Praise be to Allaah, we praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own selves and from our evil deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides cannot be misled, and whomsoever He leaves astray cannot be guided. I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah alone, with no partner or associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
Allaah has blessed His slaves with certain seasons of goodness, in which hasanaat (rewards
for good deeds) are multiplied, sayi’aat (bad deeds) are forgiven, people’s status is raised,
the hearts of the believers turn to their Master, those who purify themselves attain success
and those who corrupt themselves fail. Allaah has created His slaves to worship Him, as He
says
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| [al-Dhaariyaat 51:56] |
[Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid,70 ISSUES RELATED TO FASTING(English), ]
It is in this spirit that Allah, “azza wa jallah”, took it upon Himself to send messengers from amongst men with guidance as to what that worship of Allah is. It is guidance from Allah that we have been commanded to fast during certain part of the year. The benefit of fasting is for our own selves; it is to attain piety that will earn us the perpetual love of Allah here on earth (i.e. a kind of love that exist between a master and a slave as a result of diligent servitude and honored responsibility), as well as winning His eternal love (which is hereby used to mean an undeserved mercy of Allah that is reserved for excellent stewards). Allah says:
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| [ Koran S.002:V.183] |
" O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous From words of Allah it is clear that the specific antidote to the ailing spirit of man that Ramadan provide for is a boon for attaining piety. Piety is perhaps the most valuable status of servitude that any Muslim can endeavor to archive".[ Koran S.002:V.183]
It may be of benefit to consider the following parable, say one is in a race with an equally strong opponent, then in the course of the race the opponent slips or trips himself to the ground thereby offering the other competitor undue advantage of the race.
Such linkage can be drawn for Ramadan whereby as part of Allah’s boundless mercy for mankind decides to use one of His twelve months, Ramadan, as an undue advantage for mankind to, for once, triumph against their arch enemy, Shaytaan the rejected.
Piety is the most invaluable virtue that prepares man for the needed submission to the command of Allah SWA. It is in Ramadan that the deeds of the obedient servant of Allah are multiplied beyond reservation. It is in the month of Ramadan that the famous Laylatul Qadr is honored (this is a night that is very much believed to be worthy of 1000 months of worship, one that is at the peak of the impression of servitude to Allah). It is good to emphasize this, gaining the advantage offered by Laylatul Qadr alone may be likened to a monopolistic competition in which man has the absolute advantage over Shaytaan, to endeavour to reach Allah SWA with a determination and reward that is equivalent to 83yrs and more of servitude to Allah SWA. And even more is to realize that all these 83yrs of worship are not hurdled by undesired competition from Shaytaan. This surely must be a consecrated mercy from Allah SWA.
This is the month in which prayers face little or no resistance in attracting answer from Allah. Almost shattered dreams are rekindled; impossibilities are turned to possibilities; sins are forgiven,even as far as to completely turning a bulk of sins into a bulk of reward; our dead ones are blessed with such un-hoped mercy whereby thousands of perished souls, otherwise doomed to hell-fire are drawn to Jannah on no accounts of theirs; and to crown it all is the reconstruction of destiny of men to a sound footing in their journey toward ALLAH, Subhaanahu WataA’laa.
It then behooves on every Muslim to strive for the best that Ramadan can offer mankind. Perhaps the most important reason that we have to gather for an event like this—preaching(moral talk)—is to help one another to attain the most of their stewardship(servitude) to Allah,Subhaanahu WataA’laa. So the following part of this presentation will(Insha’Allah ) focus on how we can gain the most of this month of Ramadan; looking at what to do?, When to do?, as well as Where to do “what”? in order to (Insha’Allah), gain the most of this noble month of Ramadan.
GAINING THE UTMOST OF RAMADAN
Piety is the resultant effect of all the advantages or breakthroughs that can be gained out of Ramadan. Each and every one of us who hope for the most out of Ramadan must of necessity take PIETY as a goal to archive by the end of Ramadan. Why? If piety is lost out of our (Muslims) determination, during this vantage month, it takes only a split seconds after Ramadan to lose all other benefits of Ramadan that you had gained.
Piety is that which refines the natural virtues of man to excellent servitude; it allows the servant of Allah to completely surrender his free will to the dictate of Allah AZW. So, if that transformation you get during Ramadan is lost in your life after Ramadan, one needs not a rocket scientist to tell him that Ramadan was not useful to him. Just drawing in the parable given earlier, that even after your adversary in the race has slipped or tripped to the ground then you, the other partner, having ran 1000 months ahead of him, then he groaned from his fall and then, on staircase, catch up with you and then beat you in addition.You be the judge of your fate. Thank God that if even we lost the impact of previous Ramadan, now Allah has made possible for us to observe one more and as such we cannot afford to miss out on this opportunity. It is in the light of attaining and sustaining piety during and after the month of Ramadan that I propose the following:
Preparing oneself and one’s environment for worship, hastening to repent and turn back to Allaah, rejoicing at the onset of the month, fasting properly, having the right frame of mind and fearing Allaah when praying Taraaweeh, not feeling tired during the middle ten days of the month, seeking Laylat al-Qadr, reading the entire Qur’aan time after time, trying to weep and trying to understand what you are reading. ‘Umrah during Ramadaan is equivalent to Hajj, and charity given during this virtuous time is multiplied, and I’tikaaf (Retreat in the mosque for worship) is confirmed (as part of the Sunnah),” being generous by sharing knowledge, giving money, using one’s position of authority or physical strength to help others, and having a good attitude.” (Ref: Sorry for a lost reference.) listening to preaching/being part of gathering where effort is being made to understand and practice Islam from Quran and Sunnah.
Contrary to these acts that may increase our chances of gaining the most out of our Ramadan, many are those who do things that can destroy one’s “hasanaa”t (good deeds) and bring sayi’aat (bad deeds) by allowing themselves to be distracted by quiz-shows, (soap operas,) movies and sports matches, idle gatherings, hanging about in the streets with evil people and time-wasters, driving around for no purpose, and crowding the streets and sidewalks, so that the months of Tahajjud, dhikr and worship, for many people, becomes the month of sleeping in the day so as to avoid feeling hungry, thus missing their prayers and the opportunity to pray them in congregation, then spending their nights in entertainment and indulging their desires. Some people even greet the month with feelings of annoyance, thinking only of the pleasures they will miss out on.
In Ramadaan, some people travel to kaafir lands to enjoy a holiday! Even the mosques are not free from such evils as the appearance of women wearing makeup and perfume, makes the mosques even dangerous.Even the Sacred House of Allaah is not free of these ills. Some people make the month a season for begging, even though they are not in need. Some of them entertain themselves with dangerous fireworks and the like, and some of them waste their time in the markets, wandering around the shops, or sewing and following fashions. Some of them put new products and new styles in their stores during the last ten days of the month, to keep people away from earning rewards and “hasanaat”. Our ladies can help us better perfect our Eeman, by regulating Tabarru j wanton display of their bodies). We should endearvour to avoid all these negative acts.
What if you choose to congratulate one another at the onset of Ramadan as a way of psyching up for Ramadan and extending good will to one another? Surely
“there is nothing wrong with congratulating one another at the beginning of the month. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to tell his Companions the good news of the onset of Ramadaan, and urge them to make the most of it. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘There has come to you Ramadaan, a blessed month. Allaah has made it obligatory on you to fast (this month). During it the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are locked, and the devils are chained up. In it there is a night that is better than a thousand months, and whoever is deprived of its goodness is deprived indeed.’” (Reported by al-Nisaa'i, 4/129; Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/490)
Instead of concerning too much about oneself in making special arrangement for diet and its accompanied extravagance or too much concern about what trend of fashion to follow(esp. For Eid al- Fitr), Ramadan is still a month of charitable acts where acts of charity are exponentially rewarded. How a muslim should approach charity in the month of Ramadan? A quick view of the Prophets life will illustrate this: Al-Bukhaari and Muslim reported that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (Peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the most generous of people [in doing Good], and he was most generous of all in Ramadaan when Jibreel met with him, and he used to meet him every night in Ramadaan and teach him the Qur’aan. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was more generous in doing good than a blowing wind.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 6).
How can people exchange generosity for stinginess and action for laziness, to the extent that they do not do their work properly and do not treat one another properly, and they use fasting as an excuse for all this?
Confirming the Month of Ramadan
- The onset of Ramadaan is confirmed by the sighting of the new moon, or by the completion of thirty days of Sha’baan. Whoever sees the crescent of the new moon or hears about it from a trustworthy source is obliged to fast.
- Using calculations to determine the onset of Ramadaan is bid’ah, because the Hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) clearly states: “Fast when you see it (the new moon) and break your fast when you see it.” If an adult, sane, trustworthy, reliable Muslim who has good eyesight says that he has seen the crescent with his own eyes, then we should take his word for it and act accordingly (i.e., we are allowed to start fasting by virtue of his claim).
Allah, the Exalted Says:
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| [Koran:S.002/A.184] |
(Interpretation of the Meaning)(Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (with hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will, it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew."
Fasting is an obligation on every adult, sane, settled [i.e., not traveling] Muslim who is able to fast and has nothing such as “Hayd(menstruation)” or “Nifaas (post-natal bleeding)” that legally prevent him/her from fasting.
A person is deemed to have reached adulthood when any one of the following three things occurs: emission of semen, whether in a wet dream or otherwise; growth of coarse pubic hair around the private parts; attainment of fifteen years of age(popular scholarly opinion). In the case of females, there is a fourth, namely menstruation; when a girl reaches menarche (starts her period), she is obliged to fast even if she has not yet reached the age of ten.
Children should be instructed to fast at the age of seven, if they are able to, and some scholars said that a child may be smacked at the age of ten if he does not fast, just as in the case of Salaah. (See al-Mughni, 3/90). The child will be rewarded for fasting, and the parents will be rewarded for bringing him up properly and guiding him to do good. Al-Rubay’ bint Mu’awwidh (may Allaah be pleased with her) , speaking about Ramadaan when it was made obligatory: “We used to make our children fast, and we would make them a toy made out of wool. If any one of them started to cry for food, we would give them that toy to play with until it was time to break the fast.” (al-Bukhaari, Fath, no. 1960). Some people do not think it is important to tell their children to fast; indeed, a child may be enthusiastic about fasting and may be capable of doing it, but his father or mother may tell him not to fast, out of so-called “pity” for him. They do not realize that true pity and compassion consist of making him get used to fasting. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire (hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not.”(Koran: S.66:V6) (70 ISSUES RELATED TO FASTING(English) Page 9 of 26)
If a person’s reason for not fasting is obvious, such as illness, there is nothing wrong with him eating or drinking openly, but if the reason is hidden, such as menstruation, it is better to eat and drink in secret, so as not to attract accusations and the like. Once the entire disk of the sun has disappeared, the fasting person should break his fast, and not pay any attention to the red glow that remains on the horizon, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Once night comes from there and the day disappears from there, and the sun has set, the fasting person should break his fast.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 1954; the issue is also mentioned in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa,25/216).
If a woman knows that her period will come tomorrow, she should still continue her attention and keep fasting; she should not break her fast until she actually sees the blood.
IT’S MY SINCERE PRAYERS THAT ALLAH BLESS YOU AND I WITH THE ABILITY TO REAP THE MOST OF THIS MONTH AS WELL AS GRANT US HIS EVERLASTING MERCY EVEN BEYOND RAMADAN, THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THE BLESSINGS EVEN BEYOND RAMADAN.
ASSALAAMU ALAYKUM WARAHMATULLAH WABARAKAATUH
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Article: Even More with Ramadan
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Abd Dayan is a Most Active Contributor(MAC/GhMYC) and a Most Active Board Member(MABM/GhMYC) of GhMYC. A graduate from the KNUST and a National Service Personnel at the Ga West Municipal Assembly, Amasaman, Greater Accra.
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