2 billion Muslims of the world celebrate their holiest month of Ramadan every year. It is an obligation on every adult and healthy Muslim to fast during the month of Ramadan. Fasting is a total abstention from eating, drinking, and sexual relations from dawn to dusk for 29 or 30 days of the month of Ramadan. Also, avoiding immoral behavior and anger and showing compassion is part of the requirements of the fasting. The month of Ramadan is also the month in which the Holy Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in piecemeal basis over a period of 23 years. It is a very joyous occasion for the Muslims of the world. Muslims fast during the day and pray and read Quran during the part of the night.
Why the name 'Ramadan'?
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) said: "Surely, the month of Ramadan has been named so because it scorches away the sins."
To understand the full meaning of Ramadan as explained by Prophet Muhammad, please refer to the selected Hadith below.
Allah's Apostle said, "When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained." [Bukhari]...
Narrated Abu Huraira (r.a): The Prophet said:"... whoever fasts during Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, and then all his past sins will be forgiven." (Sahih Al-Bukhari).
"...whoever witnesses the Month of Ramadan should fast through it..." Q (2:185)
"Ramadan is the (month) in which the Quran was sent down, as a guide to mankind and a clear guidance and judgment (so that mankind will distinguish from right and wrong)...” (Q 2:183)
"Oh you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you many learn piety and righteousness" (Qur'an, al-Baqarah, 2:183)
"...And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew." (Q 2:184)
The Messenger of Allah (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) addressed his companions on the last day of Sha`ban, saying, "Oh people! A great month has come over you; a blessed month; a month in which is a night better than a thousand months; month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night. Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Heaven. It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer's sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Fire of Hell, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all." [Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah]
It is called the night of Power (i.e. Laelat-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).
"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 (Jibril) by Allah's permission, on every errand: (they say) "Peace" (continuously) tills the rise of Morning!" Q (97:1-5)
Abu Said al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah, said: "No servant fasts on a day in the path of Allah except that Allah removes the hellfire seventy years further away from his face." This is related by "the group," except for Abu Dawud.
`Abdullah ibn `Amr reported that the Messenger of Allah, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, said: "The fast and the Qur'an are two intercessors for the servant of Allah on the Day of Resurrection. The fast will say: 'O Lord, I prevented him from his food and desires during the day. Let me intercede for him.' The Qur'an will say: 'I prevented him from sleeping at night. Let me intercede for him.' And their intercession will be accepted." [Ahmad]
Abu Umaamah reported: "I came to the Messenger of Allah and said: 'Order me to do a deed that will allow me to enter Paradise.' He said: 'Stick to fasting, as there is no equivalent to it.' Then I came to him again and he said: 'Stick to fasting."' [Ahmad,
Ibn Sad reported that the Prophet Salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam said: "There is a gate to Paradise that is called ar-Raiyan. On the Day of Resurrection it will say: 'Where are those who fasted?' When the last [one] has passed through the gate, it will be locked." [Al-Bukhari-, - Muslim].
He who is amongst those who pray will be called from the gate of the prayer (in Paradise) and he who is from the people of Jihad will be called from the gate of Jihad, and he who is from those' who give in charity (i.e. Zakat) will be called from the gate of charity, and he who is amongst those who observe fast will be called from the gate of fasting, the gate of Raiyan." Abu Bakr said, "He who is called from all those gates will need nothing," He added, "Will anyone be called from all those gates, O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "Yes, and I hope you will be among those, O Abu Bakr." [Bukhari]
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (S) said : "The time between the five prayers, two consecutive Friday Prayers, and two consecutive Ramadan’s are expiations for all that has happened during that period, provided that one has avoided the grave (major) sins." [Muslim]
In another hadith, the Messenger of Allah (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) says, "Ramadan has come to you. (It is) a month of blessing, in which Allah covers you with blessing, for He sends down Mercy, decreases sins and answers prayers. In it, Allah looks at your competition (in good deeds), and boasts about you to His angels. So show Allah goodness from yourselves, for the unfortunate one is he who is deprived in (this month) of the mercy of Allah, the Mighty, the Exalted.”.
Abu Umaamah r.a... said: I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an action by which I may enter Paradise'. He said: 'Take to Fasting, there is nothing like it.’.
"Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain Taqwa." [2:183]
The most honored by Allah amongst you are those best in Taqwa."[49:13]
"Every action of the son of Adam is given manifold reward, each good deed receiving then times its like, up to seven hundred times. Allah the Most High said, 'Except for fasting, for it is for Me and I will give recompense for it, he leaves off his desires and his food for Me.' for the fasting person there are two times of joy; a time when he breaks his fast and a time of joy when he meets his Lord, and the smell coming from the mouth of the fasting person is better with Allah than the smell of musk." [Al-Bukhari]
"Fasting is a shield with which a servant protects himself from the Fire." [Ahmad, Saheeh]
On the Day of Judgment, "Fasting will say: O My Lord I prevented him from food and desires so accept my intercession for him." [Ahmad,
There are in the month of Ramadan in every day and night those to whom Allah grants freedom from the Fire, and there is for every Muslim an supplication which he can make and will be granted." [Al-Bazaar, Ahmad, Saheeh]
The Prophet said: He who gives food for a fasting person to break his fast, he will receive the same reward as him, except that nothing will be reduced from the fasting persons reward." [Ahmad, -at-Tirmidhi,- Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban, Saheeh].
"When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on me: let them also, with a will, listen to My call, and believe in Me: that they may walk in the right way." (Q 2:188)
A few hadith on Fasting:
Sahih Bukhari: Book# 31: Hadith# 115
Narrated Talha bin ‘Ubaid-Ullah: A Bedouin with unkempt hair came to Allah’s Apostle and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Inform me what Allah has made compulsory for me as regards the prayers.” He replied: “You have to offer perfectly the five compulsory prayers in a day and night (24 hours), unless you want to pray Nawafil.” The Bedouin further asked, “Inform me what Allah has made compulsory for me as regards fasting.” He replied, “You have to fast during the whole month of Ramadan, unless you want to fast more as Nawafil.” The Bedouin further asked, “Tell me how much Zakat Allah has enjoined on me.” Thus, Allah’s Apostle informed him about all the rules (i.e. fundamentals) of Islam. The Bedouin then said, “By Him Who has honored you, I will neither perform any Nawafil nor will I decrease what Allah has enjoined on me. Allah’s Apostle said, “If he is saying the truth, he will succeed (or he will be granted Paradise).”
Sahih Bukhari: Book# 31: Hadith# 118
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “Fasting is a shield (or a screen or a shelter). So, the person observing fasting should avoid sexual relation with his wife and should not behave foolishly and impudently, and if somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should tell him twice, ‘I am fasting.” The Prophet added, “By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk. (Allah says about the fasting person), ‘He has left his food, drink and desires for My sake. The fast is for Me. So I will reward (the fasting person) for it and the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times.”
Sahih Bukhari: Book# 31: Hadith# 120
Narrated Sahl: The Prophet said, “There is a gate in Paradise called Ar-Raiyan, and those who observe fasts will enter through it on the Day of Resurrection and none except them will enter through it. It will be said, ‘Where are those who used to observe fasts?’ They will get up, and none except them will enter through it. After their entry the gate will be closed and nobody will enter through it.”
Sahih Bukhari: Book# 31: Hadith# 123
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.”
Sahih Bukhari: Book# 31: Hadith# 124
Narrated Ibn Umar: I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, “When you see the crescent (of the month of Ramadan), start fasting, and when you see the crescent (of the month of Shawwal), stop fasting; and if the sky is overcast (and you can’t see It) then regard the crescent (month) of Ramadan (as of 30 days)”.
Sahih Bukhari: Book# 31: Hadith# 125
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “Whoever established prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven; and whoever fasts in the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.”
Sahih Bukhari: Book# 31: Hadith# 126
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas: The Prophet was the most generous amongst the people, and he used to be more so in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel visited him, and Gabriel used to meet him on every night of Ramadan till the end of the month. The Prophet used to recite the Holy Qur’an to Gabriel, and when Gabriel met him, he used to be more generous than a fast wind (which causes rain and welfare).
Sahih Bukhari: Book# 31: Hadith# 127
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting.)”
Sahih Bukhari: Book# 31: Hadith# 128
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “Allah said, ‘All the deeds of Adam’s sons (people) are for them, except fasting which is for me, and I will give the reward for it.’ Fasting is a shield or protection from the fire and from committing sins. If one of you is fasting, he should avoid sexual relation with his wife and quarreling, and if somebody should fight or quarrel with him, he should say, ‘I am fasting.’ By Him in Whose Hands my soul is’ the unpleasant smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk. There are two pleasures for the fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord; then he will be pleased because of his fasting.”
Sahih Bukhari: Book# 31: Hadith# 212
Narrated Abu Sa’id: The Prophet forbade the fasting of ‘Id-ul-Fitr and ‘Id-ul-Adha (two feast days) and also the wearing of As-Sama’ (a single garment covering the whole body), and sitting with one’s leg drawn up while being wrapped in one garment. He also forbade the prayers after the Fajr (morning) and the ‘Asr (afternoon) prayers.
Sahih Bukhari: Book# 32: Hadith# 226
Narrated Abu Huraira:” I heard Allah’s Apostle saying regarding Ramadan, “Whoever prayed at night in it (the month of Ramadan) out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.”
Sahih Bukhari: Book# 32: Hadith# 228
Narrated ‘Aisha: (the wife of the Prophet) Allah’s Apostle used to pray (at night) in Ramadan.
Sahih Bukhari: Book# 32: Hadith# 231
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “Whoever fasted the month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith (i.e. belief) and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven, and whoever stood for the prayers in the night of Qadr out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.”
Whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. Whoever prays during the nights in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. And he who passes Lailat al-Qadr (the Night of Power) in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven - (Bukhari, Muslim).
May Allah Send down Blessings and Mercy upon our Master Muhammad, the crowned one, and the one with holy ascension and the owner of buraq, mount of light who is the best in adab (conduct), intercessor of Ummah’s (communities), blessed with eminence and generosity. Salutation of Peace to the Prophet and his noble followers. Assalatu wa assalamu alaika Ya Rasool Allah.
How can we afford not doing any ibadah in Ramadan as we are promised so much reward?
Any simple act our beautiful Islam gives us so much sawaab in any other month and subhanallh every act is multiplied in the month of Ramadan so lets enjoy this Ramadan do not think of it as a burden as I have heard many people moaning about lack of sleep, hunger and looking forward to Eid .(Astaghfirullah ).
And Allah knows best
"Have fun praying and getting ready for the Day of Judgment coz that day will NOT be fun :) P.S.: don’t forget to make dua for me
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