Ramadan and the blessings of the Most Gracious

Months and years pass by and the month of Ramadan comes to return to us the great meanings which form the features of a Muslim life and the values of our religion which should not be lost from the life of a Muslim. The acts of worship in Islam do not replace one another where they contribute in building the Muslim character as they are the nutrition of the creed, the positive expression of it, and the practical application of it.

Indeed, man is created for loving goodness and moves by its motives, as he is subject to evil. The way of goodness is one but the ways of evil are numerous and on the top of every one of them there is a devil which temps people to walk in. The inclination of man to evil exists, so he needs guarding, vigilance, and gaining more energy to defeat the inclinations of evil inside himself and that shall not happen except through performing general acts of worship and fasting Ramadan in particular. Ramadan is the month of the Qur'an: Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'ân." [Surat Al Baqarah: 185].

Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was the most generous of men; and he was the most generous during the month of Ramadan when Gabriel visited him every night and recited the Qur'an to him. During that period, the generosity of Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) waxed faster than the rain bearing wind.[1]"

Abu sa`id narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The Lord, Blessed and High be He, says: "He whom the Qur'an keeps occupied from My Remembrance and from supplicating Me, (must know that) I grant him better than that which I give the supplicants. And the excellence of Allah's words over all other expressions is like the excellence of Allah over His creation.[2]"

Ramadan is the month of Qiyam [The optional Night Salah]:

An-Nasa'y narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Verily, Allah imposed the fasting of Ramadan upon you and I made it a Sunnah to perform Qiyam therein, so whoever fasts, performs Qiyam out of sincere faith and hoping for Allah's Reward shall get out from his sins as the day in which his mother delivered him.[3]"

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever performs Salah at night the whole month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, all his previous sins will be forgiven.[4]"

Why not while fasting leads to piety? Therefore, we see that a fasting person is always pushed by his piety to abandon his bed for Qiyam, reciting the Qur'an, mentioning the name of the Most Gracious; they are all the qualities which Allah counted for us in His Ever-Generous Book.

Luqman, the wise, reported to have said: "O my son, if the stomach is filled [by food], ideas will die, wisdom will stop, and organs neglect in worship."

Ramadan is the month of asking for forgiveness:

Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) says: "And in the hours before dawn, they were (found) asking (Allâh) for forgiveness." [Surat Az-Zariyat: 18].

A person who observes fasting should wake up at night to have the pre-dawn meal so as to be able to continue fasting, and during that, he should mention Allah, pronounce Takbir, and ask for pardon during the time of Suhur [pre-dawn meal].

Ramadan is the month of thanking and praising Allah:

During Ramadan, a person fills his time day and night with glorifying Allah and mentioning His Name: At breaking the fast, a fasting person mentions, praises, and glorifies his Lord. Likewise, at Suhur, at the beginning of the day, and after every obligatory or voluntary Salah, and in every moment because he mentions his Lord and He (may He be Glorified and Exalted) watches over His Servants, so a person should keep away from things that incite His Anger.

Ramadan is the month of Tarawih:

Performing Tarawih [Special voluntary night Salah during Ramadan] is an emphasized Sunnah so that the fasting person would feel after breaking the fast that he is still connected with Allah and until the fasting person feels that comfort. The fasting person performs Tarawih after `Isha' (Night) Salah: Two Rak`ahs by two Rak`ahs until a person finishes Salah then is followed by Witr.

Tarawih is part of the voluntary night Salah and it is desirable to be performed in congregation in the masjid in order to be able to recite or listen to the entire volume of the Qur'an during the nights of Ramadan.

Ramadan is the month of I`tikaf (retiring to the mosque for worship):

The meaning of I`tikaf is staying in the masjid with the purpose of mentioning Allah, performing Salah, glorfying Allah, exerting efforts for worship, supplication, reciting the Qur'an, and seeking forgiveness without engaging in worldly affairs, specially women. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I`tikâf(i.e., confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques." [Surat Al Baqarah: 187].

`A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to tighten his waist belt (i.e., work hard) and used to perform Salah all night long, and used to keep his family awake for Salah." [5]

I`tikaf is just a preparation for body and soul so that a believer would turn to his lord satisfying and to feel comfortable in his acts of worship so that they will be sincerely for Allah and to declare full submission to the Lord of the worlds.

Ramadan contains Laylatul-Qadr (the Night of Decree):

Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "The night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshipping Allâh in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months)." [Surat Al Qadr: 3].

Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "We sent it (this Qur'ân) down on a blessed night [(i.e. the night of Al-Qadr, Sûrah No. 97) in the month of Ramadân - the 9th month of the Islâmic 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]." [Surat Ad-Dukhan: 3].

It is a night during which the venerable angels come down and gather around the reciter of the Qur'an, so it is full of peace and security. Laylatul-Qadr takes place in the last ten days of Ramadan as the Prophet (peace be upon him) told us, when he said: "Investigate Laylat-ul-Qadr (the Night of Decree) during the last ten days of Ramadan."[6]

Ramadan is the month of invocation:

Invocation is an act of worship as Allah (the Blessed and the Exalted) says: "And your Lord said: "Invoke Me, [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islâmic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation)." [Surat Ghafir: 60]. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Three people will not be rejected their invocations: a fasting person at the time he breaks his fast, the just ruler, and the invocation of the oppressed people.[7]"

There are many blessings from the Most Gracious: There are some blessings which Allah granted us in this worldly life to strengthen and cure our bodies from diseases. By fasting, all bodily organs feel comfort especially the stomach, moreover fasting helps directing these acts of worship and those feelings toward sincerity; when bodies are safe and healthy, souls are purified.

At the end of every year, it comes the day of the prize when comes the time of `Eidul-Fitr, where we say: La Ilaha Illa Allah, pronounce Takbir, praise Allah not because Ramadan has gone, but because Allah guided us to fast it and fulfill that obligatory duty. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "(He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allâh [i.e. to say Takbîr (Allâhu Akbar; Allâh is the Most Great)] for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him." [Surat Al Baqarah: 185].

The other blessing is the blessing of the Hereafter and it is enough that Allah undertook to reward His Servants because fasting is a secret between Allah and His Servants which no other man can appreciate or even figure it out because it is an obligatory duty that is not done bu bodily organs, so people cannot judge it.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) says: Every good deed of Adam's son is for him except fasting; it is for Me and I shall reward (the fasting person) for it." [8]

I ask Allah to accept from Muslims their fasting and their Qiyam, and to combine between their hearts in this blessed month. Peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, upon his family, and all his Companions.