The blessed month of Ramadan
Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar and a time when Muslims fulfil the important religious duty of fasting for the sake of Allah. It is a time to seek the forgiveness and mercy of Allah, an opportunity to reap great spiritual rewards for acts of devotion and a reminder to empathise with those less fortunate than ourselves
Getting closer to Allah
Every year the month begins with the first sighting of the new moon. For Muslims, fasting means more than abstaining from food and drink between sunrise and sunset. It means practising self-discipline and restraint, increasing one’s devotion to Allah and improving one’s character and good deeds.
As well as taking meticulous care to avoid actions that would invalidate the fast, Muslims are expected to maintain purity of thought and deed with the hope of acquiring noble character traits. In the very least, Muslims should take care to be especially wary of their words, for the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Whoever fails to leave off ruinous speech, and acting on it [during Ramadan], Allah does not need him to leave off eating and drinking’ (Bukhari).
The way of the Prophet
Drawing closer to Allah, however, is only realised through acting in conformity with the sacred law and the sunna of the Prophet (peace be upon him) who was the very embodiment of both the letter and spirit of the law. These include having a pre-dawn meal (suhur), even if it consists of just water, and to hasten in breaking the fast when one is certain that the sun has set. The fast should be broken with an odd number of dates, but if dates are not available then water is best.
Good deeds for Ramadan
To help improve one’s character and devotion to Allah in Ramadan it is recommended to:
- Recite the Qur’an often for Ramadan is, among other things, a celebration of the Qur’an. Allah says, ‘The month of Ramadan in which the Qur’an was revealed, a guidance for mankind, [containing] clear proofs of guidance, and the criterion of distinguishing right from wrong’ (Qur’an 2:185).
- Attend the tarawih prayer held each night in the mosque. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Whoever stands for prayer during the nights of Ramadan will have his prior sins forgiven’ (Bukhari and Muslim).
- Spend periods of spiritual retreat (i‘tikaf) in the mosque, especially during the last ten days of Ramadan, seeking Laylat al-Qadar (lit. “the Night of the Divine Decree”) which is, as Allah says, ‘better than a thousand months’ (Qur’an 97:3), meaning that spiritual works therein are better than works of a thousand months lacking Laylat al-Qadr. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘He who prays on Laylat al-Qadr in faith and expectation of its reward will be forgiven his previous sins’ (Bukhari and Muslim)
- Improve relations with family, friends and neighbours, and break the fast of others after sunset, even if only with water because of the hadith related by Tirmidhi that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘He who breaks another’s fast earns the same reward as the one who fasted without diminishing the latter’s reward in the slightest.’
- Be especially generous in giving charity (sadaqa) since it expiates sins. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was the most generous of people and he was even more generous in Ramadan. Many Muslims try their best to pay their annual zakat in Ramadan each year and in solidarity with Muslims around the world it is important to pay the zakat of Eid al-Fitr before the Eid prayer so that they too may celebrate.
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
‘He does not truly believe who eats his fill while his neighbour remains hungry by his side’ (Bayhaqi). - To read more about Islamic Relief’s efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition please click here.
- To pay your zakat or sadaqa or to provide a family with food this Ramadan please click here.
