Ramadan Articles - Ramadan: A School of Piety - III

Ramadanthe month of the Quran, repentance and returning to Allaah The
Almighty, has come to you.
Let us make it a starting point for returning to Allaah The Almighty
with sincere repentance so that it may erase our sins and remove our
offences and evil deeds.
The devils are chained in the month ofRamadan, the heat of lusts dies
down, desires are restrained, and the bodies come under the control of
minds. Therefore, the evildoer isleft with no excuse to persist in his
evil deeds.
It is a time when the sinful people stand up ontheir feet in prayer in
thelate hours of the night and seek forgiveness, saying )what
means(:}"O 'Azeez, adversity has touched us and our family, and we
have come with goods poor inquality, but give us full measure and be
charitable to us."{]Quran12: 88[ they would receive the answer:}"No
blame will there be uponyou today. Allaah will forgive you; and He is
themost merciful of the merciful."{]Quran 12:92[
If someone does not repent inRamadan, when will he repent?
If someone does not return to Allaah The Almighty inRamadan, when will
he return?
If someone does not perform the obligatory prayer regularly inRamadan,
when will he do so?
If someone does not giveup committing sins and doing evil actions
inRamadan, when will he do so?
Time is running out, daysare passing, and death comes in the twinkling
ofan eye, when it is least expected.
So hasten to return to Allaah The Almighty with repentance and ask Him
for forgiveness, for this isRamadanthe month of repentance and
forgiveness.
One of our pious predecessors once said,"The most beneficial
forgiveness is that accompanied by repentance. It is the untying of
the knot of persistence in committing sins. So whoever asks for
forgiveness and his heartstill persists in committing sins and is
determined to return to do evil again after the month is over, then
his fasting is in vain and the door of acceptance is locked in his
face."
Ka'bsaid,"Whoever fasts Ramadan and intends to disobey his Lord when
he breaks his fast after Ramadan, then his fasting will be of no
avail."
AMutawwif)pilgrim( used to say in his invocations,"O Allaah! Be
pleased with us. If You are not pleased with us, then forgive
us."Indeed, he was truthful, for the one who perceives his sins to be
enormous doesnot dare to ask for the pleasure of Allaah The Almighty,
but his sublime aim is to receive forgiveness. In fact, he who knows
himself well, and cannot see himself except in this position.
This is the month of the reform of the sinful, the neglectful and the
transgressors.
O Muslims, do you not contemplate the warning? Do you not take heed of
the reminders? Putting the verse in which Allaah TheAlmighty Says
)what means(:}And when My servants ask you, ]O Muhammad[, concerning
Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant
when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me ]by obedience[ and
believe in Me that they may be]rightly[ guided.{]Quran 2: 186[ between
the verses of fasting is a warning for the sinners and a reminder for
those who take heed. It is also an indication of the virtues of good
deeds. Invocations in such an honorable month are more likely to be
answered and one is more likely to be pardoned and forgiven.
It was reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrahthat the Messenger of
Allaah,, said:"Three persons will not have their supplication
rejected: thejust ruler, the fasting person until breaking thefast,
and the supplicationof the oppressed person."]Al-Musnad,As-Sunanof
At-Tirmithi, An-Nasaa'i and Ibn Maajah[
It was narrated that 'Abdullaah ibn 'Amrsaid,"I heard the Messenger of
Allaahsaying:"For the fasting person is an accepted invocation at the
time hebreaks his fasting."]Abu Daawood[
'Ubaidullaah ibn Abi Mulaykah said,"I heard 'Abdullaah ibn 'Amr
saying, 'O Allaah! I ask You by Your mercy, that encompasses all
things toforgive me.'"
Our pious predecessors understood the words of the Lord of creation
and were well aware of the value of time and the sanctity of these
days. Therefore, they set examples that are unmatched in history, and
which are difficultfor laypersons to emulate.
Ash-Shaafi'iused to complete the recitation of the Noble Quran sixty
times inRamadan. Az-Zuhriused to say whenRamadanbegins,"It is for
reciting Quran and giving food."MaalikwhenRamadanbegan, used to stop
studyingHadeeths and attending the sessions of scholars to dedicate
himself to the recitation of the Noble Quran from theMus-haf)copy of
the Quran(.
Has not the time come yet for us to comprehendthis wisdom as they
comprehended it, to do good deeds as they did, and to attain the
status that they attained?
Let us then regard the month ofRamadanas a school for learning
patience, asRamadanis the month of patience, and it was narrated that
the Prophet,, said:"Fasting is one half of patience."]Abu Daawoodand
At-Tirmithi[
Let us learn inRamadanto have patience concerning the acts of
worshipping Allaah The Almighty such as fasting, praying, standing in
night prayers, recitation of Quran and charity. TheProphet of
theUmmah,, gave us a practical example in his life. He used to stand
at night in prayers duringRamadanand recite the Quran slowly. He did
not reach any verse that mentionedmercy except that he paused and
asked for mercy, and he did not reach any verse that mentioned
punishment but he paused and sought refuge from punishment. So he used
to combine praying, recitation, invocation and contemplation over the
verses. This is the best and most perfect actof worship.
Giving charity inRamadanwas a significant act in the life of the
Messenger of Allaah,.
It was reported by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim that Ibn 'Abbaassaid,
"The Prophetwas the most generous amongst the people, and he used to
be more so in the month of Ramadan whenJibreel )Gabriel(visited him,
and Jibreelused to meet him on every night of Ramadan till the end of
the month. The Prophetused to recite the Noble Quran toJibreeland when
Jibreelmet him, he used to be more generous than the blowing wind. The
Prophetwas asked about the best charity and he replied:"Charity in
Ramadan."]At-Tirmithi[