10 Divine Virtues of Ramadan
Allah,
the Exalted, has Favored certain times over others. He made Friday superior to
all other days, the Night of Decree
superior to all other nights, and the month of Ramadan superior to all other
months.
Among the
distinctions of Ramadan is that Allah Mentioned it explicitly in the Quran and
designated for it a specific act of worship—fasting—which is
one of the pillars of Islam. Thus, in Ramadan, the
honor of time is combined with the increase of faith through worship of the
Most Generous, the Bestower.
Virtues and Blessings of the Holy Month of Ramadan
Among the
virtues of the month of Ramadan are the following:
1- The Quran Was Revealed in Ramadan
Allah
Says, {Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity
with clear proofs of guidance and the decisive authority.} [Al-Baqarah 2:185]
In Musnad
Ahmad, from Wathilah Ibn Al-Asqa`, the Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) said: “The
Scriptures of Ibrahim were revealed on the first night of Ramadan, the Torah
was revealed after six nights had passed of Ramadan, the Gospel was revealed
after thirteen nights had passed of Ramadan, and the Furqan (the Quran) was
revealed after twenty-four nights had passed of Ramadan.”
2- Fasting Was Made Obligatory in Ramadan
Allah,
the Almighty, Says, {Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was
revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and the decisive
authority. So whoever is present this month, let them fast.} [Al-Baqarah 2:185]
3- It Contains the Night of Decree (Laylat Al-Qadr)
Allah Honored
the Ummah of Islam with the Night of Decree (Laylat Al-Qadr) and Placed it
within Ramadan. He Granted it immense virtues. Allah Says, {Indeed, ˹it is˺ We ˹Who˺ sent this ˹Quran˺ down on the Night of Glory. And what will make
you realize what the Night of Glory is? The Night of Glory is better than a
thousand months. That night the angels and the ˹holy˺ spirit descend, by
the permission of their Lord, for every ˹decreed˺ matter. It is all
peace until the break of dawn.} [Al-Qadr
97:1-5]
Al-Bukhari
and Muslim narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) said: “He
who passes Lailat Al-qadr [Night of Decree] in prayer with faith and seeking
his reward from God will have his past sins forgiven.”
In Sunan
Ibn Majah, with an authenticated chain of narration by Al-Albani, Anas Ibn
Malik reported that when Ramadan entered, the Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) said: “This
month has come to you, and it contains a night which is better than a thousand
months. He who is deprived of it is deprived of all good, but only those who
are denied prosperity are deprived of it.”
4- The Gates of Paradise Are Opened, the Gates of Hell
Are Closed, and the Devils Are Chained
Al-Bukhari
and Muslim narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) said: “When
there comes the month of Ramadan, the gates of mercy are opened, and the gates
of Hell are locked and the devils are chained.”
5- The Gates of Mercy Are Opened
Muslim
narrated in his Sahih from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) said: “When
it is the month of Ramadan, the gates of mercy are opened.”
6- The Gates of Heaven Are Opened and Supplications Are
Answered
In the
midst of the verses about fasting in the Quran, Allah Says, {When My servants ask you ˹O Prophet˺ about Me: I am
truly near. I respond to one’s prayer when they
call upon Me. So let them respond ˹with obedience˺ to Me and believe
in Me, perhaps they will be guided ˹to the Right Way˺.} [Al-Baqarah 2:186]
Among the
secrets of this verse appearing within the fasting verses is the affirmation
that supplication in Ramadan is answered.
Al-Bukhari
narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) said: “When
Ramadan begins the gates of heaven are opened.”—meaning for the
acceptance of supplications.
In Sunan
Ibn Majah and At-Tirmidhi, from Abu Hurairah, the Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) said: “There
are three whose supplications are not turned back: A just ruler, and a fasting
person until he breaks his fast. And, the supplication of one who has been
wronged.”
7- Sins Are Forgiven in Ramadan
Al-Bukhari
and Muslim narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) said: “He
who fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from God will have
his past sins forgiven.”
Muslim
also narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) said: “The
five (daily) prayers and from one Friday prayer to the (next) Friday prayer,
and from Ramadhan to Ramadhan are expiations for the (sins) committed in
between (their intervals) provided one shuns the major sins.”
`Umar
(may Allah be pleased with him) used to say when Ramadan entered: “Welcome to
our purifier.” (1)
Regarding
the reason for naming Ramadan, Al-Qadi Abu At-Tayyib said:
“It was named Ramadan because it burns sins.” (2)
8- A Month of Emancipation from the Fire
Ibn Majah
and At-Tirmidhi narrated, with an authenticated chain of narration by
Al-Albani, from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) said: “When
the first night of Ramadan comes, the satans and mischievous jinns are chained
up, and the gates of the Fire are closed, and none of its gates are opened. The
gates of Paradise are opened and none of its gates are closed. And a caller
cries out: ‘O seeker of good, proceed, O seeker of evil, stop.’ And Allah has
necks (people) whom He frees (from the Fire), and that happens every day.”
9- The Blessing of Time in Ramadan
It is
known that Ramadan is the best of months, for Allah has Blessed its time,
multiplying deeds within it beyond other months.
Charity
in Ramadan is superior to other times. In Sunan
At-Tirmidhi, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked: “Which charity is best?” He replied: “Charity in Ramadan.”
`Umrah in
Ramadan is superior to other times. In Sahih
Al-Bukhari and Muslim, Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that
when the Prophet (peace be upon him) returned after performing his Hajj, he
asked Um Sinan Al-Ansari, “What did forbid you to perform Hajj?” She replied,
“Father of so-and-so (i.e. her husband) had two camels and he performed Hajj on
one of them, and the second is used for the irrigation of our land.” The
Prophet (peace be upon him) said (to her), “Perform `Umra in the month of Ramadan, (as it is
equivalent to Hajj or Hajj with me (in reward).”
10- The Month of Patience, and the Reward of Patience Is
Paradise
In
Ramadan, the Muslim trains himself in all types of patience. The
fasting person is patient in obedience by performing it, patient in refraining
from sin, and patient in enduring hunger, thirst, and desires.
Thus, the
reward is immense. Allah Says, {Only those who
endure patiently will be given their reward without limit.} [Az-Zumar 39:10]
In Sahih
Al-Bukhari and Muslim, from Abu Hurairah, the Prophet (peace be
upon him) said that Allah said: “The Fast is for Me and I will give the reward for it”
For Further Reading:
- Can Fasting Ramadan Erase Major Sins?
- Impact of Ramadan on Behavior
- 4 Essential Steps to Prepare Your Soul for Ramadan
-------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes:
1-
Tanbih Al-Ghafilin by As-Samarqandi, p. 321.
2-
Irshad As-Sari Li-Sharh Sahih Al-Bukhari (3/349).
