Significance of Ramadan

Ramadan is fast approaching.  The blessings of this month are incalculable, as it is the month Allah has designated for Himself.  While we cannot do justice to this month through our own words, the Beloved of Allah (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his progeny) nonetheless has done so for us.  ’Ali al-Ridha (peace be upon him) narrated from his ancestors that Amir al-Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) narrated a sermon given by the Prophet concerning Ramadan:

O People! the Month of Allah has approached you with His mercies and blessings.  This is the month that is the best of all the months in the estimation of Allah.  Its days are best among the days; its nights are best among the nights.  Its hours are best among the hours. This is a month in which you have been invited by Him.  You have been, in this month, selected as the recipients of the honours from Allah, the Merciful.

In this holy month, when you breathe, it has the thawab of tasbeeh (the praise of Allah on rosary beads), and your sleep has the thawab of worship.

Your good deeds are accepted in this month; so are your invocations. Therefore, you must invoke your Lord in right earnest, with hearts that are free from sins and evils, that Allah may bless you to observe fasting in this month, and to recite the Holy Quran.

While fasting, remember the hunger and thirst of tomorrow in Qiyamat.  Give alms to the poor and the needy.  Pay respects to your elders.  Have pity on your youngers and be kind towards your relatives and kinsmen.  Guard your tongues against unworthy words, and your eyes from such scenes that are not worth seeing and your ears from such sounds that should not be heard by you.

Be kind to orphans so that when your children become orphans they may also be treated with kindness.  Do invoke that Allah may forgive your sins.  Do raise your hands at the time of salat, as it is the best time for asking His mercy.  When we invoke at such times, we are answered by Him, and when we call Him, He responds, and when we ask for anything it is accepted by Him.

O People! you have made your conscience the slave of your desires, make it free, by invoking Him for forgiveness.  Your back is breaking under the heavy load of your sins, so prostrate before Him for long intervals and make it lighter.

Do understand fully well that Allah has promised in the name of His Majesty and Honour that He will not take to task such people who offer salat in this month and perform sajda, and will guard their bodies against the Fire of Hell on the Day of Judgment.

O People! if anyone amongst you arranges for the iftar (food for ending of fast at sunset) of any believer, then Allah will give him the reward as if he has set free a slave.  He will forgive his minor sins.

Then the companions of the Prophet submitted:  But everybody amongst us did not have the means to do so.

The Prophet told them:  Keep yourself away from the fire of Hell, by inviting for iftar, though it may consist of only half a date or simply with water if you have nothing else.

O People! anyone who may cultivate good manners in this month will walk over the Sirat (bridge) in Qiyama’, though his feet may be shaking. Anybody who make take light work from his servants in this month, Allah will make easy his accounting on the Day of Judgment.

Anyone who does not tease others in this month, Allah will keep him safe from His wrath in Qiyamat.  Anyone who respects and treats an orphan with kindness in this month, Allah shall look at him with dignity in Oiyamat.  Anyone who treats well his kinsmen in this month, Allah will bestow His mercy on him in Qiyamat while anybody who mistreats his kinsmen in this month, Allah will keep him away from His Mercy in Qiyamat.

Whoever offers extra prayer in this month Allah will give him freedom from Hell.  Whosoever, offers one obligatory prayer in this month, for him the Angels will write the rewards of 70 such prayers that were offered by him in any other month.

Whosoever recites repeatedly salawat (blessings) upon me, Allah will keep the scales of his deeds heavy, when in Qiyamat the scales of others will be tending towards lightness.  Whosoever recites, in this month, only one ayat of the Qur’an, he will be rewarded in a manner as if he had recited the full Quran in other months.

O People! the Gates of Paradise remain opened in this month.  Do invoke that the gates may not be closed on you; while the Gates of the Hell are closed, do invoke Allah that these gates may never be opened.

‘Ali ibn Abi Talib then said that he stood up and asked:  O Prophet of Allah, what is the best deed in this month?”

The Prophet replied:  O Abul Hasan! abstaining from the matters forbidden by Allah, the Majestic, the Glorified, is the best deed in this month.

May your days during the approaching month be blessed and fruitful and keep me in your du’as please.

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