Signinficance of Ramadan

1. Most importantly, the first revelation of the Quran is believed to have been revealed during this month. Quran is the holy book of Muslims believed to have been revealed to Muhammad (may peace be upon him) who was the last of God's prophets on earth. Muslims recite the Quran at home and read its translations and many try to attend classes where its translation is further explained by learned scholars.
2. Ramadan is the holiest of Islamic months where the reward of the good deeds are multiplied excessively. Muslims make sure they can reap maximum reward during this month and try to focus upon achieving those good deeds.
3.It is a month of purification of mind, soul and acts - hence Muslims are expected to stay away from bad deeds along with food, drink and smoke and spend this time focused on pleasing Allah and humanity.
4.According to Islamic teachings, the first 10 days of Ramadan are of mercy, next 10 days are for forgiveness, and last 10 days are of distance from Hellfire. Muslims pray excessively during this month not only because the rewards are greater, but also in order to win the mercy, forgiveness and distance from hell that has been promised to them.
5.Ramadan is about sharing - the fact that one abstains from eating and drinking reminds one of the hardship of those who cannot afford to eat or drink as much. It teaches one patience in front of hardship and gratitude to God at all costs.
6.Muslims perform the most charitable acts during this month. "Zakat" which is compulsory charity on all Muslims calculated according to the savings one has over a year's time can be given out all year through but Muslims spend most on zakat during this month. Apart from this there is "fitra" which is compulsory charity during Ramadan, specifically calculated on the cost of food items like grain and wheat, and is given to the needy.
7.Continuing with the idea of sharing, Muslims share food with their neighbors, family, friends and the poor during Ramadan. This increases the sense of community and love.Read more:

What is Ramazan

Ramadan is the holy month of fasting in the Islamic calendar.Its the night month. Muslims around the world are expected to fast from sun rise until sun set. Fasting requires abstinence from food and liquids, smoking and sexual intercourse during the given time. Apart from the mentioned, it is expected of a Muslim to stay away from all such deeds which may be the sign of a bad character, may hurt someone else or may become a cause of disruption in society.
If a Muslim is fasting by not eating, drinking or smoking but indulging in deeds that are frowned upon by God, it makes the fasting merely an act of starving and not one with spiritual depth in it. Hence deeds such as back biting, anger, hiding the truth or deceiving, stealing or partaking in other activities that are not permissible are especially avoided during the holy month.Read more.

A Greeting Poem for Ramadan, the Blessed Month

Marhaban Ahlan wasahlan, Oh Ramadan!

the month of blessing,

the month that all Muslims are anxiously awaiting to fast,

the month that elevates the faith of Muslims,

the month that brings good and bad Muslims together

,the month in which Qur'an is recited more than all the other monthscombined

,Oh the loving Ramadan, here you are with us again,

the month of piety in which all doubtful hobbies are avoided,

Oh Ramadan, Marhaban Ahlan wasahlan!

the only month that has a Night of Power,

the only month in which Angels descend in troops,

the month in which the poor and the rich get their past sins forgiven,

Oh Ramadan, the lessons you taught us will not be forgotten,

Oh Ramadan, we look forward to seeing more of you in fettle.

Marhaban ahlan wasahlan, Oh Ramadan!

Why do muslims fast?

Here are some possible reasons why Muslims observe a marathon one-month fast during Ramadan.
(a) To obey Allah's injunction
Fundamental to a Muslim's faith (or belief) are six articles: (i) belief in Allah, (ii) belief in Angels, (iii) belief in divine Books of Allah, (iv) belief in all Prophets, (v) belief in the Day of Judgement, and (vi) belief in Predestination. Articles (i) and (iii) demand that a Muslim must believe in, obey and implement, all the words of Allah contained in the Holy Qur'an. This is because ...His (Allah) word is the truth..." (6:73) and ::the truth is from your Lord, so be not at all in doubt" (2:147) and "...whose word can be truer than Allah?" (Qur'an). Thematically, Qur'an contains injunctions for mankind, allegories, stories of past events, accounts of future events, and a lot of lessons especially for Muslims. Of importance the injunctions are sometime directed to all creatures (men and jinns), or sometime to specific gender (men or women), or sometime to specific tribes (eg "Bani Israel"), or sometime to the progeny of Adam (i.e mankind), or sometime to Ahl-ul kitaab (the people of the book), or sometime to Muslims (i.e those who believe in One Allah) etc. In most cases, the injunctions of Allah to Muslims can be regarded as blessing and mercy and when fully obeyed often lead them to His straight path. Without mincing words, there is no compromise with Allah's injunctions: every sincere and God-fearing Muslim must obey them; this is a necessary precondition for being a Muslim. One of His injunctions, directed to Muslims (men and women), is:
"O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you..."(2:183)
The phrase "O you who believe" is referring to: (i) those who submit to Allah's wills and commands, (ii) those who believe in the six articles of faith, (iii) those who testify that "La ilaha illa llaha Muhammadu-r Rasululla", (iv) those who practise the five pillars of Islam, and (v) those who implement and obey Allah's injunctions in the Qur'an and follow the sunnah of His Prophet, Muhammad (s.a.w). No followers of any religions satisfy these criteria of "O you who believe" except the Muslims. It is they (Muslims) that Allah is directing His injunction in 2:183 to. The injunction prescribed fasting as a compulsory duty for them thus:
"...fasting is prescribed for you (Muslims)..." (2:183)
and
"...whoever witnesses the month of Ramadan should fast through it..." (2:185)
Clearly, Ramadan fast is a divine injunction mandatory for all able-bodied Muslims who are free from compelling excuses. Whoever deliberately forgoes fasting in Ramadan, should know that (s)he has disobeyed Allah's injunction and no amount of fasting thereafter can give her/him a reward equivalent to one misssed Ramadan fast as obvious in this hadeeth:
Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet(s.a.w) said: "whoever did not fast one day of Ramadan without a genuine excuse or a disease then even if he fasted for a complete year, it would not compensate for that (missed Ramadan) day"
(Sahih al-Bukhari, vol 3,p.88)
(ii) To practice the tradition, and way of the pious people.
Fasting is not new to Islam; it is, indeed, as old as Adam(a.s) who was the first creature and the first Muslim to submit to one Allah. No one knows precisely when fasting began among Adam's progenies but it is the practice of all the Prophets of Allah and their followers. Qur'an mentions that Musa(a.s) fasted for 40 days (see 2:51) (this is what the Jews termed "Jewish Passover") and the Prophet(s.a.w) told us that Dawud(a.s) used to fast for half of the year (this involves fasting on every alternate day). 'Issa (a.s) (or Jesus) was also reported to have fasted for 40 days (this is what the christians termed "the Lent", usually observed before Easter festival). Since these Prophets were Muslims, it can be seen that by asking Muslims to fast, Allah intends to draw their attention to the practice and tradition of those pious predecessors who attained piety (in His sight) through fasting.
"O ye who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for people before you ..."(2:183)
This verse shows that fasting was observed by the people (i.e "ahl-ul kitaab") who came to the scene before the Muslims and so it is a "sunnat Allah" (i.e a tradition approved by Allah) for those who lived aforetime and for the Muslims who are now the best generation ever raised for mankind (3:110). Qur'an says:
"(As for) the sunnat Allah (approved) for those who lived aforetime, no change will you find in (such) sunnat-Allah" (33:43)
Therefore, Ramadan fast should be seen as a propagation of the tradition approved by Allah for all those who submit to Him.
(iii) To learn how to attain piety
By the very nature of human beings, they are susceptible to sins and transgression of Allah's limits. This may be due to their ignorance, worldly struggle for ephemeral and tantalizing things, or satan's handiwork. In particular, Muslims are warned against gossiping, backbiting, slandering, hypocrisying, lying, cheating, duping, hatring, nursing grudge, keeping malice, fornicating as these vices negate the teachings of the Holy Qur'an. But since Muslims are like any human beings created to err as a result of forgetfulness, they need to be reminded and coached against any social vices from time to time. This will requires a fixed trainning period where Muslims will know and learn how to put an end to vices, learn virtues and get nearer to Allah. That trainning period is chosen by Allah to be the Ramadan fast which occurs once in every year. During Ramadan:
(a) compulsory five daily salaat are observed regularly and timely (this is to remind and train the mindless Muslims that salaat is an all-time duty for them); (b) Zakat-ul fitr is paid on or before the 'idl Fitr (the festival that commemorates the end of Ramadan fast) (Zakat-ul fitr is to teach Muslims to do sadaqah and to remind them that after zakat-ul fitr they should not forget to pay on time their annual divine obligatory Zakaat, the fourth pillar of Islam); (c) Tarawih and Tahajjud prayers are observed in the evening and night of Ramadan (this is to teach Muslims to observe nawafil (i.e additional) prayers after Ramadan so as to increasetheir iman and get their supplications to Allah accepted promptly);(d) Doubtful hobby such as smoking is stopped (this is to train Muslims to be frugal as Allah hates extravagancy and to save themselves from diseases such as Tuberclosis, Cancer, and heart attack known to be associated with smoking and premature death);(e) pornographic videos/pictures are avoided and kept away (this is to free Muslims' hearts and eyes from corruption and from shaitan's whisperings to do evil deeds); (f) Excessive intake of food is avoided (this regulates the stomach from being pot-bellied and distinguishes Muslims from kaafir whom Qur'an describes as those who eat like cattle (47:12)); etc. All these good things which Ramadan fast teaches Muslims are the means to attain piety. This is why the verse on Ramadan fast says:
"O ye who believe, fasting is prescribed for you...so that you will (learn how to attain) piety" (2:183)
(iv) To reap the full reward of the Night of Power (Lailat-ut Qadr)
The last book of Allah to His creatures, Al-Qur'an, was revealed in the night of Ramadan. What this means is that the first divine revelation to Prophet Muhammad(s.a.w) took place in the Night of Ramadan. Allah chose the night because of the special blessings in it. It is called the night of Power (Lailat-ut Qadr) or the night of blessing (Lailat-ul mubarak). The deed in this night is better than the rewards of deeds of 1,000 months (about 83.3 years). Let suppose that a man survived up to 100 years and he consciously witnessed 93 nights of Power, he would have in his account more than 7,750 rewards which exclude all other rewards he earned from doing virtuous deeds. It is this night that all Muslims are invited by Allah to look for in the month of Ramadan. Specifically, the night is in the last ten days of Ramadan and usually in one of the odd days (i.e. 21, 23, 25, 27 and 29th). A Muslim is expected to perform naafilah, recite the Qur'an, do zikr etc in the night. Since no one knows precisely which of the odd days is the night, Muslims are expected to be in seclusion (itikaf) during the last 10 days of Ramadan and the best place to do so is in the mosque.
It should be mentioned that the Angels descend in succession during the night of Power and they go round with special greeting of "peace" till day break when they will move back to their position. The number of these angels is uncountable and they descend with special command of Allah. The following chapter of the Qur'an details the event of the night of Power thus:
"Indeed We have revealed it (Qur'an) in the night of Power. And what will explain to you what the night of Power is? The night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein descends the Angels and the Spirit by Allah's permission, on every errand: (they say) Peace" (continuously) till the rise of Morning!" (97:1-5)
Who will like to miss the Night after reading this description? It is this very reason that every Muslim wants to witness and reap its full blessing by fasting during the days of the month of Ramadan. As Ramadan fast is inextricably tied to the Night of Power (see 2:183) it follows that any Muslim who wishes to benefit from the Night of Power must fast during the month of Ramadan. Qur'an says:
"Ramadan is the (month) in which Qur'an was sent down, as a guide to mankind, and a clear guidance and judgement (so that mankind will distinguish right from wrong). Whoever among you witnesses the month of Ramadan should fast through it..." (2:183)
(v) To show to Muslims how to get their past sins forgiven
Islam is a religion that stresses equality: both the poor and the rich (men or women) are equal as slaves in the sight of Allah. In Islam the surest way to obtain Allah's forgiveness for one's past sins is Pilgrimage (the fifth pillar of Islam) which unfortunately is easy for the rich to afford the cost of the journey. The All-wise, Allah, did not put the poor Muslims in limbo, rather He made fasting during Ramadan as a means of placing the poor and the rich on equal footing in terms of asking for forgiveness for their past sins. If a Muslim has no means of going for hajj, there should be a way to compensate him/her. The All-wise has chosen Ramadan for all Muslims to get their past sins forgiven as evident in this hadith:
Narrated Abu Huraira(r.a): The Prophet said:"... whoever fasts during Ramadan with sincere faith and hoping for his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven"
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol.3 p.70).
Therefore, Ramadan fast unites Muslims and bring them together as equal slaves who can be forgiven of their past sins devoid of discrimination in the sight of Allah.
(vi) To show that Fasting is the epitome of the five pillars of Islam
Islam is built upon five pillars. The third pillar is siyam (i.e fasting during Ramadan). The wisdom behind its third position is because it is a fulcrom upon which the other four pillars (Tawheed, and salaat are in first and second positions while zakat and Hajj are in the fourth and fifth positions) are balanced. It is the only pillar that encompases all the four other pillars in the sense that

Source:http://www.sunnah.org/ibadaat/fasting/fast.html

Mistakes During Ramadan

Too much stress on food and drink For some people, the entire month of Ramadaan revolves around food. They spend the ENTIRE day planning, cooking, shopping and thinking about only food, instead of concentrating on Salaah, Qur'aan and other acts of worship. All they can think of is FOOD. So much so that they turn the month of 'fasting' into the month of 'feasting'. Come Iftaar time, their table is a sight to see, with the multitudes and varieties of food, sweets and drinks. They are missing the very purpose of fasting, and thus, increase in their greed and desires instead of learning to control them. It is also a kind of waste & extravagance. 'and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allaah) likes not Al-Musrifoon (those who waste by extravagance) ' [al-A'raaf :31] Spending all day cookingSome of the sisters (either by their own choice or forced by their husbands) are cooking ALL day and ALL night, so that by the end of the day, they are too tired to even pray Ishaa, let alone pray Taraweeh, Tahajjud or read Quraan, etc. Eating too muchSome people stuff themselves at Suhoor until they are ready to burst, because they think this is the way to not feel hungry during the day and some people eat at Iftaar, like there is no tomorrow, trying to 'make up for the food missed.' However, this is completely against the Sunnah. Moderation is the key to everything. The Prophet (pbuh) said: 'The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach; for the son of Adam a few mouthfuls are sufficient to keep his back straight. If you must fill it, then one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air.' (Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani). Too much food distracts a person from many deeds of obedience and worship, makes him lazy and also makes the heart heedless. It was said to Imam Ahmad: Does a man find any softness and humility in his heart when he is full? He said, I do not think so. Sleeping all daySome people spend their entire day (or a major part of it) 'sleeping away their fast'. Is this what is really required of us during this noble month? These people also are missing the purpose of fasting and are slaves to their desires of comfort and ease. They cannot 'bear' to be awake and face a little hunger or exert a little self-control. For a fasting person to spend most of the day asleep is nothing but, negligence on his part.Wasting timeOther people waste away their day playing video games, or worse still, watching TV, movies or even listening to music. Subhaan Allaah! Trying to obey Allaah by DISOBEYING him! Fasting but not giving up evilSome of us fast but do not give up lying, cursing, fighting, backbiting, etc. and some of us fast but do not give up cheating, stealing, dealing in haraam, buying lotto tickets, selling alcohol, fornication, etc. and we think we are sooooo good. The Prophet (pbuh) said: 'Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, and ignorance, Allaah has no need of him giving up his food and drink.' (Bukhaari)SmokingSmoking is forbidden in Islam whether during Ramadaan or outside of it, as it is one of al-Khabaa'ith (evil things).(This includes ALL eg. cigars, cigarettes, pipes,'Sheesha' ,etc.) 'he allows them as lawful At Tayyibaat (all good and lawful things), and prohibits them as unlawful Al Khabaa'ith (all evil and unlawful things) [al-A'raaf :157] It is harmful, not only to the one smoking, but also to the ones around him. It is also a means of wasting ones wealth. The Prophet (pbuh) said: 'There should be no harming or reciprocating harm.' This is especially true during fasting and it invalidates the fast. (Fatwa -Ibn 'Uthaymeen)Skipping SuhoorThe Prophet (pbuh) said: 'Eat suhoor for in suhoor there is blessing.'(Bukhaari , Muslim). And he (pbuh) said: 'The thing that differentiates between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is eating suhoor.' (Muslim) Stopping Suhoor at 'Imsaak'Some people stop eating Suhoor 10-15 minutes earlier than the time of Fajr to observe 'Imsaak'. Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said: This is a kind of bid'ah (innovation) which has no basis in the Sunnah. Rather the Sunnah is to do the opposite. Allaah allows us to eat until dawn: 'and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night)' [al-Baqarah 2:187] And the Prophet (pbuh) said: '....eat and drink until you hear the adhaan of Ibn Umm Maktoom, for he does not give the adhaan until dawn comes.' This 'imsaak' which some of the people do is an addition to that which Allaah has enjoined, so it is false. It is a kind of extremism in religion, and the Prophet (pbuh) said: 'Those who go to extremes are doomed, those who go to extremes are doomed, those who go to extremes are doomed.' (Muslim) Not fasting if they missed Suhoor - Very ImportantSome people are too scared to fast if they miss Suhoor. However, this is a kind of cowardice and love of ease. What is the big deal if you missed a few morsels of food? It's not like you will die. Remember, obedience to Allaah overcomes everything. Saying the intention to fast 'out loud' or saying a specific dua to start fastingThe intention is an action of the heart. The Muslim should resolve in his heart that he is going to fast tomorrow. It is not prescribed for him by the Shari'ah to say out loud, 'I intend to fast', 'I will fast tomorrow' or other phrases that have been innovated by some people. All he needs to do is to resolve in his heart that he is going to fast tomorrow. Also, there is no specific dua to be recited at the time of starting the fast in the correct Sunnah. Whatever 'dua' you may see on some papers or Ramadaan calendars is a Bid'ah.Delaying breaking fast Some people wait until the adhaan finishes or even several minutes after that, just to be 'on the safe side'. However, the Sunnah is to hasten to break the fast, which means breaking fast right after the sun has set. Aa'ishah said: This is what the Messenger of Allaah (pbuh) used to do. (Muslim)The Prophet (pbuh) said: 'The people will continue to do well so long as they hasten to break the fast.' (Bukhaari, Muslim) Determine to the best of your ability, the accuracy of your clock, calendar, etc. and then have tawakkul on Allaah and break your fast exactly on time.Missing the golden chance of having your Dua accepted The prayer of the fasting person is guaranteed to be accepted at the time of breaking fast. The Prophet (pbuh) said: 'Three prayers are not rejected: the prayer of a father, the prayer of a fasting person, and the prayer of a traveler.' (al-Bayhaqi, saheeh by al-Albaani). Instead of sitting down and making Dua at this precious time, some people forego this beautiful chance, and are too busy talking, setting the food, filling their plates and glasses, etc. Food is more important to them than the chance to have their sins forgiven or the fulfillment of their Duas. Fasting but not prayingThe fasting of one who does not pray WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. This is because not praying constitutes kufr as the Prophet (pbuh) said: 'Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer.' (Muslim) In fact, NONE of his good deeds will be accepted; rather, they are all annulled.'Whoever does not pray 'Asr, his good deeds will be annulled.' (Bukhaari)Not fasting because of exams or workExams or work is NOT one of the excuses allowed by the Shari'ah to not fast. You can do your studying and revision at night if it is too hard to do that during the day. Also remember that pleasing and obeying Allaah is much more important than 'good grades'. Mixing fasting and dietingDO NOT make the mistake of fasting with the intention to diet. That is one of the biggest mistakes some of us make (esp. sisters). Fasting is an act of worship and can only be for the sake of Allah alone. Mixing it with the intention of dieting is a form of Shirk. Fighting over the number of Raka'ah of TaraweehThere is no specific number of rak'ahs for Taraweeh prayer, rather it is permissible to do a little or a lot. Both 8 and 20 are okay. Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said: 'No one should be denounced for praying eleven or twenty-three (raka'ah), because the matter is broader in scope than that, praise be to Allaah.' Praying ONLY on the night of the 27th Some people pray ONLY on the 27th to seek Lailat ul-Qadr, neglecting all other odd nights, although the Prophet (pbuh) said: 'Seek Lailat ul-Qadr among the odd numbered nights of the last ten nights of Ramadaan.' (Bukhaari, Muslim).

Fruits of RamadaanFrom ad-Dawal ila-Allah

Allah - the Most High - has favored us with countless blessings, the greatest of them being Islam itself. Within the religion of Islaam there are many favors; one is the month of Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. However, many of us overlook this bounty and are thus left with an incomplete depiction of Ramadan, often viewing it as a month to get oneself into shape!! Or rigidly describing it as a training program teaching self-restraint. Most importantly Ramadan is an act of Ebadah (worship), the fulfillment of Allah's commandments and one of the great mercies of Allah to His believers for both this world and the next. lbn al-Qayyim [1] wrote in his famous book 'Zaadul-Ma'aad 2/8587 :'From the Mercy of the Mighty and Most Merciful is that He prescribed for them fasting which will cut off the excesses of eating and drinking and empties the hearts of its desires which divert it on its journey to Allah -the Most High. He prescribed it in due proportion as will be appropriate and will benefit the servant with regard to this world and to the Hereafter; and it will not harm him, nor damage what is beneficial for him."
The Virtues of Ramadaan
a) The Hellfire is locked and the gates of Paradise are openedProphet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "When Ramadaan comes the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of the Fire are locked and the devils are chained..." [2]
All praise is for Allah Who out of His infinite Mercy locks the gates of Hell, chains and shackles the devils and opens up the gates of Paradise in this month for His servants, making it easier for them to devote this special time to His worship. It makes it harder for the evil jinn to corrupt the people as they usually do, because Insha'Allah the Muslims will be occupied with fasting, engaged in reading the Qur'aan, busy with extra prayers and in doing other righteous actions which help clean and purify their hearts.
b) Sins are Forgiven.The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) explained to his Ummah that Ramadaan has such a high station that even if a Muslim's sins were as much as the foam upon the sea, they would be forgiven through fasting in this month.
He (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "He who fasts in Ramadaan due to eemaan and hoping for reward from Allah then his previous sins are forgiven." [3]
Furthermore, in this month people are freed from the Hellfire every day and night, due to Allah's extreme Mercy. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) told us in this regard that:
"There are in the month of Ramadaan in every day and night, those whom Allah grants freedom from the Fire, and there is for every Muslim a supplication which he can make and it will be granted." [4] This supplication, which is never rejected occurs at the time of breaking the fast. (See Sunan ibn Maajah, 1/557)
c) Lailatul-QadrAnother virtue of this blessed month is that in it falls the night that is better than a thousand months, in which descends the angels and the Rooh, u [5] and in which if one is standing in prayer out of faith and seeking reward, then his previous sins are forgiven. This is the Night of Decree - Lailatul-Qadr [6].
The Virtues of Fasting:Fasting itself is an action which has many virtues and rewards, Allah - the one free from all imperfections - revealed in His Book "..and fast, it is better for you if you did but know." [Soorah al- Baqarah (2) : 184]
To try and help us understand just how valuable it is, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) informed us that it is a shield against the Hellfire, a protection against desires, a cause to enter Paradise and a gate from the gates of Paradise has been particularized for it, as well as other merits.
A) A shield.He (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: 'Fasting is a shield with which a servant protects himself from the fire." [7]
Fasting weakens and cuts off desires and since it is desires which lead to the fire, it can be seen how fasting acts as a protection against them, as a barrier, a shield, between the fasting person and the fire. It safeguards one from indulging in foul speech, quarrels and fights. It also develops the habit of self-control and restraint.
It is for this reason that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam), ordered the men who are unable to marry, to practice the act of fasting. Fasting will cut off the sensual desire by diminishing the vigor of the body, calming and constraining it.
" 0 youths, whosoever amongst you is able to marry then let him do so, since it restrains the eyes and protects the private parts, and he who is unable, then let him fast because it is a shield for him." [8]
b) A Cause for Entering Paradise.Since fasting distances one from the fire, it brings one closer to Paradise. The Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) was asked by his Companion Abo Umaamah (radhi allahu anhu): "0 Messenger of Allah tell me an action by which I may enter Paradise." He (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "Take to fasting, there is nothing like it." [9]
c) An Immense RewardEvery action of the son of Adam is given manifold rewards, each good deed receiving ten times its like, up to seven hundred times. Allah the Most High has said: "Except for fasting, for it is for Me and I will recompense it, he leaves of his desires and his food for Me. For the fasting person there are two times of joy; a time of joy when he breaks his fast and a time of joy when he meets his Lord, the smell coming from the mouth of a fasting person is better with Allah than the smell of Musk.." [10]
The main virtue of fasting, as with any action, is that it is done purely for the sake of Allah. The difference with fasting is that it is an act completely hidden from others so it is done merely for the pleasure of Allah (unlike for example: Prayer, Hajj etc.) and so Allah rewards His servant for it specially.
d) An IntercessionAnother great virtue of fasting is that it will act as an intercessor with Allah on the Day of Judgement - a day when we will be in need of intercession.
He (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "Fasting and the Qur'aan intercede for a servant on the Day of Resurrection. Fasting will say: "0 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 intercessions will be accepted." [11]
e) An Expiation for Various SinsAllah - the Most High - has also made fasting an expiation for certain sins. This means if someone commits one of these sins then he can atone for it by fasting a fixed number of days. Fasting is an expiation for:
(i) Shaving the head while in a state of ihraam [i.e. while one is performing the rites of Hajj or Umrah.] due to some illness][Soorah al-Baqarah (2) :196]
(ii) One who is unable to carry out the obligatory sacrifice during Hajj - [Soorah al-Baqarah (2) : 196]
(iii) Accidentally killing one of the people with whom you have a treaty - [Soorah an-Nisaa (4) : 92]
(iv) Hunting game while in a state of ihraam - [Soorah al-Maaidah (5) :95]
(v) Violating an oath - [Soorah al-Maaidah (5) :893]
(vi) Dhihaar [This is the saying of husband to his wife: "You are to me like the back of my mother (i.e. awful to me) ] - [Soorah al-Mujaadilah (58) : 3 - 4]
f) Ar-Rayaan is for the Fasting PeopleFinally, Allah - the One free from all imperfections - has particularized a gate from the gates of Paradise for those who fast. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "Indeed, there is a gate of Paradise called ar-Rayaan. On the Day of Resurrection those who fast will enter through it; no one enters it except for them, end when they have entered, it is closed so that no one (else) enters it." [12]
"The status of fasting and its place in lslaam should now be clear to us, by Allah's permission, and also the great rewards awaiting the one who fasts seeking the pleasure of Allah. The rewards can, however increase or decrease depending upon how close it is upon the way of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam). Therefore we must know the characteristics of his (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) fast, together with its obligatory duties, its manners and the relevant supplications and then put that into practice."
" May Allah - the Most High grant us the ability to do that which allow us to capture the fruits of this month and make us amongst those who enter His Paradise through the gate of Ar-Rayaan."
FOOTNOTES
[1] Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (691-75). He was born in Damascus. He is one of great scholars of Islam: a muhaddith and a faqeh and the foremost student of Shaikhul Islam Ibn Taimeeyah. Among his famous books are Zaadul-Ma'aad and Ilaam ul-Muwaqqi'een and his length of poem on the tenets of faith, al-Qasida an-Nooniyyah.
[2] Bukhari Eng, v.3, # 123) & Muslim eng, v..2, # .2361 from Abo Hurairah, radhiAllahu anhu.
[3] Narrated by Aboo Hurairah and collected in Saheeh al-Bukhari (Eng. Trans. Vol.3, no.125) & Saheeh Muslim (Eng. Trans. Vol.1, no.1664). The hadeeth applies to one who affirms the obligation of fasting in Ramadaan and hopes for the reward of doing it, being pleased with it, not feeling aversion to it, nor thinking that standing in its night is a hardship.
[4] Saheeh - Narrated by Jaabir and collected in Musnad Ahmad and al-Bazzar.
[5] See Soorah al-Qadr (97): 4.
[6] See the article titled 'The Night of Qadr' for more details on this special night.
[7]Saheeh - Jaabir in Ahamd 3/241,296.
[8] Narrated by Ibn Masood & collected in Saheeh al-Bukhari (Eng. Trans. Vol.3, no.129)
[9] Saheeh - an-Nisaaee (4/165), al-Haakim (1/421) and others. Authentic by Shaikh al-Albanee in Saheeh al-Jamee. (no.4044).
[10] Reported by Muslim from Aboo Hurairah (Eng. Trans. Vol.2, no. 2567).
[11] Hasan- Ahmad (6626), al-Haakim (1/554) & Aboo Nu'aam (8/161) from Abdullah Ibn Amr.
[12] Bukhari eng. v.3,#.120, Muslim eng. V.2, # 2569 from Sahl ibn Sa'ad radhi'Alaahu anhu.

Ramadan is coming

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. It is during this month that Muslims observe the Fast of Ramadan. Lasting for the entire month, Muslims fast during the daylight hours and in the evening eat small meals and visit with friends and family. It is a time of worship and contemplation. A time to strengthen family and community ties.