Reaping the benefits of Ramadan

 Adopted from a talk given by Ali al-Tamimi


 In the month of Ramadaan it is very important that we spent a few
 moments to understand some of the wisdoms and lessons that we can learn
 from this month of fasting.

 Unfortunately, many Muslims come in to this month and they are as a
 companion of the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Let it not be that
 the day that you fast and the day that you break fast be equal."
 Meaning, one's behaviour, 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 Taqwaa

 Allaah legislated fasting for gaining taqwaa, "O you who believe,
 fasting has been prescribed upon you as it has been prescribed upon
 those before you, so that you may attain taqwaa." (meaning of
 SoraatulBaqarah (2):183) Taqwaa in this case means to make a shield
 between oneself and Allaah’s anger and Hellfire. So we should ask
 ourselves, when we break our fasts, ‘Has this fasting day made us fear
 Allaah more? Has it resulted that we want to protect ourselves from the
 hellfire or not?

 LESSON 2: Drawing closer to Allaah

 This is achieved by reciting and reflecting on Al-Qur’aan during night
 and day, attending the taraaweeh prayers, remembering Allaah, sitting in
 circles of knowledge and, for those who can, making `umrah. Also for
 those who can, making I`tikaaf (seclusion) in the last ten nights of
 Ramadaan, so as to leave all worldly pursuits and seclude oneself in a
 masjid just thinking of Allaah, so as to bring oneself closer to Allaah
 (SWT). When one sins, one feels distant from Allaah. That is why one
 might find it heard to read the Qur’aan and come to the masjid. However,
 the obedient worshipper feels closer to Allaah and wants to worship
 Allaah more, because he is not shy from his sins.

 LESSON 3: Acquiring patience and strong will

 Allaah has mentioned patience more than seventy times in the Qur’aan 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
 needs man and women that are strong willed, who can stand upon the
 Sunnah and the Book of Allah and not waver in front of the enemies of
 Allaah. 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 Ihsaan (righteousness and sincerity) and staying
 away from riyaa’ (showing off)

 Ihsaan means to worship Allaah as if one seeks Him, and even though one
 does not see Him, He sees all. Hasan al-Basree said, "By Allaah, 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 Allaah love this action? Is Allaah 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 hadeeth qudsee, "Fasting is for Me and I reward it." (al-Bukhaaree)
 Allaah 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 Allaah. For example, when one is praying or giving charity
 or making tawaaaf, one can be seen by the people, so one might do the
 action seeking the praise of the people. Sufyaan ath-Thawree 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 Allaah? 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 Allaah all these years and doing scholarly teaching,
 and I am not certain that my intentions are purely for Allaah.’"

 LESSON 5: Refinement of manners, especially those related totruthfulness
 and discharging trusts.

 The Prophet (may Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him) said,
 "Whoever does not abandon falsehood in word and action, then Allaah
 (SWT) has no need that he should heave his food and drink."
 (al-Bukhaaree) What we learn from this, is that we must pay attention to
 the purification of our manners. The Prophet (may Allaah send His
 blessing and peace upon him) said, "was sent to perfect good manners."
 (Maalik) So we must check ourselves, are we following the behaviour of
 the Prophet (may Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him)? For
 example: Do we give salaam to those we don’t know and those we do know?
 Do we follow the manners of Islaam, 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 (may Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him) said,
 "Every son of Adam sins and the best of the sinners are those
 whorepent." (Ibn Maajah) Allaah provides many opportunities to repent to
 Him and seek His forgiveness. If one was disobedient they can become
 obedient.

 LESSON 7: Being more charitable

 Ibn `Abaas said, "The Prophet (may Allaah 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 Ramadaan when Jibreel used to meet him on every
 night of Ramadaan till the end of the month…" (al-Bukhaaree) The Prophet
 (may Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him) 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-Tirmidhee)

 LESSON 8: Sensing the unity of the Muslims

 The Prophet (may Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him) 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
 khaleefahs. Hold fast to it and stick to it." (Aboo Daawood) In this
 month we sense that there is a possibility for unity, because we all
 fast together, we break fast together, we all worship Allah together,
 and we pray Salaatul-`Eid together. Therefore we sense that the unity of
 Muslims is possible. It is possible for Muslims to be a single body, but
 this will only be achieved when obedience is only to Allaah and His
 Messenger.

 LESSON 9: Learning discipline

 The Prophet (ma Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him) made us
 adhere to discipline and strictness, strictness that does not lead to
 fanaticism or going outside the bounds that Allaah has laid down. One
 cannot knowingly break the fast before the sunset, as this will not be
 accepted by Allaah. 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 Allaah

 It was the practice of the people of Madeenah, that during the fast of
 `Aashooraa (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. (as mentioned in al-Bukhaaree).

 So the young should be brought to the masjid and they should pray with
 their parents, so that they are able to get into the habit of becoming
 worshippers of Allaah. 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 (may Allah send His
 blessing and peace upon him) said, "Command your children to pray at the
 age of seven and beat them at the age of ten (if they do not pray."
 (Haakim)

 LESSON 11: Caring for one’s health

 Fasting has many medical benefits and it teaches Muslims to take care of
 their health and too build strong bodies. The Prophet (may Allaah send
 His blessing and peace upon him) said, "A strong believer is better and
 is more beloved to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in
 everyone." (Muslim)