Fasting is for Me!
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allaah's Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] said:
"Fasting is a shield (or a screen or a shelter from Hell-Fire). So, the person observing fasting should avoid sexual relation with his wife and should not behave foolishly and impudently, and if somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should tell him twice, 'I am fasting."
The Prophet added:
"By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk. (Allaah says about the fasting person), 'He has left his food, drink and desires for My sake. The fast is for Me, so I will reward (the fasting person) for it and the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times." [Bukhari]
From the above narrations, we could see clearly, that fasting is one of the ways of protecting ourselves from the Fire of Hell. The fasting being mentioned here is general and it is not restricted to the fasting in the month of Ramadan only. It includes all of the fasting that we have been encouraged to do by Allaah and His Messenger [peace and blessing of Allaah be upon him].
As mentioned above, fasting protects us from the Fire of Hell but apart from that it is also a means of gaining the pleasure of Allaah in the Hereafter. Let us see some the sayings of Allaah and His Prophet with regards to this.
Gates of paradise are opened...
Narrated Abu Huraira [RA]: Allaah's Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] said:
"When the month of Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of the (Hell) Fire are closed, and the devils are chained." [Bukhari]
A major matter
Mu'ath bn Jabal [RA] narrated: I said 0 Messenger Of Allaah [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him], tell me of an act which will take me into Paradise and keep me away from Hell-Fire. He said:
you have asked me about a major matter, yet it easy for him for whom Allaah Almighty makes it easy. You should ..., You should fast in Ramadan....Then he (the Prophet) said : shall I not show you the gates of goodness? Fasting is a shield ...[at-Tirmidhi]
A special entry into Paradise
The Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] said:
"In Paradise there is a gate called alRayyaan, through which those who used to fast will enter on the Day of Resurrection, and no one but they will enter it. It will be said, 'Where are those who fasted?' They will get up, and none will enter it but them. When they have entered, it will be locked, and no one else will enter." (Bukhari)
Ramadan: A blessed month
All that we have said so far is about fasting in general, but we must remember that we-are in the month of Ramadan. This month is a special month in which Allaah Himself has placed therein a lot of blessings and favours. Here are some of them; It is in this glorious month that Allaah revealed the Qur'an. Allaah says;
"Verily, We have sent it [this Qur'an] down in the night of AI-Qadr[degree]." [Q 97: 1].
Also, He says;
"We sent it [this Qur'an] down on blessed night [i.e. the night of al-Qadr] in the month of Ramadan. Verily, we are ever warning [mankind that our Torment will reach those disbelieve in Our Oneness of Lordship and in Our Oneness of worship]. Therein [that night] is decreed every matter of ordainments. [Q 4: 3-4]
worship done for one thousand nights i.e. eighty-three years and four months. Allaah says;
I In The night of Qadr is better than a thousand months [i.e. worshiping Allaah in that night is better than worshiping Him a thousands months, i.e. eighty three years and four months]" [Q97 :3]
Narrated Abu Huraira; Allaah's Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] said:
"Whoever establishes the prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allaah's rewards (not to show off) then all his past sins will be forgiven." [Bukhari]
Pray Taraweeh
Taraweeh is the prayer that we offer in the night after salatul 'lsha in the month of Ramadan. This is a prayer that is recommended for us. Narrated Abu Huraira; I heard Allaah's Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] saying regarding Ramadan,
"Whoever prayed at night in it (the month of Ramadan) out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven. "[Bukhari]
Break your fast early and delay your sahur
Contrary to what many people believe that delaying terminating the fast and hastening the sahur [predawn meal] is what is good, it is the opposite that is, hastening to terminate the fast and delaying the sahur that is good and more rewarding. 'Amr ibn Maimun said:
"The companions of Muhammad, upon whom be peace, would be the first to break the fast and the last to eat their pre-dawn meals." [Baihaqi].
Also, Abu Dharr al-Ghafari related that the Prophet said: "My nation will always retain some goodness as long as they hasten breaking the fast and delay eating the predawn meal."
Things to Avoid
The month of Ramadan is a month that we should seek Allaah's pleasure the most and anything that would deprive us of the benefits should be avoided as much as possible. Anybody who witnessed this great month and he is not able to get the benefits in it has indeed lost a great blessing. The Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] mounted the minbar one day and he said: Aamin!Aamin!!Aamin!!!He further said:
"Whoever witnesses the month of Ramadan and he is not forgiven and he [therefore] enters the Hell-Fire may he be distanced from AIlaah' [Mercy] say Aamin [O Muhammad]. So I said Aamin. " Ibn Hibban].
Also, Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] said:
"Perhaps a fasting person will get nothing from his fast save hunger, and perhaps the one who stands to pray at night will get nothing from his standing except sleeplessness. " [An-' Nasa'i]
Quarrelling and foul language: A fasting person should as much as possible avoid argument not to talk of fighting in the month Ramadan. We are expected to exercise patience even when people try to provoke us. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said:
"Fasting is not [abstaining] from eating and drinking only, but also from vain speech and foul language. If one of you is being cursed or annoyed, he should say: "I am fasting, I am fasting." [Ibn Khuzaima]
Backbiting and slandering: These two elements should as much as possible be avoided by Muslims but It should be more avoided in the month of Ramadan.
Timewasters: One of the things that people engage in other to avoid the discomfort that comes with fasting are those things they use to while-away time. Things like TV. Programs [that are not beneficial], games, internet etc. are very common. This should not be so as the month of Ramadan is supposed to be spent in a beneficial way and are not meant for trivialities like these. May Allaah make us one of those that fasting in this month will be a shield for in this world and in the hereafter [Aamin].
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited