Allah
says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“The
month of Ramadan in which was
revealed the Qur’aan (Quran), a
guidance for mankind and clear
proofs for the guidance and the
criterion (between right and wrong).
So whoever of you sights (the
crescent on the first night of) the
month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at
his home), he must observe Sawm
(fasts) that month, and whoever is
ill or on a journey, the same number
[of days which one did not observe
Sawm (fasts) must be made up] from
other days. Allah intends for you
ease, and He does not want to make
things difficult for you. (He wants
that you) must complete the same
number (of days), and that you must
magnify Allah [i.e. to say Takbeer
(Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Most
Great)] for having guided you so
that you may be grateful to Him.”
[al-Baqarah 2:185]
This
blessed month is a great opportunity
for goodness, barakah (blessing),
worship and obedience towards Allah.
It is a
great month, a noble season, a month
in which hasanaat (rewards for good
deeds) are multiplied and in which
committing sayi’aat (bad deeds) is
more serious than at other times.
The gates of Paradise are opened and
the gates of Hell are shut, and the
sinners’ repentance to Allah is
accepted. It is a month whose
beginning is mercy, its middle is
forgiveness and its end is
redemption from the Fire.
So give
thanks to Him for the season of
goodness and blessing that He has
bestowed upon you, and for the means
of bounty and various kinds of great
blessings for which He has singled
you out. Make the most of this
blessed time by filling it with acts
of worship and forsaking haraam
things, so that you may attain a
good life in this world and
happiness after death.
For the
sincere believer, every month is an
occasion for worship and his whole
life is spent in obeying Allah, but
in the month of Ramadaan (Ramadan)
he has even more motives to do good
and his heart is even more focused
on worship, and he turns even more
to his Lord. By His grace, our
generous Lord bestows His bounty
upon the fasting believers and
multiplies the reward for them on
this blessed occasion, so He gives
abundantly and rewards generously
for righteous deeds.
Time passes quickly
Days
pass so quickly, as if they were
mere moments. We welcomed Ramadaan
(Ramadan), then we bade it farewell,
and only a short period of time
passed and we are welcoming Ramadaan
(Ramadan) again. So we should hasten
to do good deeds in this month and
strive to fill it with that which
Allah is pleased with and with that
which will help us on the Day when
we meet Him.
How can we prepare
for Ramadaan (Ramadan)?
We can
prepare for Ramadaan (Ramadan) by
taking stock of ourselves and
recognizing our shortcomings in
living up to the Shahaadatayn, or
our shortcoming in fulfilling our
duties, or our shortcomings in not
keeping away from the desires and
doubts that we may have fallen
into…
We
should set ourselves straight so
that in Ramadaan (Ramadan) we will
have a higher degree of faith. For
faith increases and decreases. It
increases through obedience to
Allah and it decreases through
disobedience and sin. The first act
of obedience that a person should
achieve is that of being a true
slave of Allah and believing that
there is none that is rightfully
worshipped except Allah, so he
directs all kinds of worship to
Allah and does not associate anyone
else in worship with Him. Each of us
should realize that whatever has
befallen him could not have missed
him, and whatever missed him could
not have befallen him, and that
everything happens by the will and
decree of Allah.
We
should avoid everything that could
undermine our commitment to the
Shahaadatayn. This means keeping
away from bid’ah (innovations) and
things that have been introduced
into the religion. We should also
follow the principle of al-walaa’
wa’l-bara’ (loyalty and friendship
vs. disavowal and enmity), by taking
the believers as our friends and by
regarding the kaafirs and hypocrites
as enemies, and we should rejoice
when the Muslims gain a victory over
their enemies. We should follow the
example of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) and his companions and
adhere to the Sunnah of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) and the way of the
Rightly-Guided Khulafa’ who came
after him. We should love the Sunnah
and love those who adhere to it and
defend it, in whatever country they
are and whatever colour or
nationality they are.
After
that we should take stock of
ourselves and recognize our
shortcomings in doing acts of
worship such as praying in
congregation, remembering Allah (dhikr),
paying attention to the rights of
neighbours, relatives and the
Muslims, spreading the greeting of
salaam, enjoining what is good and
forbidding what is evil, urging one
another to follow the truth and be
patient and steadfast in doing so,
being patient in avoiding evil
actions and in doing good deeds, and
accepting the decree of Allah with
patience.
Then we
should take stock of ourselves and
our sins and our following whims and
desires. We should stop ourselves
from persisting in that, whether the
sin is great or small, whether it is
a sin of the eye, by looking at that
which Allah has forbidden; or by
listening to music; or by walking to
things of which Allah does not
approve; or by using one's hands to
srike in a manner with which Allah
is not pleased; or by consuming
things that Allah has forbidden
such as riba (usury) and bribes, or
any other means of consuming
people’s wealth unlawfully.
We
should never forget that Allah
stretches forth His hand during the
day to accept the repentance of
those who sinned at night, and He
stretches forth His hand at night to
accept the repentance of those who
sinned during the day. Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And
march forth in the way (which leads
to) forgiveness from your Lord, and
for Paradise as wide as the heavens
and the earth, prepared for Al-Muttaqoon
(the pious).
Those
who spend (in Allah’s Cause) in
prosperity and in adversity, who
repress anger, and who pardon men;
verily, Allah loves Al-Muhsinoon
(the good‑doers).
And
those who, when they have committed
Faahishah (illegal sexual
intercourse) or wronged themselves
with evil, remember Allah and ask
forgiveness for their sins; — and
none can forgive sins but Allah —
and do not persist in what (wrong)
they have done, while they know.
For
such, the reward is forgiveness from
their Lord, and Gardens with rivers
flowing underneath (Paradise),
wherein they shall abide forever.
How excellent is this reward for the
doers (who do righteous deeds
according to Allah’s Orders)”
[Aal
‘Imraan 3:133-136]
“Say:
“O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have
transgressed against themselves (by
committing evil deeds and sins)!
Despair not of the Mercy of Allah,
verily, Allah forgives all sins.
Truly, He is Oft‑Forgiving, Most
Merciful”
[al-Zumar
39:53]
“And
whoever does evil or wrongs himself
but afterwards seeks Allah’s
forgiveness, he will find Allah
Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Nisa’ 4:110]
By
taking stock, repenting and seeking
forgiveness, this is how we should
welcome Ramadaan (Ramadan). “The
smart man is the one who takes stock
of himself and strives to do that
which will benefit him after death,
and the helpless one is the one who
follows his own whims and desires
and engages in wishful thinking,
(assuming that Allah will forgive
him regardless of what he does and
that he does not need to strive to
good deeds).”
The
month of Ramadaan (Ramadan) is the
month of great gains and profits.
The smart trader is the one who
makes the most of special occasions
to increase his profits. So make the
most of this month by doing lots of
acts of worship, praying a great
deal, reading Qur’aan (Quran),
forgiving people, being kind to
others and giving charity to the
poor.
In the
month of Ramadaan (Ramadan) the
gates of Paradise are opened and the
gates of Hell are shut. The devils
are put in chains and a caller cries
out each night, O seeker of good,
proceed, O seeker of evil, desist.
So, O
slaves of Allah, be among the
people of good, following the path
of your righteous forebears who were
guided by the Sunnah of your Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him), so that we may end
Ramadaan (Ramadan) with our sins
forgiven and our righteous deeds
accepted.
We
should note that the month of
Ramadaan (Ramadan) is the best of
months.
Ibn al-Qayyim
said:
Another
of example of that – i.e., of the
differentiation between the things
that Allah has created – is the
fact that the month of Ramadaan
(Ramadan) is superior to all other
months, and the last ten nights are
superior to the other nights.”
Zaad al-Ma’aad,
1/56
This
month is superior to others in four
things:
1 – In
it there is the best night of the
year, which is Laylat al-Qadr.
Allah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“Verily, We have sent it (this
Qur’aan) down in the Night of Al‑Qadr
(Decree).
And
what will make you know what the
Night of Al‑Qadr (Decree) is?
The
Night of Al‑Qadr (Decree) is better
than a thousand months (i.e.
worshipping Allah in that night is
better than worshipping Him a
thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4
months).
Therein descend the angels and the
Rooh [Jibreel (Gabriel)] by Allah’s
Permission with all Decrees,
(All
that night), there is peace (and
goodness from Allah to His
believing slaves) until the
appearance of dawn”
[al-Qadar 97:1-5]
So
worship on this night is better than
worshipping for a thousand months.
2 – In
this month was revealed the best of
Books to the best of the Prophets
(peace be upon them). Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“The
month of Ramadan in which was
revealed the Qur’aan (Quran), a
guidance for mankind and clear
proofs for the guidance and the
criterion (between right and wrong)”
[al-Baqarah
2:185]
“We
sent it (this Qur’aan (Quran)) down
on a blessed night [(i.e. the Night
of Al‑Qadr) in the month of Ramadan
— the 9th month of the Islamic
calendar]. Verily, We are ever
warning [mankind that Our Torment
will reach those who disbelieve in
Our Oneness of Lordship and in Our
Oneness of worship].
Therein (that night) is decreed
every matter of ordainments.
As a
Command (or this Qur’aan (Quran) or
the Decree of every matter) from Us.
Verily, We are ever sending (the
Messengers)”
[al-Dukhaan 44:3-5]
It was
narrated by Ahmad and by al-Tabaraani
in al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer that
Waathilah ibn al-Asqa’ (may Allah be
pleased with him) said: The
Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) said: “The Scriptures of
Ibraaheem were sent down on the
first of the month of Ramadaan
(Ramadan). The Tawraat was sent down
on the sixth of Ramadaan (Ramadan).
The Injeel was sent down on the
thirteenth of Ramadaan (Ramadan).
The Zaboor was sent down on the
eighteenth of Ramadaan (Ramadan),
and the Qur’aan (Quran) was sent
down on the twenty-fourth of
Ramadaan (Ramadan).
Classed
as hasan by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah
al-Saheehah, 1575.
2 – In
this month the gates of Paradise are
opened and the gates of Hell are
shut, and the devils are chained
up.
It was
narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may
Allah be pleased with him) 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 put in chains.”
(Agreed upon).
Al-Nasaa’i narrated from Abu
Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) said: “When Ramadaan
(Ramadan) comes, the gates of mercy
are opened and the gates of Hell are
shut, and the devils are put in
chains.”
Classed
as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Jaami’, 471.
Al-Tirmidhi,
Ibn Maajah and Ibn Khuzaymah
narrated in one report: “When the
first night of the month of Ramadaan
(Ramadan) comes, the devils and
rebellious jinn are chained up and
the gates of Hell are closed, and
not one gate of it is opened. The
gates of Paradise are opened and not
one gate of it is closed. And a
caller cries out: ‘O seeker of good,
proceed; O seeker of evil, desist.
And Allah has those whom He redeems
from the Fire, and that happens
every night.”
Classed
as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Jaami’, 759.
If it is
asked, how come we see many evil
actions and sins committed in
Ramadaan (Ramadan), for if the
devils are chained up that would not
happen?
The
answer is that evil actions become
less for those who observe the
conditions and etiquette of fasting;
or that
the ones who are chained up are some
of the devils – namely the
rebellious ones – not all of them;
or that
what is meant is that evil is
reduced in Ramadaan (Ramadan), which
is a proven fact. If evil happens at
this time, it is still less than at
other times. Even if all of them
(the devils) are chained up, that
does not necessarily mean that no
evil or sin will happen, because
there are other causes of that
besides the devils, such as evil
souls, bad habits and the devils
among mankind. Al-Fath,
4/145
4 –
There are many kinds of worship in
Ramadaan (Ramadan), some of which
are not done at other times, such as
fasting, praying qiyaam, feeding the
poor, i’tikaaf, sadaqah, and reading
Qur’aan (Quran).
I ask
Allah, the Exalted, the Almighty,
to help us all to do that and to
help us to fast and pray qiyaam, and
to do acts of worship and to avoid
doing evil. Praise be to Allah, the
Lord of the Worlds.
And
Allah knows best.
