Allah's Apostle said, "When the month of Ramadan
starts, the gates of the heaven
are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained."
[Bukhari] ...
Narrated Abu Huraira(r.a): The Prophet said:"... whoever fasts during
Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's
rewards, then all
his past sins will be forgiven." (Sahih Al-Bukhari).
"...whoever witnesses the Month of Ramadan should fast through it..."
Q(2:185)
"Ramadan is the (month) in which the Quran was sent down, as a guide to
mankind and a clear guidance and judgment (so that mankind
will distinguish from right and wrong).." (Q 2:183)
"Oh you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to
those before you, that you many learn piety and rightousness"
(Qur'an,
al-Baqarah, 2:183)
"...And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew." (Q 2:184)
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) addressed
his companions on the last day of Sha`ban, saying, "Oh people! A great
month has come over you; a blessed
month; a month in which is a night better than
a thousand months; month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you
to fast by day, and voluntary to
pray by night. Whoever draws nearer (to Allah)
by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month)
shall receive the same reward as
performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and
whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the
reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the
month of patience, and the reward
of patience is Heaven. It is the month of
charity, and a month in which a believer's sustenance is increased. Whoever
gives food to a fasting person to break his fast, shall have his sins forgiven,
and he will be saved from the Fire of Hell, and he shall have the same
reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all."
[Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah]
It is called the night of Power (i.e Laelat-ut Qadr) or the night of blessing
(Laelat-ul mubarak). The deed in this night is better than the rewards
of deeds of 1,000 months (about 83.3 years).
"Indeed We have revealed it (Qur'an) in the night of Power. And what will explain
to you what the night of Power is? The night of Power is better than a thousand
months. Therein descends the Angels and the Spirit (Jibreel) by Allah's
permission, on every errand: (they say) "Peace" (continuously) till the rise of
Morning!" Q(97:1-5)
Abu Said al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah, said: "No servant fasts
on a day in the path of Allah except that Allah removes the hell fire seventy
years further away from his face." This is related by "the group," except
for Abu Dawud.
`Abdullah ibn `Amr reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)
said: "The fast and the Qur'an are two intercessors for the servant
of Allah on the Day of Resurrection. The fast will say: 'O Lord, I prevented
him from his food and desires during the day. Let me intercede for him.'
The Qur'an will say: 'I prevented him from sleeping at night. Let me intercede
for him.' And their intercession will be accepted." [Ahmad]
Abu Umamah reported: "I came to the Messenger of Allah and said: 'Order me to
do a deed that will allow me to enter Paradise.' He said: 'Stick to fasting,
as there is no equivalent to it.' Then I came to him again and he said:
'Stick to fasting.' [Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, and al-Hakim].
Sahl ibn Sa'd reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"There is a gate to Paradise that is called ar-Rayyan. On the Day of Resurrection
it will say: 'Where are those who fasted?' When the last [one] has passed
through the gate, it will be locked." [al-Bukhari and Muslim].
"He who is amongst those who pray will be called from the gate of the prayer (in
Paradise) and he who is from the people of Jihad will be called from the gate
of Jihad, and he who is from those' who give in charity (i.e. Zakat) will
be called from the gate of charity, and he who is amongst those who observe
fast will be called from the gate of fasting, the gate of Raiyan."
Abu Bakr said, "He who is called from all those gates will need nothing," He added,
"Will anyone be called from all those gates, O Allah's Apostle?" He said,
"Yes, and I hope you will be among those, O Abu Bakr." [Bukhari]
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said : "The time between the
five prayers,
two consecutive Friday Prayers, and two; consecutive
Ramadans are expiation's for all that has happened during that period,
provided that one has
avoided the grave (major) sins." [Muslim]
In another hadith, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
says, "Ramadan has come to you. (It is) a month of blessing, in which Allah
covers you with blessing, for He sends down Mercy, decreases sins and answers
prayers. In it, Allah looks at your competition (in good deeds), and boasts
about you to His angels. So show Allah goodness from yourselves, for the
unfortunate one is he who is deprived in (this month) of the mercy of Allah,
the Mighty, the Exalted." [Narrated by Tabarani]
Abu Umaamah r.a.a. said: I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an action by
which I may enter Paradise'. He said: 'Take to Fasting, there is nothing like
it.' [An-Nasaa'ee, Ibn Hibbaan, Al-Haakim, Saheeh]
"Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that
you may attain taqwaa." [2:183]
The most honoured by Allah amongst you are those best in taqwaa."[49:13]
"Every action of the son of Adam is given manifold reward, each good deed receiving
then times its like, up to seven hundred times. Allah the Most High
said, 'Except for fasting, for it is for Me and I will give recompense for
it, he leaves off his desires and his food for Me.' for the fasting person
there are two times of joy; a time when he breaks his fast and a time of
joy when he meets his Lord, and the smell coming from the mouth of the fasting
person is better with Allah than the smell of musk." [al-Bukhaaree]
"Fasting is a shield with which a servant protects himself from the
Fire."[Ahmad, Saheeh]
On the Day of Judgement, "Fasting will say: O My Lord I prevented him from food
and desires so accept my intercession for him." [Ahmad, al-Haakim and
Abu Nu'aim, Hasan]
"There are in the month of Ramadhan in every day and night those to whom Allah
grants freedom from the Fire, and there is for every Muslim an supplication
which he can make and will be granted." [al-Bazzaar, Ahmad, Saheeh]
The Prophet said: "He who gives food for a fasting person to break his fast, he
will receive the same reward as him, except that nothing will be reduced from
the fasting persons reward." [Ahmad, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah, Ibn Hibbaan,
Saheeh].
"When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them):I listen
to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: let them also,
with a will, listen to My call, and believe in Me: that they may walk in
the right way." (Q 2:188)
|
|