The Virtues Of Ramadhaan
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Ramadan Explorer
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih Al- ‘Uthaymeen
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].
[1] Saheeh Al- Bukhaari (Arabic/English), vol. 3, # 123, and Saheeh Muslim
(English trans.) # 2361 & 2362. one wording of Muslim is '' the gates of mercy
are opened.''
[2] Saheeh Al-Bukhaari (Arabic/English), vol. 3, # 125.
[3] Saheeh Al – Bukhaari (Arabic/ English), vol.3, # 118 and #128, and Saheeh
Muslim (English trans) # 2567.
[4] Saheeh Al Bukhaari (Arabic/English), vol. 3, # 128, and Saheeh Muslim
(English trans). # 2567.
[5] The Porphet (Peace be upon him) said, ''Fasting and the Qur'aan intercede
for the servant on the Day of Resurrection. Fasting will say : O my Lord ! I
prevented him from food and desires, so accept my intercession for him ; and
the Qur'aan will say : I prevented him from sleep at night, so accept my
intercession for him. So their intercession will be accepted.'' Reported by
Ahmad, Al Haakim, Abu Nu'aym and others from ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr. Its chain of
narrators is hasan. [Fasting in Ramadaan by Shaykhs saleem Al- Hilaalee and
‘Alee Hasan ‘Alee ‘Abdul – Hameed, p. 5]
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