Fasting the month of Ramadan

Fast= ing the month of Ramadan

BS F= oad, M.D 2011

Fasting Ramadan is obligatory on Muslims, men and women unless there is a legitimate excuse. Fasting is good for us and was ordaine= d by God that we may learn Taqwa:

O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescri= bed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint, =

&n= bsp; Al-Baqara 2: 183

(Fasting) for a fi= xed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (with hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent but he that wil= l give more, of his own free will, it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew.

&n= bsp; Al-Baqara 2: 184

Why did Allah order u= s to fast?

There is always a rationale for Divine orders. Obviously God does not need our fa= st or our prayers. He did not tell to fast and abstain from food or drink in o= rder to make us suffer, get hungry and thirsty, get headaches, feel tired or una= ble to think! There has to be a reasonable explanation and virtue to the fast, otherwise it does not make sense!

Some thoughts regarding the virtue or rationale for fasting Ramadan

1-Fasting allows us to learn discipline, control our vain desires and learn patience = and self-control.

2-Fasting for one month each year is an opportunity to re-examine our priorities and understand our accountability to Allah

3-Fasting and our prayers, reciting the Qur’an and turning to Allah in Ramadan allows us to get closer to Allah and receive His blessing, forgiveness, guidance and mercy

4-Ramadan is an event that unites the Muslim community in each location. They realize their identity and that they belong to each other and it shows that Muslims= all over the world are united in their service and devotion to Allah=

5-There is a great reward for fasting Ramadan

Learning self-discipl= ine, patience, sacrifice and controlling our van desires

As human beings we are constantly struggling to control our vain desires and balance our obligations and live our lives as God has commanded. Some of us fall short and make mistakes. Some are weak and succumb to temptations. Our faith increases and decreases, sometimes we feel close to God, and at other times we are distant. Ramadan is an opportunity to learn self-control and discipline and to become masters of ourselves.

The Qur’an describes what happens if we allow our vain desires to take ov= er and control our lives. We become slaves to our desires and will do anything= to satisfy these desires even lying, cheating, and wronging others, stealing, gambling or even murder or adultery.

Seest thou such a = one as taketh for his god his own passion (or impulse)? Couldst thou be a disposer= of affairs for him?

&n= bsp; Al-Furqan 25: 43

Or thinkest thou t= hat most of them listen or understand? They are only like cattle; nay, they are worse astray in Path.

&n= bsp; Al-Furqan 25: 44

Many are the Jinns and men We have ma= de for Hell: they have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they s= ee not, and ears wherewith they hear not. They are like cattle, nay more misguided: for they are heedless (of warning).

&n= bsp; Al-Araf 7: 179

Then seest thou such a one as takes as his god his own vain desi= re? Allah has, knowing (him as such), left him astray, and sealed his hearing a= nd his heart (and understanding), and put a cover on his sight: Who, then, will guide him after Allah (has withdrawn guidance)? Will ye not then receive admonition?

&n= bsp; Al-Jatheya 45: 23

We learn from these verses that those who follow their vain desires are unable= to hear or see the truth. They are blinded by their desires. They do not understand what is right and what is wrong. They have deprived themselves of Divine guidance and turned away

Relate to them the story of the man to whom = We sent Our Signs, but he passed them by: so Satan followed him up, and he went astray.

&n= bsp; Al-Araf 7: 175

If it had been Our= Will, We should have elevated him with Our Signs; but he inclined to the earth, a= nd followed his own vain desires

&n= bsp; Al-Araf 7: 176

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) explained how we should control our emotions and anger and watch our behavior during the month of fasting. He said:<= /p>

(Allah, glory be to Him says: “All the actions of a human being are done for = his benefit, except for fasting for it is done for Me, and I give its reward.. Fasting is protection: if one of you is fasting then he should not say bad words or engage in arguments or raise his voice. If someone curses him or p= icks up a fight with him, let him say: “I am fasting”. By the One holding my soul in His hand the smell of a fasting person’s mouth is = more beloved to Allah than the smell of musk. A fasting person has two joys: one when he breaks his fast, and the second joy when he meets his Lord) In another narration: (He leaves his food and desires = for my sake) Narrated by Bokhari, Muslim & Malik.

We learn from this Hadeeth:

-We should conduct ourselves properly during our fast. We should not curse, say= bad words, raise our voice or engage in arguments

-We should restrain ourselves and not get into a fight

-We should control our anger and emotions

-We are fasting to seek Allah’s pleasure and get close to Him, not to show off or to please other people

-Our joy is in completing our fast, doing our job and feeling that we have fulfi= lled our obligation. Allah is aware of our effort and He will reward us in the b= est possible way

Fasting allows us to understand our priorities and our accountability to Allah=

Everyone is busy doing things or enjoying himself. Sometimes we get preoccupied and = we forget our accountability to Allah. Our priorities get distorted and we for= get that in the end what is important is what we have done in our life and how = did we effect a change in our environment. Were we selfish and just pursued what brings us pleasure or did we share God’s blessings and reach out to t= hose who need our help.

Ramadan is an exercise and an opportunity that presents itself each year. We can ta= ke advantage of this opportunity and put our affairs in order and set our priorities correctly or we can go on with our life as usual.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) explained Man’s obligation and what each one of us wi= ll be asked to account for on the Day of Judgment. He said:<= /p>

(Each person will be asked on the Day of Judgment to account for 4 things:

1-His life: what did he do during h= is entire life

2-His youth: did he abuse it?<= /o:p>

3-His money: how did he earn it and= how did he spend it?

4-And his knowledge: what did he do= with it?) Narrated by Termedhi.

Therefore, during Ramadan we should ask ourselves these questions and try to do someth= ing good before it is too late:

1-What can we show for our life? What are we going to tell Allah?

What have we done and what a= re our accomplishments?

2-When we were young, energetic and able to do things, did we work hard and accomp= lish things or did we waste our time in useless pursuits or destroy our life in = bad habits?

3-Did we earn our money through lawful means and were honest and did not cheat anyone? How did we spend what Allah provided for us? Did we share God’= ;s blessings with the poor and needy and help those who needed our help, or di= d we keep it to ourselves? Were we misers or extravagant? Did we follow a balanc= ed approach? Did we give in charity and support important institutions and use= ful causes?

4-The knowledge and wisdom that Allah blessed us with, did we teach others and spread useful knowledge, or did we keep it to ourselves in order= to be distinguished?

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also explained that the things that we leave behind that are useful are only three things:

(When man dies his deeds cease except for three things:

1-A charity that continues to benefit people

2-Knowledge that is useful

3-A son or a daughter that is righteous and pray to = Allah on his behalf)

Narrated by Muslim.

Ramadan is a month of worship: our fast, prayers, reciting the Qur’an and turning to Allah seeking His forgiveness and guidance all are activities that brings us clos= er to Allah

During Ramadan We safeguard our prayers, offer additional optional prayers and rec= ite the Qur’an frequently. We turn to God in repentance and we seek His forgiveness. We rise up early in the morning to eat before dawn, recite the Qur’an, pray and call on God.

As to the Righteous, they will be in = the midst of Gardens and Springs, =

= ; Adh-Dhareyat 51: 15

Taking joy in t= he things which their Lord gives them, because, before then, they lived a good life.

= ; Adh-Dhareyat 51: 16

They were in the habit of sleeping = but little by night,

= ; Adh-Dhareyat 51: 17

And in the hours of early dawn, they (were found) praying for Forgiveness;

= ; Adh-Dhareyat 51: 18

And in their wealth and possessions= (was remembered) the right of the (needy), him who asked, and him who (for some reason) was prevented (from asking).

= ; Adh-Dhareyat 51: 19

Therefore, Ramadan is a month of intense worship, and our spirituality increases and we try to get close to God seeking His pleasure, guidance and blessings.<= /o:p>

We learn from this intense worship that it can be done and should be done at o= ther times of the year. For example we can add additional prayers at night and we can establish a habit of reading more of the Qur’an and trying to com= plete the recitation of the Qur’an every month or every 2-3 months. This feeling and desire to get close to God should encourage us to renew this ef= fort at other times of the year. Ramadan is an annual exercise in humility, devotion, worship and desire to please Allah.

Ramadan is an annual = event that unites Muslims in each community and unites Muslims all over the world=

Muslims start their fast together and break their fast together. They pray together= and come to the mosque for night prayers and for Taraweeh prayers. Iftar (break= ing the fast) is offered frequently in the mosque. Activities increase during Ramadan as well as fund raising. This culminates in the Eid (Feast) prayer = when Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan and share in the joys and blessings of being able to witness, fast and participate in Ramadan

The great reward of f= asting Ramadan

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) explained that our= good deeds are rewarded multiple times, especially during Ramadan. He said: =

(All the deeds of a human being is multiplied: a good= deed is rewarded ten times up to 700 times or more. Allah says: “Except for fasting, for it is done for My sake and I give i= ts reward. Man leaves his desire and food for my sake. A fasting person has two joys: once when he breaks his fast and the second when he meets his Lord. T= he smell from the mouth of a fasting person is more beloved to Allah than the smell of musk)

Narrated by Malik & Ibn Majja

Fasting allows our si= ns to be forgiven. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

(Whoever fasts Ramadan with conviction, seeking his reward from Allah, then his prev= ious sins will be forgiven) Bokhari, Nesa’ee & Ahmad=

(The trials that man is subjected t= o and the mistakes that he makes in relation to his family, money and neighbor are remitted by his prayers, and by his fast and by = his charities)

Narrated by Bokhari

Fasting intercedes on= our behalf on the Day of Judgment

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

(Fasting and the Qur’an intercede on behalf Allah’s servant on the Day of Judgment. Fasting says: “O Lord I prevented him from his food and des= ires allow me to intercede on his behalf”. And the Qur’an says: R= 20;O Lord I prevented him from sleeping at night allow me to intercede on his behalf”) Narrated by Ahmad, Tabarani & Hakim

Fasting is one way fo= r us to enter paradise

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

(Whoever does something good in the= cause of Allah will be called at the gates of heaven: “You have done good”. If he used to pray, he will be called to = enter from the gate of prayer; if he used to fast he will be called to enter from th= e gate of fasting (Ar-Rayyan); if he used to give charity he will be called from t= hat gate) Narrated by Bokhari

(There is a gate in Heaven, called Ar-Rayyan, through it will enter, on the Day of Judgment, those who used to fast; no one except them will enter through that gate. It will be said: “Where are those who used to fast?”.= They will stand up and enter through that gate, no on= e else is allowed to enter. After they all enter, the gate will be closed)

Narrated by Bokhari & Muslim

The rationale for fasting Ramadan

BS Foad, M.D 2011

“O you who belie= ve fasting have been prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before yo= u

That you may learn self-restraint&= #8221; Al-Baqara 2: 183

Fasting allows us to l= earn discipline, patience, sacrifice and self control

As human beings we are constantly struggling to control our vain desires. Some= of us fall short and make mistakes and succumb to temptations. Ramadan is an opportunity to learn self-control and discipline and to become masters of ourselves

“Do you see the = person who has taken his own desires as his god? Could you be a disposer of affair= s for

him? Or do you think that most of them listen or understand? They are = only like cattle; they are worse astray in path” Al-Furqan 25: 43 & 44=

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) explained that we should control our emotions and anger and watch our behavior when we are fasting Ramadan: (Allah glory be to Him says: “All the actions of a human being are done for his benefit, except for fasting for it is done for Me, and I give its reward. Fasting is protection= ; if one of you is fasting then he should not say bad words, or engage in arguments, or raise his voice. If someone curses him or picks a fight with him, let him say: “I am fasting”. By the One holding my soul in His hand the smell of a fasting person’s mouth is = more beloved to Allah than the smell of musk. A fasting person has two joys: once when he breaks his fast, and the second joy when= he meets his Lord”. In another narration: (He leaves his food and desires for My sake) narrated by Bokhari, Muslim & M= alik

Fasting allows us to understand our accountability and place our priorities correctly=

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) explained that each person will be asked to account for four things on the Day of Judgment: (His life: what did he do with it; and his youth: did he use it properly or abuse it? And his money: how did he earn i= t, and how did he spend it? And his knowledge: what did he do with it) narrate= d by Termedhi.

Ramadan is a month of intense worship: fasting, prayers, reciting the Qur’an, turning to Al= lah seeking His forgiveness and guidance are all activities that bring us close= r to Allah.

“The righteous w= ill be in the midst of gardens and springs. Taking joy in the things which their L= ord gives

them= , because before that they were doing good deeds. They slept but li= ttle by night; and in the hours of the early morning they prayed for forgiveness; and in their wealth there was a right for the needy and for those denied= 221; Adh-Dhareyat 51: 15-19

Ramadan is an annual e= vent that unites Muslims in each community, and unites Muslims all over the worl= d. Muslims start their fa= st together, and break their fast together. They pray at the mosque and they celebrate the blessings of Ramadan. They recite the Qur’an and turn to God seeking His guidance, blessings and forgiveness. Then they share the jo= y of Eid (Feast)=

There is a great rewar= d for fasting Ramadan

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) explained that our= good deeds are rewarded multiple times especially during Ramadan: (All the d= eeds of a human being are multiplied: a good deed is rewarded ten times up to 700 times or more. Allah says: “Except for fasting, for it is done for My sake, and I give its reward” narrated by Malik & Ibn Majja

Fasting allows our sin= s to be forgiven. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: (Whoever fasts Ramadan with conviction, and seeking his reward from Allah, then his previous sins will be forgiven; and whoever stands up at night in the night of power with conviction, seeking h= is reward from Allah his previous sins will be forgiven) Bokhari & Muslim<= o:p>

Fasting intercedes on = our behalf on the Day of Judgment. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: (Fasting and the Qur’an intercede on behalf Allah’s servant on the Day of Judgme= nt. Fasting says: “O Lord I prevented him from his food and desires, allo= w me to intercede on his behalf”. And the Qur’an says: “O Lord= I prevented him from sleeping at night, allow me to intercede on his behalf. = And both will allowed to intercede” Ahmad, Tabarani & Hakim

Fasting is one way for= us to enter paradise. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: (Whoever does something good in the cause of Allah will be called at the gates of Heaven: “You have done good”. If he used to pray, he will be called upo= n to enter from the gate of prayer; And If he used to do Jihad he will be called upon from the gate of Jihad; and if he used to fast, he will be called upon to enter fro= m the gate of fasting (Ar-Rayyan); and if he used to give in charity, he will be called upon to enter from the g= ate of charity) Bokhari