RAMADAN – ATTAINING THE PURPOSE

“O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that ye may attain Taqwa”

In his Kitaab, Tableeghud Deen, Imaam Ghazaali (rahmatullah alayh) says:

"Fasting, with regard to quality, are of three kinds:
1. The Saum of the Awam (general public-the masses). Their fast consists of only abstention from the physical acts which nullify the fast. While they abstain from eating, etc., they involve their bodies in sin. Such saum is merely fasting in name. (Only the Fardh obligation is discharged thereby).

2. In addition to abstaining from food, etc., the Saim (fasting person) restrains the body from acting in violation of the Shariah. He withholds his tongue from gheebat and eyes from casting gazes at ghair mahareem. This is the middle category of fasting.

3. The third category of fasting is the Saum of the elite servants of Allah Ta'ala, viz. the Muttaqeen. In addition to their limbs abstaining from transgression, their hearts and minds are perpetually engrossed in Zikrullah (rememberance of Allah). At all times, in their hearts there is nothing but the remembrance of Allah Ta'ala. This is fasting in the state of kamaal (perfection)'.

Fasting in Ramadan is not merely physically restraining from the obvious food and drink, but the total commitment of the servant's body and soul to the letter and spirit of fasting.

1) The fast of the self, means to be free from all carnal desires.

2) The fast of mind is avoiding thoughts about things other than Allah (SWT).

3) The fast of the hand is not touching/taking what does not belong to it.

4) The fast of the feet is not going places where sinful acts are propagated.

5) The fast of the eye is to prevent it from seeing forbidden things.
Allah (SWT) says in Al-Qur’an, “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be mindful of their chastity; this will be most conducive to their purity. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms”. (Al-Qur’an 24:30-31)

6) The fast of the tongue is guarding against lying, backbiting, slandering, reviling, abusing others, cursing, indecent conversation, swearing and false evidence. The Prophet (pbuh) said: “A Muslim is he from whose tongue and hands other Muslims are safe”.
The Prophet (pbuh) said, “"Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting.)" (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 127)

7) The fast of the ears is not to listen to idle talk, gossip, lyrics and notes thatcontain obscene and indecent things. Listening to Al-Qur’an bears the fruit of faith, guidance, light and prosperity. It fills the heart with wisdom, tranquillity,intimacy and contentment. It is a source of protection from the dangerous,deviant and sinful thoughts.

8) The fast of the heart means casting out from it the love of worldly things and by emptying it of all corrupt material such as, false beliefs, evil suggestions, filthy intentions and degenerate thoughts.
The Prophet (pbuh) said: “There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.” (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 49)

RAMADAN - THE MONTH OF THE QURAN

"The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Quran was sent down, a guidance for mankind, clear proofs for the guidance, the Criterion; so whoever amongst you witnesses this month, let him fast it." (Surah al-Baqarah 2:185)

Ibn 'Abbas narrates "that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was the most generous person, and he would be at his most generous in Ramadan because Jibril would come to him every night and he would rehearse the Qur'an with him." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Eng. trans. 6/486)

This hadith contains recommendation of the following:
1) Studying the Qur'an in Ramadan
2) coming together for this purpose
3) checking (one's memory/knowledge of) the Qur'an with someone who has preserved it better
4) increasing recitation of the Qur'an in Ramadan
5) that the night time is the best time to recite, when other preoccupations decrease and it is easier to concentrate, as in Surah al-Muzzammil 73:6.

Further, Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated from her father (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), who told her that Jibril would rehearse the Quran with him (in Ramadan) once every year, and he did so twice in the year of his death. (Bukhari 6/485)

PRACTICE OF THE PIOUS PREDECESSORS:

"... Some of the Salaf would complete reciting the whole Quran during the night prayer of Ramadan every 3 days, others every 7 days e.g. Qataadah, others in 10 days e.g. Abu Rajaa' al-Atardi. The Salaf would recite Quran in Ramadan in Prayer as well as outside it. Al-Aswad would finish the Quran every 2 nights in Ramadan; Ibrahim an-Nakh'I would do likewise in the last 10 nights specifically, & every 3 nights during the rest of the month. Qataadah would regularly finish the Quran in 7 days, but in 3 days during Ramadan, when he would study the Quran especially, and every night during its last 10 days. Al-Zuhri would say when Ramadan began, 'It is recitation of the Quran and feeding of people.' When Ramadan began, Imam Malik would cease narrating Hadith and sitting with the people of knowledge, and stick to reciting the Quran from its pages, while Sufyan al-Thawri would leave other acts of worship and stick to reciting the Quran. 'Aishah would recite from the pages of the Quran at the beginning of the day in Ramadan (i.e. after Dawn), until when the sun had risen, she would sleep. Zayd al-Yaami would bring copies of the Quran when Ramadan began and gather his companions around him. ..."

Imam Shafii used to complete the Quran 60 times during the month of Ramadan.

As a further example, Bukhari (3/79) quotes from the noble Companion Zaid bin Thabit who answered the question, "How much time was there between the pre-dawn meal and the Dawn Prayer?" by saying, "Enough time to recite fifty ayat"; since the practice of the Arabs was to measure time in terms of everyday actions, this shows that the Sahabah were pre-occupied with the Qur'an, especially in Ramadan.

OUR SITUATION:

Compare all this with our sad state, when we talk so much about establishing Islam, implementing the Quran, etc. and yet have such little contact with it, maybe not completing its recitation ever at all since childhood, or perhaps never! Hence we become imbalanced in our understanding of Islam, because there are ayat which we rarely or never hear or think about; we repeat only certain selected ayat over and over again; we lost the context of the verses, the overall flow, argument and balance of the Quran, all of which is beautiful & miraculous. Because of this ignorance we go astray from the Straight Path, split up into sects, lose the blessings of Allah ...

Hence, my dear brothers, leave aside secondary books and concentrate on studying the Blessed Book of Allah in this Blessed Month (use a good translation/commentary if needed), for it is the source of all Knowledge in other books, and keep away from wasting time, especially in futile discussions and arguments which lead nowhere, for that is a sure sign of being misguided, as the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "Whenever a people went astray after they had been on guidance, they were given to argumentation (jadl)." (Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah - Sahih al-Jami' al-Saghir, no. 5633)

THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME OTHER VIRTUES REGARDING THE BOOK OF ALLAH SWT:

"This is a Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessings, that you may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember." [Soorah Saad 38:29].

And: "Indeed those who recite the Book of Allaah and offer the Prayer perfectly and spend in charity out of what We have provided for them - secretly and openly - hope for a sure trade-gain that will never perish. That He may pay the their wages in full and give them even more out of His Grace. Indeed, He is Oft-Forgiving, ready to appreciate good deeds." [Soorah Fatir 35:29-30]

PRACTICAL ADVISE

1) inshaAllah let all of us make a resolution today that we will recite the Book of Allah, daily, even if for 10 mins.
2) When Ramadan comes, make a schedule of reciting the Quran after every salaat. for this, a small copy of the Quran comes in handy.
3) Try to finish atleast one reading of the Quran in the month of Ramadan.
4) Listen to the Quran when driving. we are occupied by so many futile thoughts during driving. instead put in a CD and listen to the recitation.
5) Try to understand the Quran by knowing its meanings, tafsir and learning it from the study circles of the scholars.

may Allah SWT accept our good deeds and forgive us our sins and may He admit us into Jannah and save us from the fire of Hell.

and the last prayer is "Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds"


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