Ramadan – A Blessed Month
Transcript of the Friday Sermon delivered by Dr. Munawar Haque on June 02, 2017
All praises and thanks are due to Allah (SWT) who made us reach the month of Ramadan. Let us for a moment ponder over the fact that from our families, friends, and acquaintances, there were some who celebrated the last Ramadan with us but who are no longer with us. They have left this world and returned to their Lord.
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
“We belong to Allah and to Him is our return.” (al-Baqarah, 2:156)
Perhaps there may be some among us who may not live to witness another Ramadan. Death is inevitable. Its time is decreed. And indeed, time is fleeting. It is running out. So, let us seize the opportunity to make the most out of this Ramadan. The Prophet (SAW), a whole two months before Ramadan used to make a du’a in these words:
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا في رَجَبٍ وَ شَعْبَانَ وَ بَلِّغْنا رَمَضَانَ
“O Allah, bless us in the months of Rajab and Sha`ban and make us reach Ramadan.”
Alhamdulillah, by the grace of Allah (SWT), we have reached Ramadan. Ramadan Mubarak to all of you. May Allah (SWT) bless you and your families, and bless the Muslim ummah in this most special and precious month of Ramadan.
What makes this month so special? It is a month of infinite blessings from Allah (SWT). It is a month of patience. It is a month of generosity. It is a month of charity. Most importantly it is a month of opportunities, which are not available throughout the year. It was in this month that the Qur’an was revealed. We learn through a hadith that the earlier scriptures—the scrolls (suhuf) of Ibrahim (AS), the Taurat given to Musa (AS), the Zabur given to Dawud (AS), and the Injeel given to ‘Isa (AS) were also revealed in the month of Ramadan. The Qur’an was revealed in two stages. The entire Qur’an, which is part of the Umm al-Kitab that contains other divine scriptures in the Lawh al-Mahfoudh (The Preserved Book), was sent down to the first earthly heaven on the Night of Power (Lailat ul-Qadr), which falls in Ramadan.
إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ
“Truly We sent it down on the Night of Power.” (al-Qadr, 97:1)
Thereafter, under Allah (SWT)’s command, the Qur’an was revealed gradually by Jibril (AS) to Muhammad (SAW) over a period of 23 years of his prophethood. Hence this is the month to rediscover the Qur’an, which is the guidance to mankind.
هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ
“Guidance for mankind with clear proofs of guidance and the criterion.“(al-Baqarah, 2:185)
This guidance distinguishes between right and wrong, between good and evil, and between truth (haq) and falsehood (batil). It should be well understood that the Qur’an is the verbatim word of Allah (SWT). The orientalists and other scholars have subjected the Qur’an to rigorous historical criticism in order to prove that it has undergone a process of revision and editing and hence cannot be authentic. All their efforts, however, have been futile. The human intervention, manipulation, and fabrication that other scriptures have gone through do not apply to the Qur’an. This last revelation and divine guidance for the entire humanity is preserved and protected from any change. This protection has been undertaken by Allah (SWT) Himself as stated in the Qur’an.
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ
“It is We Who have sent down the Reminder and it is We Who will preserve it” (al-Hijr, 15:9). The purpose and timing of the revelation pertaining to fasting has to be understood in the backdrop of the difficult situations the companions (sahaba) of the Prophet (SAW) had to encounter at Mecca before their emigration to Medina. These among others included oppression, persecution, starvation, social and economic boycott and living in a climate of fear. After the hijrah, the believers had to be made ready for further challenges. They had to be organized into a group (jama’ah) that could bravely and successfully engage with the polytheists of Mecca who had evicted them from their houses and deprived them of their homes and belongings.
There was no general practice among the pagan Arabs to fast. While there were remnants of some rituals of hajj, umra, and tawaf present with them from the days of Ibrahim (AS), fasting was absent from their lives. However, they knew what fasting implied as they used to make their horses fast in the scorching heat of the desert. This enabled and trained the horses to endure long hours without eating and drinking during battles.
Initially, fasting was introduced as a voluntary act. It was not mandatory. It is narrated that the Prophet (SAW) found the Jews in Medina to be fasting on the 10th of Muharram (Ashura) to commemorate the day of their freedom from the bondage of Firaun, and to thank Allah (SWT) for that. Henceforth, the Prophet (SAW) commanded the Muslims to fast on that day and another day preceding or following that day. Up to this time, fasting was a sunnah and not a fard or an obligatory act.
After the emigration to Medina, the ayah pertaining to obligatory fasting in the month of Ramadan was revealed in Surat al-Baqarah.
فَمَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ
“Therefore, whoever of you is present in that month, should fast“ (al-Baqarah, 2:185). Al-Siyam literally means to restrain oneself and to abstain from something. As a term in the Shariah, siyam means to abstain from food, drink, and spousal relations with the purest of intentions just for the sake of Allah (SWT). But the meaning of fasting is not restricted to this literal sense. The spiritual aspects of fasting include an added emphasis on refraining from gossip, lies, backbiting, obscenity, and in general, any sinful act.
Fasting is one of the pillars of Islam and a very special mode of worship. Why is it special? If you look at any other worship, Allah orders you to do something. In fasting you are ordered not to do something for a specified time; something which you are accustomed to do outside Ramadan. Siyam or fasting has been ordained upon every sane, mature and adult Muslim who is able to fast. What is the objective of fasting? As the ayah of Surat al-Baqarah suggests, it is to attain self-restraint, piety and God-consciousness or taqwa.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may be conscious of God” (al-Baqarah, 2:183). What is taqwa? The word taqwa is derived from the Arabic root “waqa“, which among other meanings means “to be protected from the harmful.” So, taqwa is to save and protect yourself from things that harm you. We have this du’a in the Qur’an,
رَبَّنَا آَتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآَخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
“Our Lord, give us good in this world and in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire” (al-Baqarah, 2:201). So siyam and taqwa have a direct relationship. Siyam provides an opportunity for every believer to draw closer to Allah (SWT) and to protect himself from the punishment of the hell fire.
By the grace of Allah (SWT), fasting is also, a source for the forgiveness of sins. The Prophet (SAW) said,
مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ
“Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan with faith (iman) and hoping for its reward shall have all of his previous sins forgiven for him.” The Prophet (SAW) also said,
الصِّيَامُ جُنَّةٌ
“Fasting is a shield.” Fasting guards us and protects us from sins and from the hell fire. Further, our fasting and the Qur’an will intercede for us on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (SAW) said, “The fast and the Qur’an shall come as intercessors on the Day of Resurrection. The fast shall say, ’O Lord, I prevented him from his food and drink during the day, so let me intercede for him’. The Qur’an will say, ‘I kept him from sleep during the night, so let me intercede for him.’ Then they will be allowed to intercede.”
أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ المُسْلِمينَ وَالمُسْلِمَاتْ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين
Brothers and sisters! Man is a combination of body and spirit. During fasting, when our physical body apparently gets weak, our spirit is elevated. The zikr or remembrance of Allah (SWT) is the spiritual nourishment for the soul, and the best and greatest of zikr is the Qur’an. We are all aware that we are often unjust to ourselves in the sense that we often subject our bodies and souls to excesses. Fasting in Ramadan is an excellent opportunity to attain physical and spiritual healing.
According to a Hadith Qudsi, Allah (SWT) says,
“Every good deed of Adam’s son is for him except fasting; it is for Me. and I shall reward for it.”
According to another Hadith Qudsi, Allah (SWT) says,
“For every good deed that the son of Adam does, he will have (the reward of) ten times as much, except for fasting. It is for Me and I shall reward for it.”
The virtues and greatness of the month of Ramadan should never be underestimated. It is not only the month of fasting but also the month of the Qur’an, the month of mercy, piety, patience, charity, forgiveness and thankfulness to Allah (SWT). As we fast, we should remember the poor and the less fortunate ones. We should remember our relatives who are in need. We should give them from the provisions that Allah has blessed us with. We should also give to the organizations that are worthy of our charity. When we remember a past sin, we should not forget to ask for forgiveness. We should not let this month pass away without doing our utmost to please Allah (SWT) and having our sins forgiven.
May Allah (SWT) make us among those who are able to take advantage of the opportunities provided to us in this blessed month. May He make us among the people of taqwa. May He forgive us and keep us safe from the hell-fire and make us all enter into Paradise (Jannah). May Allah bless all the Muslims in this month, and inspire them to do righteous deeds while accepting such deeds with a beautiful acceptance. We also pray for the ummah, particularly for our brothers and sisters in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Kashmir, Burma, and throughout the Muslim world and beyond. We pray for justice and peace for all.
إِنَّ اللّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاء ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاء وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
“Surely Allah commands justice, good deeds and generosity to others and to relatives; and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, so that you may be reminded.” (al-Nahl, 16:90)
