Beginning the Three Holy Months

“For if the reward yielded by good works at other times are tenfold, in the month of Rajab they are more than a hundredfold, in Sha‘ban they exceed three hundredfold, and in Ramadan they reach a thousand fold, while on Fridays in Ramadan they reach thousands and on the Night of Power may reach thirty thousand. (The Rays, p.491)

Muslim spirits are covered with a different atmosphere in this phase of time, which is known as “Shuhur’u-Salasa” – Three Holy Months – in religious literature; because, divine mercy is at its merit within these months. If merits and religious services are rewarded tenfold in other times, they are rewarded more and more in the months of Rajab, Sha’ban and Ramadan.

For instance, while one is rewarded with one sawab for each letter of Quran he reads in other times, he is rewarded with a hundred sawabs in the month of Rajab, with more than three hundred sawabs in the month of Sha’ban and a thousands sawabs in Ramadan. It is more than a thousand sawabs in Friday nights in Ramadan and if we consider that it reaches thirty-thousand sawabs at the Night of Power, we can comprehend what a precious opportunity the holy times in the three holy months are in terms of trade of hereafter.

In this sense, the three holy months have been described as “a sacred market for the trade of the hereafter earning plentiful gains for it, and an exceptional exhibition for the people of reality and worship.” As it is known, markets and exhibitions are important places for trade. People can meet all kinds of their needs in markets which are organized once a week. It is possible to benefit from the cheap goods of the market from morning till evening that day. However, one who could not go to the market that day has to wait one more week in order to do shopping under the same conditions; because the market is there only for one specific day.

Similarly, three holy months are also markets which are organized only once a year for trade of hereafter. Those, who know how to take advantage of them, earn a lot from them. They increase the number of their deeds which are related to the hereafter when compared to other times. They read Quran more; spend more time with learning religious knowledge, with contemplation, with worship and religious services, by sacrificing their sleeps. They challenge each other in good deeds. Therefore, they emerge from these “months of worships with lots of sawabs” with lots of benefits and gains. In a sense, religious services performed in these holy times are actually the most-ever profitable “investments” one does for his eternal life.

On the contrary, those, who are unaware of the virtues and preciousness of the three holy months and who do not spend them the way they should, miss the opportunity of a very profitable trade which is open for everyone to benefit. Those people will have to wait one more year in order to regain the same opportunity.

So, this is why spending these three holy months and holy times, within them, properly with a great enthusiasm is so important. Actually, they are amongst the symbols and signs of Islam.

In this sense, spreading knowledge of them bears some significant and wise reasons such as showing Islam’s honor and setting examples for people who lead a life alienated from the true meaning of Islam.

That mosques are full of believers at times of prayer, especially on Fridays and Holy Nights, that Quran and mawlid are recited on TV channels and radios, that mosques are adorned with nice quotations written with lights between two minarets, and even that kandil simit’s (a special salty cookie with sesame for Holy Nighs) are sold are tranquilizing events which present the symbols of Islam.

With the help of these, all believers tend towards earning for their hereafter. Everyone does all they can do to please Allah. And this metaphysical atmosphere gives peace to a whole community. Everyone benefits from this peaceful atmosphere on proportion to their degrees. Religious duties that are performed, Quran recitations, sincere prayers ascending to the highest sky and other Islamic services that are performed with a never-ending enthusiasm enable Divine Mercy upon people. Moreover, these services which are performed sincerely and only for Allah’s sake clean our metaphysical atmosphere which is polluted by sins, cruelties and dissoluteness.

In this sense, we must benefit from this unmissable opportunity which is offered to us once in every year. We can come together with our believer brothers and sisters for religious conversations more often. We can share Quran to each other and start performing daily or weekly hatims (reading the whole Quran from beginning to the end). We can recite supplications and invocations more often. We can spend more time with Islamic works. We can make more efforts on spreading the truths of Islam and explaining them. Even the slightest effort that we make on this purpose will earn us sawabs more than a hundred compared to other times.

By the way, we should keep in mind that three holy months and holy nights should be spend with a different meaning in our houses with our family members. Our children should grow up breathing in that spiritual atmosphere. For this reason, making them happy with presents and taking them to mosques with us are very useful.

Moreover, it has got an infinite virtue and value to try to stay awake at dawn just before the morning breaks and to supplicate for Islamic world and our believing brothers and sisters. The probability of supplications performed at that virtuous time to be accepted is quite strong.

In this sense, we are provided with an infinite source of consolation and an unwavering support against troubles and calamities by supplicating to Allah the Supreme for both ourselves and other believers to emerge from trials successfully and by asking for help from Him.