Important Lessons From Ramadaan

Al-Istiqaamah, Ramadaan 1417 AH

Islaam.Com Ramadan

Allah – the Most High – said: "The month of Ramadaan in which the Qur’aan was revealed, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance of the Criterion between right and wrong. So whosoever of you sights the crescent for the month of
Ramadaan, he must fast that month." [Soorah al-Baqarah 2:185]

Allah’s Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said:

"Islaam is built upon five: Testifying that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the Prayer, giving
the Zakaah, performing Hajj to the House, and fasting in Ramadaan." (1)

He sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said:

"There has come to you Ramadaan, a blessed month, in which Allah has made it obligatory to fast. During it the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of
Hellfire are closed, and the rebellious devils are chained. In it is a night
(Laylatul-Qadr) which is better than a thousand months. He who is deprived of its
good truly has been deprived." (2)

From the many important lessons to be learnt from fasting are:

[1] Gaining Taqwaa

Fasting has been legislated in order that we may gain taqwaa, as Allah – the Most High – said: "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was
prescribed upon those before you in order that you may attain taqwaa." [Soorah
al-Baqarah 2:183]

Talq ibn Habeeb (d. 100H) – rahimahullah – said:

"When fitnah (trial and tribulation) appears then extinguish it with taqwaa." So he was asked as to what taqwaa was, so he replied: "Taqwaa to act in obedience to
Allah, upon a light (i.e. eemaan, faith) from Allah, hoping in the Mercy of Allah.
And taqwaa is leaving the acts of disobedience to Allah, upon a light from Allah,
due to the fear of Allah." (3)

This is one of the best definitions of taqwaa. For every action must have both a starting point and a goal. And an action will not be considered as an act of
obedience, or nearness to Allah, unless it starts from pure eemaan (faith in Allah).
Thus it is pure eemaan – and not habits, desires, nor seeking praise or fame, nor its
like – that should be what initiates the action. And the [goal of the] action should be
to earn the reward of Allah and to seek His good pleasure." (4) So fasting is a
means of attaining taqwaa, since it helps prevent from many sins that one is prone
to. Due to this, the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "Fasting is a shield with
which the servant protects himself from the Fire." (5) So we should ask ourselves,
after each day of fasting: Has this fasting made us more fearful and obedient to
Allah? Has it aided us in distancing ourselves from sins and disobedience?

[2] Seeking Nearness to Allah

The Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam said:

"Allah said: Whosoever shows enmity to a friend of Mine, I shall be at war with him. My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than
the obligatory duties that I have placed upon him. My servant continues to draw
nearer to Me with optional deeds so that I shall love him." (6)

The Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said:

"Whosoever reaches the month of Ramadaan and does not have his sins forgiven, and so enters the fire, then may Allah distance him." (7)

So drawing closer to Allah – the Most Perfect – in this blessed month, can be achieved by fulfilling one’s obligatory duties; and also reciting the Qur’aan and
reflecting upon its meanings, increasing in kindness and in giving charity, in making
du`aa (supplication) to Allah, attending the taraweeh Prayer, seeking out
Laylatul-Qadr (the Night of Power and Pre-Decree), a night which is better than a
thousand months, attending gatherings of knowledge, and striving in those actions
that will cause the heart to draw closer to its Lord and to gain His forgiveness. Our
level of striving in this blessed month should be greater than our striving to worship
Allah in any other month, due to the excellence and rewards that Allah has placed
in it. Likewise from the great means of seeking nearness to Allah in this month is
making I`tikaaf (seclusion in the mosque in order to worship Allah) – for whoever is
able.

Imam ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751H) – rahimahullah – said:

"Allah also prescribed I`tikaaf for them, the objective being that the heart becomes fully preoccupied with Allah – the Most High – concentrated upon Him alone, and
cut-off from being preoccupied with the creation. Rather, the heart is only
engrossed with Allah – the Most Perfect – such that loving Him, remembering Him,
and turning to Him takes the place of all the heart’s anxieties and worries, so that he
is able to overcome them. Thus all his concerns are for Allah, and his thoughts are
all directed towards remembering Him and thinking of how to attain His Pleasure
and what will cause nearness to Him and what leads him to feel contended with
Allah instead of people. This in turn prepares him for being at peace with Allah
alone, on the day of loneliness in the grave, when there will be no one else to give
comfort, nor anyone to grant solace, except Him. So this is the greater goal of
I`tikaaf. (8)

[3] Acquiring Patience

Imaam Ahmad (d.241H) – rahimahullah – said:

"Allah has mentioned sabr (patience) in over ninety places in His Book." (9)

The Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said:

"The month of Patience, and the three days of every month, are times for fasting." (10)

Ibn `Abdul-Barr (d.464H) – rahimahullah – said:

"What is meant by the month of Patience is the month of Ramadan …So fasting is called patience because it restrains the soul from eating drinking, conjugal
relations and sexual desires." (11)

He sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said:

"O youths! Whoever amongst you is able to marry, then let him do so; for it restrains the eyes and protects the private parts. But whoever is unable, then let him
fast, because it will be a shield for him." (12)

So fasting is a means of learning self-restraint and patience. With patience we are able to strengthen our resolve to worship Allah alone, with sincerity, and also cope
with life’s ups and downs. So – for example – with patience we are able to perform
our Prayers calmly and correctly, without being hasty, and without merely pecking
the ground several times! With patience we are able to restrain our souls from
greed and stinginess and thus give part of our surplus wealth in Zakaah (obligatory
charity). With patience we are able to subdue the soul’s ill temperament, and thus
endure the ordeal and hardships of Hajj, without losing tempers and behaving
badly. Likewise, with patience we are able to stand firm and fight Jihaad against the
disbelievers, hypocrites and heretics – withstanding their constant onslaught,
without wavering and buckling, without despairing or being complacent, and
without becoming hasty and impatient at the first sings of hardship. Allah – the Most
High – said: "O Prophet, urge the Believers to fight … So if there are one hundred
who are patient, they shall overcome two hundred; and if there be one thousand,
they shall overcome two thousand, by the permission of Allah. And Allah is with the
patient ones." [Soorah al-Anfaal 8:65-66].

Thus, without knowledge and patience, nothing remains, except zeal and uncontrolled emotions, shouts and hollow slogans, speech that does not strengthen,
but rather weakness, and actions that do not build, but rather destroy! So in this
month, we should strive to develop a firm resolve for doing acts of obedience, and
to adorn ourselves with patience – having certainty in the saying of our Messenger
sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam: "And know that victory comes with patience, relief with
affliction, and ease with hardship." (13)

[4] Cultivating Good Manners

The Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said:

"Whosoever does not abandon falsehood in speech and action, then Allah the Mighty and Majestic has no need that he should leave his food and drink." (14)

He sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam also said:

"Fasting is not merely abstaining from eating and drinking. Rather, it is also abstaining from ignorant and indecent speech. So if anyone abuses or behaves
ignorantly with you, then say: I am fasting, I am fasting." (15)

These narrations point towards the importance of truthfulness and good manners. Thus, this blessed month teaches us not only to abstain from food and drink, but to
also abstain from such statements and actions that may be the cause of harming
people and violating their rights – since the Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam
said whilst describing the true Believer: "A Muslim is one from whom other Muslims
are safe from his tongue and his hand." (16) Thus it is upon us as individuals, to
examine the shortcomings in our character, and to then seek to improve them –
modelling ourselves upon the character of the last of the Prophets and Messengers,
and their leader, Muhammad sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam – aspiring also for the
excellence which he mentioned in his saying: "I am a guarantor for a house on the
outskirts of Paradise for whoever leaves off arguing, even if he is in right; and a
house in the centre of Paradise for whosoever abandons falsehood, even when
joking; and a house in the upper-most of Paradise for whosoever makes his
character good." (17) So by shunning oppression, shamelessness, harbouring
hatred towards Muslims, back-biting, slandering, tale-carrying, and other types of
falsehood, we can be saved from nullifying the rewards of our fasting – as Allah’s
Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "It may be that a fasting person
receives nothing from his fast, except hunger and thirst." (18)

[5] Sensing Muslim Unity

The Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said:

"Fast when they fast, and break your fast when they break their fast, and sacrifice the day they sacrifice." (19)

Imaam at-Tirmidhee (d. 275H) – rahimahullah – said:

"Some of the People of Knowledge explained this hadeeth by saying: Its meaning is to fast and break the fast along with the jamaa`ah and the majority of people." (20)

Thus, in this blessed month we can sense an increased feeling of unity and of being a single Ummah due to our fasting and breaking our fast collectively. We also feel
an increased awareness about the state of affairs of the Muslims and of the
hardships that they endure, because: "During the fast, a Muslim feels and
experiences what his needy and hungry brothers and sisters feel, who are forced to
go without food and drink for many many days – as occurs today to many of the
Muslims in Africa." (21) Indeed, the unity of the Muslims – and their aiding and
assisting one another – is one of the great fundamentals upon which the Religion of
Islaam is built, as Allaah – the Most High – said: "And hold fast altogether to the
rope of Allaah and do not be divided." [Soorah Aal `Imraan 3:103]. Allaah – the
Most High – also said: "The Believers – men and women – and friends and
protectors of one another." [Soorah al-Tawbah 9:44]

Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728H) – rahimahullah – said: "The welfare of people will not be complete – neither in this world, nor in the Hereafter – except with ijtima` (collectiveness), ta`awun (mutual co-operation), and tanassur (mutual
help); mutual co-operation in order to secure benefits, and mutual help in order to
ward off harm. It is for this reason that man is said to be social and civil by nature."
(22)

Thus we see that Islaam lays great importance in bringing hearts together and encouraging ijtima` (collectiveness). This is not only reflected in the month of
Ramadaan, but also in the other acts of worship as well. So, for example, we have
been ordered by the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam to pray the five daily
Prayers in congregation, and that it has been made twenty-seven times more
rewardful than praying it individually. (23) Likewise, this similar collective spirit is
demonstrated in the act of Hajj (Pilgrimage). Even in learning knowledge and
studying it, blessings have been placed in collectiveness, as Allah’s Messenger
sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "No people gather in a house form the houses of
Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it amongst themselves, except that
tranquillity descends upon them, mercy envelops them, the angels surround him,
and Allah mentions them to those that are with Him." (24) Likewise, even in our
everyday actions such as, eating, Islaam teaches us collectiveness. Thus, when
some of the Companions of the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said to him: O
Messenger of Allah, we eat but to do not become satisfied. He replied: "Perhaps
you eat individually?" They replied: Yes! So he said: "Eat collectively and mention
the name of Allah. There will then be blessings for you in it." (25) Indeed, even in
the etiquettes of sitting the spirit of collectiveness is demonstrated. So, one day the
Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam came across the Companions who were sitting
in separate circles, so he said to them: "Why do I see you sitting separately!" (26)
Similarly, Abu Tha`labah al-Khushanee radiallahu `anhu said: Whenever the people
used to encamp, they used to split-up into the mountain passes and valleys. So
Allah’s Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "Indeed your being split-up in
these mountain passes and valleys is from Shaytaan." Thereafter, whenever they
used to encamp, they used to keep very close together, to such an extent that it
was said: If a cloth were to be spread over them, it would cover them all. (27)

Thus, Ramadaan is a time to increase our sense of unity and brotherhood, and our commitment to Allah and His Religion. And there is no doubt that this sense of unity
necessitates that: "We work together as required by Islaam as sincere brothers –
not due to hizbiyyah (bigoted party spirit), nor sectarianism – in order to realize that
which is of benefit to the Islaamic Ummah and to establish the Islaamic society that
every Muslim aspires for – so that the Sharee`ah (Prescribed Law) of Allaah is
applied upon His earth." (28) So we must examine ourselves during the Ramadaan
and ask: What is my role – and each of us has a role – in helping this precious
Ummah to regain its honour, and return to the Ummah its comprehensive unity and
strength, and victory that has been promised to it? Likewise, we should reflect upon
our character and actions and ask: Are they aiding the process of unity and
brotherhood, or are they a harm and a hindrance to it?

So we ask Allah to grant us the ability to change ourselves for the better, during this blessed month, and not to be of those who are prevented from His Mercy and
Forgiveness. Indeed He is the One who Hears and He is the One to Respond.

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