MERITS OF RAMADAN
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) has mentioned the merits of Ramadan in a large number of ahadith. Some of them have been reproduced here:
“O men, a great month has cast its shadow upon you. It is a month which contains a night far better that one thousand months, a month Allah has made it obligatory to fast therein and made it commendable to stand up praying in the nights . If some one seeks Allah’s nearness by offering an optional act of worship in this month, it will be as rewarding as to offer an obligatory worship on other days, and if someone performs an obligatory act of worship in this month, it will carry as much reward as the reward of performing seventy obligatory acts of worship in other days. It is the month of patience and the reward of patience is Jannah (paradise) It is a month of sympathy, a month in which the provision for a believer is increased. If someone provides another person with food to make the Iftar it will cause forgiveness of his sins and freeing his neck from hell and he will be awarded the same reward as that of the fasting person, with out decreeing the reward of his own reward.
The companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, “O messenger of Allah, every one of us does not have enough food to offer for iftar to another person.” The Holy Prophet replied, “This blessing will also be given to a person who offers to a fasting person one date or a drink of water or a little milk for iftar. And this is a month the first part of which is mercy from Allah, the middle of which is forgiveness from Allah and the last part of which is liberation from hell. If someone relaxes the burden of work from his slave in this month Allah will forgive him his sins and will free him from the Fire. In this month you should do four acts frequently. Two acts are such that you will please your Lord through them and two are such that you can never claim to be need-free of them. The two acts through which you please Allah are: baring witness that ther is no god but Allah, and to seek forgiveness from Allah, and to seek forgiveness from Allah. And the two acts you can never be need-free of are: To pray to Allah to give you Jannat and to seek refuge to Allah from the Fire. And if someone serves a drink to a fasting person, Allah will make him have such a drink that he will never get thirsty until after he enters Jannat.”
Purpose of the month of Ramadan is to maximize the direct acts of ibadah i.e. Praying, and minimize mundane activities.
Days of Ramadan designed to keep fast and depriving the self from material (food) for many hours. The nights of Ramadan are meant to be spent in worship: offering Taraweeh and waking up for Tahajjud and Suhur. Moreover, in this month people should spend time in worship.
Abu Hurairah reports that the Holy Prophet said: “My Ummah has been given five characteristic honors in the month of Ramadan which have not been given to any Ummah before.
Ø The smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better with Allah than the smell of musk”
Ø Fishes (in the water) keep praying for Allah to forgive the fasting persons until they make Iftar.
Ø In every day of Ramadan, Allah decorates the Jannat and addresses it saying “It is not too far that my righteous servents shall throw away the burdans (of worldly life) and shall proceed towards you.
Ø The rebellious satans are shackled in this month and they cannot do in it what they do in other days (i.e. instigating men and women to commit sins.)
Ø In the last night of this month they (the fasting persons) are granted amnesty (official pardon).
SOME THINGS THAT SHOULD BE DONE IN RAMADAN
Ø Offer prayer with jama’ah in the masjid (men)
Ø To awake little earlier that the exact time of Suhoor to offer Tahajjud. (8 rakat preferred)
Ø To offer Nafl prayers of Ishraq (2 rakat after sunrise), Duha (4 rakat performed anytime after Ishraq and before noon) and Awwabin (6 rakat after Magrib)
Ø Recite as much Quran has possible
Ø Do as much Zikr/Tasbeeh as possible.
Ø Pray more Nafl and offer more supplications
Ø Offer Sadaqah
DON’T DO THE FOLLOWING IN RAMADAN
Ø Lie
Ø Backbite
Ø Quarrelling—The Prophet (PBUH) has especially forbidden this when a person is fasting, if some one wants to fight with you tell them that you are fasting and cannot engage in any disagreement
Ø Eating Haraam
Ø Earning through Haraam means
Ø Any act which may harm a person without a cause (forcing self to vomit, slitting wrist, doing drugs etc.)
Ø Burdening servents or employees with toilsomejobs beyond their ability, without providing them facilities to carry it out.
Ø Failing to even try to protect ones self from any kind of sins.
RULES OF FASTING
Ø ALL Muslims who are able to fast must fast! (exceptions are listed below)
Ø Having a pure niyyah. “Fast” means “to refrain from eating, drinking etc throughout the day…with a clear intention for seeking pleasure of Allah”
ACTS THAT NULLIFY THE FAST
If you do the following you must make the fast up (by doing a make up fast and giving Kafarah—freeing a slave, fasting constantly two months without a break, and/or giving food to sixty persons):
Ø Eating something
Ø Drinking something
Ø Engaging in sexual relations
Ø These act need to be committed intentionally.
If you do the following you must only make up the fast.
Ø Eating or drinking unintentionally
Ø dropping medicine or anything in the nose or the ear
Ø Smoking
Ø Eating or drinking under the wrong impression that the dawn has not yet broken or that the sun has set, while the otherwise is true. However, if someone eats or drinks while he does not remember that he is in the state of fasting, his fast is not broken.
ACTS RENDERING THE FAST MAKROOH:
Ø Chewing something or tasting it with the tongue without eating it.
Ø Using toothpaste or tooth powder. However, cleaning with a miswak or a brush (without paste or powder) is allowed.
Ø Remaining in the state of Janabah (Major impurity) for the whole day.
Ø Giving blood to anyone.
Ø Quarralling with someone or abusing him.
Ø Gheebah.
Ø Telling lies.
Latter three acts are absolutely prohibited even when one is not in the state of fasting, but they become all the more prohibited when one keeps fast.
ACTS WHICH ARE ALLOWED
Ø Cleaning teeth using a miswak or a brush and ear with cotton swab
Ø Applying oil or hinna or color to the hair.
Ø Using eye-drops or kohl (surma/kajal)
Ø Taking a shower
Ø Using medicine through injection
Ø Vomiting unintentionally
Ø Entrance of smoke or dust into the throat unintentionally
CASES IN WHICH FASTING IS NOT OBLIGATORY
Ø If a person is sick enough to be claimed unable to fast by a competent doctor, he does not have to fast. However, the person MUST make up fasts
Ø A pregnant woman who cannot fast because her baby might get hurt. Missed fasts must be made up
Ø If a woman who is breast-feeding her baby and there is a possibility that she will not be able to do so if she fasts.
THOSE WHO CAN BREAK FATS DURING DAY (Qada must be offered)
Ø A person who is attacked by a severe disease and a competent doctor opinions that, if he continues with his fast, it will bring danger to his life. In such a situation breaking of the fast is not only allowed, but it is obligatory.
Ø In any situation where lack of food and drink will present danger to one’s life.
SUHOOR OR SEHRI
Suhoor is the meal one takes in the last hours of the night before the commencement of a fast. It is a Sunnahto have Suhoor. If someone has no appetite at that time, it is advisable for him to have something light. Sehri should be eaten in the last hour of the night before the dawn.
IFTAR
Iftar means to conclude a fast after sunset by eating or eating. You cam open fast by drinking water and eating dates. Magrib salah must be made rigt after opening fast.
QADA (MAKE UP FASTS)
Fasts may be made up on any day except the following:
Qada must be observed as soon as possible .
TARAWIH
The Prophet (SAW) said: “Allah has made fasting in Ramadan obligatory, and I have made the special prayer of Ramadan (i.e. the Tarawih) a Sunnah