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Holding Religious Activities for the Deaf at the Mosque in Ramadan

Answered as per Shafi'i Fiqh by Darul Iftaa Jordan
Is having religious activities by a group of deaf people, such as delivering lectures, religious competitions, and giving prizes, considered from the Qiyaam(voluntary night prayer) of the Night of Decree? Is a person rewarded for the Night of Decree if he perseveres on performing Qiyaam during the last ten days of Ramadan?

Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad and all his family and companions. Performing Qiyam in Ramadan is among the acts of worship which bring a person closer to Allah, The Almighty. This is indicated by the Hadith of the Prophet(PBUH): “He who observes optional prayer (Tarawih prayers) throughout Ramadan, out of sincerity of Faith and in the hope of earning reward will have his past sins pardoned."{Bukhari & Muslim}. Al-Imam An-Nawawi(May Allah bless his soul) said: “ What is meant by Qiyaam here is performing the Taraweeh prayer, and Muslim scholars have agreed that it is recommended.”{Sharh An-Nawawi ala Muslim 6/39}.There is no harm in combining the Taraweeh prayer with other acts of worship , such as reciting the Quran, praising Allah, sending prayers on the Prophet, and delivering religious lessons for the sake of Allah. However, it is better for the Muslim to be keen on performing the Taraweeh prayer for its great reward. A deaf Muslim, like other Muslims, is obliged to fulfill the injunctions of Allah and make sure to receive the reward during the days and nights of Ramadan, so it is preferable that he offers Qiyaam,performs other acts of worship, spends his time praying, reciting the Quran and praising Allah, even by heart. In addition, it is permissible to hold religious activities for this category of people at the mosque to admonish and educate them, of course with the aid of their translator. It is preferable for them to intend Itikaf(seclusion in the mosque for offering acts of worship) so long as they are in the mosque. This is based on the Hadith reported by Abdullah Bin Umar(May Allah be pleased with them): “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to observe I`tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan.”{Bukhari}. Moreover, it is preferable that they make sure to perform prayer and other righteous deeds during this night because in principle a Muslim should choose the best act at the best time, and this is manifested in the Night of Decree and the prayer. This is indicated by the Hadith of the Prophet(PBUH): “ Prayer is the best worship, the more you pray the better. “{At-Tabarani}. We pray that Allah favors the person who perseveres on observing dawn, Isha`, and Taraweeh prayers in congregation during the last ten days of Ramadan, with performing the Qiyaam of the Night of Decree. The Messenger of Allah said: “He who observed the 'Isha' prayer in congregation, it was as if he prayed up to midnight, and he who prayed the morning prayer in congregation, it was as if he prayed the whole night.”{Muslim}. However, filling up the nights of Ramadan with performing certain acts-other than Qiyaam, reciting the Quran, and praising Allah-for entertainment isn`t considered Qiyaam. And Allah knows best.

This answer was collected from the official government Iftaa Department of Jordan.

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