The Virtues Of Ramadaan

Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s Apostle (Peace be upon him) said, “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of Jannah (Paradise) are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and Satans are chained.”[1] The gates of Jannah are opened in this month because a great deat of righteous deeds are performed, and as an encouragement for those who seek Allah’s reward. The gates of Hell are closed because few signs are committed by believers. The Satans will be chained so that they may not have the chance they have in other months to whisper into the hearts of the believers and misguide them.

Allah has prescribed fasting and it obligatory upon all nations. He said:

 “O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al – Muttaqoon (the pious).” [Surat Al-Baqarah :183]

If fasting were not a great act of worship, and the reward thereof were not so great, Allah would not have prescribed it on all nations.

Among the virtues of fasting is that it is a means for atonement of sins. It is narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “He who observes the fast of the month of Ramadan out of sincerity and hope for the reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven.”[2] That is, when fasting is observed out of belief and without resentment to it as an act of worship or doubt in its reward, Allah will forgive the past sins of the one who observes it.

Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (Peace be upon him) as saying: “Allah said: All the deeds of Adam’s children belong to them, except fasting, which belongs to me and I will reward it. Fasting is a shield (against the Hell and against the commission of sins). If one of you happens to be fasting he should avoid sexual relations with his wife, and should avoid quarrelling. Should someone fight or quarrel with him let him say, ‘I am fasting.’ By Him in Whose hand my soul is, the smell of the month of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than that of the musk.”[3]

 It is a shield because it safeguards the believer from vain talk and wrongdoing, and hence protects him from Hell.

Of all the good deeds, Allah has favored fasting to be greatly rewarded by Him and distinguished it with prestige when it is observed with the pure intention to please Him Alone.

Fasting is so meritorious for a believer that he will have two occasions of joy. The first is at the time of breaking his fast, when he enjoys the bounties of Allah because he has been favored with Allah’s mercy to observe the fast while many others have been deprived of this great blessing. He will rejoice in the second occasion when he meets his Lord and enjoys the abundant reward for having observed fasting[4]

. In addition to this, fasting intercedes with Allah on behalf of the believer on the Day of Judgment[5].