:salam: Brothers & Sisters
As-siyaam or Sawm in Arabic means to 'abstain from something' and in Sharia it refers to abstain from food and drink from dawn to sunset in the month of Ramadhan fulfilling the third pillar of Islam for seeking the pleasure of our Creator, Allah. Like Salat fasting is obligatory on all, poor or rich unlike zakat and haj which are a must only for the rich or affordable. But the Sick, aged, pregnant ,travellers etc have some concessions by feeding one poor person for every day or fasting the missed fasts later accordingly(applicable differently case by case) and is obligatory as well. Ramadhan is a month of VIRTUES when Allah
rewards us 70 times more for a deed done in months other than Ramadhan. Its like you spend one $ and get rewards of spending 70 $ iow
Buy 1 get free 69 iow its Allah , Al Wahab, The Most Genourous's offered Mega Sale which you would never find any where on the Globe and no wonder Muslims try to pay their Annual Zakat in this month, to get virtues 70 times more (upto 700 times) though it can be paid at any time of the year. let see some verses of Quran on this topic.
Quran 2:183 ''O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious and righteous persons who fear Allah much- abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden)
Quran 2:185 '' Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgement (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful.''
Fasting is an act that shows one 's sincerity to his Lord since its a secret between oneself and his lord and others cannot know it if he had really fasted or not except Allah, the All aware. So Allah swt says in a Hadith bukhari
'' He leaves his food, drink and desires for my sake . Fasting is for mysake and I will reward it. And every good deed will be rewarded ten- fold''
and in another hadith Sayyidina Salman radhiyallahu anh reports: "On the last day of Sha'baan, the Messenger of ALLAH addressed us and said:
"O People! There comes upon you now a great month, a most blessed month in which lies a night greater in worth than one thousand months. It is a month in which ALLAH has made compulsory that the fasting should be observed by day; and He has made the standing (taraweeh) by night a sunnah. Whosoever tries drawing nearer to ALLAH by performing any virtuous deed in this month, for him shall be such reward as if he had performed a Fard in any other time of the year. And whoever performs a Fard for him shall be the reward of seventy Fard in any other time of the year. This is indeed a month of patience, and the reward for true patience is Jannah; it is the month of sympathy with one's fellowmen; it is the month wherein a true believer's rizq is increased. Whosoever feeds a fasting person in order to break the fast, for him there shall be forgiveness of his sins and emancipation from the fire of Jahannam and for him shall be the same reward as for him (whom he fed) without that person's reward being diminished in the least."
Thereupon we said: "Oh Messenger of ALLAH not all of us possess the means whereby we can provide enough for a fasting person to break his fast."
The Messenger of ALLAH replied:
"ALLAH grants this same reward to him who gives a fasting person a single date or a drink of water or a sip of milk to break the fast. This is a month, the first part of which brings ALLAH'S Mercy, the middle of which brings His Forgiveness and the last part of which brings emancipation from the fire of Jahannam. Whosoever lessens the burden of his servants in this month, ALLAH will forgive him and free him from the fire of Jahannam.
And in this month, four things you should endeavour to perform in great number, two of which shall be to please your Lord, while the other two shall be those without which you cannot make do. Those which shall be to please your Lord, are that you should in great quantity recite the shahaadah Laa ilaaha ilALLAH and make much Istighfaar. And as for those two without which you cannot make do, you should beg ALLAH for entry into paradise and seek refuge with Him from the fire of Jahannam.
And whoever gave a person who fasted, water to drink ALLAH shall grant him a drink from my fountain such a drink whereafter he shall never again feel thirsty until he enters Jannah." "
The Prophet
was very merciful and did not curse even the people of Taif who stoned and chased him away for preaching Islam but was COMPELLED to Curse these three kinds of people by the archangel angel Gibraeel (alihisalam) when climbing the three steps of Pulpit on a friday prayer. they are
1) those people who got the chance to live in Ramadhan but did not utilise(worship) it to expiate their sins or achieve maghfirat
let them be destroyed.
2) those people who got the chance to have their father or Mother in their old age and did not serve them to achieve maghfirat
let them be destroyed.
3) those who heared the Name of Prophet Muhammad
and did not recite salawat (means
or salalahu alaihi wasalam)
let them be destroyed too. (we have too many favours on us of our Nabi
to take his name lightly)
May A
llah swt gives us good health and time to do maximum Ibadah and receive maghfirath by the Mercy of Allah in this month of ramadhan, Ameen