Fathwa - The Muslim in Ramadaan

Question:
What should we say to the Muslims on the occasion of the beginning of Ramadaan?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'aan, a guidance
for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion
(between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on
the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his
home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month, and whoever is ill or
on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Sawm
(fasts) must be made up] from other days. Allaah intends for you ease,
and He does not want to make thingsdifficult for you. (He wants that
you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must
magnify Allaah [i.e. to say Takbeer (Allaahu Akbar: Allaah is the Most
Great)]for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him."
[al-Baqarah 2:185]
This blessed month is a great opportunity for goodness, barakah
(blessing), worship and obedience towards Allaah.
It is a great month, a noble season, a month inwhich hasanaat (rewards
for good deeds) are multiplied and in which committing sayi'aat
(baddeeds) is more serious than at other times. The gates of Paradise
are opened and the gates of Hell are shut, and the sinners' repentance
to Allaah is accepted. It is a month whose beginningis mercy, its
middle is forgiveness and its end is redemption from the Fire.
So give thanks to Him forthe season of goodness and blessing that He
has bestowed upon you, andfor the means of bounty and various kinds of
great blessings for which He has singled you out. Make the most of
this blessed time by filling it with acts of worship and forsaking
haraam things, so that you may attain a good life in this world and
happiness after death.
For the sincere believer, every month is an occasion for worship and
his whole life is spent in obeying Allaah, but in the month of
Ramadaan he has even more motives to do good and his heart is even
more focused on worship, and he turns even more to his Lord. By His
grace, our generous Lord bestows His bounty upon the fasting believers
and multiplies the reward forthem on this blessed occasion, so He
gives abundantly and rewardsgenerously for righteousdeeds.Time passes
quickly
Days pass so quickly, as ifthey were mere moments. We welcomed
Ramadaan, then we bade it farewell, and only a short period of time
passed and we are welcoming Ramadaan again. So we should hasten to do
good deedsin this month and strive to fill it with that which Allaah
is pleased with and with that which will help us on the Day whenwe
meet Him.
How can we prepare for Ramadaan?
We can prepare for Ramadaan by taking stock of ourselves and
recognizing our shortcomings in living up to the Shahaadatayn, or our
shortcoming in fulfilling our duties, or our shortcomings in not
keeping away from the desires and doubts that we may have fallen into…
We should set ourselves straight so that in Ramadaan we will have a
higher degree of faith.For faith increases and decreases. It increases
through obedience to Allaah and it decreases through disobedience and
sin. The first act of obedience that a person should achieve is that
of being a true slave of Allaah and believing thatthere is none that
is rightfully worshipped except Allaah, so he directs all kinds of
worship to Allaah and does not associate anyone else in worship with
Him. Each of us should realize that whatever has befallen him could
not have missed him, and whatever missed him could not have befallen
him, and that everythinghappens by the will and decree of Allaah.
We should avoid everything that could undermine our commitment to the
Shahaadatayn. This means keeping away from bid'ah (innovations) and
thingsthat have been introduced into the religion. We should also
follow the principle of al-walaa' wa'l-bara' (loyalty and friendship
vs. disavowal and enmity), by taking the believers as our friends and
by regarding the kaafirs and hypocrites asenemies, and we should
rejoice when the Muslims gain a victory over their enemies. We should
follow the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) and his companions and adhere to the Sunnah of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the way of the
Rightly-Guided Khulafa' who came after him. We should love the Sunnah
and love those who adhere to it and defend it, in whatever country
they are and whatever colour or nationality they are.
After that we should take stock of ourselves and recognize our
shortcomings in doing acts of worship such as praying in
congregation,remembering Allaah (dhikr), paying attentionto the rights
of neighbours, relatives and the Muslims, spreading the greeting of
salaam, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, urging one
another to follow the truth and be patient and steadfast in doing so,
being patient in avoiding evil actions and in doing good deeds, and
accepting thedecree of Allaah with patience.
Then we should take stock of ourselves and our sins and our following
whims and desires. We should stop ourselves from persisting in that,
whether the sin is great or small, whether it is a sin of the eye, by
looking at that which Allaah has forbidden; or by listening to music;
or by walking to things of which Allaah does not approve; or by using
one's hands to srike in a manner with which Allaah is not pleased; or
by consuming things that Allaah has forbidden such as riba (usury) and
bribes, or any other means of consuming people's wealth unlawfully.
We should never forget that Allaah stretches forth His hand during
the day to accept the repentance of those who sinned at night, and He
stretches forth His hand at night to accept the repentance ofthose who
sinned during the day. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your
Lord, and for Paradise aswide as the heavens andthe earth, prepared
for Al-Muttaqoon (the pious).
Those who spend (in Allaah's Cause) in prosperity and in adversity,
who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allaah loves
Al-Muhsinoon (the good‑doers).
And those who, when they have committed Faahishah (illegal sexual
intercourse) or wrongedthemselves with evil, remember Allaah and ask
forgiveness for their sins; — and none can forgive sins but Allaah
—and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.
For such, the reward is forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens with
rivers flowing underneath (Paradise), wherein they shall abideforever.
How excellent is this reward for the doers(who do righteous deeds
according to Allaah's Orders)"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:133-136]
"Say: "O 'Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves
(by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of
Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft‑Forgiving,
Most Merciful"
[al-Zumar 39:53]
"And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks
Allaah'sforgiveness, he will find Allaah Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful"
[al-Nisa' 4:110]
By taking stock, repenting and seeking forgiveness, this is how we
should welcome Ramadaan. "The smart man is the one who takes stock of
himself and strives to do that which will benefit him after death, and
the helpless one is the one who follows his own whims and desires and
engages in wishful thinking, (assuming that Allaah will forgive him
regardless of what he does and that he does not need to strive to good
deeds)."
The month of Ramadaan is the month of great gains and profits. The
smart trader is the one who makes the most of special occasions to
increase his profits. So make the most of this month by doing lots of
acts of worship, praying a great deal, reading Qur'aan, forgiving
people, being kind to others and giving charity to the poor.
In the month of Ramadaan the gates of Paradise are opened andthe
gates of Hell are shut. The devils are put in chains and a caller
cries out each night, O seeker of good, proceed,O seeker of evil,
desist.
So, O slaves of Allaah, be among the people of good, following the
pathof your righteous forebears who were guided by the Sunnah ofyour
Prophet (peace andblessings of Allaah be upon him), so that we may end
Ramadaan withour sins forgiven and our righteous deeds accepted.
We should note that the month of Ramadaan is the best of months.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
Another of example of that – i.e., of the differentiation between the
things that Allaah has created – is the fact that the month of
Ramadaan is superior to all other months, and the last ten nights are
superior to the other nights."
Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/56
This month is superior toothers in four things:
1 – In it there is the best night of the year, which is Laylat
al-Qadr. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We have sent it (this Qur'aan) down in the Night of Al‑Qadr (Decree).
And what will make you know what the Night of Al‑Qadr (Decree) is?
The Night of Al‑Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e.
worshipping Allaah in that night is better than worshipping Him a
thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months).
Therein descend the angels and the Rooh [Jibreel (Gabriel)] by
Allaah's Permission with all Decrees,
(All that night), there is peace (and goodness from Allaah to His
believing slaves) until the appearance of dawn"
[al-Qadar 97:1-5]
So worship on this night is better than worshipping for a thousand months.
2 – In this month was revealed the best of Books to the best of the
Prophets (peace be uponthem). Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'aan, a guidance
for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion
(between right and wrong)"
[al-Baqarah 2:185]
"We sent it (this Qur'aan)down on a blessed night[(i.e. the Night of
Al‑Qadr) in the month of Ramadan — the 9th month of the Islamic
calendar]. Verily, We are ever warning [mankind that Our Torment will
reach those who disbelieve in Our Oneness of Lordship and in Our
Oneness of worship].
Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of ordainments.
As a Command (or this Qur'aan or the Decree of every matter) from Us.
Verily, We are ever sending (the Messengers)"
[al-Dukhaan 44:3-5]
It was narrated by Ahmad and by al-Tabaraani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabeer
that Waathilah ibn al-Asqa' (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"The Scriptures of Ibraaheem were sent down on the first of the month
of Ramadaan. TheTawraat was sent down on the sixth of Ramadaan. The
Injeel was sent down on the thirteenth of Ramadaan. The Zaboor was
sent down on the eighteenth of Ramadaan, and the Qur'aan was sent down
on the twenty-fourth of Ramadaan.
Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1575.
2 – In this month the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of
Hell are shut, and the devils are chained up.
It was narrated from AbuHurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened andthe
gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are put in chains." (Agreed
upon).
Al-Nasaa'i narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When Ramadaan
comes, the gates of mercy are opened and the gates of Hell are shut,
and the devils are put in chains."
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 471.
Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah and Ibn Khuzaymah narrated in one report:
"When the first night of the month of Ramadaan comes, the devils and
rebellious jinn are chained up and the gates of Hell are closed, and
not one gate of it is opened. The gates of Paradise are opened andnot
one gate of it is closed. And a caller cries out: 'O seeker of good,
proceed; O seeker of evil,desist. And Allaah has those whom He
redeemsfrom the Fire, and that happens every night."
Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 759.
If it is asked, how come we see many evil actionsand sins committed in
Ramadaan, for if the devils are chained up that would not happen?
The answer is that evil actions become less for those who observe the
conditions and etiquetteof fasting;
or that the ones who arechained up are some of the devils – namely the
rebellious ones – not all of them;
or that what is meant is that evil is reduced in Ramadaan, which is a
proven fact. If evil happens at this time, it isstill less than at
other times. Even if all of them (the devils) are chained up, that
does not necessarily mean that noevil or sin will happen, because
there are other causes of that besides the devils, such as evil souls,
bad habits and thedevils among mankind. Al-Fath, 4/145
4 – There are many kindsof worship in Ramadaan,some of which are not
done at other times, such as fasting, praying qiyaam, feeding the
poor, i'tikaaf, sadaqah, and reading Qur'aan.
I ask Allaah, the Exalted, the Almighty, to help us all to do that and
to helpus to fast and pray qiyaam, and to do acts of worship and to
avoid doing evil. Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds.

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