Ramadan Articles - Ramadan: A School of Piety - II

How can the month ofRamadannot be the month of mercy and forgiveness,
when the Prophet,, said:"When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are
opened, the gates of Hellfire are closed, and the devils are chained
up."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
At-Tirmithi and An-Nasaa'i narrated fromtheHadeethof Abu Hurayrahabout
the coming ofRamadan:"And a caller cries out: 'O seeker of good,
proceed! O seeker of evil, desist! And Allaah has those whom He
redeems from Hellfire, and that happens every night."
At-Tabaraani narrated that the Prophet,, said:"Paradise is adorned and
bedecked round the year for Ramadan and when the first day of Ramadan
comes the Hoor )celestial maidens( say:"O Allaah! Provide us in this
month with our husbands from among Your servants so that we are
pleased with them and they are pleased with us."
Indeed, how can the month ofRamadannot be the month of mercy and
forgiveness when the Messenger of Allaah,, said:"And from one Ramadan
to the next is expiation for )sins committed( in between, so long as
major sins are avoided."]Muslim[
How can the month ofRamadannot be the month of mercy and forgiveness
while the beloved Prophet,, said:
·"Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith andin the hope of receiving the
reward from Allaah, his previous sins will be forgiven."]Al-Bukhaari
and Muslim[
·"Whoever spends the nights of Ramadan in prayer out of faith and
inthe hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven."]Al-Bukhaari
and Muslim[
·"Whoever spends the night of Laylat Al-Qadr in prayer out of faith
and inthe hope of reward, his previous sins will be
forgiven."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
The most truthful Prophet,, narrated that Allaah The Almighty said:
"Every deed of the son ofAdam will be rewarded between ten and seven
hundred-fold except fasting, for it is for Me and I shall reward for
it, for he gave up his desires, his food and his drink for My sake.
There are two pleasures for thefasting person, one at the time of
breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his
Lord. The breath of a fasting person is better in the Sight of Allaah
than the smell of musk."]Ahmad, and its origin is inAs-Saheeh[
Moreover, Ibn 'Umarsaid,"Fasting is for Allaah. No one knows thereward
of it except Allaah The Almighty."]At-Tabaraani[
Sufyaan ibn 'Uyaynahsaid,"Opponents )on the Day of Judgment( will
nottake from the rewards the person acquires through fasting. Allaah
will preserve them for the fasting person until He admits him to
Paradise because of them."
Some of our pious predecessors once said,"Tooba )all good things( for
the one who gives upan existing desire for an unseen time which he has
never witnessed."
Furthermore, the fasting person will eat, drink and have sexual
intercourse in Paradise what Allaah The Almightywills for him. Allaah
The Almighty Says:}]They willbe told[, "Eat and drink in satisfaction
for what you put forth in the days past."{]Quran 69: 24[
Mujaahidand others said about this verse,"It was revealed about the
fasting person."
The Messenger of Allaah,, said:
·"You will never give up anything due to fearing Allaah The Almighty
except Allaah will give you what is better than it."]Ahmad[
·"In Paradise, there is a gate called Ar-Rayyaan, through which those
who used to fast will enter on the Day of Resurrection, and no onebut
they will enter it."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
·And, in another narration:"Whoever enters from it, he will drink and
whoever drinks from it, he will never experience thirst."]Ahmad[
·"My nation is given five privileges in the month of Ramadan that no
nation was given before: The smell coming out of the mouth of a
fasting person is sweeter in the sight of Allaah than the fragrance of
musk. The angels keep praying to Allaah to forgive them)i.e. those who
are fasting( until they break their fast. Allaah decorates Paradise
every day saying to it: 'My pious slaves are about to be relieved of
their burdens and sufferings and enter you'. The rebellious devils are
chained in this month so they cannot achieve what they usually achieve
)at other times(. The believers' sins are forgiven by the last nightof
Ramadan."Someone asked the Messenger of Allaah,,"Is it the night of
Al-Qadr?"He said:"No. But the laborer is paid upon finishing his
task."]Ahmad[
Ramadanis the month of the Quran, which Allaah The Almighty bestowed
upon humanity and by which He honored them. Allaah The Almighty
Says)what means(:}The month of Ramadan ]is that[ in which was revealed
the Quran, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and
criterion. So whoever sights ]the new moon of[ the month, let him fast
it; and whoever is ill or on ajourney - then an equal number of other
days. Allaah intends for you ease and does not intendfor you hardship
and]wants[ for you to complete the period and to glorify Allaah for
that]to[ which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be
grateful.{]Quran 2: 185[
Ibn 'Abbaasthe eminent exegete of the Quran said,"The Noble Quran was
sent down in Ramadan on the night of Al-Qadr and on a blessed night
all at one time. Then it was sent down at the setting positions of the
stars in the sky to be recited in months and days."
Is not the one who is deprived of all such goodness truly deprived?
Is not the one who sees the month come and go and does not receive the
great share of forgiveness and mercy truly aggrieved?
The eight gates of Paradise are opened in this month for the Muslims,
the gates of Hellfire closed andShaytaan)Satan(and his offspring are
chained up:where are those who would toil towards this end?