Coming into the month of Ramadan
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Glory is to Allah and praise is to Him, by the multitude of His creation, by His Pleasure, by the weight of His Throne, and by the extent of His Word
We start off with praising and glorifying The Eternal Whom all creatures need (As-Samad) and The One (Al Ahad). We do everything for Him only and for His sake.
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Every action of the son of Ādam is multiplied: a good deed receiving a tenfold to seven hundredfold reward. Allah the Mighty and Exalted has said: ‘Except for fasting. It is for Me and I will (personally) reward it; he abandons his desires and food for My sake.’ The fasting person will have two moments of joy: one when he opens his fast, and the other when he will meet his Lord. The unpleasant smell coming out of his mouth is more fragrant to Allah than musk.””
In the blessed month of Ramadan we should remember that the deeds are considered by the intentions, and a person will receive the reward according to his intention (as it was narrated in al-Bukhari and Muslim). Hence why it is of the utmost importance that we constantly renew our intentions throughout the Holy month of Ramadan, ensuring that our fasts are entirely for the Sake of Allah because He Commanded us to do so.
We do not fast for the health benefits although there are many, nor to loose weight or to emphasis with the poor and needy. We fast because Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) prescribed it for us in Quran, and the primary purpose of it is to attain Taqwa (piety and mindfulness of Allah ( سبحانه وتعالى)). When we fast,we are training our selves to control our nafs and inner desires not only from what is haram but also halal (i.e. food and drink) for 29/30 days - which in turn helps our Taqwa to grow, making it easier to restrain ourselves from haram throughout the year.
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Fasting is a shield from the Hell-fire.””
Ramdan is a month full of Mercy and Forgiveness, it is the month when the Gates of Paradise are open, and the Gates of the Hell-fire are closed and the rebellious jinn are tied up (as it was narrated in at-Tirmidhi 682). For a successful Ramadan we should aim for the following:
Freedom from the Hell-fire
Forgiveness for sins and Mercy from Allah
Submission to Allah and Complying with His Commands
Removing the love for this worldly life from our heart
Making obedience and acts of worship a consistent part of our lives.
“Ramaḍān is the month in which the Qur’ān was revealed – a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the criterion (between right and wrong)…”
The month of the Qur’an, when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would revise the Qur’an with Jibril (عليه السلام). It is the time of the year when our bodies and souls are occupied with that which they were created for - the worship of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) as it was mentioned in Surah Adh-Dhariyat ayah 56.
The main purpose of this month is to connect with the Qur’an by indulging oneself in reciting, pondering, listening, memorising and implementing that which it contains. Studying its Tafsir and revising that which we have already memorised from this Holy Book. We should aim to finish reading the Qur’an as many times as possible throughout this month whilst reflecting upon its verses which will help us build a deeper understanding of the Qur’an and strengthen our relationship with it. The greater our comprehension and relationship with Qur’an becomes the easier it will be to implement it in our daily lives.
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Fasting and the Qur’ān will intercede for the servant on the Day of Judgement. Fasting will say: My Lord, I prevented him from eating and his desires during the day, so accept my intercession on his behalf. The Qur’ān will say: I prevented him from sleeping at night, so accept my intercession on his behalf. Then, both of their intercession will be accepted.””
May Allah Allow (سبحانه وتعالى) us to reach the month Ramadan!
May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) Make us of the people of the Qur’an!
Ameen!