Section: Importance of making dua during Ramadan month

Firstly: Ibn Khuzaymah narrated in his Saheeh (1887) that Salmaan (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) addressed us on the last day of Sha‘baan and said: “O people, a great month has come upon you, a blessed month… It is a month the beginning of which is mercy, its middle is forgiveness and its end is ransom from the Fire.”The entire month of Ramadan is mercy from Allah; the entire month is also forgiveness and ransom from the Fire. None of these blessings is restricted to any one part of the month to the exclusion of any other part, and this is a reflection of the vastness of Allah’s mercy.Muslim (1079) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are fettered.”At-Tirmidhi (682) narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “When the first night of Ramadan comes, the devils and mischievous jinn are chained up, and the gates of Hell are closed, and none of its gates are opened. The gates of Paradise are opened and none of its gates are closed. And a caller cries out: ‘O seeker of good, proceed; O seeker of evil, desist.’ And Allah has people whom He frees (from the Fire), and that happens every day.” [Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi]Based on that, singling out the first third of Ramadan to pray for mercy, the second third to pray for forgiveness and the last third to pray for ransom from Hell is an innovation for which there is no basis in Islamic teachings. There is also no justification for singling out these times for these supplications, because all the days of Ramadan are equal in that regard. Rather the Muslim may pray for whatever he wants of goodness in this world and the hereafter throughout Ramadan; that includes asking Allah for mercy, forgiveness, ransom from the Fire and admission to Paradise.Secondly: The Muslim should offer a great deal of du‘aa’, asking for goodness and mercy, especially in this month, making the most of this time of goodness and blessing (barakah), seeking the mercy and forgiveness of their Lord, may He be exalted. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.” [al-Baqarah 2:186]. Ibn Katheer (Ra) said: The fact that Allah, may He be exalted, mentions this verse, which encourages one to offer du‘aa’, in the midst of the verses that speak of the rulings on fasting, indicates that one should strive hard in offering du‘aa’ at the end of the fast and, indeed, every time one breaks the fast. [End quote from Tafseer Ibn Katheer (1/509)] It is good for the one who offers du‘aa’ to follow proper etiquette and to recite many of the du‘aa’s that have been narrated from the Prophet (ﷺ), and not to overstep the mark in offering du‘aa’. He should observe the etiquette of du‘aa’ and recite often the du‘aa’s that it is recommended to recite a great deal in Ramadan and also at times other than Ramadan. These include the following:رَبَّنَا اٰتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَّفِي الْاٰخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَّقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِTransliteration: “Rabbanaa 'aatinaa fid-dunyaa hasanatan wa fil-'aakhirati hasanatan wa qinaa 'athaaban-naarTranslation: Our Lord, give us that which is good in this world and that which is good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire,” [al-Baqarah 2:201]رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًاTransliteration: “Rabbana hab lana min azwaajina wa dhurriyyaatina qurrata a‘yunin waj‘alna lil-muttaqeena imaama.Translation: Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders for the Muttaqoon (the pious).” [al-Furqaan 25:74].رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِىْ مُقِيْمَ الصَّلَاةِ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِىْ ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَاءِ ﴿٤٠﴾ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لِىْ وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ يَوْمَ يَقُوْمُ الْحِسَابُ ﴿٤١﴾Transliteration: “Rabb ij‘alni muqeema as-salaati wa min dhurriyyati Rabbana wa taqabbal du‘aa’. Rabbana ighfir li wa li waalidayya wa lil-mu’mineena yawma yaqoom ul-hisaab.Translation: O my Lord! Make me one who performs As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and (also) from my offspring, our Lord! And accept my invocation. Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents, and (all) the believers on the Day when the reckoning will be established)” [Ibraaheem 14:40-41]اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّيْTransliteration: Allaahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibb al-‘afwa fa’afu ‘anni.Translation: Allaah, You are forgiving and You love forgiveness, so forgive me. [Sahih (Albani). Tirmidhi: 3513]اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْتُ مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ أَعْلَمْ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشَّرِّ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْتُ مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ أَعْلَمْ اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا سَأَلَكَ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا عَاذَ بِهِ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَأَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ كُلَّ قَضَاءٍ قَضَيْتَهُ لِي خَيْرًاTransliteration: Allaa-humma inni as’aluka minal-khairi kullihi ‛aajilihi wa aajilihi, maa ‛alimtu minhu wa maa lam a‛lam, wa a‛oodhu bika minash-sharri kullihi ‛aajilihi wa aajilihi, maa ‛alimtu minhu wa maa lam a‛lam, Allaahumma inni as’aluka min khairi maa sa’alalka ‛abduka wa nabiyuka, wa a‛oodhu bika min sharri maa 'aadha bihi ‛abduka wa nabiyyuka, Allaahumma innee as’alukal-jannata wa maa qarraba ilayhaa min qaulin aw ‛amal, wa a'oodhu bika minan-naar, wa maa qarraba ilayhaa min qaulin aw ‛amal. wa as'aluka an taj‛ala kulla qadaa’in qaday-tahu lee khayraTranslation: O Allah, verily I ask you for all that is good in this world and the hereafter, what I know of it and what I do not know, and I seek refuge with You from all that is evil in this world and the hereafter, what I know of it and what I do not know. O Allah, verily I ask You for the good of that which Your slave and Prophet asked of You, and I seek refuge with You from the evil of that from which Your slave and Prophet sought refuge with You. O Allah, verily I ask you for Paradise and that which will bring me nearer to it of words and deeds, and I seek refuge with You from Hell and that which would bring me nearer to it of words and deeds. I ask You to make everything You decree for me good. [Sahih (Albani). Ibn Majah: 3846]اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَفْوَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ، اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَفْوَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ فِي دِينِيْ وَدُنْيَايَ وَأَهْلِيْ، وَمَالِيْ، اَللَّهُمَّ اسْتُرْ عَوْرَاتِيْ، وَآمِنْ رَوْعَاتِيْ، اَللَّهُمَّ احْفَظْنِي مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيَّ وَمِنْ خَلْفِي وَعَنْ يَمِيْنِيْ وَعَنْ شِمَالِي وَمِنْ فَوْقِيْ وَأَعُوْذُ بِعَظَمَتِكَ أَنْ أُغْتَالَ مِنْ تَحْتِيْTransliteration: Allaahumma 'innee 'as'alukal-'afwa wal'aafiyata fid-dunyaa wal'aakhirah, Allaahumma 'innee 'as'alukal-'afwa wal'aafiyata fee deenee wa dunyaaya wa 'ahlee, wa maalee, Allahum-mastur 'awraatee, wa 'aamin raw'aatee, Allahum-mahfadhnee mim bayni yadayya, wa min khalfee, wa 'an yameenee, wa 'an shimaalee, wa min fawqee, wa 'A'oodhu bi'adhamatika 'an 'ughtaala min tahtee.Translation: O Allah, I ask You for pardon and well-being in this life and the next. O Allah, I ask You for pardon and well-being in my religious and worldly affairs, and my family and my wealth. O Allah, veil my weaknesses and set at ease my dismay. O Allah, preserve me from the front and from behind and on my right and on my left and from above, and I take refuge with You lest I be swallowed up by the earth. [Sahih (Albani). Abu Dawud: 5074]Similarly, it is recommended to recite general du‘aa’s from the Qur’an and Sunnah, any du‘aa’ is good in which the individual strives hard, beseeching his Lord. None of that is limited to Ramadan only. It is also mustahabb to say after breaking the fast:ذَهَبَ الظَّمَاءُ وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوْقُ وَثَبَتَ الْأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُTransliteration: “Dhahabadh-dhama'u wabtallatil-'urooqu, wa thabatal-'ajru 'inshaa'Allah.Translation: The thirst is gone, the veins are moistened and the reward is confirmed, if Allah wills. [Hasan (Albani). Abu Dawud: 2357]