The Virtue of Ramadan and the Qur'an

Imam Ibn Kathir

THE OBLIGATION OF FASTING
Allah says in the Quran:
"O uou who have faith! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you - so that hopefully you will have taqwa." - Al Baqarah(2):183
Meaning that hopefuly you can safeguard yourselves from the Fire through Fasting; fasting is a means to the forgiveness of sins, and sins lead one to the fire.
The two sahihs record the hadith in which the prophet (pbuh) said:
"Islam is built upon five: that you worship Allah and reject the worship of anything else, to establish the prayer, the giving of Zakat, performing pilgrimage to the house and Fasting the month of Ramadan." [This is the wording of Muslim, Bukhari has the first sentence as 'that you testify none has the right to be worshipped save Allah'].
THE VIRTUES OF FASTING
Fasting carries with it a number of benefits, amongst which are: the elevation to ones rank, the expiation of sins, the breaking of ones desire and lusts, the increase of charity, the multiplication of actions of obedience to Allah, giving thanks to the one who knows the hidden matters, and preventing oneself from even contemplating the commiting of sin.
THE ELEVATION OF RANK
With regards to the elevation of rank, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
"When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paardise are opened, the gates of Hellfire are locked and devils are chained." [Bukhari]
He (pbuh) also said, relating from his lord Mighty and Magnificient,
"All of the actions of the son of Adam are for him except the fast for that is for me and I will reward it. Fasting is protecting sheild, so when it is the day when one of you are fasting, let him not behave or speak indecently; if someone tries to abuse him or fight him, let him say, 'I am fasting'. By the one in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, the smell emanating from the mouth of the one fasting is better with Allah then the smell of musk. The one fasting has tewo time of joy, when he breaks his fast he is happy and when he meets his lord he will rejoice at his fasting." [Bukhari and Muslim]
The prophet (pbuh) also said:
"Every action that the son of Adam does, [its reward] will be multiplied, a good deed will be increased tenfold. Allah Mighty and Magnificient says, 'except for the fast, for that is for Me and I will reward it for he left his desires and food for My sake'" [Muslim]
The prophet (pbuh) also said:
"In paradise there is a gate which is called ar-Rayyan through which the people who fasted will enter on the day of Judgement, and no one else shall enter along-side them. It will be asked, 'where are those who fasted?' and they will walk through it, and upon the entry of the last of them, it will be locked, and no one else will walk through it." [Bukhari and Muslim]
With regards the 'opening of the gates of paradise', this is a phrase that points to the increase of actions of obedience that in turn lead to the opening of the gates of Paradise. 'Locking the gates of Fire' is a phrase that points to the decrease, and lack of therewith, of sins which in turn leads to the locking of the gates of the Fire. 'The chaining of the devils' is a phrase that points to the termination of their whisperings, and temptations, to those who are fasting because they give up hope of receiving a favorable response.
His saying, "All of the actions of the son of Adam are for him except the fast for that is for me, and I will reward it," fasting has been specifically adjoined to him in the order of Honour it because the hidden nature of fasting prevents ostentation entering it, and moreover, hunger and thirst are not used as means to draew closer to any king of this world nor any idol

Ramadhân: Have You Got What It Takes?

Ramadhân: Have You Got What It Takes?

By Abu Eesa Niamatullah
From Prophetic Guidance (with slight changes)

There are things in life which are not very important, those which are quite important and then those things which are absolutely vital for our collective well-being.

Let this be a reminder to me and anyone else who wishes to read on – there is simply nothing more vital for us in our very short and limited lives than to take absolute maximum benefit from the blessed month of Ramadhân.

The really interesting thing about the statement of Allah, the Most High:

"So remind (them), for indeed the reminder benefits those who have faith," [Al-Qur'ân 51:55]

is that those who have the pure characteristics of faith do indeed benefit, even though human nature by itself would seem to oppose that. Isn't that sadly true? When someone believes they know what to do, they don't necessarily appreciate being told again how to do it. If someone believes that they've heard everything they need to hear, it takes a seriously patient and magnanimous person to sit there and hear it again.

By now we've certainly heard all the Prophetic narrations on the blessings of this very special time; a time in which our righteous ones delight as the gates of Paradise are flung open, and in which our sinful ones breathe a sigh of relief and take time to reflect as the gates of Hell are locked up.

So at this moment of clarity, where the stomachs, hearts, eyes, ears, tongue and mind are all enjoying their greatest moment of purity, let us all try and make sure that we profit from the following points gleaned from the advice of our Pious Predecessors ...

1. Make sure that this blessed month becomes a period of accounting for your actions, a revision of your daily routine, an opportunity for the betterment of your life for all your years to come. To enter Ramadhân not believing it to be so will be a total loss. You've actually made it all the way here now, so let's reap the harvest! Think about all those who were aiming for this month but found a dark grave instead. Reflect on all those who woke in the morning but found that their evenings never materialised.

Consider for just a second as our scholars said: if you can't change your ways and gain at such a blessed time then at what time will you change?!

2. Try to make sure you perform all of the tarâwîh prayers in congregation for the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

"Whoever prays with the Imam until he leaves, it is written for him that he prayed the entire night."

3. Do not be wasteful or extravagant with your wealth, for not only is that impermissible, but you reduce the opportunities of giving more in charity for which you could be rewarded for. They said about the Prophet, peace be upon him, that he gave in charity especially during Ramadhân like the one who didn't fear or even recognise poverty.

4. Commit yourself to continue after Ramadhân that which you have prepared yourself to do during Ramadhân. The salaf would say:

"The sign of one's fasting being accepted from him in Ramadhân is the continuation of his good actions and character after Ramadhân."

5. Remember: this is a month of worship and hence action, not lethargy and sleeping. This is even more relevant here in the West considering winter is so close with its short days and long nights. It is well known from the Companions, in emulation of the Prophet, upon whom be peace, that they used to say:

"Reap the benefit of winter by fasting its days and standing (in prayer) during the nights."

6. Make your tongue habitual in the dhikr of Allah so that you don't become from those:

" ... who do not remember Allah except little."

7. When you feel the pangs of hunger, just remember how weak you actually are, how dependent you are upon food and other such necessities from the immense blessings of Allah, may He be glorified.

8. Make a concerted effort to permanently leave that which doesn't benefit you, but rather causes you harm. This is even more so when you are fasting. Maymûn used to say:

"The weakest of fasts is that in which only food and drink is left out."

9. Remember: your actions are a trust from Allah so audit yourself like any successful company does; have you performed and fulfilled your deeds as is deserving of them? This obviously applies to all our actions such as prayer, dhikr, manners but particularly fasting. Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

"Our fasts need istighfâr to make up for their deficiencies, and good deeds to intercede for them."

10. Hasten to seek forgiveness from those whom you have oppressed in any way, before they take from your (very few) good deeds. Don't forget, the greatest oppressive tool is the tongue so tether it as strongly as possible. Sha'bi narrated that 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

"Fasting is not just refraining from food and drink, but refraining from lying, falsehood, backbiting and swearing (by Allah)."

Abu al-'Âliyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, used to say:

"The fasting one is in a continual state of worship until he says about another person that which they would not like to hear."

11. Strive to feed the fasting one so that you can obtain a reward equal to his. Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, used to always break his fast sharing with the poor; if any of his family tried to prevent him from that, he would refuse to spend the night with them. It was also reported from him that whenever someone would come to him asking for food, he would give them his share and then return home to find his family had eaten what was left of food in his house. He would not let on and would end his fasting day without eating anything.

12. Know that Allah is the Most Generous and that He is the Most Merciful. He accepts the repentance of the penitent, more so than ever at such a special time.

13. If you have committed a sin or done something wrong which Allah, may He be glorified, has concealed for you from the people, know that this is an opportunity for you to seek repentance for those mistakes. Hasten to seek forgiveness and make sure that you do not return back to that sin.

14. Try to increase your knowledge of the explanation of the Qur'ân (tafsîr), the narrations of the Messenger, his biography (sîrah), and the principles of our religion – to seek such sacred knowledge is one of the highest forms of worship.

15. Stay away from such company and people which don't benefit you; try to accompany righteous good folk as much as you can. Good people always spread their blessings to others.

16. Going significantly early to the Mosques is a sign of great love and desire to please Allah; a sign that you are in need of him at all times, not just those times in which all the congregation are together. Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

"The Companions would often spend much of their fast in the Mosque so as to purify it (i.e. purify the fast itself from useless talk, gossip, backbiting etc)."

17. Pay attention to those who are under your authority such as your family, guiding them to that which will benefit them in their dîn, for they will far more willingly take their example from you than from other people.

18. Do not go to extremes by preparing many different dishes for the iftâr meal. This leaves the women of the house no opportunity to benefit during the daytime of Ramadhân such as reciting the Qur'ân etc., especially if they are just busy cooking all day.

19. Reduce the amount of time you spend shopping in the night-time during Ramadhân, especially the last ten nights. This will prevent you wasting your time at such a precious and blessed period of your life.

20. Strive to spend these last ten special nights of Ramadhân standing in prayer. Remember: there is one particular night amongst these ten, known as laylat al-qadr which is in fact greater than a thousand months of worship. Surely to hit the jackpot on such a night is beyond our wildest dreams yet it is a jackpot available to everyone with no need to purchase a ticket and no need to take any risk – that's gambling dîn style.

21. Don't forget that 'Eid is a special day of thanksgiving to our Lord, so don't make it a day where you lose control of yourself, wasting all the good works of your heart and soul as it kept your desires in check for the entire month.

22. Set aside for yourself, even but for a small time, a period of isolation in the mosque known as i'tikâf – you will probably never enjoy such an intensely beneficial period for your soul to reflect upon how it is so cultured by day-to-day life in the 21st Century. This period of respite for the heart, mind and soul will allow you to replenish your vital organs with what they really need – the elixir of life which is nothing other than to be immersed in the worship of Allah, the Most Exalted.

23. On the festive day of 'Eid as you enjoy yourself with your family, take a brief moment to remember all those brothers and sisters of ours who are orphans, stricken by poverty, famine and war. Know that if you have the ability to make a difference, hasten to such an excellent deed; if you are unable, do not forget to thank Allah for His unlimited favours He bestows upon us.

24. Set aside for yourself regular days of fasting throughout the year – don't just make your relationship with fasting limited to Ramadhân only. Now that you have seen the rewards on offer for the fasting one, his special entrance of ar-rayyân in Paradise, his supplication which is not rejected, his closeness to his Lord during his fast, his moment of joy as he breaks it, his increased ability to refrain from the bad and embrace the good – now that you've actualised these benefits, carry them over to the six days of Shawwâl just after Ramadhân which is equivalent to fasting the entire year! Don't forget also the middle three 'bright' days of every month, Mondays and Thursdays when our actions are presented to our Lord, as well as a host of other special occasions to double up from such as the Days of 'Arafah, Tâsû'ah, 'Âshûrâ' etc.

25. Finally, reflect upon your overall condition; make an audit of all your daily affairs so that you can identify areas for improvement and rectification. These will include: sticking to the congregational prayers, paying zakât fully and on time, maintaining your family ties, being honourable with the parents, being mindful of your neighbours, rectifying old feuds and problems between previous friends and colleagues, cutting out extravagance and the wasting of wealth, culturing and educating those under your guardianship, being concerned with the affairs of your fellow Muslim brothers and sisters around the world, delighting in and then acting upon sincere advice, protecting oneself for riyâ' (showing off), loving for your brother that which you love for yourself, not allowing yourself to fall into the trap of backbiting others. Carry on reciting the Qur'ân and reflecting deeply upon its meanings and last but certainly not least, humble yourself as you listen to His Words being recited.

The list could simply go on and on – surely there are enough points here to make even the most heedless one reflect upon their state and consider changing their actions for the better.

O Allah, give us the ability and strength to make this Ramadhân our Ramadhân, a time for change and maturity, a time for quality and success, amîn.

May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon His Beloved Messenger, his family and all those who follow in his footsteps until the Final Day.

RAMADHAAAAN MUBARAAK!!!

RAAAAAAAAMMMAAADHHAAAAANNNN MUBARAAAAAAAAKKKKK

RAAAAAAAAMMMAAADHHAAAAANNNN MUBARAAAAAAAAKKKKK

RAAAAAAAAMMMAAADHHAAAAANNNN MUBARAAAAAAAAKKKKK

Have you ever heard of a weekend warrior? They are employees who sit in cubicles or relax at a coffee station, weighed down with donuts and muffins all week long. Then, during weekends they rip off their suits bearing their Reebok gear underneath and spend the entire weekend playing basketball, hang gliding, or mountain climbing. What happens? They break their knees, pull a dozen muscles, and are hospitalized on Monday.

This is in relation to the physical body. But there are people that should be known as Ramadan warriors. They are those who haven't fasted all year long and then suddenly shock their bodies for a whole month. Or haven't prayed in the Masjid or haven't woken up to pray during the night all year long. What happens to them? As one Muslim physician said, "On normal days, we have about 5 - 7 patients a day, but on the first day of Ramadan, patients increase to over 50!"

Ramadan warriors were rare in our Islamic history. To illustrate, let's all remember where we were at the beginning of the month of Safar - corresponding this year to the second week of May. We were probably praying for work to end, or just finished up with exams, or looking through brochures for a holiday getaway.

Interestingly, if we were sitting beside a taabi'ee over a thousand years ago in a simple Masjid, we would have heard him raising his hands asking Allah to grant him the blessing of being around when a guest comes, a guest called Ramadan!

Ramadan Warriors

By Muhammad Alshareef

Sahl ibn Sa'd - radi Allahu 'anhu - narrates that An-Nabee - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "In Jannah there is a gate called Ar-Rayyan, a door which the Saa'imoon will enter from, no one else except them. It will be announced, 'Where are the Saa'imoon?' and the Saa'imoon will stand. No one except them will enter from the Rayyan gate."
Have you ever heard of a weekend warrior? They are employees who sit in cubicles and relax at a coffee station weighed down with donuts all week long. Then on the weekend they rip off their suits bearing their Reebok gear underneath and spend the entire weekend playing basketball, hang gliding, and mountain climbing. What happens? They break their knees, pull a dozen muscles, and are hospitalized on Monday.

This is in relation to the physical body. But there are people that should be known as Ramadan warriors. They are those that haven't fasted all year long and then shock their bodies with a whole month. Or haven't prayed in the Masjid or haven't woken up to pray in the night all year long. What happens to them? As one Muslim doctor said, "In normal days, we have about 5 - 7 patients a day. On the first day of Ramadan,the patients increase to over 50!"

Ramadan warriors were rare in our Islamic history. To illustrate, let's all remember where we were at the beginning of Safar - corresponding this year to the second week of May. We were probably praying for work to end, or just finished up with exams, or looking through brochures for a holiday getaway.

Interestingly, if we were sitting beside a taabi'ee over a thousand years ago in a simple Masjid, we would have heard him raising his hands asking Allah to grant him the blessing of being around when a guest comes, a guest called Ramadan!

There are different ways that we can 'warm up' for Ramadan. One of those ways is by increasing the frequency of our Du'a:

Allah ta'ala says in the Qur'an ... the verse before it is talking about Ramadan and the verse after it is speaking about Ramadan, and right in the middle we read: [And when My servants ask you, (O Muhammad), concerning Me - Indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me (by obedience) and believe in Me that they may be guided.]

- Surah Al Baqarah 2/186

Every goodness on earth is from Allah. And one of the most exclusive blessings is Ramadan. So let us ask the Lord of Ramadan to help us find His Mercy in the coming days.

Last year, we gave a khutbah here on Hajj entitled 'The Call of Ibraheem'. A brother just a few weeks ago told me that during that Khutbah he raised his hands to Allah and asked Allah to find him a way to make Hajj. He said that he had no money to make the trip, but that night more then one brother approached him with the offer, "Brother we have a Hajj program for new Muslims, would you like to come!"

Alhamdulillah, that brother made Hajj last year from a Du'a that came straight from the heart - in sha' Allah.

The early generations of the Ummah used to make Du'a 6 months after Ramadan that Allah accept their deeds in Ramadan. And for the next 6 months, they would make du'a to Allah to grant them the blessing of being alive in the coming Ramadan.

Cleanliness - Whenever a guest comes, we prepare in advance for his arrival by vacuuming the carpet, dusting the shelves, and scrubbing the sinks. We should do this for our guest called Ramadan. But the scrubbing should not just be of our physical surroundings, it should include the scrubbing of our sins.

Listen to the words of an-Nabee - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - speaking about those people that don't want to clean up for Ramadan, "Whoever doesn't desist from speaking falsehood and acting upon it, Allah has no need that he desist from his food and drink." - Bukhari

Fasting in Sha'baan (this Month that we are now in) - The biggest downfall of the weekend warriors was that they were not properly warmed up for the exercise which caused the injuries. Similarily, when Fasting, some people only do it once a year making their bodies very foreign to going without food and drink.

From here we see the following Sunnah: Umm Al-Mu'mineen Aisha - radiAllahu 'anha - observes, "Allah's Messenger never fasted an entire month other than Ramadan and I haven't seen him fast more than he did in Sha'baan."

A poet said: Oh ye who isn't satisfied with his sins in Rajab / so much so that you continued disobedience in Sha'baan / The month of fasting has now come upon you / so do not convert it also to a month of disobedience.

When we look at the celebrations, 'the holy days' of this country, we see that they put all their time and effort and spirit in preparation. I tell you, go to any store outside this Masjid and you will see preparations of Candy Canes, red and green bouquets, even Eggnog all in the wait for the annual celebration of the birth - as they falsely claim- of Prophet 'Esa (alayhis salam.) They are preparing for their falsehood almost 2 months in advance! One of the ways to prepare for Ramadan is to educate ourselves in the Fiqh of Ramadan. Alhamdulillah - sitting in this Masjid today are many brothers and sisters for whom this will be their first Ramadan. Allahu Akbar! May Allah accept it from them and allow them and us to share in the blessing of Ramadan for many years to come. Let us briefly review what fasting is:

Fasting Ramadan is not optional - it is a must. The evidence for this is found in the Qur'aan and Sunnah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"O you who believe! Observing al-sawn (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become al-muttaqoon (the pious)." [al-Baqarah 2:183]

The Prophet said: "Islam is built on five [pillars]..." among which he mentioned fasting in Ramadaan. - Bukhari

The Arabic word for fasting is Sawm. In Arabic it literally means to abstain from something. And in Islamic Law it is to abstain from those things that break the fast starting from dawn (Fajr Prayer) and ending with sunset (Maghrib prayer) having first made the intention to do so.

The things which break ones Fast, the things which he or she must abstain from from dawn to sunset are as follows:

(a) Eating and Drinking

(b) Marital Relations

These apply if 3 conditions are met (1) That the person is not ignorant that this thing breaks ones fast (2) That he is aware that he is doing something that breaks his fast (meaning he did not do so in forgetfulness) (3) He does so out of his free will and no one forced him to break his fast.

In conclusion, as the month of Ramadan draws nearer, we should prepare for this special guest by preparing a Ramadan program *Operation: Valuable Time* in our homes and at our Masjids. The program should in sha' Allah include:

1. Locked times of the day when we will consistently recite Qur'an, learning it's meanings and memorizing new Sur'ahs.

2. Something useful for the time before Taraweeh prayers and the time after Taraweeh. And how to increase our worship in the last ten nights - i.e. what will we do extra.

3. We should make sure that there are days of this month when we feed people. Bring dates or milk to the Masjid for Maghrib. Invite people over to have dinner with your family. Organize a dinner in the Masjid and invite people that don't normally get invited because they are new. Take care of the New Muslims in your community and for the sake of Allah ta'ala make their Ramadan special.

4. Make the intention to double and triple the amount of Sadaqah we give, the worship we normally do, the Dhikr we do, and the deeds that'll help us purify our souls, etc.

And finally, for those that can afford it plan a Umrah to the Ka'bah in Ramadan!

After returning from the farewell Hajj, Rasul Allah - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - saw an Ansari women who had not made the Hajj. He asked her, "What kept you back from joining in the Hajj?" She said, "We had a camel that we used to ride which Abu Fulan and his son went on, and another we used for farming." So Rasul Allah - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Verily, Umrah in Ramadan is the same (reward) as performing Hajj with me!" - Bukhari and Muslim

The Sahabah to be jealous! Allaahu akbar!

The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu 3layhi wasSalaam) said:
"Some people will come on the Day of Judgement and their Imaan will be outstanding, its light will shine from their chests and from their right hands. So it will be said to them, 'glad tidings for you today, asSalaamu 3laykum and goodness for you, enter into it (Jannah) forever!'
So the Angels and the Prophets will be jealous of the Love of Allah for them."
So the Sahabah asked, "Who are they, Ya Rasoolullah?"
He (sallAllaahu 3layhi wa sallam) replied,
"They are not from us and they are not from you.
You are my companions but they are my beloved.
They will come after you and will find the Book (the Qur'aan) made redundant by the people, and a Sunnah which has been killed by them.
So they will grab hold of the Book and the Sunnah and revive them.
So they read them and teach them (the Qur'aan and the Sunnah) to the people and they will experience in that path a punishment more severe and more ugly than what you (O Sahabah) have experienced.
Indeed the Imaan of one of them is equivalent to the Imaan of forty of you.
The Shaheed of one of them is equivalent to forty of your Shuhadaa'.
Because you found a helper towards the truth (the Prophet - sallAllaahu 3layhi wa sallam) and they will find no helper towards the truth.
So they will be surrounded by tyrant rulers in every place, and they will be in the surroundings of Bait-ul-Maqdis (Al-Quds, Masjid al-Aqsa).
The Nussrah (Help and Victory) of Allah will come to them, and they will have the honour of it on their hands."
Then he (sallAllaahu 3layhi wasSalaam) said, "O Allaah, give then the Nussrah and make them my close friends in Jannah." -Reported in Ahmad

Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari (RadhiAllaahu anh)

As the Muslims marched forward to the battle of Tabuk in order to fight the Romans, many weak souls remained behind. These consisted mainly of hypocrites who scoffed at the Prophet (sallAllahu 3layhi wasSalaam) and his Companions (RadhiAllaahu anh) for marching forth in the heat. During their march, the Muslims noticed that Abu Dharr (RA) was not among them, and so they said, “O Messenger of Allaah, Abu Dharr has remained behind; his riding camel has slowed him down.”

The Prophet (sallAllahu 3layhi wasSalaam) said: “Leave him, for if he has goodness in him, Allaah will make him catch up with you. And if he is otherwise, then Allaah has disburdened you of him.”

The Muslim army thus continued its march without pause; meanwhile, Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari (RadhiAllaahu anh) was trying to prod his riding camel to move faster, but his attempts in vain. And so he took his things, carried them on his back, and followed the tracks of the Prophet (sallAllahu 3layhi wasSalaam) and his Companions (RadhiAllaahu anh). When from a distance the Muslims saw the rising of dust, a sign that a man was approaching, they said,

“O Messenger of Allaah, this indeed is a man who is walking all by himself on the road.” The Prophet (sallAllahu 3layhi wasSalaam) said expectantly, “Be Abu Dharr!” When the man came nearer and the people were able to discern his features, they said, “By Allaah, he is Abu Dharr, O Messenger of Allaah.”

The Prophet (sallAllahu 3layhi wasSalaam) said: “May Allaah have mercy un Abu Dharr: he walks alone, he will die alone, and he will be resurrected alone.”

Al-Baihaqi in Dala'il 221, Ibn Asakir 70/157 and Ahmad 5/166

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