HOLY RAMADHAAN
Although Fasting is recommended in various days of the year the Holy Month of Ramadhaan is chosen by Allaah S.W.T specifically for this purpose. Fasting has numerous benefits for human beings and that is why we are commanded to observe Fasts. The most virtuous effect of effective Fasting is the reaching on the peak of perfaction.
The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) said, “Whoever keeps his stomach hungry, his thinking culminates to the highest level, thus, making his reflections stronger.” The effect of less-eating is mostly seen as being purity of heart and insight and it prepares the mind and heart to grasp quickly the right way of enlightenment. While the effect of over-eating is always like drunkenness and dumbness in the sense of perception, thus reducing the power of quick grasping, moreover, that is the main cause in many desease. Over-eating needs preparations, purchasing, cooking, consuming, relieving, money, treatment and time, thus wasting all these objects merely to satisfy a few moment’s taste of the tongue. While less-eating will opportune more free time, ease, and comfort. Moreover, as a result of over-eating the expenses for providing unnecessary food items and its medical expences can be utilized for charity, benevolence, pilgrimage, and other worshiping objectives that require money.
Even on the times after Iftaar we should observe some stricktness in consuming food. Allaah has made the abstinence from food compulsory in this month, He loves to see us sobre of foods and drinks whilst we eat and drink more than we do in other months. This is contrary to the wish of Allaah. It is as if a host loves to sit with his guest and talk to him fondly whereas the silly guest is busy in other nonsensical activity.
The Fast-Observers whose eating and drinking and the level of consumption and the means of food are lawful and permissible, and they do not indulge in any sort of extravegence, neither they fill their dining table with colourful and delicious dishes, nor do they practice over-eating and belly-filling, they limit to single dish and do not eat for enjoyment and taste, so Allaah (S.W.T.) shall reward them with the best of His bounties, shall shower His special Blessings on them, and shall present to them His special rewards which no eyes has ever seen nor any mind has ever imagined.
Fasting in its true spirit produces humility, hospitality, obedience and surrender to the Lord of Universe. It enhances the spirit of freedome from arrogance, egotism and haughtiness; it also lowers the intensity of sensual passions and other bad motivations that diverts a person to the wrong path. Less-eating creates a state of awakefulness thus reducing the hours of sleep, consequently giving the opportunity to do some creative works for this world as well as for the Hereafter. There is a Hadeeth which says, “Stop the path of Satanic influence upon yourself through hunger”
Howsoever,Fasting is not
only
the renunciation of food and drink
. This type of Fasting is termed as a state of hunger only. True Fasting is the observing Fast with our flesh, eyes, ears, tongue, limbs, and all organs of the body, these must remain pious and ascetic all the time.
Our main aim of Fasting should be that what our Creator Allaah (S.W.T.) wish us to be, that is, to reach to the peak of perfaction by acknowledging true value of life given to us for the main purpose of pleasing our Lord and reach closer to Him (The Glorious, The Exalted). Therefore Fasting should keep us far apart from bodily sensual desires and lead us to angelic and spiritual virtues. Ofcourse Fasting will save us from the Hell-Fire and attain Paradise for us, but our main objective of Fasting should be the matter stated above. The prime on the list must be the Pleasure of Allaah only.
Regarding the
Conditions of Fasting
, some of them are mentioned by Imaam Ja’afar Saadiq (A.S.) as
, “The Fast-observer should consider himself as a Here-after’s traveler, should remain in the state of humility, fear, self-degradation, and like a servent fearing his master should remain afraid of Allaah; his heart should remain pure from defects and contaminations, and his inner self should be free from everything except Allaah; must sacrifice his entire friendship and intentions for Him and must purify his heart from all other friendships except Allaah’s; must surrender his eyes and soul to Him; must commit his soul for His rememberence; must utilize his body in Allaah’s path and must keep it distant apart especially the tongue from all sorts of sins and indecencies. Whoever has observed these limitations has indeed discharged his obligations of Fasting properly, and whoever has shown negligience to discharge these obligations has wasted his Fast and would not be benefited from its reward.”
With reference to Imaam Ali (A.S.) our eighth Imaam Ali Radhaa (A.S.) said that once the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) delivered a sermon in which he said, “O people, very soon a month will be coming to you which is a month of great blessings, mercy, and forgiveness of sins by All-Merciful Allaah (S.W.T.) To Allaah its nights, days and hours are better then all other nights, days and hours. This is a month whereby All Mighty Allaah is your Host, wherein your breath is counted as Tasbeeh, and your sleep is an Ibaadat. So beg forgiveness from Allaah and beseech Him with sincerety that He may give you Tawfeeq to observe Fasting and recite Holy Qur’an. Whoever will be deprived of Allaah’s Mercy in this month is an unfortunate one.
When you Fast remember the thirst and hunger of the Day of Judgement. Give alms to the needy. Give due respect to your aged ones. Be compassionate to your younger ones, and sympathetic to your relatives. Abstain from that which is unlawful to see, hear, and speak. Be kind to orphans of the others so that others would be kind to your orphans. After repenting for your sins pay full attention towards Allaah.. Be punctual in Namaaz, pray in its fixed time and raise your hands towards heavens because the time of Namaaz is the best time when Allaah looks most kindly towards His creatures and answers their needs when they ask sincerely.
Your backs are overloaded with sins so perform many Sajdahs, because Allaah (S.W.T.) has promised not to punish those who do Sajdah and those who pray Namaaz.
O people! any one giving Iftaar to a Fsting person will get the reward of emancipating one lack slaves, and his / her past sins shall be forgiven. For Iftaar it may not be plenty or delicious dishes, but as much as one can afford.
O people ! one who corrects his/her ways of lifestyle to a better way shall pass with ease on Pool-e-Siraat when feet will be stumbling and loosing balance over there. A person who does not exercise strictness on his workers will be saved from the strictness of Allmighty on Qayaamat and a person who lessens the load of works from his / her workers Allaah shall take his account with leniency. A person who is kind and honours an orphan then Allaah also shall honour him on Qayaamat. A person who is compassionate toward his kith and kin then Allaah shall bestow His grace on him, and whoever disgraces and be cruel to his relatives then Allaah shall also deprive him of His Mercy. A person who performs Sunnat Namaaz in this month shall be given clemency in Qayaamat. A person who observes all obligatory deeds will be rewarded seventy times more for each Waajibaat, and his balance of good deeds will remain heavier then the bad deeds. A person who recites Holy Qur’an in this month will be rewarded the merit of recitation of a complete Qur’an. Verily, Shaytaan is made captive in this month so bag to Allaah not to let him overpower you, the doors of Paradise are made wide open so bag Allaah not close them for you and the dors of Hell are closed so bag Allaah not to open them for you.”
It is quoted by Shaikh Sadooq A.R. that when the Holy month of Ramadhaan arrived then the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) used to pardon all the prisoners and donate generously to everyone who asked from him.
This month is the holiest month of all so each person should remain careful to utilise the valueable opportunity given to us by the Most High Allaah (S.W.T.) We should seriously consider how to spend this holy month in accordance to the pleasure of Allaah by abstaining from sins and bad deeds with all our organs of the body. Attention should be given to the fact that we should not waste away its nights in sleeping hours and the days without rememberence of Allaah.
Regarding the reverence and majesty of this Holy Month it suffices to note that Imaam Ali (A.S.) said, “Don’t say ‘Ramadhaan’ only, because you don’t know what Ramadhaan is. Whoever says so must pay charity and must offer atonement Fast. Instead of saying ‘Ramadhaan’ say the way Allaah (S.W.T.) called it, -‘The Month of Ramadhaan’.
It is narrated that in Holy Ramadhaan, at the time of Iftaar, Allaah sets free thousands of the already covicted people from the fire of Hell. When the eve and day of Friday comes then also countless sinful people are pardoned by All-Merciful. And finally, at the end of this month Allaah forgives the total of those pardoned all along this month. Therefore it is very important that we should not be negligient towards the grace, bounty and mercy of this month, it should not depart and leave us at the same position where we were before its arrival, with loads of sins on our backs. Lest we are abandoned and punished when the observers of Fast and other good deeds are being rewarded. So only the recitation of Holy Qur’an in the days and nights of this month, the Sunnat A’amaal, doing sincere Istighfaar, praying on its time, keeping away from bads deeds, and performing good deeds can surely bring salvation to us and make us the rightful candidates of Allaah’s bounties.
Imaam Ja’afar Saadiq (A.S.) said that whoever is not forgiven in this month then there is no any hope for his salvation until either the next Holy Ramadhaan or that he / she should be present in Arafah. The Imaam said that our Fastings should not be of only abstaining from food and drink, rather every organ of our body should strictly observe Fast. We should not utter falsehood with our mouth, we should not hear vain talks and music with our ears, we should not look at prohibited objects with our eyes, we should not quarrel with each other, we should not envy others, we should not backbite, or abuse, or take false oath, we should not be stingy and miser, we should not oppress anyone, in brief we should keep away from every act which makes our Lord unhappy. Rather we should concentrate on good deeds like being helpful to the fellow human beings, always speak truth, keep away from bad people, realize the hereafter to be near, be hopeful of the rewards from Allaah, be fearful of the dreadful punishments for our sins, and be among the pious people who sincerely wait for the reappearence of Imaam Mehdi A.F.
The Imaam continued, O the observers of Fasting ! Surrender your selves materially as well as spiritually to non-but Allaah (S.W.T.) Keep away from prohibited things in public and in privacy. Fear Allaah as it is the right to fear Him.
Imaam Ali A.S said that there are some fasting people whose share of reward is nothing else but thirst and hunger. And there are some worshippers whose share in reward is nothing but the difficulty and hardship. This is mainly because of wisdom, insight, and knowledge.(Ma’arifat).
Jaabir bin Abdullah narrated a tradition from the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) that he said, “O Jaabir, this is the holy month of Ramadhaan, the one who observes Fasting in its days and keeps awake for some period in its nights, and abstains his/her stomach and private parts from unlawful acts, and restrains his/her tongue, they come out of sins as fast as this month passes away.” Jaabir said, “how good the tradition is !” The Prophet said, “and how exacting the rules are to be adhered to !”
Therefore, consequently, given so much significance and value for this Holy Month of Ramadhaan, it is our duty to make full preparation to receive it with befitting provisions. Some of them are that we should make our hearts clean and pure as aforementioned; we should also make our place of worship and its sorrounding to be clean and without disturbances; we should also make provision for our workers that they get some breathing time; Khums, Zakaat, debts and any other outstanding dues should be cleared up so that when we stand to pray in front of Allaah (S.W.T.) we should be free of any worldly burdon on our backs; the habit of gossiping and back-biting should be wiped out, because this is one of the things which invalidates the Fast; and the most essential of all - a firm, solid, and unyielding resolution to adhere to all the laws laid down for a successful Fasting.
Moreover, there are various magnificient A’amaal. Duaas and Namaaz that if we wish to accomplish majority of them then there is no chance to stand unless we dovout our large time at night hours. So it needs a firm inspiration and determination also to perform proper Ibaadat…
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Author: Mustafa Hajji Ahmed Khaki
