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RAMADAN (2)

Fasting is one of the pillars of Islam. Like prayer, whoever does

not perform it, without any legal reason is seriously very sinful,

disobedient to Allah’s orders. It is a major sin.

:وسلمعلي هللاصلىللارسولقال:قالهري رةأبيعن

ماأف طرمن » صة غي رمن رمضانمن يو يق ضلم مرض ،ولرخ

معن ه صامهوإن كلهالده رصو )رواهالترمذي(

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah s.a.w.

said: Who intentionally leaves fasting in Ramadan without

any valid reason, he will not be able to make up the merit

of it, even if he fasts for ever. (Reported by al-Tirmidhī)

With the approach of Ramadan the Prophet s.a.w. delivered the

following speech to his companions:

O people, you are being blessed with a blessed month in which a

night is better than a thousand months, a month wherein fasting in

the day time is obligatory and praying at night as an extra devotion.

Whoever makes himself close to Allah by doing a good deed in it, the

merit of it like doing an obligatory deed in other months. And

however does an obligatory deed in it, the merit of it is like doing

seventy obligatory deeds in other months.

Ramadan is the months were holy books were revealed. The

Prophet said:

قع،ب نواثلةعن س :قالوسلمعلي هللاصلىللارسولأنال

وأن زلترمضان،من لي لة أولفيالسلمعلي هإب راهيمصحفأن زلت »

راة ن جيلرمضان،من مضي نلست التو رةلثلثوال خلت عش

قانوأن زلرمضان،من بع ال فر رينلر رمضانمن خلت وعش

)رواهأحمد(

Wāthilah ibn al-Asqa‘ narrated that the Messenger of

Allah s.a.w. said: the Scrolls of Ibrahim a.s. were revealed

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in the first night of Ramadan, the Torah was revealed in

the 6th

of Ramadan, the Injīl (Gospel) was revealed in

3th

of Ramadan, and the Criterion (Qur’ān) was

revealed in the 24th

of Ramadan.

(Reported by Ahmad)

Ramadan is the month of good luck for believers, as the rewards

and merits of good deeds in it will be multiple more than those in

other months. Allah said:

رفلهبال حسنةجاءمن ثالهاعش زىفلبالسيئةجاءومن أم يج

(061النعام:061)يظ لمونلوهم مث لهاإل

Whoever rings a good deed shall have en times

the like thereof to his credit, and whoever brings an evil

deed shall have only recompense of the like thereof, and

they will not be wronged. (Q. 6:160).

However, there is a good deed which has more than tenfold

credit. Allah says:

والهم ين فقونالذينمثل أن بتت حبة كمثلللاسبيلفيأم

يشاءلمن يضاعفوللاحبة مائةسن بلة كلفيسنابلسب ع

(160البقرة:)عليم واسع وللا

The like ness of those who spend their wealth in

the way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn);

itgrows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains.

Allah gives manifold increase to whom He wills. And

Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs,

All Knower. (Q. 2:261).

Based on these two verses the reward of a good deed is then

between ten to seven hundred fold credits. However, there is a good

deed whee the merit or reward of it can be more than seven hundred

times. It is fasting in Ramadan depending on our sincerity and piety in

doing it. In a ḥadīth qudsī the Prophet s.a.w. said:

:وسلمعلي هللاصلىللارسولقال:قالعن ه،للارضيهري رةأبيعن

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رال حسنةيضاعف،آدماب نعملكل " ثالهاعش ،سب عمائةإلىأم ف ضع

م،إل:وجلعزللاقال زيوأناليفإنهالصو شه وتهيدعبه،أج

ليمن وطعامه (مسلمرواه)“أج

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of

Allah said: “All of the deeds of the son of Adam are

rewarded tenfold to seven hundred, Allah the Almighty

said: “Except fasting which is for Me, and (therefore) I

will reward him [namely, even above sevenhundred

times], he left his passion and food for

My sake.”(Reported by Muslim)

Ramadan is the month of devotion and worship where Muslims

all over the world fast as obedience to Allah. Fasting is one of many

ways for Muslims to become close to Him. After revealing the

enjoinment of fasting in Ramadan, the Prophet s.a.w. said:

رمضانقاممن :»قالوسلمعلي هللاصلىللارسولأنهري رةأبيعن

تسابا،إيمانا )رواهالبخاري(ذن بهمن تقدممالهغفرواح

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of

Allah s.a.w.said: Whoever fasts in then monthn of

Ramadan faithfjullhy out of sincere faith and hoping

to attain Allah’s rewards [not for showing off]

all his past sins will be forgiven.

(Reported by Bukhari)

The spiritual aspect of fasting which can only be performed with

sincerity (no room for show off) is also indicated in the Qur’ān, as

follows:

والكم تأ كلواول لوابال باطلبي نكم أم لتأ كلواال حكامإلىبهاوتد

والمن فريقا ث مالناسأم لمونوأن تم بال )011)تع

Do not misappropriate one another’s property unjustly,

not bribe the judges, in order to misappropriate a part of other

people’s property, sinfully and knowingly. (Q. 2:180.

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Fasting will not be accepted by A|llah if it is still accompanied

with evil actions. Narrated by Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet s.a.w. said:

ليدع لم من ورقو فلي سبه،والعملالز يدعأن فيحاجة لل

)رواهالبخاري(وشرابهطعامه

Whoever does not give up lying speech—false

statement and evil actions—then Allah is not in need

of his leaving his food or drink [i.e., Allah will not

accept his fasting].(Reported by Bukhari)

Like prayer, fasting also will prevent the faster from doing evil.

Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal narrated that the Prophet s.a.w. said: “Would you

like me to show you the doors of goodness?” When Mu‘ādh said

“yes”, he said: “… fasting is junnah (a shield, a protection) from

punishment in hellfire and from evil characters.”

It is recommended to fast 6 days after Ramadan, as it is like

fasting the whole year. The Prophet s.a.w. said

هر ،بعشرةفشه ر رمضانصاممن ستةوصيامأش

دأيام )رواهأحمد( السنةصيامتمامفذلكال فط ربع

Whoever fasts in Ramadan, one month is the reward

of ten months, and fasting six days after breaking the fast

(makes 60 days reward, i.e., two months, added with

ten months) makes one year (reward).

(Reported by Ahmad)

In another ḥadīth the Prophet said:

،من وست ارمضانصاممن (أحمدرواه)الده رصامفقد شوال

Whoever fasts in Ramadan and six day of Shawwal,

he fasts the whole year. (Reported by Ahmad)

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Tarāwīḥ prayers.

Tarāwīḥ prayers in recommended at the nights of Ramadan.

The Prophet himself led tarāwīḥ prayers but for two nights only.

منينأمعائشةعن علي هللاصلىللارسولأن:عن هاللارضيالمؤ

جد،فيلي لة ذاتصلىوسلم ،بصلتهفصلىالمس القابلة،منصلىثمناس

تمعواثمالناس،فكثر رج فلم الرابعة،أوالثالثةاللي لةمناج رسولإلي هم يخ

بحفلماوسلم،هعلي للاصلىللا تم الذيرأي تقد :»قالأص صنع

نيولم نع تف رضأن خشيتأنيإلإلي كم الخروجمنيم

)رواهالبخاري(رمضانفيوذلكعلي كم

‘Ᾱishah r.a. narrated, “one night the Messenger of Allah offered the

prayer in the Mosque and the people followed him. The next night he

also offered the prayer and too many people gathered. On the third

and the fourth nights, more people gathered, but the Messenger of

Allah did not come out to them. In the morning he said: ‘I what you

were doing, and nothing that stopped me from coming to you but the

fear that it (i.e., the prayer) might be enjoined top you in the

month of Ramadan. (Reported by Bukhari)

It is reported by al-Hasan that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab gathered the

people in the tarāwīḥ prayer behind Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (who led them).

He used to lead them for twenty days (during Ramadan) and would

not recite the supplication except in the second half of it (Ramadan).

When the last ten days remained, he kept away from them, and p

rayed in his house. The used to say: 'Ubayy ran away’ (Reported by

Abu Dawud).

Tarāwīḥ prayer can be performed individually or in

congregation. However, the majority of schools prefer in in

congregation, except Imam Malik of the Maliki School. The Prophet

stopped praying tarāwīḥ in congregation for fear that they will be

made obligatory. It was ‘Umar who convoke the Muslims to pray

behind the imam. When ‘Umar saw people prayed in the mosque

individually, he suggested praying behind an imam. So, he gathered

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them together to pray behind Ubayy. The next night he came to the

mosque and saw people praying behind one imam. He said, “What a

good innovation this is!”.

Ramadan is the month of generosity. The Mu slims are

encouraged to give more charity in this month. The prophet s.a.w.

who was generous became more generous in this month. Ibn ‘Abbās

narrated that the Prophet was the most generous people, and he used

to reach the peak of generosity in the month of Ramadan when.

Gabriel met him. (Bukhari).

Ramadan is supposed to be the month of patience, mercy, and

happiness, not of impatience and misery. In this month of Ramadan

the devils are chained, as the Prophet told us. Yet, many people are

still unable to control their emotion because of being hungry.

(CIVIC, 12.06.13)