Patience: a virtue of high excellence

Patience, or As-Sabr in Arabic, is one of the most important character building traits that anyone can possess. Patience is a key to success. Patience is about belief in one of the 6 articles of Islamic Faith, Al-Qadha wal-Qadar, or destiny. Patience can also be part of a strategy for better times or a change of situation, but above all, patience invokes Allah’s support and assistance. In Surah 8 V46 Allah says: ‘And be patient and persevering, for Allah is with those who patiently persevere’. But it is more than that, because in Surah 3 Verse 146, Allah says: ‘And Allah loves those who persevere patiently’.

These are important Quranic verses denoting the place that as-Sabr holds in human life from a very spiritual aspect. Indeed, Islamic life, being a life of complete faith, is all about patience in matters of faith and our belief in the unknown and unseen. This is one of the reasons why Allah, subhanahu wa-t`ala says: ‘Surely those who persevere (have patience) shall be granted their reward beyond all reckoning’. S39 V10

Allah SWT further says: ‘I have rewarded them this day for their steadfastness (patience) so that they and they alone are triumphant.’ S23 V111

Our Prophet Muhammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, highlighted the importance of as-Sabr. In a hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Sayeed al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet says: ‘Whoever seeks to be patient or persevere Allah grants him patience. No one has ever been granted a gift better and broader than patience.’

Indeed, the Prophet connects it with overcoming the difficulties and adversities of life. He says: ‘Victory (success) comes with patience, release comes after suffering and ease comes after hardship’.

The Quran repeatedly reminds us that the fruits of patience include better rewards, greater success, or higher gains after a loss, and that its practice is the only way forward for us all. 

The Prophet further guides believers by saying: ‘The believers’ affair is all but strange as everything causes goodness and it only happens to a believer and to none other. If he was blessed with goodness and he thanks Allah it becomes good for him. And if he was afflicted with suffering and he is patient it becomes good for him’.

Among Islamic practices, Ramadan, in particular, puts people to tests of their faith and obligations. It requires extreme patience and a strong Islamic belief to put aside the necessities and temptations of life for this period of time.

When it comes to a definition of patience in Islam, the scholars have broadly categorised it in to three types:

1-                  Being patient and steadfast in the path of obedience to Allah

2-                  Being patient and steadfast in not indulging in that which Allah has refrained us from.

3-                  Being patient on what affects a person in terms of their destiny (Qadha wal-Qadar) in matters of daily life.

The first of these is the most difficult to achieve, encompassing, as it does, both the actual acts of conforming to the teachings and guidance of Allah (i.e. performing punctually the salaah obligation or any other Islamic obligations), and of not being negligent about salaah, while trying to abide by all the requirements of Ibadah.

The second one is about abstaining from wrongdoing and sinful acts. Resisting temptation requires a strong faith and dedicated focus.  If we refuse to be diverted from our goal these two elements will contribute immensely to the building of greater strength into our characters. Abstaining purely for the sake of Allah is greatly rewarding.  Allah is quoted in this Qudsi hadith: (Narrated from Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him) the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, says: Allah said: ‘Every deed of the children of Adam is for him except the fasting. It is for Me and I will reward for it. Fasting is a shield. So when it is the fasting day of a person he then should not engage in obscenity nor in the rowdiness. If anyone engages him in swearing or fights him, he should say: 'I am fasting’.

‘I am fasting’ is a statement that shows our patience and steadfastness and demonstrates that we are saying NO to any wrong response or evil reaction. This statement could be changed into another similar statement and response, i.e. 'I am a person sincerely engaging with my salaah’, for the Quran says: ‘And establish prayer. Surely prayer forbids indecency and evil’. So, if one is tempted by indecency and evil, all he needs to remember and say to himself is: 'I am a person who prays so I must be steadfast in not indulging in indecent deeds and idle talk'.

Similarly when a Muslim pays zakat and is charitable he  cannot and should not then become cruel or stony-hearted towards the poor or people less fortunate than himself. If he does then he should remind himself that he pays zakat, he is charitable and all that is for aiding good causes.  

When a person returns home from Hajj he is cleansed of the sins that have not concerned or violated the rights of other people, and this would be the ideal time for him to declare; 'Under all circumstances of temptation to evil deeds, I must be steadfast and patient, as I am cleansed of my sins and I must not engage with those trivialities of life that I was once engaged with'. 

The life of a Muslim believer is a great blessing. The Quran is full of verses which guide Muslims who believe in their Lord and the destiny that Allah has determined for them. For reasons of space this blog cannot cover every aspect of this subject, but there will be more on it in the future - perhaps a booklet, inshaAllah.

To conclude this article I would offer the following  verses from surah Fussilat and al-`Asr:

Surah fussilat says:

‘O prophet! Good and evil are not equal. Repel evil with that which is good and you will see that he, between whom and you there was enmity shall become as if he were a bosom friend. But none attains to this except those who are steadfast (patient) none attain to this except those endowed with mighty good fortune. S41 V34-35

Surah Al-`Asr says:

By the time! Lo man is in a state of loss; save those who have faith and do righteous deeds and counsel each other to hold on to truth and counsel each other to be steadfast (patient).S103 V1-3

May Allah grant us all a proper understanding of the meaning and purpose of As-Sabr and may we all benefit from it in our lives. 

Night of Power (or Honour): a night for everlasting change

Tonight the last ten days of the blessed month of Ramadan begin. Their sheer importance is underpinned by Quranic revelation, as well as Hadith, emphasising the significance of finding the one night in this period that is better than a thousand other nights, in terms of worship, devotion, recitation of the Quran, Dua, charitable deeds, kindness etc.

In a hadith that highlights the importance of these nights, Ayesha, may Allah be pleased with her, says: ‘When the last ten days approached, the Messenger of Allah would spend the night awake (in devotion to Allah), and would wake his family up, and get ready and prepared (for the night’s devotional acts). Bukhari & Muslim

The Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, said: ‘look for the Night of Power in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan’. Narrated by Bukhari.

This hadith of the Prophet encourages the Muslim community to follow his example and to look for this blessed night among the odd nights of these last ten days.

The Night of Power or Honour is the culmination of goodness and spiritual ascension in the month of Ramadan. The Night is a precious gift from Allah which could grant a people all they wish for in their lives; the Night of everlasting change.

It has been made very easy to seek this Night out through acts of ibadah, good deeds, charitable acts and life changing resolutions. All a person needs to do is to properly prepare them-self for it, with good intentions and a dedication solely to this purpose. Is the Night of Power precious to us, or is the sleep and other business that we may conduct during the night more so? The blessing is in the test and sacrifice, a very small one, but for a great reward.

First of all, what is this night? What does the Quran say about it? Let us have a look at these Quranic verses in our attempt to understand the importance of this Night of Power and honour.

The Quran has a small surah, (Al-Qadr) containing only 5 verses, which starts with the statement that Allah sent down the Quran and revealed it in the Night of Power. It says: ‘We have indeed revealed this (Quran) in the Night of Power. And what would explain to you what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. The angels along with the Spirit descend by the permission of their Lord with all kind of decrees. All Peace is that night until the rise of dawn’. S97 1- 5

This beautiful surah underscores the importance of the Night of Power by saying that the Quran was revealed during it. The Holiest of the divine scriptures, the Quran was sent down first from the ‘Protected Tablet’, (al-Lawh al-Mahfooz) in the seventh heaven to the lowest heaven, in preparation for it to be revealed to the Prophet. Then the first of the revelations from the Book was brought down to the prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, in the Night of Power.

The Quran further reaffirms this in the Surah al-Baqarah verse 185: ‘Ramadan is the month in which was sent down the Quran, as a guide to mankind, also clear signs for guidance and judgement’. In Surah 44, in its first four verses, the Quran reiterates this fact by saying: ‘Ha Meem. By the Book that make things clear. We sent it down during a blessed night; for We wished to warn. In that night is made distinct every affair of wisdom.’

These three references from the Quran, mentioned above, make it absolutely clear how important this night is and how closely connected it is with the revelation of the Quran.

The below are important points to remember about the night:

1-                  The revelation of the Quran was made in that night

2-                  The Night of the Power is better than the night of a thousand months. That is more than the conscious life span of a person, i.e. 83 years

3-                  Angels, including Gabriel, descend to earth with Allah’s blessings.

4-                  Affairs concerning mankind and Allah’s creation are distributed

5-                  The night is all peace.

These are some of the most distinguishing features of that blessed night. For a person of righteousness and godly devotion who is always seeking to please Allah and receive His Mercy and Forgiveness, these nights are a God-given opportunity, once a year, to enhance his stature in the Sight of Allah. Are there any backbreaking requirements? The answer is no. Indeed, it could be regarded as time off for the Sake of Allah. Hence the importance of ‘E`tekaaf’, which is seclusion in the mosque for a certain period of time, enabling our focus to be directed solely on the issue during these last ten days.

Many people regard the 27^th night of Ramadan as the Night of Power. Even though there is some evidence to support this opinion, we must remember that there are other hadith that support the Night of Power as being on other odd nights; for example 21^st, 23^rd, 25^th, and 29^th. We should, therefore, be careful not to miss this wonderful opportunity by restricting ourselves to one night and ignoring the rest. Secondly, the Prophet himself used to seek it in all other odd nights. Indeed he would spend all the nights of the last ten days of the blessed month of Ramadan awake and engaged in devotional activities. For our own convenience we appear to have convinced ourselves that it is the 27^th night, which might indeed be the case, but should we risk this opportunity for the sake of convenience? 
 

The Night of Power offers its blessings throughout the whole night, from nightfall to the rise of dawn. These blessings are available to all, even though he or she may not be able to spend the whole night in devotional activities.

Ayesha, May Allah be pleased with her, says: 'I said to the prophet O Messenger of Allah! Tell me if I knew which night it was what should I pray in it?' The Prophet replied: say: 'O Allah! You are Forgiving (and pardoning), You love pardoning so pardon me’. Narrated by Tirmidhi

Glorifying Allah and seeking His pardon and forgiveness  are the foundations for all our devotions and they are what is required from us on that night. A little commitment, a willing heart, a conscious tongue, actions of generosity and kindness, all make a difference in our spiritual life. This Night of Power is a life changer, but only if we fully understand its importance from a religious perspective can it affect our material life, our do's and don’ts and all that surrounds us.

May Allah grant us all this night and its real benefits. This night is the culmination of all our devotional activities in the month of Ramadan and indeed all other months. This is the Night of Power and Honour and the honour will be ours if we earn and receive it from Allah!  

Seeking forgiveness from Allah: A human devotion

Seeking forgiveness from Allah at all times is a devotional virtue in Islam, an act of Ibadah and we all fervently seek to benefit from its practise. From among the Names that Allah has chosen for Himself are: Al-Ghafur (All-Forgiving); Al-Ghaffar (Most and Oft forgiving) Al-`Afu (The Most Pardoning). Allah loves that His servants come to Him seeking forgiveness as this demonstrates a realisation of our wrongdoings and a belief that they can only be forgiven and excused by Allah and not anyone else.

Ramadan provides a very special time for such a realisation of our errors and self-accountability and generates a more general mood for humility and to come closer to Allah. This is why this blessed month is called the month of forgiveness (Shahrul Ghufran), hence the dua of Gabriel and the Ameen of the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, when Gabriel said: ‘O Muhammad! Whoever Ramadan has approached him and he was not forgiven, may Allah remove him (from His mercy) say Ameen and I said Ameen.

The purpose of life has been described in the Quran as follows: ‘He who created death and life to test you as to which of you is better in deed - He is the Most Mighty, the Most Forgiving’. S67 V2

Goodness is what is expected of a man as it is obedience to Allah. When man commits wrongs or walks a path of error he is disobedient to Allah and goes against the expected outcomes for him. The realisation of wrongdoing and efforts to mend one's ways is called ‘tawbah’ or repentance. These are noble acts and befitting of a person who wants to be forgiven by Allah, be granted His mercy and who seeks to put his life back on track.

Remember the error of Adam when he was duped by the false promises of Satan (Iblees) to disobey Allah’s command and guidance? Adam repented to Allah, seeking forgiveness for his act of error, by praying: ‘Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves and if You do not forgive us and do not have mercy on us, we shall surely be among the losers.’ S7 V23

We continue to cry out to our Lord for our own wrongdoings and sinful acts. In a hadith the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, said: ‘All the children of Adam are wrongdoers (susceptible to wrongdoing), but the best among the wrongdoers are those who turn back to Allah in repentance’.

Wrongdoing is a basic human weakness. The Quran says: ‘mankind is created in weakness’. S4 V28.

However, what should not be a weakness is a failure to turn to Allah and seek forgiveness and pardon for our sins. Doing so does not lower a person's dignity nor his self-esteem, but rather strengthens him and make him wiser and more alert. The relationship between a person and Allah will be much stronger after he is cleansed by Him from accountability for his wrongdoing, inshaAllah.

Living without any blemish on one’s character is highly desirable and, no doubt, much sought after. As believers we believe that the sooner we are granted forgiveness from God and mend the error of our ways the better it is for us in terms of freedom from a guilty mind and accountability of our deeds. The lower the number of accountable deeds the more Allah’s mercy and forgiveness will be shown to us.

‘Istighfar’, or seeking forgiveness from Allah, is one of the most often emphasised subjects in a believers’ life. The Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet are full of its importance. Istighfar is a way back to Allah, no matter how great our sins. Allah forgives all when forgiveness is sought from Him through the right commitments.

Astagfirullah , meaning 'I seek your forgiveness' or 'pardon me O Allah', is the most famous phrase used for this purpose. Even the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, would seek forgiveness from Allah more than seventy times in a day, despite the fact that he had already been granted forgiveness from Allah for all his past and future shortcomings. This repeated seeking of forgiveness from Allah was, in the first place, to show its importance to his Ummah. It also demonstrates that we are all prone to making mistakes and that only Allah is the greatest and the Almighty. More than that, it is also a way to remember Allah, whether we do good or we commit wrongs in our lives. The Prophet also sought forgiveness to show his gratitude to Allah for what He had bestowed upon him. 

A beautiful dua was taught by the Prophet and was titled ‘sayyidul Istighfar’ or the leader of seeking forgiveness from Allah.  It says: ‘O Allah! You are my Lord, there is no deity worthy of worship except You. You have created me a servant and I am committed to my pledge and promise to You as much as I could. I seek refuge with You from the evil of my doings. I acknowledge Your favours upon me and I confess to my wrongdoings. So forgive me as it is only You who grants forgiveness’.

Seeking forgiveness creates happiness in life and mends the relationship between people and their Lord. Indeed, it causes the mercy of Allah to flow on the earth.

Allah the Almighty says in the Quran: ‘Seek forgiveness of your Lord and turn to Him in repentance whereupon He will grant you a fair enjoyment of life until an appointed term and will bestow favours on everyone who merits favour’. S11 V3

Prophet Hud said to his people:

‘My people! Ask your Lord for forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance. He will shower abundant rains upon you from the heaven and will add strength to your strength. Do not turn away as those given to guilt’. S11 V52

Seeking forgiveness has many beautiful benefits for mankind as it also keeps at bay the adversity and sufferings in life. Allah says: ‘But Allah was not going to punish them while you (0 Muhammed) are in their midst; nor was Allah going to punish them while they seek His forgiveness’. S8 V33

As is evident from the forgoing verses, the seeking of forgiveness bestows blessings from Allah and His mercy.

While we are in Ramadan, we have a great opportunity to maximise the benefits available to us. Reflection on ones’ course in life and entering a process of repair and correction is what we all need to do. By doing so and submitting ourselves, in all humility, to Allah and seeking His forgiveness and pardon for all our wrongdoings, both large and small, we may be cleansed of them before becoming accountable for them. InshaAllah!

Ramadan and reviving our high morals

Islamic teachings are intended to instil high morals and a sound character in all its believers. Indeed, emphasising the noble purpose of his mission, the Prophet Muhammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, declared saying: ‘I have been sent to accomplish high morals’.

Ramadan is a time for deep reflection on one's character and the course of one's life, and the most obviously fertile period in which to effect any necessary changes to them. Islam also offers the best environment for further development of our morals and ethics and, again, this month provides it. We should, perhaps, regard the term taqwa, that the Quran mentioned as the expected outcome from fasting, as an all inclusive term, as it includes, as a first priority, all aspects in the development of human character and morals.

The Prophet Muhammad was chosen by Allah to deliver His message; the message about the continuing installation of higher morals in mankind. The source of all moral behaviour is Allah the All-Wise. When He chose the Prophet to receive His message, He chose a person whose high moral status had been witnessed not only by all the inhabitants of Makkah, believers and opponents alike, but by Allah Himself: Surah 68 and verse 4: ‘and you (O Muhammad) are certainly on the most exalted standard of moral excellence’.

The Makkan community gave him a title, an honour among all the people and acknowledged by all, even his enemies. This title had, perhaps, never before been given to anyone in human history. The title comprises two distinctive qualities of his character: ‘The Truthful, the Trustworthy’ (As-Sadiq Al-Ameen). They encompass all other sub high morals which he developed as a result of having these two most exalted character traits.

Just imagine yourself being a person of truth and trust in the Sight of Allah and in the sight of society; no one can ever question your integrity. What an envious position to be in for any one. What a quality for a leadership!

If we can look to ourselves and say 'I want to be a truthful and trustworthy person in my life', that would probably be a hopeful starting point. But it would only be just that, the start! One has to be truthful to oneself in the first place and this will be a hard task, with difficult compromises to be made within oneself. There will be a process of prioritising and cleansing to be endured before developing a conscious personality that fears only Allah and has a clean heart.

It is narrated by Ali ibn Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, saying: ‘How strange! How so many people are disinterested in the acts of goodness! I wondered about people to whom his brother comes in need and he doesn’t find himself able to offer him any goodness! Suppose if we didn’t believe in Paradise and had no fear of hellfire, neither had we expected a reward or feared punishment, wasn’t it enough for us to seek high morals? Because it always leads to the path of success'.

A man stood up and asked saying: 'O Leader of the believers! Did you hear this from the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him'? He replied: 'Yes, and there is even better than this. Some captives from the tribe of ‘Tai’ were brought to us and therein was a beautiful woman who came forward to the prophet and said: O Messenger of Allah! Father has passed away and the expected helper is absent. Show me goodness and Allah would show you goodness. If you choose not to release me then do not let the enemies gloat on my state of affairs. I am the daughter of the leader of my tribe. My father would release a suffering person, protect the honour, host guests, feed the hungry, relieve the sufferer, feed people, spread greetings and never turned away anyone who came to seek his help. I am the daughter of Hatim al-Tai'. The Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, said: 'O lady! These are the characters of a believer. Let her go because her father loved high morals.' 

Islamic belief and morality are, in essence, intertwined. The purpose of Islamic teachings is to create the ideal man, one who can exemplify the high attributes of ethics and morality that make him stand out in the Sight of Allah.

The Prophet, in one of his sayings, declared to people: ‘The best among you are those who are best in their morals’. Bukhari

This saying suggests that the social status of a person is very much linked to the standard of his morals:

Ramadan is a dream time in which to reflect on the reality of the state of one's affairs. As early as the migration of the Muslims to Abyssinia, when Ja`far, the cousin of the Prophet, was asked by King Negus to explain the message of the Prophet, he said: ‘He commanded us to speak truth, to deliver trust, to join relations, to be good neighbours, to refrain from forbidden things, and from blood shedding.’

These are the high moral character traits that we all need, to build our sense of morality, attain a God-conscious mindset and become a good and honourable person.

There is a very interesting hadith which needs to be explored more and understood by all of us. The hadith is narrated by Abu Daud. It says: ‘Indeed a believer reaches the position of a fasting person who spends his night in worship to Allah by the practise of high morals’.

So, if we too are able to reach, through our good characters, this same sublime position, then will we not be doubly rewarded, and even more so if we learn and practise these high morals while we are fasting in the blessed month of Ramadan? Ramadan is an opportunity for fasting and spending our nights in prayer and worship.

Reaching the position of a fasting person can only be reached if we have developed our characters sufficiently and spend our nights in devotion to Allah. What a blissful combination and only Allah knows what rewards we may receive!

The Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, asked his companions one day: ‘Do you know who is a (real) bankrupt'? They replied saying: 'A bankrupt among us is one who has no money and no belongings'. The Prophet replied saying: ‘A bankrupt from my Ummah is one who would come on the Day of Reckoning with prayers (Salaah), fasting, Zakah (the obligatory share of charity in one’s wealth), while he has abused a person, slandered that person, has eaten the wealth of this person, shed the blood of that person, and beaten this one and others. Then this person would be given from his good deeds and that person is given from his good deeds. If his goodness is run out before the justice was completed, the bad deeds of others would be taken and thrown on to this person and then he would be thrown into the hellfire’. 

To conclude, I offer you this verse: ‘Surely Allah commands justice, the doing of good, giving to kith and kin, and forbids all that is indecent, evil and oppressive. He exhorts you so that you may be mindful’.

Ramadan: fasting has a purpose

It is gratifying to see there is increasing awareness than ever before, in the media and among non-Muslim communities, about Ramadan in particular and Islam in general.  Fortunately, negative debates sometimes attract positive results, by encouraging some people to do more research in order to understand the issues at hand.

I have been looking at some of this year’s media introduction to Ramadan and what it has meant in practical terms. The general outline of what we might hear, or read, are that Muslims don’t eat, don’t drink and do not engage in sexual activities during a set time from dawn to sunset. This description falls very short of explaining the true purpose of fasting or the expected outcomes from this spiritual season. Most importantly, the question arises: where does the spirituality lay in abstaining from food and drink or from sexual engagement and is that all that Ramadan is about?

Lack of spiritual commitment might be present in some Muslims and we see it all too often among some of those who observe the fast. What, therefore, is Ramadan and what is its true place and purpose in Islamic theology? Why is it being seen in purely physical terms? Why has Lord of the worlds commanded all previous generations of humanity to observe the fast as a religious duty and directed the ummah of the last Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, to continue to observe this obligation?

Fasting is a means towards great achievement and should never be regarded as shallow of purpose. Allah does not create a ritual with no benefit for the people. Its correct observance becomes an act of worship to Allah, following His teachings and guidance, and carries benefits within it for those who fully observe this obligation.

Ramadan is the fifth pillar of Islam. This means that it serves the overall structure of Allah’s deen (religion) and fulfils its purpose.

The initial and very essential purpose of fasting that the Quran mentions in the context of prescribing it upon people is ‘Taqwa’. (Please refer to my earlier blog on this topic). It says in the Quran in Surah 2 and verse 183: ‘Believers! Fasting is enjoined upon you as it was enjoined upon those before you, that you become God-fearing’.

God-fearing is translated here from the word ‘taqwa’. Here are some other meanings for taqwa: Awe of God, piety, righteousness, self-restraint, consciousness of God and so on.

Taqwa is the primary purpose to be achieved from the exercise of fasting in this blessed month or from voluntary fasting at other times of the year.

Taqwa can be expressed through the seeking of goodness and acts of goodness, while seeking the pleasure of Allah from these acts. Taqwa can also be expressed through avoidance of evil, misdeeds and foul acts, while seeking out the pleasure of Allah.

The month of Ramadan itself has its own importance. By fasting in this month we offer our gratitude to Allah for one of the greatest spiritual events that has taken place in Islam and for the benefits it has bestowed on mankind: the revelation of the Quran, the Book of Allah. It is a time for reflection and drawing our attention to Allah’s guidance and commands and through fasting we humble ourselves to our Creator. Let us read together this beautiful Quranic verse:

‘During the month of Ramadan, the Qur`an was sent down as guidance to the people, with clear signs of the true guidance and as the Criterion (between right and wrong). So those of you who live to see that month should fast it. And whoever is sick or on a journey should fast the same number of other days instead. Allah wants ease and not hardship for you, so that you may complete the number of days required, magnify Allah for what He has guided you to, and give thanks to Him’. S2 V185

It is indeed a time for deep reflection on the purpose of this revelation and whether we are living our lives according to it or not? In its way, the fast provides a pause and a break to the routines of life, helps us to see more clearly the highs and lows we have experienced and to measure our strengths and weaknesses.  But, do we really do this when we are in Ramadan? Are we able to form a collective mindset and real sense of responsibility? Do we achieve its purposes? These are questions we should consider. 

To emphasise the need for change in the month, the Prophet Mohammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, says: ‘Whoever does not give up false speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his giving up of his food and drink’. Narrated by Bukhari

Another hadith presents the same theme, saying: ‘Many of those who fast their share is only hunger and thirst. And many of those who spend their night in prayers their share from it is only wakefulness’. Narrated by Ahmad and al-Haakim

Further, another hadith of the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, says: ‘Fasting is a shield. When it is a fasting day for someone, let him not engage in obscene talk and rowdy actions. If he was to be sworn at or fought with, let him say: I am a person fasting, I am a person fasting….’

The whole month of fasting, Ramadan, is seemingly designed as a period of training for the Ummah and is a time when they ought to reflect upon their state of being and plan corrective measures for their future. Alhamdulillah a greater awareness about the purpose of fasting will become apparent to Muslims and non-Muslims, alike. We hope this new awareness will help rebuild the fabric of all Muslims’ spiritual and social lives, restore a collective state of being and prove a literally life changing experience for everyone.

The first days are all mercy…

Alhamdulillah Ramadan is going well and we are now in the third day of this blessed month. Despite the understandable apprehension, felt by many, at the very long and hot days this year, fasting remains pleasurable and spiritually uplifting. It may appear to be very hard for many at the start, as it upsets our routines, but sometimes a change in routine is just what we need if we really want to effect any radical changes to our lifestyle.

Most of the time we just live with our ill-health, bad habits, unmindful spoken words, unkind dealings with others, not knowing how to change them and, even worse, this bad way of life often becomes the 'norm'. Without a suitable environment or specific mindset it can be hard to overcome the problems in our lives. Ramadan provides the environment that re-builds our focus for the future and enhances the quality of our thoughts and actions.

When we talk about the mercy of Allah, the All-Merciful, in these days of the blessed month of Ramadan, we need to realise just how comprehensive it can be.

We fast because fasting is an obligation placed upon us by our religion (Deen) and is the fifth pillar of Islam. To fulfil this obligation and gain the consequent satisfaction of heart we must do it solely for the sake of Allah, and not in an attempt to escape the reality of obedience to Him.

Life has a beautiful purpose. The Quran puts a question to mankind: ‘Did you imagine that We have created you without any purpose, and that you will not be brought back to Us?’S23 V115

The Quran is full of verses that remind us of our roles and responsibilities in life and why we are here. Ramadan is a time when people may dedicate themselves to their Creator and come to understand their roles and place. Fully understanding one's position and accepting responsibility, while acting in accordance with the teachings and guidance of Allah, is what brings one closer to Him. This understanding is also part of greater mercy of Ramadan towards mankind.

The spiritual season brings people back from their material concerns to a more God-conscious engagement, offering guidance on how to transform their material assets into spiritual assets. But, this is only possible where a suitable environment exists. Our Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, says: ‘Whoever comes to this month with an act of goodness, it is as though he has performed an obligatory work in another month. And whoever has performed in it an obligatory work, it is as though he has performed seventy obligatory works in other months.

This saying of the Prophet shows how a complete bargain is offered as an encouragement for people to think about: the converting of material benefits into a spiritual calculation of benefits. This costs us nothing, except that we obey Allah’s teachings and show generosity towards others. Only then should we think about rewards calculated in numbers.

This is where this hadith of the Prophet so beautifully befits the moment:   ‘Ramadan has approached you which is the month of blessings. Allah covers you with His mercy in this month. He removes your sins and responds to your dua. Allah looks forward to your competition in this month and takes pride with His angels. So show to Allah goodness from you, as wretched is the one who is deprived of the mercy of Allah in this month. (narrated by al-tabrani)

The Mercy of Allah lies in the changes that take place in ourselves and in our lives. Change is encouraged by Allah. This is what the Quran says about it: ‘Verily Allah does not change a people’s condition unless they change their inner selves. And when Allah decides to make a people suffer punishment, no one can avert it. Nor can any be of help to such a people against Allah’. S13 V11

Ramadan is the most likely time that people may seek to bring about changes to their lives. Fasting makes it easier and possible to change the routines of other months and it brings the mercy of Allah to all those who are seeking changes to their lives.  The early days are the most difficult days to adapt to the fasting routine, but the spiritual dimension of the fast helps it to happen. When we finally accept this routine, then other changes will become easier for those willing to change, including those with health problems.

Allah’s mercy manifests itself in many ways. People will only realise those aspects of gained mercy later, when they have happened. However, we must continually strive to benefit from them. A willingness to facilitate people's breaking of their fast is an act of mercy and gains the pleasure of Allah. That one simple act of people’s mercy and kindness invokes the mercy of Allah. For many people this is a big change. For a whole host of reasons, many people either don’t think about it, are unwilling to take advantage of it or are not motivated to do it for personal reasons. But the Prophet guides us towards it. This seemingly very small step leads in a big direction. It is a personal change, it is a social service, it is a charity, it is rewards related, it is spiritual and it serves the purpose of Ramadan. What else we can expect from such a small step?

The hadith of the Prophet said: ‘Ramadan has approached you which is the month of blessings. Allah covers you with His mercy in this month. He removes sins and responds to your dua.

We only need to be alert and looking for the mercy of Allah around us and to properly understand it. Many people don’t realise that it is all around them, that they may be benefitting from it or that they might be losing it because of their bad actions.

Ramadan is a time for deep reflection on our past life and we really need to do so. Allah is great and All Merciful. He distributes His mercy among His servants and increases it in the blessed month of Ramadan. All we need to do is to seek it out.

May Allah shower us all with His mercy and keep us in all His good care.

Welcome to Ramadan: the pinnacle of spiritual deeds

We are about to enter the blessed month of Ramadan, indeed it already feels like Ramadan as we eagerly look forward to the blessings it brings and the spiritual impact it will undoubtedly have upon us.

Our prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, welcomed it warmly and recommended it to his people saying: ‘Ramadan has come to you, the leader of all months, so welcome to it’. (narrated by al-Bazzar and al-baihaqui)

As the fifth pillar of Islam its importance is clear to all Muslims.  Fasting is an obligation upon all Muslims who are healthy enough to carry it out. Its rewards are potentially immense as its fulfilment is very special in the Sight of Allah.

The Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, would draw the attention of the people to the wide spread benefits, particularly the religious and spiritual benefits, to be gained from this month. Let us then ponder, together, on some of the references from the Quran and the Hadiths of the Prophet that highlight its importance for us all.

To begin with, let us see what the Quran says regarding the prescription of fasting in this month:

'O believers! Fasting is enjoined upon you as it was enjoined upon those before you that you may attain taqwa’.

So, fasting is a means to attain Taqwa, the fear or awe of God the Almighty, that will keep us steadfast and straightforward in our lives. But, we must never forget that Taqwa also requires that we accept responsibility for all our actions and thoughts in this world and to do so in the right way, so that we can put things right and become channels for goodness and charitable deeds. Taqwa also embraces the doing of any work that God has asked us to carry out in this life.

In a famous sermon, on the eve of Ramadan, the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, said: ‘O people! A great and blessed month has indeed overshadowed you. It is a month wherein is a night better than the (nights of) a thousand months. It is a month whose fasting has been made obligation by Allah, and offering prayers in its nights as voluntary act. Whoever comes in this month with an act of goodness, he is as though has performed an obligatory work in other months. And whoever has performed in it an obligatory work, he is as though has performed seventy obligatory works in other months'

It is indeed a month of patience and patience is rewarded with Paradise (Jannah). It is also a month of mutual consolation and  a month in which a believer’s provision is increased. If any person facilitates for others the breaking of their fast it would cause forgiveness for his sins and free him from hellfire. Further, he would have same rewards without any deduction from the rewards of the fasting person.

People said to the Prophet: O messenger of Allah! Not all of us do find what could be provided for breaking the fast!  The Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, said: 'Allah grants this reward to anyone who is able to facilitate breaking the fast with even a single date, or some water or runny yogurt'.

The Prophet continued: 'It is a month the beginning of which is all days of mercy, the middle part are days of forgiveness and last part is about freedom from hell fire.  Whoever lightens the burden from his slaves (servants) in this month Allah will forgive him and free him from the hellfire. So increase in this month four things. Two of these things will make your Lord pleased and the other two you have to seek it for yourself. The two things that you would make your Lord pleased with are: 1) you witness that there is no Lord but Allah; 2) and you seek forgiveness from him.

The other two things that are important for you are that 1) you ask Allah to grant you the Jannah and, 2) seek His protection from the hellfire.’

This hadith needs to be understood by every Muslim before entering the month of Ramadan. It is a great introduction and guidance and creates the real spirit necessary to complete the fast and receive the blessings of the month.

In another hadith, in a different sermon, the Prophet drew the attention of people to the importance of this month in this way:

‘Ramadan has approached you which is the month of blessings. Allah covers you with His mercy in this month. He removes sins and responds to your dua. Allah looks forwards to your competition in this month and takes pride with His angels. So show to Allah goodness from you as wretched is the one who is deprived of the mercy of Allah in this month'. (narrated by al-tabrani)

The theme, highlighted in the long sermon above, divides the blessings of the month into three parts; mercy, forgiveness and freedom from hellfire and as Muslims we all need to understand its importance and make our best efforts to seek them out.  The hadith also suggests that only a wretched person can be deprived of the mercy of Allah in this month of mercy.

Another hadith highlights the importance of forgiveness in this month. This hadith which tells us that once the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, was climbing his pulpit in the mosque. People heard him saying ‘Amen’ three times. When they asked him about this the prophet explained:  'when I took the step on the pulpit Gabriel (Jibreel) said: ‘whoever entered the month of Ramadan and was not forgiven and as a result he entered the hellfire may Allah remove him (from his mercy), say Amen (aameen) and I said Amen (aameen)'.

That Ramadan is important and a pillar of Islam, we as Muslims, all believe, but the benefits and goodness that may be shown to us if we utilise the month, as we are guided in the Quran and the hadith, are also important.

I will be writing regular and frequent articles on issues and different aspects of Ramadan, so that I may remind myself and others constantly of its benefits and blessings. I would, therefore, be grateful for any suggestions you may have as to content and if you would forward these articles to your contacts to encourage feedback.

May Allah bless us all in this month of blessings, grant us His mercy, forgiveness from our wrongdoings and freedom from hellfire.