Monday, September 10, 2012

What is meant by the devils being chained up in Ramadaan?

What do you say about the devils being chained up in Ramadaan?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Bukhaari (1899) and Muslim (1079) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When Ramadaan comes, the gates
of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils
are chained up."
The scholars differed as tothe meaning of the devils being chained up
in Ramadaan.
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said, quoting al-Haleemi: It may be interpreted at
meaning that the devils are not able to tempt the Muslims as they are
at other times because they are busy with the fast which controls
their desires, and with reading Qur'aan and dhikr (remembrance of
Allaah). Another scholar – someone other than al-Haleemi – said that
what is meant by the devils is some of them, namely the maarids
(strong devils), who are chained up.
'Iyaad said: it may be interpreted in a literal sense, and that is as
a signto the angels that the month has begun, and in veneration of its
sanctity, and so as to prevent the devils from harming the Muslims.
And it may be interpreted as referring tothe great amount of reward
and forgiveness, and that the devils tempt people less, so it is as if
they are chained up. This second interpretation is supported by the
fact thataccording to a report narrated by Yoonus from Ibn Shihaab
which is recorded by Muslim it says"the gates of mercy are opened".
The chaining up of the devils may also be understood as a metaphor for
them being unable to tempt people and make their whims and desires
attractive to them. Al-Zayn ibn al-Muneer said: The first view is most
likely to be correct, and there is no need to try to understand it in
anything other than the literal sense.
Fath al-Baari, 4/114.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about
the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
"and the devils are chained up,"– yet we still see people suffering
from epilepsy during the day in Ramadaan, so how can the devils be
chained up when some people are suffering epileptic fits?
He replied: In some versions of the hadeeth it says "and the strong
devils (maarids) are chained up" – this is narrated by al-Nasaa'i.
This hadeeth is speaking of matters of the unseen, so we have to
accept it and not discuss it any further. This is safer for a person's
religious commitment. Hence when'Abd-Allaah, the son of Imam Ahmad ibn
Hanbal said to his father, "Some people suffer epileptics fits during
the day in Ramadaan," the Imam said: "This is what the hadeeth says
and we do not discuss this."
Moreover it seems that what is meant by their being chained up is that
they are prevented from tempting people, based on the fact that there
is a great deal of goodness and many people turn to Allaah during
Ramadaan.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 20.
Based on this, the chaining up of the devils is something that happens
in a real sense, about which Allaah knowsbest. This does not mean that
evil things do not happen or that people do not commit sin. And Allaah
knows best.

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