All praise is due to Allâh Ta‘ala and may His choicest salutations descend upon our Master and Leader Prophet Muhammad Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam. We are very fortunate that Allah Ta‘ala has accepted our Dua’s, and made us reach this Mubarak and blessed month.
Allah Ta‘ala mentions in the Holy Qura’an;
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
O You who believe! Fasting is ordained for you, as it was ordained for those before you, so that you may gain piety” .
(Juz 2, Verse 183)
The month of Ramadhan is for fasting and performing Tarawih Salaah at night as well as exerting one self in every act of worship for every Muslim male and female around the world. The fast consist of total abstinence from food, drink and conjugal rights from dawn to dusk. The real abstinence of refraining from food and drink is to inculcate in man the spirit of abstinence from sin and gaining the closeness and happiness of Allah Ta‘ala. Thus the Qura’an declares that by fasting one inculcates in his life Taqwa and piety. We need to appreciate this great gift given to us by Allah Ta‘ala. In our current state of being down and out, it can uplift us, empower us, and turn around our situation individually and collectively. It is the spring season for us Muslims to water the garden of Islam through our actions and bring back to life our dead heart’s and make it bloom with the Noor of Imaan. These benefits are not promised for lifeless and thoughtless Muslims, they will only be ours, if our actions are reformed by the message of this blessed month of Ramadhan. On the last day of Sha’ban, Prophet Muhammad Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam, gave a Khutbah about the upcoming month of Ramadhan. It is a very important Khutbah that we should carefully read before every Ramadhan to prepare ourselves mentally for the sacred month. It begins: “Oh people! A great month is coming to you. A blessed month. A month in which there is one night that is better than a thousand months. A month in which Allah Ta‘ala has made it compulsory upon you to fast during the day, and pray by night. Whoever draws nearer to Allah Ta‘ala by performing any of the voluntary good deeds in this month shall receive the same reward as is there for performing an obligatory deed at any other time. And whoever discharges an obligatory deed in this month shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of Sabr (patience), and the reward for Sabr is Heaven. It is the month of kindness and charity. It is a month in which a believer’s sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast, shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Fire of Hell, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without the latter’s reward being diminished at all.”The hadith continues… However let us take the time to highlight two of the statements contained above. First, that the month of Ramadhan is the month of Sabr. The English translation is patience, but this translation of this word has a very narrow meaning compared to the actual meaning of Sabr. Sabr means not only patience and perseverance in the times of difficulties, it also means being steadfast in avoiding sin in the face of temptations and being persistent in performing virtues when that is not easy. Overcoming hunger and thirst during fasting and also protecting our eyes, ears, minds, tongues, and hands, etc. from all sins. So is being persistent in doing good deeds as much as possible despite external or internal obstacles. This month requires Sabr in its fullest sense and provides a training ground for that very important quality to be developed and nurtured. We make Dua to Allah Ta‘ala that he grants us the taufeeq and ability to reform ourselves and draw from the unlimited treasures Of Allah Ta‘ala and He grants us the strength to maximise benefit of this month. Aameen