Ramadan: A School of Piety - I

The nation of Islam is the last nation with the most recent divine
message. Allaah The Almighty, the Bountiful, the Generous made our
Prophet,, the master of all the Prophets and made our nation the most
populousin Paradise and the one with the highest ranks. The Messenger
of Allaah,, said:
·"We )Muslims( are the last to come and the foremost on the Day of
Resurrection though the former nations were given the Holy Scriptures
before us."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
·"By Him in whose Hands is the soul of Muhammad,I hope that you will
be one-half of the people of Paradise, for none will enter Paradise
but a Muslim soul, and you, in comparison to the people who associate
others in worship with Allaah, are like a white hair on the skin of a
black ox, or a black hair on the skin of a red ox."]Al-Bukhaari and
Muslim[
Allaah The Almighty has preferred us to all the other nations. He
Says)what means(:}You are the best nation produced]as an example[ for
mankind.{]Quran 3:110[
Allaah The Almighty also made us witnesses over all other nations:}And
thus we have made you ajust community that you will be witnesses over
the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you.{]2: 143[
The superiority of the nation of Islam over all other nations is not
because it belongs to a specific race or because it speaks a specific
language, or because of the distinctive looks of itsmembers. Rather,
it is because Allaah The Almighty has chosen it to be the only
religion that He The Exalted accepts and no other religion or belief
will be accepted. Allaah The Almighty Says)what means(:}Indeed, the
religion in the sight of Allaah is Islam.{]Quran3:19[
Consequently, whoever adheres strictly to the religion of Islam and
abides by the orders of the Noble Quran, and follows the way of
Prophet Muhammad,, the best of human beings, will surely obtain the
goodness mentioned in the verse and the promised reward. Whoever
doubts the religion, lets his desires overcome him, follows his lusts,
and deviates from the right way, will surely be excluded from the
people of such honor.
Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allaahhave mercy upon, said,"They are the followers
of Muhammadwho have the soundest minds and natures, and the most
knowledge. They are the nearest to the truth in all matters for Allaah
The Almighty has chosen them from all other nations in much the same
way as their Messenger is the best of all other Messengers. No other
nation has the knowledge, forbearance and wisdom with which Allaah The
Almighty has endowed them."
Imaam Ahmadreported in hisMusnadfrom theHadeethof Bahzibn Hakeemfrom
his father on the authority of his grandfatherthat the Messenger of
Allaah,, said:"You are the final of seventy nations, you are the best
and most honored among them to Allaah."
It is clear that the Muslims are the most honored nation in the sight
of Allaah The Almighty with respect to their knowledge and minds.
Moreover, when the sciences, ideology, deeds and ranks of the nations
that preceded them were displayed to them, they acquired evenmore
knowledge and forbearance, besides what Allaah The Almightyhas endowed
them with from His knowledge and forbearance.
As the nation of Muhammad,, has the shortest age compared tothe other
nations, Allaah The Almighty has gifted itsome seasons in which the
rewards are multiplied, ranks are raised, and sins are forgiven. The
month ofRamadan, which the nation rejoices at receiving, is one of the
best chances; the greatest seasons in which many will be redeemed from
Hellfire, the ranks of the righteous will be raised high, and the sins
of the wrong doers will be forgiven.
Many are the necks that are redeemed from Hellfire inRamadan, and many
are the people who are forgiven in it.
Imaam Maaliksaid inAl-Muwatta',"The Messenger of Allaahwas shown the
lifespan of the people )who had gone( before him, or what Allaah
willed of that, and it was as if he felt that the lives of the people
of his nation were too short for them to be able to do as many good
deeds as others before them had been able to do with their long lives,
so Allaah The Almighty gave him Laylat Al-Qadr, which is better than a
thousand months."
WelcomingRamadan
At-Tabaraani narrated that Jaabir ibn Samurahsaid: The Prophet,,
ascended the pulpit and said:"Aameen, Aameen, Aameen."Then, he
said:"Jibreel came to me and said, 'O Muhammad! He who lives until one
of his parents becomes old, andthen he dies and does not enter
Paradise and he enters Hellfire, so let Allaah The Almighty keep him
away.' It was said Aameen, so I said Aameen."
This means that if a person grows up and one of his parents is still
alive, and his kind treatment to them does not entitle him to
receivethe forgiveness of Allaah The Almighty, then he should be
expelled from the mercy of Allaah The Almighty by the invocation of
Jibreeland the Prophet,:
"Then, he said: "O Muhammad! He who seesthe month of Ramadan come and
go, and then he dies without being forgiven and he enters Hellfire, so
let Allaah The Almighty keep him away." He said, "Say Aameen,'' so I
said Aameen. Then, he said: "O Muhammad! He who hears you mentioned
and does not say Salaat)i.e. does not ask Allaah The Almighty to send
peace and blessings( upon you and he dies and enters Hellfire, so let
Allaah The Almighty keep him away." He said, "Say Aameen,'' so I said
Aameen.
At-Tirmithi and Al-Haakimnarrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrahthat
the Prophet,, said:"He is doomed, the man who hears me mentioned and
does not say Salaat )i.e. does not ask Allaah The Almighty to send
peace and blessings( on me. He is doomed, the man who witnesses
Ramadan comeand go and he is not forgiven. He is doomed, the man whose
parents reach old age and they are not a cause for him to enter
Paradise."
It is as if forgiveness is granted to everyone inRamadanand no one
willbe denied it except the one whom Allaah The Almighty denies.
Sa'eed narrated from Qataadahboth, that it was said,"Whoever does not
receive forgiveness in Ramadan, will not be forgiven in any other
month."This is to highlight the serious danger of the neglectful
person, and not to make people despair of the mercy of the Most Great
and Most Just.