to fast in the) Sunnah, works hard in acts of obedience and worship whether obligatory or voluntary and prayer has the greatest share of his life."

We ask Allah to make us among them. They are in a wonderful Paradise that is full of shade. Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said about this Paradise: "There is a Paradise in the life of this world. Whoever did not enter it would not enter the Paradise of the Hereafter." Nevertheless, we find that they perform acts of worship and fear that Allah The Almighty may not accept them from them. So what about he who gathered misdeeds and sins with safety from the punishment of the Lord of the worlds, clung to the texts of promise, forgiveness and mercy and neglected and forgot about the texts of punishment, including the horrible scourges that terrify the heart upon hearing them? We ask Allah The Almighty for a state of wellbeing.

In the end, this is a call from The Generous and Merciful Lord. We have always committed sins and acts of disobedience while He Bestowed blessings and mercy upon us. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins…..} [Quran 39:53] Yes, He forgives all sins whether small or grave. {…Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."} [Quran 39:53] However, there is an order that should be carried out, namely: {And return [in repentance] to your Lord and submit to Him….} [Quran 39:54]

Brother, return to Allah The Almighty and submit to Him with real submission and say with your words and acts (what means): {…"Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers."} [Quran 7:23]

Remember that no matter how great your sins are, Allah The Almighty Will Turn them into rewards. Yes…rewards! Do not submit yourself to Satan and his plots and be among those who Allah The Almighty Described as (what means): {Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 25:70]

In conclusion, we supplicate Allah The Almighty as He Taught us to supplicate Him (what means): {…"Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower.} [Quran 3:8]

{…..Our Lord, upon You we have relied, and to You we have returned, and to You is the destination.} [Quran 60:4]

Allah The Almighty is Most High, Most Knowing, Most Honored and Most Noble. We depend upon Him and there is no power or strength save in Him.

May the blessings and peace of Allah The Almighty be upon our Prophet Muhammad his family and Companions .

People and Prayer in the Month of Ramadan - I