:wilted_ro [CENTER]~*~ Doors of Paradise Open, Doors of Hell Closed ~*~ :wilted_ro
Arfajah said "We were with `Utbah Ibn Farqad while he was discussing
Ramadan. A companion of the Prophet entered upon the scene. When
`Utbah saw him, he became shy and stopped talking. The man (the
companion) spoke about Ramadan, saying "I heard the Messenger of
Allah say during Ramadan: 'The gates of Hell are closed, the gates
of Paradise are opened, and the devils are in chains. An angel calls
out : 'O you who intend to do good deeds, have glad tidings. O you
who intend to do evil, refrain, until Ramadan is completed.''"
(Ahmad and an-Nasa'i)
Fasting in Ramadan; a shield from Hell
The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) said : "When Allah created
Paradise and Hell-fire, He sent Jibreel (Gabriel) to Paradise,
saying: 'Look at it and at what I have prepared therein for its
inhabitants.' The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: 'So he came to it and
looked at it and at what Allah had prepared therein for its
inhabitants.' The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: 'So he returned to Him
and said: 'By your glory, no one hears of it without entering it.'
So He ordered that it be encompassed by forms of hardship, and He
said: 'Return to it and look at what I have prepared therein for its
inhabitants.'' The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: 'So he returned to it
and found that it was encompassed by forms of hardship. Then he
returned to Him and said: 'By Your glory, I fear that no one will
enter it.' He said: 'Go to Hell-fire and look at it and what I have
prepared therein for its inhabitants,' and he found that it was in
layers, one above the other. Then he returned to Him and said: 'By
Your glory, no one who hears of it will enter it.' So He ordered
that it be encompassed by lusts (or desires). Then He said: 'Return
to it.' And he returned to it and said: 'By Your glory, I am
frightened that no one will escape from entering it.''' (at-Tirmithi
and al-Hakim among others).
Therefore, when you know, O Dear Brother/Sister, that fasting
subdues the desires and reduces their severity, and that it is these
desires and lusts that lead to Hell Fire, then you will see how
fasting comes between a fasting person and Hell Fire and you will
rush to fast in Ramadan and after Ramadan in the best possible way.
The Holy Quran rather talks about the reward of fasting and there
are verses which general meaning infers that those who obey Allah
will be saved from Hell, and fasting is a form of obeying Allah. We
will leave the verses that talk about the reward to the section
related to Paradise. However, the Ahadith of our beloved Prophet
Mohammad (p.b.u.h.) are clear in this regard:
Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah, said: "No
servant fasts on a day in the path of Allah except that Allah
removes the Hell Fire seventy years further away from his face."
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri relates that the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.)
said : "Fasting is a shield with which a servant protects himself
from the Fire" (Ahmad, Sahih)
`Uthman Ibn Abil-`Aas relates that the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.)
said : "Whoever fasts a day in the way of Allah, Allah places
between him and the Fire a trench like that between heavens and the
earth". (at-Tirmithi and at-Tabarani, Sahih)
Abu Huraira narrated that Allah's Messenger (p.b.u.h.) said : "When
the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and
the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained." (Bukhari)
The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) said : "When it is the first night
of Ramadan the evil devils are chained. The gates of Fire are locked-
not a single gate is opened, and the gates of Paradise are opened-
not a single gate is locked, and a caller calls out: 'O seeker of
good come forward, and O seeker of evil withhold, and there are many
whom Allah frees from the Fire - and that is every night. (at-
Tirmithi, Ibn Majah, and Ibn Khuzaimah: Hasan)
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) climbed upon the
mimbar (pulpit) and said: "Aameen (O Allah grant it), aameen,
aameen". So it was said, 'O Messenger of Allah, you climbed upon the
mimbar and said: 'aameen, aameen, aameen'? So he said: 'Jibraa'eel,
`alaihi assalam, came to me and said, 'Whoever reaches the month of
Ramadan and does not have (his sins) forgiven and so enters Fire,
then may Allah distance him, say aameen'. So I said 'aameen''". (Ibn
Khuzaimah, Ahmad and al-Bayhaqi: Sahih)
Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of
Allah (p.b.u.h.) said: "In every day and every night, during the
month of Ramadan, there are people to whom Allah grants freedom from
the Fire, and there is for every Muslim a supplication which he can
make and will be granted". (al-Bazzaar, Ahmad and Ibn Majah: Sahih)
In the famous Hadith of Mu`ath, I said: "O Messenger of Allah, tell
me of an act which will take me into Paradise and keep me away from
Hell-Fire. He said: 'You have asked me about a major matter, yet it
is easy for him for whom Allah Almighty makes it easy. You should
fast in Ramadan.' Then he (the Prophet) said: 'Shall I not show you
the gates of goodness? Fasting is a shield.'" (at-Tirmithi)
We pray to Allah to make for us this Ramadan a shield from Hell
Fire.
Source:
www.ramadan.ws