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Reaping
the Benefits of Ramadan
Ali
At-Tamimi
In
the month of Ramadan it is very important that we spent a few moments to
understand some of the wisdom and lessons that we can learn from this
month of fasting.
Unfortunately,
many Muslims come in to this month and they are as a companion of the
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Let it not be that
the day that you fast and the day that you break fast be equal.”
Meaning, one's behavior, attitude and outlook are the same whether one
fasts or not, i.e. fasting has no effect upon that person. This is why
we need to reflect on some of these lessons.
LESSON
1: Gaining Taqwa
Allah
legislated fasting for gaining taqwa, {O you who believe, fasting has
been prescribed upon you as it has been prescribed upon those before
you, so that you may attain taqwa}. (Al-Baqarah: 183) Taqwa in this case
means to make a shield between oneself and Allah’s anger and Hellfire.
So we should ask ourselves, when we break our fasts, ‘has this fasting
day made us fear Allah more? Has it resulted that we want to protect
ourselves from the hellfire or not?’
LESSON
2: Drawing Closer to Allah
This
is achieved by reciting and reflecting on Al-Qur’an during night and
day, attending the Taraweeh prayers, remembering Allah, sitting in
circles of knowledge and, for those who can, making `Umrah. Also for
those who can, making I`tikaf (seclusion) in the last ten nights of
Ramadan, so as to leave all worldly pursuits and seclude oneself in a
Masjid just thinking of Allah, so as to bring oneself closer to Allah
(SWT). When one sins, one feels distant from Allah. That is why one
might find it heard to read the Qur’an and come to the Masjid.
However, the obedient worshipper feels closer to Allah and wants to
worship Allah more, because he is not shy from his sins.
LESSON
3: Acquiring Patience and Strong Will
Allah
has mentioned patience more than seventy times in the Qur’an and has
commanded patience in more than sixteen ways in His Book. So when one
fasts, and gives up one’s food and drink, and one’s marital sexual
relations for those hours, one learns restraint and patience. This Ummah
needs man and women that are strong willed, who can stand upon the
Sunnah and the Book of Allah and not waver in front of the enemies of
Allah. We do not need emotional people, who just raise slogans and
shout, but when the time comes to stand upon something firm, they cannot
do so, they waver.
LESSON
4: Striving for Ihsan (Righteousness and Sincerity) and Staying Away
from Riya’ (Showing off)
Ihsan
means to worship Allah as if one seeks Him, and even though one does not
see Him, He sees all. Hasan Al-Basri said, “By Allah, in the last
twenty years, I have not said a word or taken something with my hand or
refrained to take something with my hand or stepped forth or stepped
back, except that I have thought before I have done any action, ‘Does
Allah love this action? Is Allah pleased with this action?' So when one
is fasting, one should gain this quality of watching oneself and also
staying away from Riya’ (showing off). That is why Allah said in a
Hadith Qudsi, “Fasting is for Me and I reward it.” (Al-Bukhari)
Allah singles out fasting from all other types of worship saying,
“Fasting is for Me”, because no one knows whether you are fasting or
not, except Allah. For example, when one is praying or giving charity or
making Tawaf, one can be seen by the people, so one might do the action
seeking the praise of the people. Sufyan Ath-Thawri used to spend the
nights and the days crying and the people used to ask him, “Why do you
cry, is it due to the fear of Allah? He said, ‘No.’ They said, “Is
it due to the fear of the Hellfire?” He said, ‘No. It is not the
fear of Hellfire that makes me cry, what makes me cry is that I have
been worshipping Allah all these years and doing scholarly teaching, and
I am not certain that my intentions are purely for Allah.’”
LESSON
5: Refinement of Manners, Especially Those Related to Truthfulness and
Discharging Trusts.
The
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever does not
abandon falsehood in word and action, then Allah (SWT) has no need that
he should heave his food and drink.” (Al-Bukhari) What we learn from
this, is that we must pay attention to the purification of our manners.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “I was sent to
perfect good manners.” (Imam Malik). So, we must check ourselves, are
we following the behavior of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon
him? For example: Do we give Salam (salutation) to those we don’t know
and those we do know? Do we follow the manners of Islam, by telling the
truth and only telling the truth? Are we sincere? Are we merciful to the
creation?
LESSON
6: Recognizing that One Can Change for the Better
The
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Every son of Adam
sins and the best of the sinners are those who repent.” (Ibn Majah)
Allah provides many opportunities to repent to Him and seek His
forgiveness. If one was disobedient they can become obedient.
LESSON
7: Being More Charitable
Ibn
`Abbas said, “The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was the
most charitable amongst the people, and he used to be more so in the
month of Ramadan when Jibril used to meet him on every night of Ramadan
till the end of the month…” (Al-Bukhari) The Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him, said, “He who gives food for a fasting person
to break his fast, he will receive the same reward as him, without
nothing being reduced from the fasting person’s reward.”
(At-Tirmidhi)
LESSON
8: Sensing the Unity of the Muslims
The
Prophet said, “…Those of you who will live after me will see many
differences. Then you must cling to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the
rightly-guided Caliphs. Hold fast to it and stick to it.” (Abu Dawud)
In this month we sense that there is a possibility for unity, because we
all fast together, we break fast together, we all worship Allah
together, and we pray Salat-ul-`Eid together. Therefore we sense that
the unity of Muslims is possible. It is possible for Muslims to be a
single body, but this will only be achieved when obedience is only to
Allah and His Messenger.
LESSON
9: Learning Discipline
The
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, made us adhere to discipline
and strictness, strictness that does not lead to fanaticism or going
outside the bounds that Allah has laid down. One cannot knowingly break
the fast before the sunset, as this will not be accepted by Allah.
Muslims should learn to be very strict in their lives, because they are
people of an important message, which they mold their lives around.
LESSON
10: Teaching the Young to Worship Allah
It
was the practice of the people of Madinah, that during the fast of
`Ashura (which is now a recommended fast of one day) to get their
children to fast with them. When the children would cry of hunger and
thirst, their parents would distract their attention by giving them some
sort of toy to play with. The children would break their fast with their
parents. (As mentioned in Al-Bukhari)
So
the young should be brought to the Masjid and they should pray with
their parents, so that they are able to get into the habit of becoming
worshippers of Allah. If one does not encourage children to fast when
they are young, they will find it very difficult to fast for thirty days
at the age of puberty. This is why the Prophet, peace and blessings be
upon him, said, “Command your children to pray at the age of seven and
beat them at the age of ten (if they do not pray.” (Al-Hakim)
LESSON
11: Caring for One’s Health
Fasting
has many medical benefits and it teaches Muslims to take care of their
health and too build strong bodies. The Prophet, peace and blessings be
upon him, said, “A strong believer is better and is more beloved to
Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone.” (Sahih
Muslim)
Excerpted
from www.islaam.com with slight modifications
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