Categories
Uncategorised

Winter is the Believer’s Best Season

A Moment with Our Prophet, Muhammad (S)

By Imam Zijad Delic

Day 262:  Winter is the Believer’s Best Season

‘Amir ibn Mas’ud (r) narrated that the Prophet (S) said: “Fasting in the winter is the easy reward.”

عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ
الْغَنِيمَةُ الْبَارِدَةُ الصَّوْمُ فِي الشِّتَاءِ

Source: Tirmizi

Transliteration: “Al Ghanimatul Baridatu As Sawmu fish Shita’i.”

The early generations of Muslims welcomed the Winter as being their best season for getting closer to the Creator!

They did not suffer from the seasonal effective disorder known as the Winter Blues or winter depression as we often do nowadays.

Rather they engaged productively in the ‘Ibadah – fasted during the short days and prayed during the long nights and did other good deeds such as caring for and clothing those in need during the cold winters.

This has been profoundly qualified in the Hadith of the Prophet (S) as narrated by Abu Sa’id Al Khudri (r), in which he (S) said: “Winter is the Springtime of a Believer.” (Ahmed)

Ibn Rajab al-Hambali asserted in ‘Lata’if al-Ma’arif: “Winter is the best season for the believer because Allah strengthens his/her practice in it by making worship easy for him/her.

This is because in winter, the believer can fast during the (short) day with ease without suffering from hunger and thirst.

The days are short during the winter, and the believer therefore doesn’t feel the hardship of fasting.

As for praying at night in the winter due to its long nights, one can have his/her share of sleep and then get up to pray afterwards and recite all that he usually recites of the Qur’an while he/she has had enough sleep.

So, he/she can combine between the sleep that he/she needs and the usual amount of recitation of the Qur’an that he/she completes in a day.

Thus, he/she fulfills the interests of both his/her religion and the comfort of his/her body.

Winter is the cold treasure as Abu Huraira (r) correctly noted: Shall I not inform you of the cold treasure? They would respond: “Of course!” He would then say: “Fasting in Winter and the Night Prayer in Winter.” (Sunan Al Kubra, Al Bayhaqi)

It was reported that Ibn Mas’ud (r) said: “Welcome to winter!

Blessings descend in it; its nights are long to pray in, and its days are short to fast in.”

It is also narrated that Hasan Al Basri (r) said: “Winter is the best season for the believer. Its nights are long for him/her to pray in, and its days are short for him/her to fast in.”

When it was the wintertime, ‘Ubayd bin ‘Umayr (r) would say: “O people of the Qur’an! Your nights are now long for you to recite in. So, recite! Your days are now short for you to fast in. So, fast!
‘Amir ibn Mas’ud (r) narrated that the Prophet (S) said: “Fasting in the winter is the easy reward.” (Tirmizi)

عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ
الْغَنِيمَةُ الْبَارِدَةُ الصَّوْمُ فِي الشِّتَاءِ

Ibn Rajab commented on this in ‘Lata’if al-Ma’arif’: “And the meaning of it being the easy reward is that it is the reward obtained without any battle or effort or hardship. So, the owner of this reward has been given it as a favor without much effort on his/her part.”

The early generations also cared for the needy/poor people and clothed them during the cold winter.

Ibn Rajab said in ‘Lata’if al-Ma’arif’ said: “Taking care of the poor in the winter and protecting them from the cold is a great deed.

Safwan bin Salim (r) went out on a cold night in Madinah near the mosque, and he saw a man with little clothing on.

So, he took off his coat and covered him up with it.

So, someone living in Sham saw in a dream that Safwan bin Salim had entered Paradise with a shirt he had made.

So, he went to Madinah and said: “Show me where Safwan is.”

When he found him (Safwan), he told him about the dream.

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (r) narrated that the Prophet (S) said: “Whoever feeds a hungry believer will be fed by Allah on the Day of Judgement from the fruits of Paradise, and whoever quenches his/her thirst will have his/her thirst quenched from the Sealed Nectar, and whoever clothes him/her will be clothed from the green silk of Paradise.” (Tirmizi)

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ أَيُّمَا مُؤْمِنٍ أَطْعَمَ مُؤْمِنًا عَلَى جُوعٍ أَطْعَمَهُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنْ ثِمَارِ الْجَنَّةِ وَأَيُّمَا مُؤْمِنٍ سَقَى مُؤْمِنًا عَلَى ظَمَإٍ سَقَاهُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنَ الرَّحِيقِ الْمَخْتُومِ وَأَيُّمَا مُؤْمِنٍ كَسَا مُؤْمِنًا عَلَى عُرْىٍ كَسَاهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ خُضْرِ الْجَنَّةِ ‏

Ibn Abi ad-Dunya (r) reported with his chain that Ibn Mas’ud (r) said: “The people will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection as naked, hungry, and thirsty as they ever were. So, whoever clothed someone will be clothed by Allah, whoever fed someone will be fed by Allah, and whoever quenched someone’s thirst will have his/her thirst quenched by Allah, and whoever relieved others will be given Relief by Allah.”

Ya Rabb! Guide us to be among those believers who will utilize the time during this Winter to get closer to You by fasting more during the short days, praying extra prayers during the long nights and taking care of the poor and the needy by feeding them and clothing them!

Allahumma Amin!