Ramadan Articles - Lest We Forget Them…

Ramadancomes this year while the troubles and disasters afflicting
theUmmah)Muslim nation( are greater than the previousRamadan. There
are the homeless, hungry, frightened, imprisoned people and other
poverty-stricken Muslims in various countries of the world.
What is our attitude towards thissituation?
First:One should acknowledge the favors of Allaah The Almighty upon
him. No matter how bad his condition is, there are people whose
conditions are worse; andnever can he be able to thank Allaah The
Almighty enough for His countless favors.
Second: Empathizing with the conditions of one's fellow Muslims drives
the Muslim to adopt a positive attitude towardsthem. Hence, he would
do as much as he could by supplicatingAllaah The Almighty for them
andhelping them either materially ormorally.
This is one of the many wisdoms of fasting: that a Muslim empathizes
with the condition ofhis fellow Muslims.
One of the righteous predecessors was asked why fasting was
legislated. he said,"So that the rich experience hunger. Accordingly,
they will notforget the hungry people."
This is one aspect of the wisdoms and benefits of fasting. In this
way, the principle of brotherhood and loyalty among Muslims would be
achieved. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}The believing men and
believing women are allies of oneanother.{]Quran 9:71[ The Prophet,,
said:"The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy
are just like one body. When one of its organs suffers, the whole body
responds to it with wakefulness and fever."
It should be known thatRamadanis the season of generosity and
benevolence in every means. We have a good example in our Prophet,.
Ibn 'Abbaassaid,"The Messengerof Allaahwas the most generous of people
in charity, but he was generous to the utmost in the month of Ramadan.
Jibreel )Gabriel( would meet him every year during the month of
Ramadan and the Messenger of Allaahrecited to him the Quran. )When
Jibreel met him( the Messenger of Allaahwas more generous in giving
charity than the blowing wind."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
Ibn Katheersaid,"This is a very eloquent simile where generosity is
likened to the blowing wind in its generality, succession and
ceaselessness."
An-Nawawisaid,"There are benefits in this Hadeeth: showingthe
greatness of the generosity of the Prophet; the recommendation of
being more generous in Ramadan; and increasing generosity when meeting
the righteous people and after leaving them as an effect of meeting
them."
If not today, then when?
This blessed month, which has the atmosphere of generosity and
benevolence, necessitates that we look into the conditions of each
other and that the rich helps the poor.
It is indeed saddening that there are some prisoners who are deprived
of the joy of gathering around the table to break the fast
ofRamadanwith their families and participating in acts of worship with
their brothers and reaping the spiritual benefitsof this month away
from physicalrestrictions.
We want to ask a general question: where are the well-off people?
Where are the rich? Where are the millionaires?
The rich in our Islamic countries especially those
whoseZakaah)obligatory charity( amounts to millions are requested to
come out of the "prison" of selfishness and to get rid of the
restrictions of stinginess and to pay attention to their distressed
fellows.
Brothers and sisters, it is shameful that one of us remains in prison
because of not paying a mere ten thousand rent for his family home.
It is a shame that one of us is imprisoned for a long time because of
just three thousand, for the value of bread and milk for his children.
It is indeed a great shame. Whereis chivalry? Where is mercy towards each other?
Do those people who put their indebted rivals in prison have no place
in their hearts for mercy or pardon? Whoever pardons, AllaahThe
Almighty would pardon him. Whoever shows leniency for indebted people,
Allaah The Almighty would forgive him especially if the creditor is
rich and is not in need of this money.
I present this marvelous treasurefor the rich and well-off people. The
Prophet,, said:"There was a merchant who used to loan money to the
people and he used to say to his servants: `When an insolvent person
comes to you, show him leniencyso that Allaah The Almighty may pardon
our faults.' So when he met Allaah )i.e., when he died(, Allaah
forgave him."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[ In another narration,"Allaah
Says, We are worthier to do this than him, forgive him."
The Prophet,, also said:"He who likes Allaah to deliver him from the
calamities of the Day of Resurrection, let him either give respite to
a debtor or grant him remission )of loans( in straitened
circumstances."]Muslim[
If our rich brothers do not hastento do so today, when would they do it?

Ramadan Articles - Farewell Ramadan

When one ponders over the history of nations, they will realise that
all are in the process of constant change. This is the course destined
for them by Allaah and nothing can change that.
If an honourable guest visits you in your dwellings, showers you with
goodness and loves you – which you reciprocate; then the time for his
departure arrives, how are you going to bid him farewell and how are
you going to feel? What separation is then greater and more emotional
thanthat from the beloved guest of the Muslims, the blessed month of
Ramadan?
Ramadanis the month of righteousness and generosity, the month of
forgiveness and liberation from Hell. It is all but gone now and
nothing remains of it but a few days. Yesterday, we were
congratulating each other on the arrival of the month; today we are
consoling one another over its departure and invoking Allaah to accept
all our acts of worship.
In this noble month, many have done good deeds, while others have done
the opposite. These deeds are going to testify for or against us on
the Day of Reckoning. We do not know whether we are going to live to
witness this glorious month again or not. Therefore, the fortunate
Muslim during this month was the one who was able to perfect their
acts of worship with sincerity and self-examination and end it with
sincere repentance, for acts are judged according to their ends.
Our righteous predecessorsused to exert maximum effort in perfecting
their acts of worship and had grave concerns regarding their
acceptance or rejection. 'Ali ibn Abu Taalibwarned: "Have a greater
concern for the acceptance of your deeds than you do for the amount of
deeds you have performed. Do not you hear the saying of Allaah)which
means(:"Indeed, Allaah accepts only from the righteous."]Quran 5: 27[
Fudhaalah ibn 'Ubaydsaid: "To know that Allaah has accepted a single
act of righteousness from me would bedearer to me than this world
andall that it contains." This is how our diligent predecessorswere.
May the peace of Allaah be upon the month of fasting and night
prayers! May the peace of Allaah be upon the month of the Quran and
the remembrance of Allaah! It has now passed like the twinkling of an
eye, yet while it was here it was an arena for those who race to do
good deeds. We have to endeavour, then, to utilise the remaining hours
of it by performing good deeds for Ramadan can never be substituted by
any other month. It is a month in which hearts are refined and sins
are forgiven. It isa month of security and peace forthe frightened. In
this great month, many hands have been raised in supplication, many a
tear has been shed and many a heart has been struck with the fear of
Allaah. Allaah has showered His Mercy and Favor on many of His slaves
in this month -particularly in the last ten days ofit.
When will one who has not been forgiven his/her sins in this month
ever be forgiven? When will the one whose supplication is rejected
inLaylatul-Qadr)the Night of Decree/Power( ever haveit accepted? Ibn
Rajabnarrated that 'Ali ibn Abu Taalibused to proclaim in the last
night of Ramadan: "I earnestly wish I knew those whose acts of worship
have been accepted so that I could congratulate them; and I earnestly
wish I knew thosewhose acts of worship have beenrejected so that I
could commiserate with them!"
Whose loss is greater than he who missed the blessings of Ramadan?
When will the one who did not reform himself during the month of
Ramadan ever do so? When will the one who was not cured from the
sickness of ignorance and heedlessness in this month ever get cured?
For those among us who have committed great sins, these few remaining
blessed days are an opportunity to repent, for whoever is librated
from Hell has indeed won a great reward. As for those who have been
liberated from Hell by our Lord; they should do their level best not
to indulge in sin again. They should not move closer to Hell after
Allaah Almighty Has pardoned them from it. We musthasten, therefore,
to do more good deeds, for some of us may not live to see the end of
this year. Let the negligent ones among us seize the opportunity of
this outgoing month in doing righteous deeds before it is too late.
Let the heedless ones among us wake up and remember the terrible fate
that awaits them; let them try to spend the rest of their lives
doinggood deeds.
Let us look at our present condition in light of the effects
Ramadanhad on us. Let us compare our condition at the start of Ramadan
to our condition now: Was the advent of Ramadan something that made us
become pious? Did it reform our actions and conduct? Did it unify our
ranks against our enemies? Did it remove the hatred and rancour
between us? Did it eliminate the evil deeds committed by our
communities?
We have responded to the call of our Lord by fasting, so we
shouldrespond to His Command in all other matters and at all times. We
must humble our hearts for the mention of Allaah and be united in
adherence to the Book of Allaah )the Quran( and theSunnah)tradition(
of His Prophet,so that the Muslim nation may be saved from calamities.
Zakaat Al-Fitr:
Allaah has prescribed for us, at the end of Ramadan,a great deed with
which we can make amends for our deficiencies within that month. By
doing this,we can also gain immense rewards; Allaah Says )what
means(:"He wants for you to complete the period and to magnify Allaah
for that )to( which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be
grateful."]Quran 2: 185[
Therefore, Allaah also prescribedZakaat Al-Fitr]end of Ramadan
alms-giving[ for us as a sign of gratitude to Him for facilitating
fasting and night prayers for us, to purify us from any obscenity we
may have uttered and as a feeding for the poor and the needy in order
to promote the brotherhood and unity among the Muslims. The amount to
be given is oneSaa']approximately 3kg[ of wheat, rice or any other
staple food of the land. It is to begiven by every Muslim, be they
young, old, male or female. It is also rewardable if it is given on
behalf of the unborn foetus. It is best given between
theFajrand'Eedprayers )on the day of 'Eed( but there is no harm if it
is given a day or two before''Eed.
It is recommended to give it out in foodstuff as it has been
explicitly explained in theHadeethand in accordance with the practice
of our righteous predecessors. So give this charity out, for Allaah
has only asked you to give a negligible amount of the huge bounty that
He has bestowed upon you.
We should continue in our good deeds even after Ramadan and be
constant in observing the five obligatory prayers and other actsof
worship. We should know thatamong the signs of the acceptance of a
good deed is to continue and be steadfast in performing that deed, and
that itis only the evil people who know and worship Allaah in Ramadan
only.

Ramadan Articles - Glad Tidings

In a few days, Allaah willing, we will be receiving the blessed month
of Ramadan … the month which the believers' hearts long for.
It is a season for the hearts to regain their purity and for peopleto
salvage their conscience after being polluted by the overwhelming
desires and the pleasures of this worldly life.
Allaah has blessed us with this great month… it is an honorable guest
which our Salaf )righteous predecessors(used to supplicate Allaah
earnestly to make them live long enough to witness. It is the best
month in the year during which Allaah revealed the Quran and blessed
itwith a night which is better than one thousand months, plus
manyother distinct features with which Allaah distinguished it.
Abu Hurayrahreported that the Prophet,said:"O people! You are being
approached by a blessed month. Allaah made fasting within it an
obligation. The doors of Paradise will be opened and the doors of Hell
will be closed, and the devils will be chained. It is a month which
contains a night that is better than one thousand months; he who is
deprived from its blessings is truly the deprived one".]Ahmad and
An-Nasaa'i[
Indeed, this is the best news one can receive; why would the believer
not rejoice when the gates of Paradise are opened andthe gatesof Hell
are sealed? How can any sane person not rejoice to the chaining of the
devils? How can devout worshippers notrejoice when worshipping in one
night is better than one thousand months? Undoubtedly, the virtues of
this month are countless.
This great occasion, however, comes in a time that the Muslim nation
is defeated, surroundedbymany impediments and ailments and the Muslims
are suffering from calamities, disunity and humiliation. Therefore, it
is time to review this painful condition and recognize the real causes
of weakness and ailments.
As we receiveRamadan,it is time for us to bid farewell to all our
sufferings! Wecannot,however, do that except by holding fasttothe path
of the Quran andSunnah, by working hard and being sincere with Allaah.
The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,gave a
comprehensiveclarification of the conditions for victory and the
causes of defeat for the Muslim nation by saying:"If people break the
covenant of Allaah and His Messenger, Allaah will send an external
enemy against them who will seize some of their possessions; If theydo
not rule by the Book of Allaah,nor attempt to implement everything in
it, Allaah will spread enmity among them."]Ibn Maajah[
Thus, breaking the covenant of Allaah and His Messenger, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam,or in other words, disobeying Allaah and His
Messenger,, is one of the reasons for its defeat and being subjugated
by its enemies. Likewise, ruling by other than therulings of Allaah is
the reason for the poverty, disunity and conflict which is occurring
among the Muslims.
How can the Muslims expect Allaah to grant them victory while they are
discarding prayers,refusing to pay Zakaah)obligatory charity(and
dealing in interest? What can they expect when alcoholic drinks and
nightclubs become prevalent in their lands? What happens when evil
becomes widespread? The Prophet,was once asked: "Will we be punished
by disasterswhich befall us while we have righteous people amongst
us?' he,replied:"Yes, if evil becomes widespread."]Al-Bukhaari and
Muslim[
Additionally, the unrestrained love for this life and preferring it to
the Hereafter has further weakened the Muslim nation. It is this
predicament that gave its enemies the power to dictate many of its
affairs, seize its wealth, conquer its lands and severely persecute
the Muslims. The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,said:"Beware!
The nations all over the world shall join forces against you as diners
gather around their plate of food".The companions asked:"OMessenger of
Allaah! Is that because we will be few in number then?" Hesaid:"No,
rather you will be many, but you will only be as )worthless as( the
scum after a flood. The fear of you shall be removed from the hearts
of your enemies and Wahnwill be put into your hearts".The
companionsasked:"What is Wahn?"He, sallallaahu 'alayhiwa
sallam,answered:"To love this life and detest death".Ahmad and others[
Hence, we must desist from heedlessness as Almighty Allaah has
condemned the heedless andpraised the pious.
If Muslims truly wish for victory, then they must change what is
inthemselves, as Allaah Says )what means(:"…Indeed Allaah will
notchange the condition of a people until they change what is in
themselves …"]Quran13:11[. Obeying Allaah and His Messenger,
sallallaahu 'alayhiwasallam,is the only source of victory. Allaah Says
)what means(:"O you who have believed, if you support Allaah, He will
support you and plant firmly your feet."]Quran 47:7[
The fortunate is the one who uses his time to work for the Hereafter
and neither worldly commitment nor its desiresdistracthim from
fulfilling the rights of his Lord.Letusutilize the opportunity of
Ramadan and try to change the situation of theMuslim nation which
starts with me and you changing ourselves.

Ramadan Articles - Ramadan and Community Health

Fasting in the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam
enjoined upon Muslims by almighty Allah as mentioned in verse 183 of
chapter 2:"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was
prescribed to those before you, that ye may learn self restraint."
Reduced Crime and Higher Morale
The enormous impact of Ramadan on a Muslim society is seen from the
fact that as compared to the other months, the number of all sorts of
crimes and the magnitude of corruption,indecency, vicious behaviour
and immoral acts are all reduced markedly. The rate of crimes in
Muslim societiesis already lower than other societies and it declines
even more in theholy month of Ramadan.
Violence and crime impose a great burden on the health budget of any
country. As a matter of fact in most developedcountries they supersede
the expenditure and agony caused even by the road traffic accidents.In
a Muslim country like Saudi Arabia the crime rate is already much
lower than other countries and it becomes minimal in the month of
Ramadan.
Fasting is not just the act of refraining from food and water; rather
it is a devotion to fulfill the religious duties as well asto behave
in a manner which is harmless to others, so that even if someone
incites a personto quarrel, he has to pacify him by acting upon this
saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh),"Fasting is a shield or
protection from the fire and from committing sins, if one ofyou is
fasting, he should avoid quarrelling and if somebody should fight
orquarrel with him he should say I am fasting."
In another Hadith, Allah's Apostle says,"Whoever does not give up
forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving
food and drink."
Although such good teachings of Islam are not confined to the month of
Ramadan alone, yet they are best observed in this month. Hence, one
can notice a great fall in the crime rate, violence, loss of working
days due to offensive injuries and a great reduction in the cost of
medico-legal expenditure which has a pronounced effect on thehealth
budget of a given community.
There is no doubt in saying that the number of offensive injuries and
trauma cases reported to the emergency rooms in a Muslim country is
far less in the month of Ramadan than in any other month. Ramadan, in
other words, is a training period for the Muslims in which the
foundations of a subtle character are laid whose gains can also be
seen round the year and this has a positive effect on the morale of
the whole society.
Happiness and Reduced Stress
Now, to come to another blessedness of Ramadan. In today's stressful
time when every third person is suffering from a psychological problem
even though it might be a mild depression, the advent of Ramadan means
an era of happiness and felicity forall Muslims.
Social insecurity is the root cause of today's psychological chaos and
bereavement. Ramadan, in contrast, is a month of optimum social
interaction and familiarization with each other. Mosques are thronged
with worshippers, people invite intimate friends to iftar, shopping
centers are packed with crowds and Eid offers a rainbow of joyous
moments, although the real happiness which the believers derive comes
from the fulfillment of Allah's order about whichHe says that fasting
is for Him alone and He will pay its reward.
Ramadan has its own culture, a glimpse of which can be seen at Iftar
when the whole family joins together to dine. Allah's apostle (pbuh)
says,"There are two pleasures for the fasting person: one, at the time
of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his
Lord. Then he will be pleased because of his fasting."
Not surprisingly, due to the decreased stress the human body's steroid
level, which is raised in stress and anxiety, has been found to be
decreased among Muslims in the month of Ramadan.
Cleanliness
Cleanliness is the hallmark of Islamic virtues. Although according to
Islamic teachings, a good Muslimoffering his prayers regularly is
supposed to be neat and tidy, in the month of Ramadan personal
cleanliness among the Muslims reaches its peak. I need not mention
that a high level of cleanliness in the days of Ramadan will deter
infections. The zeal to offer prayers in Ramadan continues in other
days as well, more and more people form the habit of offering prayers
regularly, which by itself is a spiritual and health package for
Muslims.