Scenario:In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) is encouraging us to offer prayers during the nights of Ramadan, commonly known as the Taraweeh prayers, and the great reward waiting for those who choose to do so.
Ramadan is a month full of blessings in which the doors of paradise are opened and the gates of hell are closed. One of the great blessings of this month is the opportunity to pray the Taraweeh prayers, which are offered between the Isha and Witr prayers. The Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned two things as conditions to obtain the reward attached to offering these prayers:
The person must have faith – Meaning the person is a Muslim who believes in all of Islam’s tenets.
Hope for reward – Meaning the person is hoping for reward from Allah for performing the Taraweeh prayers. The person is not doing it to be seen or rewarded by the people, rather, he/she is sincerely doing it for only Allah’s pleasure.
Then the Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned the result of those who fulfill the previous two conditions that all of their previous sins will be forgiven. It should be noted that this is in reference to only those types of sins which violate the rights of Allah and not other individuals. If the sins are of latter nature, then the person must seek forgiveness from Allah and right the wrongs committed against others by either compensating them for their lost rights or seeking their forgiveness. For example, if a person stole another’s wealth, then he/she must return it back to its rightful owner unless the victim forgoes the right and chooses instead to forgive the perpetrator.
The main lesson from this hadith is to take full advantage of the night prayers in Ramadan.
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In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) is encouraging us to offer prayers during the nights of Ramadan, commonly known as the Taraweeh prayers, and the great reward waiting for those who choose to do so.
Ramadan is a month full of blessings in which the doors of paradise are opened and the gates of hell are closed. One of the great blessings of this month is the opportunity to pray the Taraweeh prayers, which are offered between the Isha and Witr prayers. The Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned two things as conditions to obtain the reward attached to offering these prayers:
The person must have faith – Meaning the person is a Muslim who believes in all of Islam’s tenets.
Hope for reward – Meaning the person is hoping for reward from Allah for performing the Taraweeh prayers. The person is not doing it to be seen or rewarded by the people, rather, he/she is sincerely doing it for only Allah’s pleasure.
Then the Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned the result of those who fulfill the previous two conditions that all of their previous sins will be forgiven. It should be noted that this is in reference to only those types of sins which violate the rights of Allah and not other individuals. If the sins are of latter nature, then the person must seek forgiveness from Allah and right the wrongs committed against others by either compensating them for their lost rights or seeking their forgiveness. For example, if a person stole another’s wealth, then he/she must return it back to its rightful owner unless the victim forgoes the right and chooses instead to forgive the perpetrator.
The main lesson from this hadith is to take full advantage of the night prayers in Ramadan.
It’s the first night of Taraweeh and I’m already here at the masjid.
As I sit and wait for my friend Sarah to arrive, I take a moment to reflect on what an amazing blessing Ramadan is.
Not only are the gates of hell closed and the doors of paradise open, but we also have the opportunity to gain so much reward for our worship.
One of the many blessings of this month is the Taraweeh prayers, which are offered between the Isha and Witr prayers.
I remember listening to a hadith about these prayers when I was a child and it has stuck with me ever since.
In it, the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"He who performs I’tikaf with faith in Allah and in His promise will have his previous sins forgiven."
He then went on to explain that having faith means we believe in Allah and His promise, and that we believe that Allah will reward us for our good deeds.
Therefore, if we pray these Taraweeh prayers with the intention of gaining reward from Allah, then we will be forgiven for all of our previous sins.
As I think about this, my mind starts to wander.
What exactly does it mean to have all of our previous sins forgiven?