The Month of Ramadan and Fasting

Important lessons from Ramadaan

Taqwaa, Patience, Good Manners and Unity are all assets which can be attained in Ramadaan.

“There has come to you Ramadaaan, a blessed month, in which Allaah has made it obligatory to fast. During it the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hellfire are closed, and the rebellious devils are chained.”

Allaah -The Most High - said: "The month of Ramadaan in which the Qur’aan was revealed, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance of the Criterion between right and wrong. So whosoever of you sights the crescent for the month of Ramadhaan, he must fast that month." [Soorah al-Baqarah 2:185].

Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

"Islaam is built upon five: Testifying that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and the Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, establishing the Prayer, giving the Zakaah performing Hajj to the House, and fasting in Ramadhaan." [1]

He (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also said:

"There has come to you Ramadaan, a blessed month, in which Allaah has made it obligatory to fast. During it the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hellfire are closed, and the rebellious devils are chained. In it is a night (Laylatul-Qadr) which is better than a thousand months. He who is deprived of its good has truly been deprived."[2]

From the many important lessons to be learnt from fasting are:

[1]: GAINING TAQWAA

Fasting has been legislated in order that we may gain taqwaa as Allaah - the Most High - said: "O you who believe! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed upon those before you in order that you may attain taqwaa." [Soorah al-Baqarah 2:183].

Talq ibn Habeeb (d.100H) - rahimahullaah - said:

"When fitnah (trial and tribulation) appears then extinguish it with taqwaa." So he was asked as to what taqwaa was, so he replied: "Taqwaa is to act in obedience to Allaah, upon a light (i.e. eemaan, faith) from Allaah, hoping in the Mercy of Allaah. And taqwaa is leaving acts of disobedience to Allaah, upon a light from Allaah, due to the fear of Allaah."[3]

"This is one of the best definitions of taqwaa. For every action must have both a starting point and a goal. And an action will not be considered as an act of obedience, or nearness to Allaah unless it stems from pure eemaan (faith in Allaah). Thus, it is pure eemaan - and not habits, desires, nor seeking praise or fame - that should be what initiates an action. And the preparation showed, to earn the reward of Allaah and to seek His good pleasure."[4] So Fasting is a means of attaining taqwaa, since it helps prevent a person from many sins that one is prone to. Due to this, the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: "Fasting is a shield with which the servant protects himself from the Fire."[5] So we should ask ourselves, after each day of fasting: Has this lasting made us more fearful and obedient to Allaah? Has it aided us in distancing ourselves from sins and disobedience?

[2]: SEEKING NEARNESS TO ALLAAH

The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

"Allaah said: Whosoever shows enmity to a friend of Mine, I shall be at war with him. My servant does not draw near to me with anything more beloved to me than the obligatory duties that I have placed upon him. My servant continues to draw nearer to Me with optional deeds so that I shall love him."[6]

The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

"Whosoever reaches the month of Ramadaaan and does not have his sins forgiven, and so enters the Fire, then may Allaah distance him."[7]

So drawing closer to Allaah - the Most Perfect - in this blessed month, can be achieved by fulfilling one's obligatory duties; and also reciting the Qur’aan and reflecting upon its meanings, increasing in kindness and in giving charity, in making du‘aa (supplication) to Allaah, attending the Taraaweeh Prayer, seeking out Laylatul-Qadr (the Night of Power and Pre-Decree), a night which is better than a thousand months, attending gatherings of knowledge, and striving in those actions that will cause the heart to draw closer to its Lord and to gain His forgiveness. Our level of striving in this blessed month should be greater than our striving to worship Allaah in any other month, due to the excellence and rewards that Allaah has placed in it. Likewise from the great means of seeking nearness to Allaah in this month is making I‘tikaaf (seclusion in the mosque in order to worship Allaah) - for whoever is able.

Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (d.751H) - rahimahullaah - said:

"Allaah also prescribed i’tikaaf for them, the objective being that the heart becomes fully preoccupied with Allaah - the Most High - concentrated upon Him alone, and cut-off from being preoccupied with the creation. Rather, the heart is only engrossed with Allaah - the Most Perfect - such that loving Him, remembering Him, and turning to Him takes the place of all the heart's anxieties and worries, so that he is able to overcome them. Thus all his concerns are for Allaah, and his thoughts are all directed towards remembering Him and thinking of how to attain His Pleasure and what will cause nearness to Him which leads him to feel content with Allaah instead of people. This, in turn prepares him for being at peace with Allaah alone, on the day of loneliness in the grave, when there will be no one else to give comfort, nor anyone to grant solace, except Him. So this is the greater goal of I‘tikaaf." [8]

[3]: ACQUIRING PATIENCE

Imaam Ahmad (d.241H) - rahimahullaah - said:

"Allaah has mentioned sabr (patience) in over ninety places in His Book." [9]

The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

"The month of Patience, and the three days of every month, are times for fasting." [10]

Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr (d.464H) - rahimahullaah - said:

"What is meant by the month of Patience is the month of Ramadaaan ... So fasting is called patience because it restrains the soul from eating, drinking, conjugal relations and sexual desires." [11]

He (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

"O youths! Whoever amongst you is able to marry then let him do so; for it restrains the eyes and protects the private parts. But whoever is unable, then let him fast, because it will be a shield for him." [12]

So fasting is a means of learning self-restraint and patience. With patience we are able to strengthen our resolve to worship Allaah alone, with sincerity, and also cope with life's ups and downs. So - for example - with patience we are able to perform our Prayers calmly and correctly, without being hasty, and without merely pecking the ground several times! With patience we are able to restrain our souls from greed and stinginess and thus give part of our surplus wealth in Zakaah (obligatory charity). With patience we are able to subdue the soul's ill temperament, and thus endure the ordeal and hardships of Hajj, without losing tempers and behaving badly. Allaah - the Most High - said:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ حَرِّضِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى الْقِتَالِ إِن يَكُن مِّنكُمْ عِشْرُونَ صَابِرُونَ يَغْلِبُواْ مِئَتَيْنِ وَإِن يَكُن مِّنكُم مِّئَةٌ يَغْلِبُواْ أَلْفًا مِّنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَفْقَهُونَ

"O Prophet, urge the Believers to fight ... So if there are one hundred who are patient, they shall overcome two hundred; and if there be one thousand, they shall overcome two thousand, by the permission of Allaah. And Allaah is with the patient ones." [Soorah al-Anfaal 8:65-66].

Thus, without knowledge and patience, nothing remains, except zeal and uncontrolled emotions, shouts and hollow slogans, speech that does not strengthen, but rather weakens, and actions that do not build, but rather destroy! So in this month, we should strive to develop a firm resolve for doing acts of obedience, and to adorn ourselves with patience - having certainty in the saying of our Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam): "And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and case with hardship." [13]

[4]: CULTIVATING GOOD MANNERS

The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

"Whosoever does not abandon falsehood in speech and action, then Allaah the Mighty and Majestic has no need that he should leave his food and drink." [14]

He (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also said:

"Fasting is not merely abstaining from eating and drinking. Rather, it is also abstaining from ignorant and indecent speech. So if anyone abuses or behaves ignorantly with you, then say: I am fasting, I am fasting." [15]