Happy Yahia
Allah (swt) said: “The month of Ramadan was when the Quran was revealed, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance of the criterion between right and wrong. So any of you who see the Crescent during Ramadan, the month should fast. ” (Al-Baqara 2:185)
The Messenger of Allah said:
“Islam is based on five pillars: Testifying that none has the right to be worshiped except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, performing the Salat, to give the Zakat, performing Hajj and fasting Ramadaan.”
He (HSH) said:
“To you has come Ramadan, a blessed month in which Allah has made fasting compulsory. For him open the gates of Paradise and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained rebel. It is a night (Laylatul-Qadr ) which is better than a thousand months. He who is deprived actually been deprived of their nice things. “
Of the many important lessons to be learned from fasting, include:
1. Gaining Taqwa
Fasting has been legislated for us to gain taqwa, as Allah (swt) said: “O you who believe! Fasting is a duty for you, as duty was for those before you so that you can achieve Taqwaa. ” (Al-Baqarah 2:183)
Talq ibn Habib (d. 100H) (r.a.a.) said:
“When fitnah (trial and tribulation) appears then extínguelo with taqwa.” When asked for was the taqwa, he said, “Taqwa is to act in obedience to Allah, follow the light (ie the magnet,) of Allah, trusting in the Mercy of Allah. The taqwa is leaving acts disobedience to Allah, out of respect for Allah.
This is one of the best definitions of taqwa. For every action there must be a starting point and a goal. And an action will not be considered an act of obedience, or nearness to Allah, unless it comes from the pure Imam (surrender to Allah). Therefore it is the pure magnet, not habits, desires, nor seeking praise or fame, which must initiate the action. And the goal of action must be to earn the reward of Allah and seek His pleasure. “Fasting is a means to achieve taqwa, as it helps prevent many failures to which one is prone. Because of this, the Prophet ( sas) said: “Fasting is a shield with which the servant protects the Fire.” So we should ask, after each day of fasting: Is this fasting made us more respectful and obedient to Allah? “It has helped to distance ourselves from the mistakes and disobedience?
2. Near seek Allah:
The Prophet (HSH) said:
“Allah said: Anyone who shows enmity to a friend, go into war with him. My servant does not bring me anything else about me prized by the obligations that I have put on it. My servant gets closer to me with actions carried out by his will for me to love more. “
The Prophet (HSH) said:
“Anyone who reaches the month of Ramadan and does not have his faults forgiven, and so enters the fire, then Allah can away.”
So close to Allah (swt) in this blessed month, can be achieved by performing the duties required, and also reciting the Qur’an and reflecting on its meaning, increasing kindness and giving charity, making the du’a (invocation) to Allah, attending the Taraweeh Salat, looking Laylatul-Qadr (the Night of Power and Destiny), a good night more than a thousand months, attending meetings where knowledge is transmitted, and striving in those actions that will make the heart closer to their Lord and gain forgiveness. Our level of effort in this blessed month should be greater than our efforts to worship Allah in any other month, because of the excellence and rewards that Allah has placed in him. Other big media to get closer to Allah in this month is making I `tikaaf (isolation in the mosque to surrender to Allah) for anyone who has a chance.
Imam ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751h) (r.a.a.) said:
“Allah also prescribed I` tikaaf for them, aiming to overturn the heart fully to God and focus on Him alone, and break the concerns to the rest of creation. Thus, the heart is just full of Allah (swt), so loving, remembering, and turning to Him takes the place of all worries and anxieties of the heart. As a reward for all this prepares us to be at peace with Allah (swt) on the day you get the solitude of the tomb, where no one else to give comfort, or solace, except Him So this is the greater goal of I `tikaaf.
3. Acquire Patience
Imam Ahmed (d.241H) (r.a.a.) said:
“Allah has mentioned sabr (patience) in over ninety times in His Book.”
The Prophet (HSH) said:
“The month of Patience, and three days of every month, it’s time to fast”
Ibn `Abdul-Barr (d.464H) (r.a.a.) 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 the desires of eating, drinking and sexual desire.”
Fasting is a means of learning and self-control and patience. With patience we can strengthen our resolve to surrender only to Allah, with sincerity, and also protect us from the ups and downs of life. Thus, for example, with patience we can do our Salat quiet and correctly, without being rushed. With patience we can restrain our souls to greed and stinginess and thus give part of our surplus wealth in Zakat. With patience we can control our temper, and so endure the trials and hardships of Hajj. Likewise, with patience we can take our RIYADH (effort). Allah (s.w.t.) said: O Prophet! “Urges believers to fight. If there are a hundred who are patient, will exceed two hundred, and if there are a thousand, will exceed two thousand, with the permission of Allah. And Allah is with the patient. (Al-Anfaal 8:65 -66).
Thus, without the knowledge or patience, nothing remains except the jealousy and unbridled emotions, shouts and slogans without substance, speeches that do not strengthen but weaken, and actions that do not build, but destroy. Accordingly, this month we strive to develop a firm resolve to carry out acts of nobility, and adorn ourselves with patience, with certainty, as our Messenger (PBUH) that: “And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and the break with a penalty. “
4. Cultivating Good Manners:
The Prophet (HSH) said:
“Whoever does not abandon falsehood in speech and action, then Allah the Almighty does not need it to stop eating and drinking.”
He said:
“Fasting is not merely abstaining from eating and drinking. Rather, it is abstaining from ignorant and indecent speech. So if anyone abuses or behaves ignorantly with you, then say: I am fasting, I am fasting.”
These stories point to the importance of sincerity and good manners. Thus, this blessed month teaches us not only abstain from food and drink, but also to refrain from such statements and actions that may cause harm to people and violating their rights, because the Messenger (sas) said in describing the true Mu’min: “A Muslim is one from whom other Muslims are safe from his tongue and his hand.” That’s on us as individuals, examine the limitations in our character, and seek methods to better model, taking as model the character was the last of the prophets, Mohammad (PBUH) referred to the excellence that he mentioned when he said: “I am guarantor of a dwelling on the outskirts of Paradise for whoever leaves the discussion, even when in his right, and a house in the middle of Paradise for whosoever abandons falsehood, even when speaking in jest, and a house in highest paradise that make good character. So when they fled from oppression, shamelessness, hatred overflowed slander, slander, and other types of falsehood, we can save to see canceled the benefits of our fast. As said the Prophet: “It may be that a person receives nothing from his fast except hunger and thirst.”
5. Awareness of Muslim Unity.
The Prophet (HSH) said:
“Fast when all fast, they break their fast when they break the other, and sacrifice the day they sacrifice for others.”
The Imam at-Tirmidhi (d. 275H) (r.a.a.) said:
“Some of the People of Knowledge explained this hadeeth by saying: Its meaning is to fast and break the fast with his Yama’ay most people.”
Thus, in this blessed month we can realize a sense of unity and of being a single Ummah due to our fasting and breaking our fast collectively. We also feel superior knowledge on the status of the Muslims and the hardships they endure, because: “During fasting, one sees and experiences what his brothers and sisters in need and hungry feel, as today many of the Muslims Africa. ” In fact, the unity of Muslims and help each other is one of the great principles on which Islam, as Allah (swt) said: “And hold fast to the covenant of Allah all together and not separate.” (Aal ‘Imraan 3:103). Allah (swt) also said: “The Believers, men and women, and friends and protectors to each other.” (Al-Tawbah 9:44)
Shaysh-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728H) (RAA) said: “The welfare of the people will not be complete either in this world or in the future without the ijtima ‘(the community), without ta` awun (mutual cooperation ) and without tanassur (mutual aid) to strengthen mutual cooperation benefits and mutual help to keep us from harm. It is for this reason it is said that man is social and civil by nature. “
Thus we see how Islam places great emphasis on gathering the hearts and encourage ijtima (the community). This not only reflected in the month of Ramadan, but also in all the other practices of Islam. For example, the Prophet himself tells us that the ideal is to perform the five daily congregational Salats and obtained twenty-seven times the benefits of individually. Also, this collective spirit is demonstrated in the act of Hajj (Pilgrimage). Even in learning knowledge and study, have been blessings to do so collectively too, even in our everyday actions like eating, Islam teaches community. So when some of the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) said, O Messenger of Allah, we eat but we were not satisfied, he replied: “Perhaps you eat individually?” They said: Yes! So he said, “Eat collectively and mention the name of Allah. There will be blessings for you then.”
In fact, even on the label to feel the spirit of community is shown. So one day the Prophet (sas) found that the Companions were sitting in separate circles, so he said, “Why do I see you sitting separately?”
Thus, Ramadan is a time to increase our sense of unity and brotherhood, and our commitment to Allah and His Deen. And there is no doubt that this sense of unity necessitates that: “We work together as required by Islam as sincere brothers, without bigotry or sectarianism, to understand that what is of benefit to the Islamic Umma is beneficial for the whole Earth .
We must examine ourselves during Ramadan and we must ask: What is my role, and each of us has a role in helping this wonderful Ummah regain its honor, and restores its unity and strength, and victory has been promised? Similarly, we reflect on our character and actions and ask ourselves: Are they helping the process of unity and brotherhood, or are they a harm and a hindrance to him?
So we ask Allah to grant us the ability to change for the better, during this blessed month, not to be of those who are deprived of His Rahma and kindness. In fact He is the Hearing and He is the One who responds.
