A call for return and reform

“The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.” [Qur’an 2: 185]

The Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, would congratulate the Muslims at the approach of this month in order to make them aware of its magnificence and the great opportunities it contained. He, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, would address his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, during this time thus: “The month of Ramadan has approached you - a blessed month in which Allah has made fasting an obligation, opened wide the gates of Paradise, locked up the gates of Fire, and chained the demons, and in it there is a night better than one thousand months––so whosoever is deprived of its good is truly deprived.” [Ahmad]

How can the believers not rejoice and congratulate each other at the opening of the gates of Paradise and the locking up of the doors of Hell? How can any wise person waste away this time when the devils are chained?

To live through the month of Ramadan is a great blessing from Allah which must not be taken for granted and for which one ought to pray and strive. This is made clear in a narration of the Messenger , sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, in which he was told about two men who embraced Islam together, one of whom was more diligent in piety and died a martyr, while the other died a year later of natural causes––and then a friend of theirs saw in a dream that the one who died later naturally was called into Paradise before the other one––upon which the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, ascribed this preference to the extra year of praying and Ramadan fasting that the latter had had. [Ahmad and Ibn Majah]

In other words, since the latter one had had a bit longer life and had the opportunity to witness one more year of fasting and praying than the other, he acquired more righteous deeds than the one who tried harder and died a martyr earlier. This narration reminds us of what a great blessing every single day of life is for a believer––and of what a great reward obtained from the obligatory acts of praying and fasting.

That is why the early Muslims would pray to Allah to extend their stay in this life such that they witness the following month of Ramadan. Mu’alla ibn Al-Fadhl, may Allah have mercy upon him, said that our righteous predecessors, may Allah be pleased with them, would supplicate to Allah almost six months before Ramadan to make them reach it, and would supplicate six months after it asking Him to accept their hard work in it.

Yet, many a procrastinator wastes away this blessed month and hopes to repent, reform and fast in the future while wasting away the days and nights of this month in pursuit of the trivialities of this world.

Let us take a few moments in the following to reflect on a few aspects of the golden opportunity this blessed month offers.

A month of training and discipline, not of eating and diversion!

Allah Almighty says (what means):

“O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.” [Qur’an 2:183]

This verse teaches us that the purpose of fasting is the realisation of the goal of attaining piety. It is only appropriate that anyone who witnesses this month should succeed––as one narration of the Prophet says, “Be his nose cut off in humiliation if a man [let him be humiliated who] sees the month of Ramadan but fails to have his sins forgiven.”

During this month, ourselves are trained to do good and abandon evil––and these selves that learn to avoid even permissible things during this month are therefore more likely to avoid evil things after this training is over.

Alas, many of us are unaware of these blessings and this wisdom, and fail to train our selves properly, sometimes getting worse in wanton luxury, laziness and wastefulness in a month which was given to teach them in self-control and discipline. We find that many Muslims increase their consumption of luxuriant foods and drinks in this month rather than train their souls and bodies to live on a little and focus on spiritual pursuits, as if Allah made this month the month of eating and not fasting! The media in the Muslim world, alas, often aggravate the attitude of wastefulness and diversion––and are found polling people about their favorite foods during the month of  Ramadan, as if Allah has singled this month out not for abstinence but for eating in abundance! Who are these deprived people condemned by the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, if not those who find new ways to divert themselves with special television shows and movies during this month, as unfortunately is the case in many Muslim communities today?!

The sanctity of this noble month

One of the unfortunate phenomena in our contemporary Muslim societies during this month is the open and brazen-faced violation of the sanctity of this month––as the sacredness of this month is made light of and new ways are found to spend time during it. One of the ways in which this sanctity is violated is how the producers of television shows in the Muslim world compete in producing special programs of diversion in this month rather than repent and save the world from their evil at least during this month! But no, they rather double and treble the production of their evil so that the heedless Muslims be even more heedless and have even less time for reflection, repentance, regret over their sins and reform of their character! Rather, these traders in lust and beautifiers of desire excel during this month. Alas, their devils have been chained during this month––but who will chain them?!

They and us—weeping over our condition

Whoever reflects for even a moment about the way the early Muslims lived and worshipped and how we live and worship will see an enormous chasm and weep over our condition. Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy upon him, said that Al-Hasan ibn Saalih, may Allah have mercy upon him, sold a bondswoman of his to someone, and in her new house she woke up in the middle of the night and called out to the people of the house asking them to perform prayer, so they said: “Is it time for the Fajr prayer?” Upon which she said: “Why? Do you not perform except the obligatory prayers?” Then she returned to her earlier master and complained that she cannot live with people who do not perform except the obligatory prayers.

How many of us perform prayer at night regularly during the month of Ramadan, let alone during the other months? Even the few hours during the last ten nights of Ramadan seem so heavy to us!

The month of generosity and giving

Another blessing of the month of Ramadan is the increase in brotherhood, mutual love, care, and generosity and charity towards the poor and the needy. The meetings of the Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal, and the Iftar, the post- dusk breakfast, are supposed to be the epitome of joy and manifestations of brotherly and familial love and rejoice. At these times, the Muslims who have these blessings are supposed to think and care about those less fortunate than them, those who do not have loving fathers and mothers to care for them and provide them with nutritious meals and soothing comfort, those women who no longer have caring husbands to provide for them and protect them, those families that do not have the wherewithal to afford such meals. These meals are supposed to be meals of gratitude and meals of sharing, not of decadent luxury and wastefulness. These meals are supposed to be simple and modest because they are accompanied by charity and giving and sharing anything that is not necessary ought to be given away to the poor and the needy.

Those who fast during the day and experience the pangs of pain are supposed to remember the hunger and deprivation of those who starve out of poverty and helplessness. Those who pray during the night next to each other are supposed to be one brotherhood— all members of which are like one body, and when any of its members gets hurt, all the rest of the body feels the pain. Hence, these nightly prayers in congregation remind the believers of each other and their rights upon each other. None of the Muslims, therefore, is forgotten, and no one overeats, overspends, or overindulges—because they give all they can in charity to those who need it.

Yet, is this what really happens?!

How far have we come from the teachings of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, who said that you are not a believer if you sleep well-fed while your neighbor is hungry-  how many believers are hungry, deprived and needy while many overspend and waste away their food and clothing in ostentation and wanton competition?! There are Muslim countries in which tons of food is wasted away annually, enough to feed a continent of hungry people, and then there are Muslim regions in which people routinely starve to death or kill and get killed for scrapes of food!! This is the state of the followers of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, who was more generous than the wind which indiscriminately gives anyone and everyone. Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him,  narrated that “the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was the most generous of people, and he, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was at his most generous during Ramadan... at that time the Messenger of Allah would be more generous than the blowing wind.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Our example, the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, would give the last morsel of food that he, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, had, and the last piece of clothing that he, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, had on. While we Muslims today have become some of the most divided nations in which the disparity of the wealth in the world is the greatest!

The month of reform

The month of Ramadan is the time of holding ourselves accountable, reforming ourselves and returning to our Lord before we are held accountable and have no chance of reform or return.

To those of us who are heedless of Allah and are lost in the deceptions of this world, this is the chance to turn about and return to the Most Generous Lord.

To those who are given to usurp others’ rights by hurting or killing them or stealing from them, now is the chance to return and repent.

To those who are given to sexual promiscuity, seeking enjoyment in illicit sights and pleasures, and wanton display of their beauty that Allah has prohibited, now is the chance to purify themselves and return to Allah.

To those given to drinking and drugs and the wasting away of their wealth, minds and time, now is the time to give up their evil ways and return to their Most Merciful Lord.

To those who deal in interest and take it lightly, now is the chance to purify their wealth and cease their war against Allah Almighty and His Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, before it is too late.

To those who are disobedient and uncaring towards their parents, now is the chance to repent and beg for the Mercy of Allah and make up to their parents.

To those who are hateful of other Muslims and sow seeds of division between them for the mean gains of this world, now is the time to repent and review their deeds.

To us all, now is the time to repent and return.

Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

Make your fast acceptable

1) Be wary of protecting your prayers: Many people who are fasting are slack in maintaining their prayers despite it being a pillar of the religion, and leaving it is from (the acts of) kufr;

2) Maintain good manners: Be wary of falling into kufr and cursing the religion, and ill-manners towards the people, particularly whilst fasting. Fasting purifies the inner-self and does not lead to ill-manners, and kufr renders the Muslim outside the fold of the religion;

3) Do not speak unnecessarily even if you are joking, as this will reduce the reward of your fast. Take note of what the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

“If any of you are fasting, then abstain from ignorant and indecent speech that day; and if anyone curses you or strikes you, then say: I am fasting”;

[The authenticity of this narration has been agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim]

4) Benefit from the fast by leaving off smoking, which causes cancer and ulcers; Try to maintain your willpower and leave off smoking in the evening just as you left it during the day. As a result, you will be better off in health as well as financially;

5) Be wary of divulging in excessive eating at the time of breaking the fast, as it can result in ruining the benefit of the fast and harming your health.

6) Do not go to the cinema or watch television, so that you do not see that which will spoil your fast and ruin its effect;

7) Do not go to sleep too late and as a result miss out on the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) and the Salaatul-Fajr. Try to maintain an early start to your work, as the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

“O Allah bless my Ummah in that which they maintain of an early start”;

[Saheeh, transmitted by Ahmad]

8) Increase in giving in charity to your relatives and those who are needy; visit your relatives (to maintain family ties) and clear up any disputes and misunderstandings that may exist;

9) Increase in the remembrance of Allah and recite the Qur’an, listen to it and reflect upon its meaning and act according to it. Go to the masjids to listen to beneficial talks; and doing the i’tikaaf in the masjid during the last ten days and nights of Ramadan is from the Sunnah;

10) Read around the subject of fasting so as to learn its rulings. You will then come to know that eating and drinking forgetfully does not break the fast;

11) Maintain the fast of Ramadan and prepare your children to fast as soon as you feel they are capable, and beware of breaking the fast without an Islamically valid reason. Whoever intentionally breaks his fast any day then he is required to make up that day and repent;

12) Beware O my Muslim brother from eating (and drinking during the day) in Ramadan, and beware of openly doing so in front of the people, for indeed doing so is tantamount to fearlessness of Allah, making a mockery of Islam, and brazenness in front of the people. So know that whoever does not fast, then he has no right to celebrate the Eid since Eid is a major celebration upon the culmination of the fasting and anticipation for the acceptance of one’s worship.

A) Protecting the tongue (from evil speech and that which is similar). The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

1) “Whoever does not abandon evil speech and actions, then Allah is not in need of him having left his food and drink”,

[Transmitted by al-Bukhari].

B) Taking the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal); The time of breaking the fast, and (the recommended) supplication. The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

1) “When any of you break your fast, then do so with dry dates, for indeed it is a blessing. And if you are unable to find dry dates, then water, for verily it is pure”. [Saheeh, transmitted by at-Tirmidhee];

2) At the time if breaking the fast, the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to say:

“The thirst has gone and the veins are moistened, and the reward is confirmed, if Allah wills”. [Hasan, transmitted by Abu Daawood];

3) And the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

“The people will remain in good so long as they hasten to break the fast (at it’s appointed time)”. [The authenticity of this narration has been agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim];

4) “Take the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal), for indeed in the Suhoor there is blessing”. [The authenticity of this narration has been agreed upon by al-Bukhare and Muslim]

5) “Whoever provides (food or water) for a fasting person (to break his fast at the appointed time), then for him is the reward similar to that of his (the fasting person) without any reducing in the reward of the fasting person”. [Saheeh, transmitted by al-Bukhaaree]

Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) says:

{O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may attain taqwa}, [Surah al-Baqarah, Aayah 183].

The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

“Fasting is protection”, i.e. protection from the Fire of Hell. [The authenticity of this narration has been agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim]

And he (ssallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

“Whoever fasts Ramadan with eemaan while believing in its obligation and being hopeful for the reward, all that has preceded of his sins shall be forgiven”. [The authenticity of this narration has been agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Know! O Muslim Brother, that Allah has prescribed fasting, and it is an act of worship which has many benefits, amongst them:

a) Fasting allows the body’s digestive system and the stomach to rest allowing the body to recuperate and strengthen. This is beneficial for many ailments. Likewise, fasting allows the smoker to take a break from smoking and in doing so assists him in abandoning it.

b) Fasting is a purification of the soul, and accustomising it upon good, worship, patience and sincerity.

c) The fasting person feels a sense of equality with the rest of his fasting brothers (and sisters); So he fasts with them allowing for the feeling of sincere Islamic brotherhood to be nurtured. Likewise, he feels hungry, as a result of which he gives charity to his hungry and needy brothers (and sisters).

(Taken from Shaykh Muhammad Jameel Zeenoo’s book