- Ramadan Articles, - How we should receive Ramadan - I

People have various ideas and ways of receiving the blessed month
ofRamadanand invest this occasion in fulfilling their favorite actions
and activities. Some of them make this an occasion for laziness,
idleness, sleep and neglecting the differentacts of obedience that
they could otherwise be doing. Others find this a good opportunity for
watching shows on satellite television while others stay up late at
night and use this precious time to pay visits, go to markets, relax,
make trips and the like while others make it an occasion for
exaggeration in eating, drinking and doing whatever they like, as
ifRamadanis the month of food and drink, and not the month of fasting.
However, there are some other people for whom Allaah The Almighty
wants good for and thus guides them to the right way so that they
became able to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong.
Such people receive this blessed month warmly and happily since they
believe that it is a golden opportunity to attain forgivenessfor sins
and make a new start that would be sin-free. In fact, the blessed
month ofRamadanisthe month of forgiveness, mercy and emancipation from
Hell. The Prophet,, used to give his Companions glad tidings on the
arrival ofRamadansaying:"There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed
month which Allaah has enjoined you to fast, during which the gates of
Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the
rebellious devils are chained up. In it there is a night which is
better than a thousand months - whoever is deprived of its goodness is
indeed deprived."]An-Nasaa'i, Al-Albaani:Saheeh)Authentic([
Consequently, these people knewwell the virtues, rewards and goodness
of this blessed month and thus they decide to reap all these fruits
and benefits so that they may not be among those who will say ]what
Allaah The Almighty Says )which means([:}I wish I had sent ahead ]some
good[ for my life.{]Quran 89: 24[ or say ]what Allaah The Almighty
Says )which means([:}My Lord, send me back, that I might do
righteousness in that which I leftbehind.{]Quran 23:99-100[ They do
not wish to be among those who will regret their negligence at a time
when regret will be of no use.
Therefore, those people whom Allaah has guided to receive the blessed
month ofRamadanproperly, are determined to do the following:
1.Sincere Repentance
Repentance of sins is obligatory at all times, especially in the month
ofRamadan. If a person does not repent inRamadan, then when would he
repent? If one does not feel regret inRamadan, then when would he feel
regret? Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And turn to Allaah in
repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.{]Quran
24:31[
O you who delay His repentance, until when will you postpone it?
You told yourself: When I observefast inRamadan, I will repent. Well,
here are the days of the blessed month ofRamadanfast approaching, yet
you still refuse to turn to your Lord in repentance. You are turning
away from Him, not coming closer to Him. You still insist resolutely
on your disobedience. Do you not fear that the Angel of Death may come
to you while you are in such a state? How could you be guided to the
path of repentance while you firmly insist on going in the opposite
direction?
Allaah The Almighty forgives all sins: He spreads out His Hand at
night to accept the repentance ofthe one who has sinned during the
day, and He spreads out His Hand by day to accept the repentance of
the one who has sinned during the night. Allaah The Almighty rejoices
over those who turn to Him in repentance and over the regret of the
sinful people. Therefore, He opens a door from the direction of the
west for seventy years for the purpose of repentance, and it will not
be closed until the sun rises from the west as the Prophet,, said.
]Ahmad and At-Tirmithi[
So where are those who long to turn to Allaah The Almighty in repentance?
2.ReceivingRamadanby devotingall actions sincerely and solely to
Allaah The Almighty
One concept should be very clear to all from the onset: If your acts
lack sincerity, then do not botherexhausting yourself because no
action will be accepted without sincerity. Allaah The Almighty Says
)what means(:}So whoever would hope for the meeting withhis Lord - let
him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord
anyone.{]Quran 18: 110[ It was narrated that the Prophet,,
said:"Allaah The Almighty Says: 'I am so self-sufficient that I am in
no need of having an associate. Thuswhoever does an action for someone
else's sake as well as mine, I will leave him to whom he has
associated with Me.'"]Muslim[
Fasting is one of the greatest acts of worship that instill sincerity
in the heart of the Muslim. This is because the fasting person cannot
be known except by Allaah The Almighty, The Most Exalted, especially
if he observes fasting in days other than the days ofRamadanand even
inRamadan, for one can pretend that he is fasting while he is not. In
addition to this, the fasting person keeps away from the slightest
thing that can affecthis fasting out of sincerity to Allaah The
Almighty and seeking His pleasure. Therefore, Allaah The Almighty has
hidden the reward of fasting and made it forHimself in much the same
way asthe fasting person has hidden hisfasting from other people, and
ofcourse Allaah The Almighty only gives that which is bountiful and
plentiful. Allaah The Almighty says in aQudsi)Sacred(Hadeeth:}Every
deed of the son of Aadam)Adam( will be rewarded between ten and seven
hundred fold, except fasting, for it is for Me and I shall reward it
Myself.{]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
3.ReceivingRamadanby adheringstrictly to theSunnahof the Prophet,
No act can be accepted unless it meets two conditions: that it is
accompanied by asincere intention, which is that one should do it only
for the sake of Allaah The Almighty, andin that it isin accordance
with the guidance of the Prophet,.
The verse mentioned above refers to both of these conditions.
*}So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do
righteous work{refers tofollowing the guidance of the Prophet,, and
*}And not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone.{]Quran 18: 110[
refers to a sincereintention.
Indeed the Prophet,, clarifiedeverything about the matter of fasting
such as when to start andstop fasting, its pillars, its obligations,
its recommended acts, its manners, its virtues and its benefits,
things that break thefast, what cannot affect the fast, excuses that
allow one to break the fast, and everything else that is related to
the fast.
4.ReceivingRamadanwith patience
In fact,Ramadanis the month of patience and forbearance. In it, one
abstains from some of his usual habits, food, drink, sexual
intercourse and anything else that would break the fast as a form of
obedience to Allaah The Almighty and worship that brings one closer to
Him.
Patience is one of the most difficult things for the soul. Therefore,
patience represents half of faith and the patient will be given an
immense reward as Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Indeed, the
patient will be given their reward without account.{]Quran 39: 10[
Patience is of three types:
1- Patienceconcerning the obligations )required by Allaah The
Almighty( that one should fulfill;
2- Patiencein abstaining from actions forbidden by Him, that one should not do;
3- Patienceconcerning afflictions,that one should not resent or
complain of his Lord to.
One should have all three of these.
There are many reasons why one should observe patience, including:
1-Love for Allaah The Almighty.
2-Fear of Allaah The Almighty.
3-Nobility and purity of the soul.
4-Lack of worldly desires and certainty that one will soon depart this world.
5-Avoiding excess in food, drink, clothing, sex, and mixing with people.
6-Feeling shy and embarrassed before Allaah The Almighty.
7-Remembering the blessings that Allaah The Almighty has given as well
as his kindness.
8-Acknowledging the evil and dire consequences of disobedience.
9-Certain knowledge of the consequences of disobedience and the harm
that may result from it.
10-Knowledge of the good consequences and rewards of obeying Allaah
The Almighty .
11-Faith that is firmly-rooted in the heart.
If one pays attention and adheresto these factors, then they will
bethe finest help for him in fulfillingacts of obedience and
refraining from doing sinful acts, particularly, in this month of
fasting that entails exerting oneself in doing many righteous acts and
keeping away from committing sins.