Publish date20 Jul 2015 - 11:10
Story Code : 198872

Reaping the Benefits of Ramadan

In the month of Ramadan, it is very important that we spend a few moments to understand some of the wisdoms and lessons that we can learn from this month of fasting.
Reaping the Benefits of Ramadan

Unfortunately, many Muslims come in to this month and they are - as a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

"Let it not be that the day that you fast and the day that you break fast be equal." (Al Hakim)
Meaning, one's behavior, attitude and outlook are the same whether one fasts or not, i.e. fasting has no effect upon that person. This is why we need to reflect on some of these lessons.

Lesson 1: Gaining Taqwa (Piety)

Allah (God) legislated fasting for gaining Taqwa (piety):

{O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed upon you as it has been prescribed upon those before you, so that you may attain Taqwa.} (2:183)

Taqwa in this case means to make a shield between oneself and God's anger and Hellfire. So we should ask ourselves, when we break our fast, has this fasting day made us fear God more? Has it resulted that we want to protect ourselves from the hellfire or not?

Lesson 2: Drawing Closer to Allah (God)

This is achieved by reciting and reflecting on the Quran during night and day, attending the taraweeh prayers, remembering God, sitting in circles of knowledge and, for those who can, making `umrah.

Also for those who can, making I`tikaf (seclusion) in the last ten nights of Ramadan, so as to leave all worldly pursuits and seclude oneself in a mosque just thinking of God, so as to bring oneself closer to God.

When one sins, one feels distant from God. That is why one might find it hard to read the Quran and come to the mosque. However, the obedient worshipper feels closer to God and wants to worship Him more, because he is not shy from his sins.

Lesson 3: Acquiring Patience and Strong Will

Allah has mentioned patience more than seventy times in the Quran and has commanded patience in more than sixteen ways in His Book. So when one fasts, and gives up one's food and drink, and one's marital sexual relations for those hours, one learns restraint and patience.

This Ummah (nation) needs men and women that are strong willed, who can stand upon the Quran and Sunnah and not waver in front of the enemies of God. We do not need emotional people, who just raise slogans and shout, but when the time comes to stand upon something firm, they cannot do so, they waver.

Lesson 4: Striving For Ihsan (Righteousness & Sincerity) and Staying Away From Riya' (Showing Off)

Ihsan means to worship God as if one sees Him, and even though one does not see Him, He sees all. The Muslim scholar, Hasan Al-Basri said:

"By Allah, in the last twenty years, I have not said a word or taken something with my hand or refrained to take something with my hand or stepped forth or stepped back, except that I have thought before I have done any action, 'Does Allah love this action? Is Allah pleased with this action?'

So when one is fasting, one should gain this quality of watching oneself and also staying away from riyaa' (showing off). That is why Allah said in a sacred hadith, "Fasting is for Me and I reward it." (Al Bukhari, 5927)

God singles out fasting from all other types of worship saying: "Fasting is for Me", because no one knows whether you are fasting or not, except God. For example, when one is praying or giving charity or making tawaf (circumambulation), one can be seen by the people, so one might do the action seeking the praise of the people. Sufyaan ath-Thawree, the Muslim jurist, used to spend the nights and the days crying and the people used to ask him, "Why do you cry, is it due to the fear of Allah?"

He said, 'No.'

They said, "Is it due to the fear of the Hellfire?"

He said, 'No. It is not the fear of Hellfire that makes me cry, what makes me cry is that I have been worshipping Allah all these years and doing scholarly teaching, and I am not certain that my intentions are purely for Allah.'"

Lesson 5: Refinement of Manners, Especially Those Related to Truthfulness and Discharging Trusts.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

"Whoever does not abandon falsehood in word and action, then Allah has no need that he should leave his food and drink." (Al Bukhari, 6057)

What we learn from this is that we must pay attention to the purification of our manners. The Prophet said:

"I was sent to perfect good manners." (Malik, 8)

So we must check ourselves, are we following the behavior of the Prophet? For example: Do we greet -saying salam to- those we don't know and those we do know? Do we follow the manners of Islam, by telling the truth and only telling the truth? Are we sincere? Are we merciful to the creation?

Lesson 6: Recognizing That One Can Change for the Better

The Prophet Muhammad said:

"Every son of Adam sins and the best of the sinners are those who repent." (At-Trmidhi, 2499)
God provides many opportunities to repent to Him and seek His forgiveness. If one was disobedient he can become obedient.

Lesson 7: Being More Charitable

Ibn `Abbas said:

"The Prophet (may Allah send His blessing and peace upon him) was the most charitable amongst the people, and he used to be more so in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel used to meet him on every night of Ramadan till the end of the month." (Al-Bukhari, 1902)

The Prophet also said:

"He who gives food for a fasting person to break his fast, he will receive the same reward as him, without nothing being reduced from the fasting person's reward." (At-Tirmidhi, 807)

Lesson 8: Sensing the Unity of Muslims

The Prophet said:

"Those of you who will live after me will see many differences. Then you must cling to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Caliphs. Hold fast to it and stick to it." (Abu Dawud, 4607)

In the month of Ramadan we sense that there is a possibility for unity, because we all fast together, we break the fast together, we all worship God together, and we pray in `Eid together. It is possible for Muslims to be a single body, but this will only be achieved when obedience is only to God and His Messenger.

Lesson 9: Learning Discipline

The Prophet Muhammad made us adhere to discipline and strictness, strictness that does not lead to fanaticism or going outside the bounds that God has laid down.

One cannot knowingly break the fast before sunset, as this will not be accepted by God. Muslims should learn to be very strict in their lives, because they are people of an important message, which they mold their lives around.

Lesson 10: Teaching the Young to Worship God

It was the practice of the people of Madinah that during the fast of `Ashura' (which is now a recommended fast of one day) to get their children to fast with them. When the children would cry of hunger and thirst, their parents would distract their attention by giving them some sort of toy to play with. The children would break their fast with their parents.

So the young should be brought to the mosque and they should pray with their parents, so that they are able to get into the habit of becoming worshippers of God. If one does not encourage children to fast when they are young, they will find it very difficult to fast for thirty days at the age of puberty. This is why the Prophet said:

"Command your children to pray at the age of seven and beat them at the age of ten (if they do not pray)." (Abu Dawud, 495)

Lesson 11: Caring For One's Health

Fasting has many medical benefits and it teaches Muslims to take care of their health and to build strong bodies. The Prophet said:

"A strong believer is better and is more beloved to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in both." (Muslim, 2664)
 
 
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