Reaping the Benefits of Ramadan
EsinIslam
Ramadan
Ramadan Explorer
Ali Al-Tamimi
Adapted from a lecture
In the month of Ramadan it is very important that we spent a few moments to
understand some of the wisdoms and lessons that we can learn from this month
of fasting.
Unfortunately, many Muslims come in to this month and they are as a companion
of the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Let it not be that the day that you
fast and the day that you breakfast be equal." Meaning, one's behavior,
attitude and outlook are the same whether one fasts or not, i.e. fasting has
no effect upon that person. This is why we need to reflect on some of these
lessons.
LESSON 1: Gaining Taqwaa
Allaah legislated fasting for gaining taqwaa,
"O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed upon you as it has been
prescribed upon those before you, so that you may attain taqwaa." [Al-Baqarah
2:183]
{يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ
عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ}
البقرة: 183
Transliteration: Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo kutiba AAalaykumu alssiyamu kama
kutiba AAala allatheena min qablikum laAAallakum tattaqoona
Taqwaa in this case means to make a shield between oneself and Allah's anger
and Hellfire. So we should ask ourselves, when we break our fasts, 'Has this
fasting day made us fear Allaah more? Has it resulted that we want to protect
ourselves from the hellfire or not?
LESSON 2: Drawing closer to Allaah
This is achieved by reciting and reflecting on Al-Qur'an during night and day,
attending the taraweeh prayers, remembering Allaah, sitting in circles of
knowledge and, for those who can, making umrah. Also for those who can, making
Itikaaf (seclusion) in the last ten nights of Ramadan, so as to leave all
worldly pursuits and seclude oneself in a masjid just thinking of Allaah, so
as to bring oneself closer to Allaah (SWT). When one sins, one feels distant
from Allaah. That is why one might find it hard to read the Qur'an and come to
the masjid. However, the obedient worshipper feels closer to Allaah and wants
to worship Allaah more, because he is not shy from his sins.
LESSON 3: Acquiring patience and strong will
Allaah has mentioned patience more than seventy times in the Qur'an and has
commanded patience in more than sixteen ways in His Book. So when one fasts,
and gives up one's food and drink, and one's marital sexual relations for
those hours, one learns restraint and patience. This Ummah needs men and women
that are strong willed, who can stand upon the Sunnah and the Book of Allah
and not waver in front of the enemies of Allaah. We do not need emotional
people, who just raise slogans and shout, but when the time comes to stand
upon something firm, they cannot do so, they waver.
LESSON 4: Striving for Ihsaan (righteousness and sincerity) and staying
away from riyaa' (showing off)
Ihsaan means to worship Allaah as if one sees Him, and even though one does
not see Him, He sees all. Hasan al-Basree said, "By Allaah, in the last twenty
years, I have not said a word or taken something with my hand or refrained to
take something with my hand or stepped forth or stepped back, except that I
have thought before I have done any action, 'Does Allaah love this action? Is
Allaah pleased with this action?' So when one is fasting, one should gain this
quality of watching oneself and also staying away from riyaa' (showing off).
That is why Allah said in a hadeeth qudsee, "Fasting is for Me and I reward
it." [Al-Bukhari]
«إلا الصوم ، فإنه لي وأنا أجزي به »
رواه البخاري
Allaah singles out fasting from all other types of worship saying, "Fasting is
for Me", because no one knows whether you are fasting or not, except Allaah.
For example, when one is praying or giving charity or making tawaaaf, one can
be seen by the people, so one might do the action seeking the praise of the
people. Sufyaan ath-Thawree used to spend the nights and the days crying and
the people used to ask him, "Why do you cry, is it due to the fear of Allaah?
He said, 'No.' They said, "Is it due to the fear of the Hellfire?" He said,
'No. It is not the fear of Hellfire that makes me cry, what makes me cry is
that I have been worshipping Allaah all these years and doing scholarly
teaching, and I am not certain that my intentions are purely for Allaah.'"
LESSON 5: Refinement of manners, especially those related to truthfulness
and discharging trusts.
The Prophet (may Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him) said, "Whoever
does not abandon falsehood in word and action, then Allaah (SWT) has no need
that he should heave his food and drink." [Al-Bukhari]
«من لم يدع قول الزور والعمل به ، فليس لله حاجة في أن يدع طعامه وشرابه »
رواه البخاري
What we learn from this, is that we must pay attention to the purification of
our manners. The Prophet (may Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him)
said, "was sent to perfect good manners." [Malik]
«إنما بعثت لأتمم مكارم الأخلاق»
رواه الإمام مالك
So we must check ourselves, are we following the behavior of the Prophet (may
Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him)? For example: Do we give salaam
to those we don't know and those we do know? Do we follow the manners of
Islam, by telling the truth and only telling the truth? Are we sincere? Are we
merciful to the creation?
LESSON 6: Recognizing that one can change for the better
The Prophet (may Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him) said, "Every son
of Adam sins and the best of the sinners are those who repent." [Ibn Maajah]
« كل بني آدم خطاء وخير الخطائين التوابون »
رواه ابن ماجه
Allaah provides many opportunities to repent to Him and seek His forgiveness.
If one was disobedient they can become obedient.
LESSON 7: Being more charitable
Ibn Abbaas said, "The Prophet (may Allaah send His blessing and peace upon
him) was the most charitable amongst the people, and he used to be more so in
the month of Ramadaan when Jibreel used to meet him on every night of Ramadaan
till the end of the month..." [Al-Bukhari]
« كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أجود الناس ، وكان أجود ما يكون في رمضان حين
يلقاه جبريل ، وكان يلقاه في كل ليلة من رمضان فيدارسه القرآن... »
رواه البخاري
The Prophet (may Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him) said, "He who
gives food for a fasting person to break his fast, he will receive the same
reward as him, without nothing being reduced from the fasting person's
reward." [At-Tirmizi]
«من فطر صائما كان له مثل أجره ، غير أنه لا ينقص من أجر الصائم شيئا »
رواه الترمذي
LESSON 8: Sensing the unity of the Muslims
The Prophet (may Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him) said, "... Those
of you who will live after me will see many differences. Then you must cling
to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided khaleefahs. Hold fast to it
and stick to it." [Abu Dawud]
«فإنه من يعش منكم بعدي فسيرى اختلافا كثيرا ، فعليكم بسنتي وسنة الخلفاء
المهديين الراشدين تمسكوا بها ، وعضوا عليها بالنواجذ »
رواه أبو داود
In this month we sense that there is a possibility for unity, because we all
fast together, we breakfast together, we all worship Allah together, and we
pray Salaatul-Eid together. Therefore we sense that the unity of Muslims is
possible. It is possible for Muslims to be a single body, but this will only
be achieved when obedience is only to Allaah and His Messenger.
LESSON 9: Learning discipline
The Prophet (may Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him) made us adhere
to discipline and strictness, strictness that does not lead to fanaticism or
going outside the bounds that Allaah has laid down. One cannot knowingly break
the fast before the sunset, as this will not be accepted by Allaah. Muslims
should learn to be very strict in their lives, because they are people of an
important message, which they mold their lives around.
LESSON 10: Teaching the young to worship Allaah
It was the practice of the people of Madeenah, that during the fast of
Aashooraa (which is now a recommended fast of one day) to get their children
to fast with them. When the children would cry of hunger and thirst, their
parents would distract their attention by giving them some sort of toy to play
with. The children would break their fast with their parents. [As mentioned in
al-Bukhari]
«فكنا نصومه بعد ، ونصوم صبياننا ، ونجعل لهم اللعبة من العهن ، فإذا بكى أحدهم
على الطعام أعطيناه ذاك حتى يكون عند الإفطار »
رواه البخاري
So the young should be brought to the masjid and they should pray with their
parents, so that they are able to get into the habit of becoming worshippers
of Allaah. If one does not encourage children to fast when they are young,
they will find it very difficult to fast for thirty days at the age of
puberty. This is why the Prophet (may Allah send His blessing and peace upon
him) said, "Command your children to pray at the age of seven and beat them at
the age of ten (if they do not pray." [Abu Dawud]
«مروا الصبيان بالصلاة لسبع سنين، واضربوهم عليها فى عشر سنين»
رواه أبو داود
LESSON 11: Caring for one's health
Fasting has many medical benefits and it teaches Muslims to take care of their
health and too build strong bodies. The Prophet (may Allaah send His blessing
and peace upon him) said, "A strong believer is better and is more beloved to
Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone." [Muslim]
«المؤمن القوي خير وأحب إلى الله من المؤمن الضعيف. وفي كل خير »
رواه مسلم
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