Ramadan -- festival of blessings

Ramadan -- festival of blessings

BY MJ MOHAMMED IQBAL

ISLAM is a religion that teaches love, peace, tolerance, and benevolence with all human beings, as practiced by Holy Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) who exemplified the teachings of Islam as its greatest role model.

It is a well known fact that the edifice of Islam stands on five pillars and those are namely Faith (Iman), offering obligatory prayers five times daily (Salah), fasting from dawn to dusk during the month of Ramadan (Sawm), Giving a fixed portion of wealth in charity to the poor & needy (Zakath), and performing a pilgrimage to Ka'aba once in lifetime by those who can afford it and are physically fit (Haj).

Now, with the beginning of Ramadan the believers embark upon a journey of peace, blessings and peity.

During the last day of Shaban, just a day before Ramadan, Holy Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said to the companions: "O People! A great month, a blessed month, a month that consists a night better than thousand months is upon us. Allah has made fasting during this month an obligatory duty, and the passing of its nights in prayer as a voluntary practice. If someone draws near to Allah during it with some good deed, he will be like one who fulfils an obligatory duty in another month, and he who fulfils an obligatory duty in it, will be like the one who fulfils seventy obligatory duties in another month. It is the month of endurance, and the reward for endurance is paradise. It is the month of sharing with others, and a month in which the believer's provision is increased. If someone gives a fasting man something with which to break his fast, it will provide forgiveness of sins and save him from Hell, and he will have a reward equal to his (reward) without his reward being diminished in any respect."

Some of the companions told Allah's Messenger (PBUH) that all of them can't afford to provide for the needy to break his fast. Thereupon he replied: Allah gives this reward to him who gives one who has been fasting some milk mixed with water, or a date, or a drink of water with which to break his fast; and anyone who gives a full meal to one who has been fasting, will be given a drink from my tank by Allah and will not feel thirst till he enters Paradise. It is a month the beginning of which is mercy, its middle is forgiveness, and its end is salvation from Hell. If any one makes things easy for his slaves during it, Allah will forgive him and free him from Hell." (Baihaqi)

Further Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, "when Ramadan begins, the gates of paradise are opened while those of hell are closed and the devils are chained and a herald cries out: O, you who seek good, come here and you who desire evil, desist." (Ibn Majah)

Abu Umanah reported: "I came to the messenger of Allah and said: 'Order me to do a deed that will allow me to enter paradise.' Holy Prophet (PBUH) replied: 'Stick to fasting, as there is no equivalent to it. 'Then I came to him again and he said: 'stick to fasting.'"

On another occasion Abu Umanah said: 'O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an action by which I may enter paradise.' Holy Prophet (PBUH) said: 'Take to fasting, there is nothing like it.'

Sahl Ibn Sa'd reported that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said: "There is a gate to paradise that is called Ar-Rayyan. On the day of Resurrection it will say: 'Where are those who fasted?' When the last [one] has passed through the gate, it will be locked."

Once while Prophet (PBUH) was mounting the pulpit in the Masjid to give a sermon he exclaimed, "Aameen" on the first step of the pulpit, he did the same on the second step as well as the third step. His companions felt this was unusual.

After the completion of the sermon and prayer, the companions requested Holy prophet (PBUH) for an explanation. He replied, "when I mounted first step Arch-angel Jibraeel appeared and said 'May that person be destroyed, who lives in the month of Ramadan but did not secure forgiveness' there upon I said Aameen. When I mounted second step Jibraeel said 'May that person be destroyed who refrains from reciting durood when your Holy name is mentioned in his presence, there upon I said Aameen. When I mounted the third step, he said 'May that person be destroyed whose both parents or one parent happen to reach old age and he is unable to attain salvation (by serving them), there upon I said Ameen.

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) who has been acclaimed by the Almighty Allah as Rahmatul lil Alameen (mercy upon the universal) and as Merciful to believers in Holy Qur'an had cursed the people who are not honouring the Holy month of Ramadan, parents and not reciting durood when Holy Prophet's (PBUH) name is mentioned.

It is also worthy to note the sayings of Holy Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) "If my followers would realise what really Ramadan is they would wish that whole year should be Ramadan."

Abu Hurairah, a close companion of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said that "The time between the five prayers, two consecutive Friday Prayers, and consecutive Ramadans are expiations for all that has happened during that period, provided that one has avoided major sins."

Prophet (PBUH) said, "whoever fasts during Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven."

Let us make the most of this "festival of blessings" and attain peace and salvation.


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13th September 2007