RAMADHAN : The Month of Oppurtunity

[SAFAH]

Bismillah

 

RAMADHAN : The Month of Oppurtunity

 

 

 

 

O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (Fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain Taqwa (piety) [Al-Baqarah: 183]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 Volume 3, Book 31, Number 123]

 

 

 

"Fasting is a shield and a powerful fortress."

[Ahmad, Baihaqi]

 

 

 

“All the good deeds of the son of Adam multiply his reward from ten to seven hundred times. Allah said: ‘Except for fasting, for it is for Me and I reward for it.’”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jabir (RA) related that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "In every day and every night, during the month of Ramadan, there are people to whom Allah grants freedom from the Fire, and there is for every Muslim a supplication which he can make and it will be granted". [Ahmad]

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Unrestricted Reward

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. [bukhari]

 

Every servant of Allah who observes fast for a day in the way of Allah, Allah would remove because of this day, his face farther from the Fire (of Hell) to the extent of seventy years' distance. [Muslim]

 

Allah, the Majestic and the Exalted, said: Every act of the son of Adam is for him except fasting. It is done for my sake, and I will give a reward for it. By Allah in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad [sAW], the breath of the observer of fast is sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk. [Muslim]

 

Dua which is not rejected

Abu Hurairah (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "There are three people whose supplications are not rejected. The fasting person when he breaks the fast, the just ruler and the supplication of the oppressed". [at-Tirmidhi]

 

Beneficial actions during this month

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: Allah's Apostle was the most generous of all the people, and he used to reach the peak in generosity in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel met him. Gabriel used to meet him every night of Ramadan to teach him the Qur'an. Allah's Apostle was the most generous person, even more generous than the strong uncontrollable wind (in readiness and haste to do charitable deeds) [bukhari, Volume 1, Book 1, Number 5]

 

The Messenger of Allah(SAW) said, ‘Fasting and reciting Qur'an intercede for the slave on the Day of Resurrection. The fast will say: O Allah, I prevented him from eating and satiating his lawful lust, so let me intercede on his behalf; and the Qur'an will say: I prevented him from sleeping during the night, so let me intercede for him.’ (Ahmad & Tabaraani)

 

Abu Umaamah(RA) reports that (SAW) said: “Recite the Quran for indeed it will come on the Day of Judgment as an intercessor for its Ashaab (those who read, memorise and implement it)

 

The people will remain on the right path as long as they hasten the breaking of the fast [bukhari]

 

Open your fast with dates, if it is not possible with dates then with water, dates is blessed and water purifies [Tirmidhi (Kitab ul Zakat) and Abu Dawood (Kitab ul Saum)]

 

The difference between our fasting and that of the people of the Book is eating shortly before dawn and the meal is blessed [Muslim]

 

There should be a time span of at least fifty verses between our Suhur and observing of Salat [Muslim]

 

To feed a person fasting to open his fast is righteous, the reward for it is the same as the person fasting while no reward is deducted from the person fasting [Tirmidhi (Kitab ul Saum)]

 

The Sahabah asked: “Oh messenger of Allah none of us finds means wherewith to give food to a fasting man!”

He (SAW) replied: “Allah will bestow this reward on one who gives food to a fasting man even if it is a sip of milk or a date or a sip of water. And whosoever gives satisfaction to a man, Allah will give him a drink from my fountain that will not make him thirsty till he will enter Paradise. And it is a month of which the beginning is mercy, the middle is forgiveness and the end is freedom from the fire. And whosoever makes light the (burden of) his covenanted slaves therein, Allah will forgive him, and He will make him free from the fire.” [Mishkat ul Masabih]

 

Reprehensible acts during this month

Whoever does not give up telling lies and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting.) [bukhari]

 

If one of you is fasting, he should avoid quarrelling, and if somebody should fight or quarrel with him, he should say, 'I am fasting’ [bukhari]

 

A person who breaks the fast in Ramadan should free a slave or observe fasts for two (consecutive) months or feed sixty poor persons [Muslim]

 

Time for repentance

 

 

 

 

O you who believe! Turn to Allâh with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will remit from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise) the Day that Allâh will not disgrace the Prophet (Muhammad SAW) and those who believe with him, their Light will run forward before them and with (their Records Books of deeds) in their right hands they will say: "Our Lord! Keep perfect our Light for us [and do not put it off till we cross over the Sirât (a slippery bridge over the Hell) safely] and grant us forgiveness. Verily, You are Able to do all things" [Al-Tahrim: 8]

 

 

 

 

Hudhaifah Ibn al-Yaman reported that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "The evils caused for a man through his family, wealth and neighbour are expiated by prayer, fasting and charity." [bukhari and Muslim]

 

DUA

Abdullah Ibn Amr Ibn al-Aas also reported that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "Indeed there is for the fasting person, when he breaks his fast, a supplication which is not rejected". [ibn Majah]

 

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