Significance of Ramadan

Fasting has great virtues because Allah (God) Himself has promised innumerable
rewards for it.
The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad ‫ ﺻﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ‬said that fasting is best of
‘Ibadah (Act of Worship).

Rasulullah ‫ ملسو ﻩيلع ﻩللا ىلص‬said that Allah said: “Except for fasting
which is only for My sake, and I will reward him for it.” - Bukhari, al-Fath,
no. 1904; Sahih al-Targhib, 1/407
Fasting has no equal. - Nasa'i, 4/165; Sahih al-Targhib, 1/413
Du’a of the fasting person will not be refused. - Bayhaqi
The fasting person has two moments of joy: one when he breaks his fast
and one when he meets his Lord and rejoices over his fasting. - Muslim,
2/807
Fasting will intercede for a person on the Day of Judgement, and will say,
“O Lord, I prevented him from his food and physical desires during the day,
so let me intercede for him.” - Ahmad, 2/174
The smell that comes from the mouth of a fasting person is better with
Allah than the scent of musk. - Muslim, 2/807
Fasting is a protection and a strong fortress that keeps a person safe from
the Fire. -
Ahmad, 2/402
Whoever fasts one day for the sake of Allah, Allah will remove his face
seventy years’ distance from the Fire. - Muslim, 2/808
Whoever fasts one day seeking the pleasure of Allah, if that is the last day
of his life, he will enter Paradise. –Ahmad
In Paradise there is a gate called al-Rayyaan, through those who fast will
enter, and no one will enter it except them; when they have entered it will
be locked, and no-one else will enter through it.” - Bukhari

Revelations of the Holy Qur-an began in the month of Ramadan.

The month of Ramadan also holds a night of Qadr that Allah (God) has described a
night that is better than a thousand months.

‫ِإﻧﱠﺎ َأ ْﻧ َﺰ ْﻟﻨَﺎ ُﻩ ﻓِﻲ َﻟ ْﻴَﻠ ِﺔ ا ْﻟ َﻘ ْﺪ ِر‬

Verily! We have sent it (this Qur-an) down in the night of Al-Qadr
(Decree)

‫ك ﻣَﺎ َﻟ ْﻴَﻠ ُﺔ ا ْﻟ َﻘ ْﺪ ِر‬

َ ‫َوﻣَﺎ َأ ْدرَا‬
And what will make you know what the night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is?

‫ﺷ ْﻬ ٍﺮ‬
َ ‫ﻒ‬
ِ ‫ﻦ َأ ْﻟ‬
ْ ‫ﺧ ْﻴ ٌﺮ ِﻣ‬
َ ‫َﻟ ْﻴَﻠ ُﺔ ا ْﻟ َﻘ ْﺪ ِر‬
The night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e.

By: Nasrullah…………………………….. hnasrullah@gmail.com

 worshipping Allah in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand
months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months).
Surah (Chapter) Al-Qadr (The night of power) 97:1-3

Ramadan is a month of great virtues and provides Muslims with opportunities to score
big for the Hereafter by following what the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad ‫ﺻﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ‬
‫ وﺳﻠﻢ‬practiced during his life to set examples for us.

The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad ‫ ﺻﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ‬has mentioned many virtues of the
month of Ramadan. He ‫ ﺻﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ‬said, “Fasting has no equal.”
(Nasa”i)

Narrated Sahl ‫ رﺿﻲ اﷲ ﻋﻨﻪ‬that The Prophet ‫ ﺻﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ‬said: "There is a gate in paradise
called ar-Raiyan, and those who observe Sawm will enter through it on the day of
Resurrection and none except them will enter through it." (Bukhari)

When Ramadan begins, the gates of Jannah (Paradise) are opened and the gates of
Jahannam (Hell) are closed, and the devils are put in chains. (Bukhari)

“In Paradise there is a gate called al-Rayyaan through which those who fast will enter,
and no one will enter through it except them; when they have entered it will be locked, and no
one else will enter through it.” (Bukhari, Book 31, Hadith 120)

Fasting during Ramadan is equivalent to fasting for ten months. (Ahmad)

Whoever fasts in Ramadan out of faith and with the hope of reward, all his previous sins will
be forgiven. (Bukhari)

The fasting person has two moments of joy: one when he breaks his fast, and one when he
meets his Lord and rejoices over his fasting. (Muslim)

At the breaking of every fast, Allah will choose people to free from Hellfire. (Ahmad)

Du‘a (Supplication) of the fasting person will not be refused. (Bayhaqi)

Fasting is a protection and a strong fortress that keeps a person safe from the Fire. (Ahmad)

Fasting will intercede for a person on the Day of Judgment and will say, “O Lord, I
prevented him from his food and physical desires during the day, so let me intercede
for him.” (Ahmad)

“Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and with the hope of (Allah’s) reward, all his previous
sins will be forgiven.” (Bukhari)

By: Nasrullah…………………………….. hnasrullah@gmail.com

Every Muslim must observe fasting for one complete month every year.
Month of Ramadan has a special significance because the Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad ‫ ﺻﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ‬received the first Wahi (Message from Allah) in this month.

Qur-an specifies the month in which fasts are to be observed.

‫ﻦ ا ْﻟ ُﻬﺪَى وَا ْﻟ ُﻔ ْﺮﻗَﺎ‬ َ ‫ت ِﻣ‬

ٍ ‫س َو َﺑ ِّﻴﻨَﺎ‬ ِ ‫ن ُهﺪًى ﻟِﻠﻨﱠﺎ‬ ُ ‫ل ﻓِﻴ ِﻪ ا ْﻟ ُﻘﺮْﺁ‬ َ ‫ن اﱠﻟﺬِي ُأ ْﻧ ِﺰ‬ َ ‫ﺷ ْﻬ ُﺮ َر َﻣﻀَﺎ‬ َ ‫ﺸ ْﻬ َﺮ‬ ‫ﺷ ِﻬ َﺪ ِﻣ ْﻨ ُﻜ ُﻢ اﻟ ﱠ‬َ ‫ﻦ‬ ْ ‫نِ َﻓ َﻤ‬
‫ﺴ َﺮ‬
ْ ‫ﺴ َﺮ وَﻻ ُﻳﺮِﻳ ُﺪ ِﺑ ُﻜ ُﻢ ا ْﻟ ُﻌ‬ ْ ‫ﺧ َﺮ ُﻳﺮِﻳ ُﺪ اﻟﻠﱠ ُﻪ ِﺑ ُﻜ ُﻢ ا ْﻟ ُﻴ‬ َ ‫ﻦ َأﻳﱠﺎ ٍم ُأ‬
ْ ‫ﺳ َﻔ ٍﺮ َﻓ ِﻌ ﱠﺪ ٌة ِﻣ‬
َ ‫ﻋﻠَﻰ‬ َ ‫ن َﻣﺮِﻳﻀًﺎ َأ ْو‬ َ ‫ﻦ آَﺎ‬ ْ ‫ﺼ ْﻤ ُﻪ َو َﻣ‬
ُ ‫ﻓَ ْﻠ َﻴ‬
‫ﻋﻠَﻰ ﻣَﺎ َهﺪَا ُآ ْﻢ َوَﻟ‬ َ ‫ن َوِﻟ ُﺘ ْﻜ ِﻤﻠُﻮا ا ْﻟ ِﻌ ﱠﺪ َة َوِﻟ ُﺘ َﻜ ِّﺒﺮُوا اﻟﱠﻠ َﻪ‬
َ ‫ﺸ ُﻜﺮُو‬ ْ ‫َﻌﱠﻠ ُﻜ ْﻢ َﺗ‬
"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur-an, a guidance for
mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion. So whoever of
you sights the moon, he must observe fast in that month, and whoever is ill or
on a journey, the same number (of days which one did not observe fast, must
be made up) from other days. Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want
to make things difficult for you. He wants that you must complete the same
number of days, and that you must magnify Allah for having guided you so
that you may be grateful to Him."
Surah (Chapter) al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2:185

Missing a fast without any serious sickness or a valid reason is a grave sin.

Allah (God) has created human beings for the purpose of performing acts that please
Him. Humans are Khalifah (Representative) of Allah (God) in this world. They must try
their best to reflect good. Self discipline and self-control is essential for the Islamic way
of life. Fasting not only disciplines a person but also inculcates self-control in that person.

There are many people in this world that end up wasting more food in one single party
than many could afford in an entire year. Such people do not have any understanding of
the problems of the poor or the needy. They cannot comprehend the feelings of the needy
and poor, because they have never undergone the same type of pain due to hunger and
thirst.

Fasting makes a person more understanding and considerate towards the poor, when they
themselves go through similar circumstances that these people experience every day.

Allah (God) made fasting obligatory so that everyone should feel hunger and thirst so
that whenever one comes across a hungry or thirsty person, one should have at least some
sympathy for them.

By: Nasrullah…………………………….. hnasrullah@gmail.com