Okikiola Qasim
Ramadan is an important month for Muslims across the world; in an era in which we are constantly struggling with the idea of up keeping the Remembrance of Allah, due to complications of modern day life. The month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar.
Ramadhan is one of the greatest blessings of Allah (SWT) upon the Ummah of his beloved Prophet. In the Quran it is stated ‘Ramadan is the month in which was sent down the Qur’an as a guide to mankind, also Clear Signs for guidance and judgment between right and wrong.” (Q 2:185).
The Holy Prophet said ‘O People! The month of Allah (SWT) has come with His mercies and blessings. This is the month that is the best of all months. Its days are the best of days, its nights are the best of nights, its hours are the best of hours.
The benefits of the Ramadan month of fasting are too many to be counted. If one does recognize them and realize their importance, he wishes to have the month of Ramadan to be throughout the whole year. These blessings are given by Allah to the fasting Muslims, who are would fast with full faith and expectation.
Anybody who does not annoy others in this month will be safe from His anger on the day of Judgement; anybody who treats well his relatives in this month will receive the mercy of Allah on the day of Judgement.
Whoever offers sunnah prayers in this month, will be saved from Hell. Whoever, in this month, offers one wajib prayer, the angels will write the rewards of seventy such prayers that were offered by him in other months. Whoever recites salawat often, Allah will keep the scales of his good deeds heavy.
Whoever recites in this month, only one ayat of the Holy Qur’an, he will be rewarded in a manner as if he had recited the entire Qur’an in other months.
The Holy Prophet (SAW) said ‘Whoever is prevented from food that he likes, because of his fast, Allah will feed him from the food of Heaven and from its drink.
The blessing of this great month of fasting are too many to be counted. Besides the countless spiritual rewards to be gained, there are great physical and mental rewards also. The month of Ramadan teaches man the principle of sincere love. It equips man with a creative sense of hope. It indoctrinates man in patience, self-assurance and self-control. It is an effective lesson in willpower. Fasting also provides man with a transparent soul, a clear mind and a light body. It shows man a new way of wise savings and sound budgeting. It originates in man the real spirit of social belonging, unity and brotherhood, of equality before Allah (SWT) as well as before the law. Ramadan strengthens Taqwa, which is the belief in Allah.
Allah has made fasting Ramadan and spending its nights in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward a means of forgiveness of sins, as was proven in al-Saheehayn (al-Bukhaari, 2014; Muslim, 760) from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” And al-Bukhaari (2008) and Muslim (174) also narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever spends the nights of Ramadan in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”
The Muslims are unanimously agreed that it is Sunnah to pray qiyaam at night in Ramadan Al-Nawawi said that what is meant by praying qiyaam in Ramadan is to pray Taraweeh, i.e., one achieves what is meant by qiyaam by praying Taraaweeh.
In this month, Allah opens the gates of Paradise and closes the gates of Hell, and chains up the devils, as is stated in al-Saheehayn, from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained up.”
Every night Allah has people whom He redeems from the Fire. Imam Ahmad narrated from the hadeeth of Abu Umaamah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“At every breaking of the fast, Allah has people whom He redeems.” Al-Mundhiri said: there is nothing wrong with its isnaad; and it was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb.
Al-Bazzaar narrated that Abu Sa’eed said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Allah has people whom He redeems every day and night – i.e., in Ramadan – and every Muslim every day and night has a prayer that is answered.”
Fasting Ramadan is a means of expiation for the sins committed since the previous Ramadan, so long as one avoids major sins. It was proven in Saheeh Muslim that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“The five daily prayers, from one Jumu’ah to the next and from one Ramadan to the next are expiation for (sins committed) in between, so long as you avoid major sins.”
Fasting in Ramadan is equivalent to fasting ten months, as is indicated by the hadeeth in Saheeh Muslim narrated from Abu Ayyoob al-Ansaari:
“Whoever fasts Ramadan then follows it with six days of Shawwaal, it will be like fasting for a lifetime.” Ahmad narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Whoever fasts Ramadan, a month is like ten months, and fasting six days after al-Fitr will complete the year.”
Whoever prays qiyaam in Ramadan with the imam until he finishes, it will be recorded for him that he spent the whole night in prayer, because of the report narrated by Abu Dawood and others from the hadeeth of Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Whoever prays qiyaam with the imam until he finishes, it will be recorded for him that he spent the whole night in prayer.”
‘Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj. Al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to a woman among the Ansaar,
“What kept you from doing Hajj with us?” She said, “We only had two camels that we used for bringing water.” So her husband and son had gone for Hajj on one camel, and he left the other for them to use for bringing water.”
He said, “When Ramadan comes, go for ‘Umrah, for ‘Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj.” According to a report narrated by Muslim, “… is equivalent to doing Hajj with me.”
It is Sunnah to observe i’tikaaf (retreat for the purpose of worship) in Ramadan, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) always did that, as it was narrated in the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to spend the last ten days of Ramadan in i’tikaaf until he passed away, then his wives observed i’tikaaf after him.”
It is mustahabb in the sense of being strongly recommended in Ramadan to study the Qur’aan together and to read it a great deal. You may study the Qur’aan together by reciting it to someone else and by having someone else recite it to you. The evidence that this is mustahabb is the fact that Jibreel used to meet the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) every night in Ramadan and study the Qur’aan with him. Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
Reading Qur’aaan is mustahabb in general, but more so in RamadanIt is mustahabb in Ramadan to offer iftaar to those who are fasting, because of the hadeeth of Zayd ibn Khaalid al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever gives iftaar to one who is fasting will have a reward like his, without that detracting from the fasting person’s reward in the slightest.”
Ramadan is a time of rules and regulations- but this does not preclude having a fulfilling and joyful Holy Month- and there are certainly benefits to be gained this month.
Ramadan is a time for practicing self-restraint. The order of the month is piety and sobriety with less pleasures of flesh than ordinarily enjoyed. Because if you can refrain from your lawful pleasures for God’s sake, with full freedom to do so, it would be easier for you to stop doing what is unlawful and forbidden.
As stressed in the Holy Quran, fasting is basically prescribed on Muslims to learn piety and righteousness. “Fasting provides us with motivation, self-control and firm will to give up bad manners and habits, otherwise such a vital worship will turn futile,” said Imam of Al Faruq Masjid Shaikh Mohammed Al Arabi.
While it is seen to be a time when economic productivity may drop, the true manner in which it should be practiced ought to allow for focus and productivity in the day-light hours, when the mind is not distracted from temptations of the flesh.
When a Muslim fasts, all his organs fast too. “I mean his tongue should fast, i.e. he should not backbite or lie, for example. His eyes should not look at what Allah obligates as forbidden. His legs should not walk to places where such a person would commit a sin, etc…”, according to a Muslim scholar.
“Since Allah is the Creator of Man, then He is the best One to know what is beneficial for him and what makes him develop to the better. When a person fasts from dawn to sunset, he/she abstains from food and drink, along with sexual intercourse if he/she is married. Thus, he stops eating or drinking what is lawful, in obedience to his Creator and he/she would be the one who gets the benefit too.”
