(significance Of Ramadan) Why Fasting, What Is Roza

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…………………………….. [email protected]

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…………………………….. [email protected]

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 ﱠ‬ َ ‫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…………………………….. [email protected]