RAMADAN – WELCOMING A BLESSED MONTH!
For the next four weeks then, Muslims would be at their most pious and dedicated. Ramadan is a month of intense celebration of our Muslim culture and heritage which transcend borders. It is a heritage beyond any one nationality, any one nation. It is a symbol of Islam International. And what a month!Whatever a Muslim’s […]
For the next four weeks then, Muslims would be at their most pious and dedicated. Ramadan is a month of intense celebration of our Muslim culture and heritage which transcend borders. It is a heritage beyond any one nationality, any one nation. It is a symbol of Islam International. And what a month!
Whatever a Muslim’s frailties and faults (and don’t we all have them), it is expected that if he (and she) were to reach and fast the month of Ramadan, the abundance of Allah’s afwa and rahma (forgiveness and mercy) during the month will suffice him (and her). The Prophet of Islam Muhammad, upon whom be peace, in a hadith narrated by Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) and recorded by Bukhari (may Allah forgive him), has said, ”Whoever observes fasts during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping to attain Allah’s reward, then all his past sins will be forgiven.”
Allah the Exalted has said, through Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace: “All actions a human being does are for himself except Fasting. It is done for My sake, and I will give a reward for it, and the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times.” The Prophet added: “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of Mercy are opened and the gates of Hell are locked and the devils are chained.” And he also said: “There are two pleasures for the fasting person; one at the time of breaking his fast [Iftar], and the other at the time when he will meet Allah, then he will be pleased because of his fasting.” (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 128).
Iftar time is a time for family reunion, a time for a feast, a time of enjoyment. Alas! Only for those that can afford it. There is inflation in the land, we all know. All the ‘accessories’ to Iftar are dear in both meanings – egg has become more expensive (costing, it is said, about Thirty Naira apiece! In the laywoman’s language, a crate is beyond-reachable). So has the price of sugar. And of rice. And even millet, the precursor of kunu. Not to talk of cooking gas and kerosene. These are essentials a fasting people would need and want to see the availability and affordability of during Ramadan. Alas! These items may be available, but affordable only to a few.
During Ramadan, any and all charity is encouraged. It is reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, was naturally the most generous of people, but he used to be more generous than ever in the month of Ramadan (as reported in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 126).
Whatever Allah the Exalted has given us in the way of sustenance during this Ramadan, we should try to give generously. Every time a servant of Allah gives something in charity, Allah eases his physical and spiritual conditions. He expands for him His sustenance. Sadaqah, charity, does not only have to be monetary. It can also be a good deed, such as helping another person for the sake of Allah and without expecting any reward from the person.
The Prophet, upon whom be peace, has said: “This is the month of charity in which believer’s sustenance is increased. Whosoever feeds a fasting person or gives a fasting person a single date [dabino] or a sip of water to break the fast, for him there shall be forgiveness of his sins and he will be saved from the fire of hell, and for him shall be the same reward as for him (whom he fed), without diminishing the reward of him who fasted”. (Tirmidhi Hadith 1965).
Ramadan should reinforce in us the spirit of giving and mutual help in society. Many of us do not remember the old woman down the road; she who had been the good friend of our long-departed grandmother, until it is Ramadan. We remember her during Ramadan, and we give her some sugar and some rice, and perhaps a piece of atamfa. Wallahi this is a good thing. But for Ramadan, many of us may have forgotten all about her.
Ramadan inspires love and tightens links among the family, both near and far. Happily, during Ramadan our attitudes change automatically, and the family members meet more than they used to do. Charity and mutual help occupy a remarkable place, and brotherhood and equality triumph. Allah says: “For those who spend their wealth in the cause of God, and do not follow up their gifts with reminders or with injury, their reward is with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (Qur’an 2:262).
Allah explains that the money we spend in His Cause will be doubled and multiplied for us, and that this will be profitable for us both now and in the hereafter. The only condition, however, that Allah sets for the attainment of this reward is that the benefactor should not remind those who receive his support of his benefaction to them.
Because of the great reward for feeding a fasting person, in many places Iftar is served in mosques, with the food donated or brought by individuals to share. This contact between the various levels of society helps to create a real bond of brotherhood in the community. Even if one cannot afford to give something tangible, even a smile is considered charity in Islam.
And this Ramadan, we mourn someone who has, through his writings, canvassed for unity in moon-sighting among Muslims – Shaikh Muhammad Sani Isa Hadejia, Imam Khams Salawat of Bayero University, Kano, who died a few weeks ago. The late Shaikh’s well-researched 2009 book “TACKLING THE CONTROVERSIES GENERATED BY MOON-SIGHTINGS…” will remain a legacy and a sadaqa jariya for him, in sha Allah. May Allah forgive him.
Finally, a reader of this Column, Mustafa Adamu ([email protected]) composed and sent in a poem he titled
Welcome, Ramadan. Enjoy:
Here is a Guest, Dear Believer,
A herald of mercy and a sin-reliever.
It comes around to make us pure
And our diseases it does cure.
It stays with us for nine and twenty
Blessed nights and days, or thirty.
Let’s honour it with dhikr and fast
From its first day reaching the last.
Chained are the devils, closed is Hell,
And Paradise open for whoever does well.
Fellow Believers! Let’s show gratitude
To Allah for this favour, rare an absolute.
His injunctions we must obey
Both during and after its pleasant stay
O The Merciful! We ask for Thy bliss
In this Ramadan let the blessings not cease.
And from your Columnist, A sha ruwa lafiya!