The Ramadhan Season
All around us, we are feeling the spirit of Ramadan. Our homes are dusted, mopped and shined, planners filled with actions to do in this blessed month, our dua lists readied. People are smiling more, and we already feel the eeman rush to greet this annual guest.
Ramadan is like a bazaar, a bazaar of khair – where we can find an assortment of good acts that can be performed to earn multiple rewards from Allah.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
On the first night of the month of Ramadan, the devils are chained, the jinns are restrained, and the gates of Hellfire are closed and none of its gates are opened. The gates of Paradise are opened, and none of its gates are closed. A heavenly caller announces: O seeker of good, come near! O seeker of evil, stop short! Allah will save them from the Hellfire and that is during every night of Ramadan.
The chaining of the devils and the restraining evil jinn, bless us with an opportunity to experience the goodness. So we submit to Allah wholeheartedly, giving up our food, drink, and evil talk for the sake of Allah. Our tongues are moist with His remembrance, and our heart flutters with the love of Allah and a deep heartfelt longing, “Ya Allah, accept this from me!” Ya Allah, I have given up food and drink for you, and I have submitted myself to your command – Ya Rabb, accept it from me! “
An attitude of – ‘We hear and Obey’
Allah wants us to refrain from that which He has made Halal for us,He has instructed us to give up these Halal things so that we may show complete submission. One month in the whole year, so we control our desires and submit to His commands – that we hear and obey – سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۚ (Sa’mina wa Ata’ana). Are we able to give it up for Allah – can we control our regular habits?
It’s neither beyond doable nor a burden, as Allah says in the Holy Quran.
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear…”
[al-Baqarah, 2:286].
It is something that’s within our capacity and capability. To show Allah that we can crab our physical desires and do not eat or drink, rather engage in the acts of ibadah. It’s a training process where we, along with refraining from food and drink, we control our tongue and our desires – to humble ourselves to the command of Allah completely, to become Allah conscious – to attain Taqwa.
Controlling our faculties
The purpose behind fasting is not simply to refrain from eating and drinking; instead, the purpose is to refrain from disobeying Allah to achieve piety or fear of Allah. Allah says,
“O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious.)”
[al-Baqarah 2:183]
Our training in Ramadan
The fasting person guards all of his faculties against disobeying Allah. We are trained for a month to practice taqwa in every act to carry it forward for the rest of the year. Of course, not everyone experiences or benefits from this training; only those who benefit from it, who consciously, intentionally, left their food and drink and their halal desires just for the sake of Allah. These people who restrain their tongue, from backbiting, speaking evil, and harming others – all part of their training –develop these skills for the rest of the year.
The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, Allah has no need of his giving up his food and drink”
[al-Bukhaari 1903, 6075]
Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه reported: The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“Do not insult anyone while you are fasting. If anyone insults you, then say: Indeed, I am fasting. If you are standing, then sit down” [Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah 1994, Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani]
Our Salah in Ramadan
Our prayers have more Khushu. We are focused only to worship Allah. We pray with humility and awareness – as though we can see Allah. We hasten to answer the call for prayer as the angels hasten to obey the commands of Allah, and Allah praises them in Surah Tahrim,
مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَّا يَعْصُونَ ٱللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ
Angels, stern and strong; angels who never disobey God’s commands to them, but do as they are ordered [Surah Tahrim: 6]
The Nights of Ramadan
Every night of Ramadan, Allah frees the people from the hellfire. He removes their names from among the inhabitants of hellfire. Each night our Ibadah should reflect the ardent desire to be of those who are freed from the hellfire
We must ensure that we are of those who are set free from the hellfire. May Allah make us of those people.
Purging the Toxicity Before Planting the Seeds of Goodness
Just as we weed out the weeds and thorns before planting a new plant, we need to empty our hearts of all kinds of evil – thoughts, ideas, desires before we can plant in it the goodness.
Allah forgives the people in the month of Shaban, and we are also encouraged to seek forgiveness from the ones we might have hurt and to end hatred to enter this month purified and ready to accept the khair.
Ramadan and our relationship with the Quran
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَـٰتٍ مِّنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْفُرْقَانِ ۚ
It was in the month of Ramadan that the Quran was revealed as guidance for mankind, clear messages giving guidance and distinguishing between right and wrong.
[al-Baqarah 2:185]
In the Quran, Allah has called “Guidance” for the believers so we can recite, understand and reflect upon it. We pray to give us the ability to under His word and book in this holly month.
We rush to do these good deeds and more acts of righteousness, begging Allah to accept our ibadah and grant us success. We pace our day and night with His worship, repeatedly turning our hearts to Allah, seeking His pleasure alone.
Our heart reverberates with these words – ‘I have hastened to you, oh Allah, so that you may be pleased.’ Thus, we hasten from one mode of worship to another every day of Ramadan – from fasting – to salah – to controlling our tongue – to increasing our dhikr – to seeking forgiveness – to making dua – to reciting the words of Allah in the long night of Ramadan – to crying in our sujoods – every act one after the other with only one goal and purpose.
وَعَجِلْتُ إِلَيْكَ رَبِّ لِتَرْضَىٰ
“And I hasten to You, my Lord, so that You’ll be pleased.”
[Taahaa, 20: 84]