Islamic Knowledge – Islamwise

RAMADAN 2022

WHAT DOES RAMADAN MEAN TO MUSLIMS?

The month of Ramadan is upon us. The Islamic lunar year consists of 12 months, of which four of these months are considered sacred, making sinning in them greater, in addition to, multiplying rewards of righteous deeds during them. Ramadan is the ninth month in the calendar and is one of the sacred months from the four sacred months in Islam. It is recognised as the month that the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed, as stated in the Quran itself: “The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an as guidance for mankind” – Qur’an (2:185) It is reported that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would announce the good news of the arrival of the month of Ramadan to his companions, and would say to them: “The month of Ramadan has come to you. It is the month of blessing. During this month, Allah sends down mercy, ones mistakes are forgiven, supplications are answered and Allah praises you in the presence of His angels, so show Allah your virtues. For certainly the unfortunate individual is he who is prohibited from the mercy of Allah.” He (pbuh) also said: “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.” Fasting was not made obligatory until the second year after the migration (hijrah) of the prophet (pbuh) to the city of Medina, where he established the Islamic state and resided for the last 13 years of his life. Fasting the month of Ramadan is considered obligatory for every sane Muslim adult and that means each and every sane adult is obliged to fast the whole month, whether it is 29 or 30 days. The evidence for this is found in the Qur’an, where it states: “So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan), he must fast that month.” Qur’an (2:184)

The Arabic word for fasting is sawm. In Arabic, it literally means to abstain from something. And in Islamic Law, it refers to the abstinence from those things that break the fast, starting from Fajr (just before dawn) and ending at Maghrib (just before dusk), having first made the intention to do so. But certain people are exempt if they have a legitimate excuse (travelling, sickness, pregnancy etc). However, they must make up the days, if possible. Such rulings are explicitly detailed in the Qur’an to avoid any difficulty for people: “…and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number (of days which one did not observe saum (fasts) must be made up) from other days. Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. (He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him.” Qur’an (2:184) Therefore even if one is travelling or is ill, Muslims are still obligated to make up the days from later months outside of Ramadan. Except in the case of continuous medical conditions or illnesses which prevent a person from fasting. In such a condition, a person is required to expiate for not fasting by feeding a poor person for each day that they are unable to fast – but only if they have the money to do so, again avoiding any undue difficulty. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) further emphasized the importance of Ramadan when he said: “Islam is built on five (pillars): To testify that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah (God – alone) and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; To offer salat (prayer); To pay Zakat (obligatory charity); To observe saum (fasts during the month of Ramadan) and; To perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the house (the great mosque in Mecca).” Sahih Al-Bukhari In another narration, it is reported that he (pbuh) said: “He who deliberately fails to fast a day of Ramadan – even if he were to fast forever it would not make up for it.” So fasting is one of the great pillars of Islam. It is one of the acts from the principal acts of being a Muslim.

For those who have become Muslim during the year, it will be their first time experiencing Ramadan. Some of them may be filled with excitement, whilst others may be nervous and concerned about fulfilling their obligations. All these feelings are natural and Muslims who have experienced Ramadan will tell you that there is nothing to fear and that these anxieties fall away after you’ve experienced your first fast. Clear and decisive verses in the Qur’an encourage sawm/fasting as a means of seeking nearness to God: “Oh you who believe, Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you (early Christians and Jews), so that you may attain taqwa (become God conscious).” (Quran 2:183) Fasting is seen as a means to attain the quality of taqwa – to become God conscious, pious and righteous. So fasting isn’t simply considered by Muslims as abstinence from food and drink, it’s developing the concept of taqwa. This is why the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “It may be that a fasting person attains nothing but hunger and thirst from his fast.” And: “One who does not abandon evil talk and actions, then Allah is not in need of him abandoning his food and drink.” It is a month for Muslims to be the most virtuous that they can be. That is why the prophet’s companions are quoted to have said: “Let not the day that you fast and the day that you do not fast be equal”. Muslims will be striving during this month to perfect their manners and bring them in line with the character (and practice) of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Muslims will be using their time to get closer to God, so many may witness a noticeable difference in the character of a fasting person, as they try to do things that are pleasing to God. Muslims will be exhibiting a higher level of patience and restraint this month, not only from eating and drinking. It will be a month for them to practice this patience and increase their level of faith/eeman. For many, patience is inseparable from the purpose of Ramadan. Islamic scholars mention four areas where patience is required: fulfilling acts of obedience to God; refraining from prohibitions; bearing trials and tribulations, and preserving one’s heart and intellect from misguidance. Fasting allows Muslims to exercise and develop all of these various forms of patience. This is why the reward of this month is considered so great. The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Whoever fasts during the month of Ramadan, out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah’s (God’s) rewards, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.” And to mention one final prophetic narration (hadeeth) on the rewards of this month: “..For the fasting person there are two times of joy; when he breaks his fast he is happy and when he (eventually) meets his Lord he is happy due to his fasting.”

The virtues and rewards of fasting are many, as can be seen by the many verses of the Quran and narrations from the prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Ramadan is over, now what?

With Ramadan now a distant memory, it is extremely important we do not undo the efforts we made during this month. We found how much more we could do once we put our minds to it and really exerted our efforts into worshipping Allah. Don’t leave off good actions Imagine there was a person who exerted so much effort into doing something and then all of sudden un-done all this hard work. Imagine a person finishing the Quran numerous times during Ramadan then not picking it up after Ramadan. Alternatively, a person who would stand the night in prayer and then left if after Ramadan. This was a warning given by the Prophet SAW as he said to Abdullah ibn Amr: “يا عبد الله، لا تكن مثل فلان، كان يقوم من الليل ثم ترك قيام الليل” متفق عليه “Oh Abdullah, don’t be like such and such, he used to stand part of the night in prayer but then he left the night prayer” (Agreed upon) Allah blessed us with being able to pray the night prayers during this month. To avoid falling into what the Prophet SAW warned against, the least we can do is to keep up two optional units of prayer after Isha, and pray witr before we sleep. We can then work on things gradually to pray more and pray later in the night, because the most virtuous prayer, after the obligations, is the night prayer. Continue fasting! A person, just as he can continue with night prayers outside the month of Ramadan, can also continue with optional fast outside the month. There are many opportunities for this including: – 6 days of Shawwal Abu Ayyoob Al-Ansaari, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, , said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six (fasts) of Shawwal, it would be as if he fasted for the whole year.” [Muslim] – The month of Muharram Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, , said: “The best fast after Ramadan is the fast in the month of Allah Al-Muharram [Muslim] – Fasting Monday and Thursday The Prophet Muhammad SAW said that deeds are raised to Allah on Monday and Thursday, I want my deeds to be raised and I am fasting (collected by Ahmad) – Fasting the day of Arafah “Fasting on the Day of ‘Arafah absolves the sins for two years: the previous year and the coming year, and fasting on ‘Ashura, (the tenth day of Muharram) atones for the sins of previous years.” Reported by all except Al-Bukhari and At-Tirmidhi

Close the door to evil!

So how can we preserve these good deeds? How can we keep them up after Ramadan?

Something important the scholars say is:

ليس المهم أن تَفتَح بابَ الخير فقط، المهم أن تُغلِق باب الشر

“It is not only important to open the door to good, but it’s also important to close the door to evil”

This is because if the door to evil is open, it’ll take over your good deeds. Just as we find people doing good deeds, they may at the same time be indulging in evil actions, this may be causing deficiencies in their good deeds.

Some doors of evil we can close are:

Safeguarding our tongue – maybe one word we utter may harm a person, this could be a cause for our good deeds to be taken away and becoming null and void.

We learn from the Prophet Muhammad SAW who when it was said to him about a particular lady, she prays at night, fasts during the day and gives charity but she harms her neighbour with her tongue, the Prophet said, there is no good in her, she is from the people of the fire. He was then told about a lady who prays her obligatory prayers but never harmed anyone, the Prophet said, she is from the people of paradise. If you want to preserve your good deeds, preserve your tongue and be mindful of what you say.

Not being envious of others

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْحَسَدَ فَإِنَّ الْحَسَدَ يَأْكُلُ الْحَسَنَاتِ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ النَّارُ الْحَطَبَ أَوْ قَالَ الْعُشْبَ

Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Beware of envy, for it devours good deeds just as fire devours wood or grass.

Allah also says:

أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَىٰ مَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ

“Or do they envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty”

When we aren’t happy and pleased with what Allah has given us, we’ll envy other people for what Allah has blessed them with, but we forget what we have.

Allah has blessed us with health, wealth and family, what else can we ask for? Yet we look around us and see our neighbour has more than us, they have a better car and here the envy starts! We’ll look at what’s in the hands of others, yet we won’t look at what we have! Allah says

وَفِي أَنفُسِكُمْ ۚ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ

…and in yourselves. Then will you not see?

Allah tells us:

لقد خلقننا الانسان في أحسن تقويم

“We have certainly created man in the best of stature”

Allah has created us in the best of stature, we have many blessings; our sight, being able to touch, smell, listen and walk, we’ve been given everything yet we’re still envious of others.

The Prophet SAW told us when it comes to the dunya to look at those below you and not above you.

انْظُرْ إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ دُونَكَ وَلا تَنْظُرْ إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ فَوْقَكَ

Only then, will truly realise and appreciate the blessings Allah has bestowed us with.

We ask Allah to accept our fasting and good deeds during the month of Ramadan, to make us continue with the good deeds and habits we strived to perfect and to make it a means for us to enter through the gate of Ar-Rayyan (one of the gates of heaven).

During Ramadan, we found out how much more we can do, so let’s try to keep up with those extra actions even if they are only “small”. Whether it was making sure you prayed every prayer on time, praying at the masjid at least once a day, giving a small amount of charity every day or being kind and gentle with your family; remember the words of our Messenger, peace be upon him:

“Take up good deeds only as much as you are able, for the best deeds are those done regularly even if they are few.”

Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 4240

In society today we sees people around the world celebrating days such as: world women’s day which is then shortly followed by a day to acknowledge women in their role as mothers.

Whilst recognition for women is a good thing in itself, the fact that we need to have a day to mark the importance of women in society and to highlight their many struggles is a sad indictment of the world in which we live.

Women are the bedrock of society, they are daughters, sisters, mothers, and grandmothers. They are doctors and engineers, teachers and nurses, leaders, and pioneers in every field. To reduce this, by singling out just one day to acknowledge their contribution to society and all of the struggles they have faced and continue to face, quite often just for basic rights, is not Islam and not from Islam. Islam gave women these rights and the honour and status they deserve over fourteen centuries ago.

Sadly however, Islam is often attributed with being oppressive to women, with the hijab (Head cover) and niqab (face veil) the prime indicators for this incorrect label. Muslim women are seen as subordinate to Muslim men and thought to be subservient to the males in their families, be it their spouses, fathers, or brothers.

The truth couldn’t be far more removed from this. In fact, it is Islam above all other religions that gives women a high status and rights that other societies have only just acknowledged so many centuries later. This includes not only financial rights but the fundamental right of life, for the Prophet Muhammed peace be upon him was sent at a time when baby girls were being buried alive. Islam came to prevail over the barbaric practices and great injustices of the time. Islam is a religion of justice not of equality. Each and every person has a role to play, and each is entrusted with rights and responsibilities that they are answerable for to the highest authority, that of their Lord Allah Who will not let something even as small as the size of an atom be missed from their record of deeds

“So whoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a smallest ant) shall see it; And whoever, does evil equal to the weight of an atom or a smallest ant) shall see it.‘ (99.7-8)

There are so many great women in Islam, some of whom we will discuss in another article in shaa Allah (God Willing), they are revered for their intellect, their chastity and strength, They were honoured and respected and never belittled nor taken advantage of. Whether as mothers, daughters, or scholars, they were given rights, and declared sole owners of their own wealth, with rights of inheritance and maintenance, which so many are still battling for today. This was over fourteen centuries ago, and without a single protest movement or struggle.

This is one of the many reasons why so women are turning to Islam.

Every stage of a woman’s life is given its due importance and mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah, as an infant; when the mother of Maryam (Mary) realised she had given birth to a baby girl whom she put into the service of her Lord Allah. As daughters; the Prophet Peace be upon him, mentioned the importance of raising daughters or looking after one’s sisters and the reward for doing so by saying, Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri narrated that; the Messenger of Allah said: “Whoever has three daughters, or three sisters, or two daughters, or two sisters and he keeps good company with them and fears Allah regarding them, then Paradise is for him. (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1916)

As spouses, the Quran mentions that women should be treated well and the Prophet peace be upon him said;

“The best of you is the one who is best to his wife, and I am the best of you to my wives” (Sunan Ibn Majah 1977)

Then, as Mothers, we are reminded of the great debt we owe to the one who gave birth to us, whose rights over us are so much greater than that of our fathers.

The Prophet Muhammed Peace be upon him was asked “Allah’s Messenger, who amongst the people is most deserving of my good treatment? He said: Your mother, again your mother, again your mother, then your father, then your nearest relatives according to the order (of nearness)” (Sahih Muslim 2548b)

Mothers are not just treated well on one day out of the year, they are honoured every day of the year and granted the status of being the key to paradise for their children.

Week 4: Introspection and Acceptance With the end of Ramadan upon us, we must ask ourselves; what have we achieved from this month? Are we the same as when we entered the month or have we changed, have we improved; has our connection with Allah become stronger? We spent the nights praying and reading Qur’an and the day abstaining from food and drink. We would see the Masjid full to the brim, faces you had never seen before and in reality, you probably will not see again until next Ramadan. We need to understand that it does not end here; doing good deeds does not end by the ending of Ramadan. The Lord you worshipped and strived to please in Ramadan is the same Lord you need to strive to worship outside of Ramadan. The same Qur’an you read in Ramadan is the same Qur’an you need to be reading outside of Ramadan. This goes for all the acts of worship you done inside of Ramadan, from giving in charity to performing I’tikaaf in the Masjid, all this can still be done outside of Ramadan. We know the Salaf used to supplicate to Allah for six months asking Him to get them to the month of Ramadan; and then they used to supplicate for six months that Allah accepts their fasting and other worship in Ramaḍan. We ask Allah Almighty to accept our fasting, qiyaam , and righteous deeds and that he blesses us with many more opportunities to witness the month of Ramadan, ameen!

Alhamdulillah – All praise and thanks are for Allah, that we are about to complete this blessed month of Ramadan. A month full of blessings and we hope that everyone was able to attain their share Insha’Allah. I hope we are all able to implement and continue the good habits we tried to develop during this month until next Ramadan! For many of us, our focus will now turn to Eid, but we need to take a moment to reflect back on how the month went for us, the highs and the lows and what we could have done to make it a better experience. We should also pray to Allah, that he accepts our worship from us, and in fact, this forms the basis of one of the greetings of Eid which we will explain later. One of the ways to make up for some of the shortcomings in Ramadan is to pay Zakat-Al-Fitr, this is a small amount of money paid for each person young or old and given to the poor and needy in the form of food before Eid. It must be given before the Eid prayer and ideally some time in advance. If you haven’t already done so, you can donate it via our partner organisation Taskforce GLM. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) enjoined zakat al-fitr as a purification for the fasting person from idle and obscene speech, and to feed the poor. Whoever gives it before the prayer, it is Zakat Al-Fitr, and whoever gives it after the prayer, it is ordinary charity. This was narrated by Abu Dawood and classed as Hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. With regard to the day of Eid itself, there are some Sunnah acts and ettiquettes we should observe. · Wearing our best clothes- which should be modest. · Wearing perfume – Only for men. · Eating an odd number of dates in the morning. · Travelling by different routes to and from the place of prayer. · Praying the Eid prayer and listening to the Khutbah (Sermon) afterwards. You can read more on these HERE. As for greeting other Muslims, we can offer the greeting of the day of Eid as mentioned earlier which is the following supplication. It was narrated that Jubayr ibn Nufayr said: When the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) met one another on the day of Eid, they would say to one another: “Taqabbal Allaahu minna wa mink (May Allah accept (this worship) from us and from you).” Al-Haafiz said: Its isnaad is hasan. On behalf of everyone at Islamwise we pray that Allah swt accepts all of your fasts and worship and blesses you and us with the ability to better ourselves and build on what we have put into practice during this blessed month. Aameen.

Week 3: Analogy between Yusuf عليه السلام and the month of Ramadan Scholars have mentioned many analogies between Yusuf عليه السلام and the month of Ramadan; some of which are:

1) The twelve months of the year are like the twelve sons of Prophet Yaqub. Just as Prophet Yusuf was the most beloved to Yaqub, the month of Ramadan is the most beloved to Allah.

2) Just as Allah forgave the eleven brothers by the du’a of one (Yusuf), He can forgive your eleven months of sins by your du’as in Ramadan.”

3) Just as Yusuf was loving and forgiving and forgave his brothers when he said:

(سورة يوسف 92) لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَNo blame will there be upon you today (Surah Yusuf – 92) Similarly, we find the month of Ramadan full of blessing, love and forgiveness, it saves a person from the hellfire and is a month in which Allah forgives us!

4) The brothers of Yusuf came to Yusuf in a state of loss after having committed grave sins, but Yusuf treated them with love and respect; he fed them, was good to them and gave them hope. Likewise, we reach the month of Ramadan with deficiencies, sins and in a state of loss. The month of Ramadan provides us with an opportunity to reconnect with our Lord, self-reflect, and rejuvenate our worship for His sake.

We ask Allah to make the most of what is left of this blessed month, Ameen!

How can one take their worship up a level in this blessed month of Ramadan? Here are 6 things that will help you take your worship up a level:

Just focus

Bring yourself to the present moment and truly experience it all. When you wake up for the pre-dawn meal (suhoor), don’t do it heavily, dragging your weight about while groggily shoving food down to sustain you for the day. Instead, do it with purpose. Plan to wake up simply because it is a sunnah of our Prophet ﷺ, and because you know there are blessings in it.

Learn the words

When you stand for your salah, it has little impact when you don’t know what you’re actually reciting. Start small. Study the meanings of the various phrases said in salah as you transition from one position to another; study the meaning of Al-Fatiha if you don’t know it already. And when you know it, feel every verse. If you’re not sure where to start, why not download our Tell Me How to Pray E-Book.

Talk to Allah

More than anything else, Ramadan should be about building our relationship with Allah. And it only makes sense that part of the reason we feel disconnected and unconscious in our worship is because we don’t know who we’re worshipping, or who we’re talking to. To start to find out more about Allah swt, why not download our Tell Me About Allah E-Book.

You will stumble

You might fall. But the absolute most important thing is that you never stop trying. If you slip up one day and feel like your fast has been empty, void of all consciousness of what you were doing and why don’t use that as the go-ahead for the rest of your month. Use it as a turning point and a reminder of what you should be working for. And when you know it, feel every verse. If you’re not sure where to start, why not download our Tell Me How to Pray E-Book.

Do only as much as you can handle

Don’t become overzealous, planning to do everything that gets reward during this month. Hours of lengthy Qur’an recitation cease to be meaningful when you’re reciting just to get through them but your heart is not connected.

Remember the reward

Our hunger means nothing when it is mindless and unconscious of Allah. we need to remind ourselves of our reward with Allah. Without that, everything is pointless and empty.

Adapted from an article posted by Free Quran Education

Ramadan is still a dream for me I am a convert keeping my Islam secret for 7 years now. Every Ramadan is a hope for me that one day I will do Ramadan and fast in that month ☺️ SubhanAllah from sister Hafeeza, 31, living in India. Sometimes we can take our fasting, ability to pray, to educate ourselves openly for advantage. For many reverts, keeping their Islam a secret is usually out of fear for their lives or of societal rejection. Family culture and traditions can control the structure and relationships of a household. Yet we find these brave souls, by the mercy of Allah swt, discovering Islam amongst such a tight web. Alhamdulilah, Sister Hafeeza has kept her emaan, her love for Allah swt for 7 years, not giving up.

Holding on to that rope of Allah swt whilst facing so much aversion from family, friends etc is extremely hard. It takes so much strength and passion in wanting a different lifestyle for yourself. In honesty, it takes a great amount of love and fear of Allah swt with the aim to please Him, to do the right thing. But it usually comes with insults, threats, being ostracised, loneliness, rejection, being told you are mental and so on. Telling your family is not an easy conversation.

Anas bin Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said:

“There shall come upon the people a time in which the one who is patient upon his religion will be like the one holding onto a burning ember.”

Remember this Ramadhan, do not take your Islam for granted. Your ability to fast and pray openly is a blessing. The blessing is this – you can develop yourself inwardly and outwardly. When you are not being restricted or practising in secret, you can really make huge changes in your life, there is no limit to how much you can advance yourself in faith.

We pray Allah swt protects all our revert brothers and sisters, who from fear, hide their faith. We ask Allah swt the Most-Wise, to grant them the ease to practice their faith openly. Ameen.

Week 2: Ramadan – A month not to be lazy!

عن أنس بن مالك -رضي الله عنه- قال: كان رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- يقول: ((اللهم إني أعوذ بك من العَجْزِ، والكَسَلِ، وَالجُبْنِ، والهَرَمِ، والبخل، وأعوذ بك من عذاب القبر، وأعوذ بك من فتنة المحيا والممات)) مسلم 2706

Anas RA said that the Prophet SAW used to say: O Allah, I seek refuge with You from weakness, laziness, cowardice, senility, and miserliness. And I seek refuge with You from the torment of the grave. And I seek refuge with You from the trials of life and death.’ (Muslim) This is one of the oft-repeated dua’s made by the Prophet SAW. From amongst the things the Prophet SAW sought refuge from was laziness. He would ask Allah to protect him from this and this is the point of discussion in this reminder; laziness.

Being in the month of Ramadan it is even more pertinent we fully understand the concept of laziness and the impact it can have on our lives. We can truly understand this by dividing laziness into two categories like some of the scholars have said:

1) Laziness of the mind – This is when a person cannot and does not reflect or ponder over the great blessings Allah has bestowed upon us with from our health, wealth and children. Alongside this we don’t see the creation around us from its natural beauty and lush green lands. As Allah says in the Qur’an

الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ (ال عمران:191)

Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth (Al Imran: 191)

2) Laziness of the body – This is everything that culminates concerning our limbs falling short in the worship of Allah. This includes things like not praying in congregation, not seeking knowledge, not rushing to do those deeds which are beloved to Allah from the acts of worship. All of this is to do with laziness pertaining to our body.

This month is a month where we train our bodies and mind to reflect on the blessings we have been given by Allah and to remove laziness from our bodies when it comes to His worship. We ask Allah to remove all forms of laziness from our lives, Ameen!

Week 1 – A month that will intercede on our behalf on the Day of Judgement! The first week of Ramadan has passed us by like the blinking of an eye. Next week will pass us by even quicker, and before we know it, Ramadan will have ended. Imagine yourself on the day of judgement with nothing. No wealth, no position, no family, no friends. Everyone worried and concerned about themselves. Standing before your Lord, everything will be accounted for, everything you have said and done in this life. This is the moment you will need something or someone to intercede on your behalf, as your deeds alone will not get you into paradise.

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو ، أَنّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ:”الصِّيَامُ وَالْقُرْآنُ يَشْفَعَانِ لِلْعَبْدِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، يَقُولُ الصِّيَامُ: أَيْ رَبِّ، مَنَعْتُهُ الطَّعَامَ وَالشَّهَوَاتِ بِالنَّهَارِ، فَشَفِّعْنِي فِيهِ، وَيَقُولُ الْقُرْآنُ: مَنَعْتُهُ النَّوْمَ بِاللَّيْلِ، فَشَفِّعْنِي فِيهِ، قَالَ فَيُشَفَّعَانِ”

`Abdullah ibn `Amr reported that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, 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.” (Imam Ahmad)

The scholars have mentioned that the Quran will intercede for those who read it and act upon it. Similarly, our fasts will intercede for us if we perfect them, by controlling our tongues and staying away from prohibited acts. So, this intercession needs to be earned. We need to take hold of this opportunity that we have in front of us…but the month is quickly passing us by. On the day of judgement, what would we give to have something intercede on our behalf? We have an incredible opportunity with us this month so let’s make the most of it!

WHAT DOES RAMADAN MEAN TO MUSLIMS?

Ramadan is over, now what?

Close the door to evil!

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