Merits of the Month of Ramadhan

by Tauqeer Abbas
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ramadan_holy_month_by_zahideltelpanyTraditions have described Ramadhan as the most preferred of all months without exception. The Holy Qur’an reads: The month of Ramadhan is that in which the Qur’an was revealed, a guidance to men and clear proofs of the guidance and the distinction. (2:185)
Another reason is that it contains the Night of Qadr, which is more preferred than one thousand months. It is also a blessed night on which all divine decrees are decided.
Almighty Allah has imposed fasting during this month because of its excellence and high regard so that people pay more attention to it.
Ramadhan is thus the month of:
Fasting
Patience and devotional acts, because there are many supererogatory prayers and rites to be carried out during this month
Devotional confinement to mosques (i’tikaf)
The Holy Qur’an and the learning of religious laws and beliefs
Supplications, whispered prayers, and litanies
Almsgiving and generous spending
Struggle with the self and against enemies
Repentance
Forgiveness and mercy
Release from Hellfire and gaining of Paradise
One of the most magnificent texts about the merits and excellences of Ramadhan may be the Holy Prophet’s famous sermon that he (S) delivered on the last Friday of Sha’ban to make people realize the actual standing of the month of Ramadhan.
This sermon has been reported by Shaykh al-Saduq in his two books of al-Amali and ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha through a highly valid chain of authority known as the Golden Chain of Authority:1 O people, the month of Allah (Ramadhan) has come to you with blessings, mercy, and forgiveness. This is the noblest of the months to Him. Its days are the noblest of days. Its nights are noblest of the nights. It is the month in which you are invited to be Allah’s guests. You have been established as those honored by Him in this month. Your breathing in this month is considered words of His glorification, your sleeping is worship, your deeds are accepted by Him, and your supplications to Him are fulfilled. Then, ask Allah, your Lord, with sincere intentions and pure hearts to help you succeed in fasting this month and reciting His Book.
Whoever is deprived of Allah’s forgiveness in this great month is at a real loss. Remember the thirst and hunger of the Day of Resurrection through this thirst and hunger. Give charity to your poor and indigent ones, respect your elder ones, be kind to the younger ones, visit your relations of kin, watch your tongues, lower your eyes against what they are forbidden to look at, and guard your ears against what they are forbidden to hear. Be kind to other people’s orphans so that others may be kind to your orphans. Repent before Allah for your sins.
Raise your hands up towards Him in supplication at the times of prayer. These times are the noblest of the hours during which the Honorable and Exalted God looks upon His servants with mercy, responds when they make supplications to Him, replies to them when they call Him, and fulfills for them what they ask for. O people, you are tied down by your deeds. Free yourselves by means of supplications. Your backs are overburdened with your sins. Make them lighter by means of extended prostrations.
Know that the Sublime God has sworn by His Honor that He will not punish or throw into Hellfire those who pray and fall in prostration on the Day on which all the people will rise for the Lord of the Worlds. O people, the reward with the Honorable and Exalted God for whoever provides for the breaking of the fast of any believer in this month is like that of freeing a slave and the forgiveness of all past sins.
The people said, “O Prophet of God, not all of us are able to do that.”
Then, the Holy Prophet (S) answered: Fend off the Fire from yourselves (by providing for the breaking of the fast of any believer) even if it be with a piece of a date. Fend off the Fire from yourselves (by providing for the breaking of the fast of any believer) even if it be with a sip of water. O people, whoever behaves courteously in this month will easily cross the Discriminating Bridge on the Day of Judgment on which one’s steps are not firm. Allah will ease the reckoning of whoever takes it easy with those whom his right hand possesses (i.e. servants) in this month. On the Day one meets Him, Allah will withhold His Wrath from whoever controls his wickedness in this month. On the Day one meets Him, Allah will honor whoever honors an orphan in this month. On the Day one meets Him, Allah will shower His mercy upon whoever maintains family ties in this month. Allah will deprive of His mercy whoever breaks off his family ties in this month. He will record release from Hellfire for whoever offers even a single unit of recommendable prayers.
The reward of whoever carries out an obligatory duty in this month is seventy times as much as that of one who carries out the same duty in other months. The Balance of Deeds of whoever invokes Allah’s blessings upon me a lot will be more positive on the Day of Judgment on which the Balance of Deeds of some people will be negative. The reward of whoever recites one verse of the Qur’an in this month is like the reward of one who recites the whole Qur’an in other months. O people, the gates of Paradise are open in this month. Therefore, ask your Lord not to close them in your faces. Similarly, the gates of Hellfire are closed. Therefore, ask your Lord not to open them up to you. Satan is chained down. Therefore, ask your Lord not to let him overcome you.
The Commander of the Faithful (Imam ‘Ali (‘a)) said, “I stood up and said, ‘O Prophet of Allah, what are the noblest of deeds in this month?’
The Holy Prophet (S) said: O Abu’l-Hasan, the noblest of deeds in this month are abstaining from what the Honorable and Exalted God has forbidden…2
Delineation the merits of the month of Ramadhan is too vast to be covered in this book because this month holds a special significance and the traditions about its merits are numerous. However, the most important topics that are covered by the abovementioned sermon of the Holy Prophet (S), as well as the traditions of the Holy Imams (‘a) can be summarized in the following points:
1. One should take advantage of this blessed month in which all rites gain special meaning, quantity and quality. In this great devotional season, punishments for evil acts and rewards for kind acts are multiplied. Finally, a golden opportunity to change all past activities into righteous acts or even into the highest ranks of righteousness is available in this month.
2. Fasting during this month does not only mean abstaining from eating and drinking, but also from all forbidden evil acts in addition to turning away from all weaknesses and flaws.
3. In this month, diversity in devotional acts and a practical demonstration of the deeds that take one nearer to Almighty Allah are visible in the coming presentation of the devotional acts and rites of this month.
4. An all-inclusive and comprehensive practical course of worship has been set up in this month to accelerate the devotional practices to cover the entire time of this month.
5. As has been previously cited in our discussion of the Night of Qadr within the particular days and nights of the year, Almighty Allah, in this month in general and on the Night of Qadr in particular, makes crucial decisions about man’s destiny and the descent of His mercy upon His creatures.
6. In this month, man is spiritually, morally, and ethically equipped for resuming higher and more perfect activity after ‘«d al-Fitr.
All Muslims pay much attention to the month of Ramadhan. As a result, this month, in its totality, identifies Muslims and distinguishes them from all other nations and groups.
However, the course that has been established by the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) is still different in particularities and details from the devotional courses adopted by other Muslims for this month.
1. – The Golden Chain of Authority (al-Salsalah al-Dhahabiyyah) reads as follows: Imam al-Ridha (‘a) has reported on the authority of his father, Imam al-Kazim (‘a), on the authority of his father, Imam al-Sadiq (‘a), on the authority of his father, Imam al-Baqir (‘a), on the authority of his father, Imam Zayn al-`Abidin (‘a), on the authority of his father, Imam Husayn (‘a), on the authority of his father, Imam `Ali (‘a), on the authority of the Holy Prophet (S) who said…
2. – Al-Hurr al-`Amili, Wasa’il al-Shi`ah 7:226, H. 20.

By: Ayatullah Shaheed Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Hakim

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