The month of Ramadan is great and blessed.

Allah sent down the guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the Criterion (between right and wrong). He made its fasting a pillar from the pillars of Islam and its night prayer (Taraweh) is optional; we increase with it in rewards. It would be a cause for the salvation from the Hellfire. In the Sahih Al-Bukhari & Muslim from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhe wa sallam that Whoever fasts the Ramadan with faith and seeking reward all his previous sins will be forgiven, and whoever stands in night prayer in the Night of Power with faith and seeking reward all his previous sins will be forgiven. Whoever fasts the Ramadan with faith, meaning faith in Allah, the Most High, faith in Allahs legislation, acceptance to it, complying with it, and seeking reward of Allah that He placed upon this fasting, and likewise the night prayer. Whoever prays the night prayers in Ramadan or in the Night of Power adorned with these two descriptions the faith and seeking reward Allah will forgive for him all his previous sins. If we look in the past we find that there were great occasions in this blessed month, the believer becomes happy by its mentions and its good results. The first occasion: Allah, the Most High, sent the Quraan in it, meaning He started its sending in this month and He made it blessed. The Muslims conquered by it the four corners of the earth, east and west. The Muslims boasted by it and the flag of Islam appeared in every place. It is not hidden from us that the crown of Kusraa was brought to the rightly guided khalifah Umar bin Al-Khattab radi Allahu anhu carried by two camels from Madain to Madinah as it was mentioned in the history. It was placed in front of him radi Allahu anhu. It wasnt missing even one bead; all of this is from the honor of the Muslims and the humiliation of the disbelievers. And all praises belong to Allah alone. And we are certain that the Islamic nation will return to the Glorious Quraan, will rule by it, and there will be honor for it after that In Shaa Allah. However, it is necessary to harvest the honey from the pinch of the bee and to collect the rose from the thorns. It is necessary that test precedes the victory for those who carry out Islam and call to it because Allah, the Most High, said in His Book: And surely, We shall try you till We test those who strive hard for the Cause of Allah and the patient, and We shall test your facts (i.e. the one who is a liar, and the one who is truthful) (47:31). And He, the Most

High, said: Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such trials as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, "When will come the Help of Allah?" Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allah is near! (2:214). The second occasion in this blessed month: The battle of Badr. The battle of Badr took place in the second year of Hijrah. The cause of it was that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhe wa sallam heard that Abu Sufyan was driving the Caravan of Qurayesh coming from Sham to Makkah. When he learned that he requested his companions, the fastest of them, to go out to this caravan in order to take it. Because they deemed it permissible to expel the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam and his companions from their homes and wealth. And there was no treaty nor protection between them and the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam. Thus, he sallallahu alayhe wa sallam went out to the caravan to take it. He went out with small number, three hundred and some tens men, because they did not want war. They wanted to take the caravan only. So, they did not go out except with this small number and with them were seventy camels to takeover by them and two horses only. As for Abu Sufyan with whom was the caravan, he sent (someone) to the people of Makkah to encourage them to protect their caravan and to secure it from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhe wa sallam. Thus, the people of Makkah left with their frontier, weapon (iron), pride, and haughtiness. They left just as Allah described them in His saying, And be not like those who come out of their homes boastfully and to be seen of men, and hinder (men) from the path of Allah; and Allah is Muhitun (encircling and thoroughly comprehending) all that they do (8:47). While on the way, they received the news that Abu Sufyan succeeded with his caravan from the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam. So, they consulted each other whether they should return or not. Abu Jahel he was their leader said, By Allah! We wont return until we reach Badr, we will stay in it three (days & nights), we will slaughter camels, drink alcohols, the slave women will perform for us, and the Arabs will hear about us such that they will forever venerate us. These words show arrogance, haughtiness, and confidence upon falsehood to refute the truth.

Thereafter, they met with the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam with their frontier, weapon, arrogance, haughtiness, and strength. And they were between 9,00 and 1,000. As for the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam and his companions, they were 3,00 and some tens men. The two groups met, the solders of Allah, the Most High, and the solders of Shaytan. And the victory was for the solders of Allah, the Most High. There were 70 men killed from Qurayesh from their leaders, nobles, and notables. Also, there were 70 men who were captivated from them. The Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam stayed three days on the battle field as he usually does after the conquest and victory. On the third day, he rode until he stopped at the pond of Badr in which 24 elites of Qurayesh were thrown. He stood by the pond calling them with their names and the names of their fathers saying, O so and so son of so and so! Did you find what your Lord promised as true? I found what my Lord promised me as true. So, they (the Companions) said, O Messenger of Allah! How do you talk to a people who are decaying? Meaning they became corpse. He sallallahu alayhe wa sallam said, You do not hear what I am saying better than them except that they cannot respond, or he said, they cannot return a saying. After that, the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam returned to Madinah as victorious, and all raises belongs to Allah. The third occasion: The victory of Makkah. Makkah was taken over by the polytheists. They ruined it with disbelief, polytheism, and sins. Therefore, Allah, the Most High, permitted His Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam to fight its people and allowed it for him for an hour from one day. After the victory, its sanctity returned to it like its sanctity before the victory. The Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam entered it on Friday on 20th day of Ramadan during the 8th year of Hijrah, as a winner and victor until he stood on the door of Kabah while the Qurayesh were below him waiting (to see) what he will do with them. So, he sallallahu alayhe wa sallam said to them, O Qurayesh! What do you think I will do with you? They said: Good, generous brother, and son of a generous brother. Thus, the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam said, Go for you are free. Hence, he favored upon them after having the power over them, and this is the pick of what could be from the manner and forgiveness. After presenting the occasions in this month upon us is to say:

What we should do in the Month of Ramadan? That which we should do in this blessed month are either obligatory or sunnah. As for the obligation, it is the fasting, and as for the sunnah, it is the night prayer. And the fasting we all know it is the abstinent from the nullifiers from the rising of the Fajr to the setting of the sun as a worship to Allah, its evidence is His, the Most High, saying, So now have sexual relations with them and seek that which Allah has ordained for you, and eat and drink until the white thread light - of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread darkness of night, then complete your fast till the nightfall (2:187). And the objective from the fasting is not to train the body to persevere upon the thirst, hunger, and hardship. However, it is to train the soul upon leaving the desired (materials) for the pleasure of the Beloved (Allah). And the desired (materials) left are the eating, drinking, and sexual relationship; these are the desires of the soul. The wisdom behind the obligatory fasting upon this Ummah Indeed! Allah, the Most High, has explained it in His saying, O you who believe! Observing the fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become the pious (2:183). And May become is here for the explanation, meaning: In order that you fear Allah. So, you leave what Allah forbade and carry out what Allah obligated. In the Sahih Al-Bukhari, it is reported from the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam that he said, Whoever does not leave off evil speech, acting according to it, and ignorance, Allah has no need that he leaves off his foods and drinks. Meaning that Allah does not want that we leave off the foods and drinks. He only wants from us that we leave off the evil speech, acting according to it, and ignorance. Therefore, it is recommended for the fasting person that if someone curses him while he is fasting or fights him, he should say, I am fasting, and he does not reply to him. Because if he were to reply to him, the first one will reply to him, then he will reply to him for the second time, then the first one will reply, then in this manner the fasting would all be cursing and fighting. However, if he said, I am fasting, then the one who cursed him and fought him will know that he is not incapable of fighting him back but what prevented him from that was the fasting. Thereafter, the first one would stop and feel ashamed and would not continue in cursing and fighting.

This is the wisdom from the obligation of fasting. If this is the case, then we should hasten to righteous action from dhikr, reading the Quraan, prayer, charity, goodness to creation, pleasant face, open heart, good manner, and all that we are able to cultivate ourselves with we should do that during the fasting. If the Muslim remains on this condition throughout the month, it is a must that it affects (him) and he wont leave the month except that his condition has changed. As a result, it is legislated at the end of the Month (Ramadan) that people give out Zakat Al-Fitr as purification of the soul because the soul is purified with righteous action and leaving of disobedient action. It is also purified with the spending of wealth. As a result, spending of wealth is called purification. The source: 48 questions about fasting by Shaykh Muhammad bin Saleh Al-Uthaymeen rahimahu Allah.

W h at sh o uld we d o in

Ramadan
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By: Shaykh Muhammad Saleh Al-Uthaymeen

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