The fourth of the five principles of Islam is to fast every day in the blessed month of Ramadân. The fast became fard on the tenth day of the month of Sha’bân eighteen months after the Hegira and a month before the Ghazâ (Holy War) of Bedr. Ramadân means to burn. Sins of those who fast and beg Allâhu ta’âlâ for forgiveness in this month, will burn and perish. It is written in the book Riyâd-un-nâsihîn that Hadrat Abû Hureyra ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ stated in the book Bukhârî[1]: Rasûlullah ’sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ declared, “When the month of Ramadân comes the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are tied.” Imâm-ulaimma Muhammad bin Is’haq bin Huzeyma writes that Hadrat Selmân-i-Fârisî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ narrated that Rasûlullah ‘sallAllâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ had declared in his khutba on the last day of the month of Sha’bân: “O Muslims! Such a great month is about to overshadow you that one night [Qadr night] in this month is more beneficial than a thousand months. Allâhu ta’âlâ has commanded fasting daily during this month. Also, it is a sunna to perform the namâz of tarâwih at nights during this month. Doing a small favour for Allah’s sake during this month is like doing the fard in other months. Doing the fard in this month is like doing seventy fards in other months. This month is the month of patience. The place where the patient person will go is Paradise. This month is the month of getting along well. There is an increase in the subsistence of Believers during this month. If a person gives iftâr to a fasting person in this month his sins will be forgiven. Allâhu ta’âlâ will manumit him from Hell-fire. And he will be given as many blessings as has that fasting person.” The Sahâba said, “O Rasûlallah! Each of us is not so rich as to give the iftâr to a fasting person or to give him a whole meal. The Messenger ‘’alaihi-s-salâm’ declared: “The blessings will be given even to a person who gives a date as the iftâr or who provides a little water to break the fast or who offers a little milk. This month is such a month that it has compassion in its early days, pardon and forgiveness in the middle, and liberation from Hell in the final days. Allâhu ta’âlâ will forgive and rescue from Hell-fire those
[1] Written by Bukhârî Muhammad bin Ismâ’îl ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaih’, (194 [810 A.D.], Bukhârâ – 256 [870], Semerqand.) Originally entitled Jâmi’i sahîh, it is one of the two greatest books of hadîth-isherîfs. [patrons, chiefs, commanders and directors] who facilitate the duties of [workers, civil servants, soldiers, and students]. Do four things very often in this month! Two of them Allâhu ta’âlâ loves very much. They are to say the Kalima-i-Shahâda and to say the istighfâr.[1] And the other two you have to do at all times. They are to ask for Paradise from Allâhu ta’âlâ and to trust yourself to Allâhu ta’âlâ to be protected from Hell. A person who gives water to a fasting person during this month will never be in need of water on the Rising Day.” A hadîth-i-sherîf which exists in Sahîh-i-Bukhârî declares: “If a person knows it as fard and as a duty to fast in the month of Ramadân and if he expects its thawâb from Allâhu ta’âlâ, his past sins will be pardonned.” That means to say that it is necessary to believe that fasting is Allah’s command and to expect blessings for it. It is a condition not to complain that the days are long or that it is difficult to fast. One should deem it good luck and a great fortune to fast with difficulty among people who do not fast. It is declared in a hadîth-i-sherîf, which is quoted from Jâbir ibn Abdullah ’radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anh’ by Abdul’azîm Munzirî, who was a hâfiz [savant of hadîth], in his book Etterghîb wetterhîb, and by hâfiz Ahmad Bayhakî in his book Sunan: “In Ramadân-i-sherîf Allâhu ta’âlâ bestows five gifts on my Umma, which He has not given to any other Prophet: 1 – The first night of Ramadân Allâhu ta’âlâ regards the Believers with Compassion. He never torments a born slave of His whom He regards with Compassion. 2 – At the time of iftâr the fasting person’s breath smells to Allâhu ta’âlâ more fragrant than any scent. 3 – During Ramadân angels pray day and night so that those who fast will be forgiven for their sins. 4 – In Ramadân Allâhu ta’âlâ allots a place in Paradise to give to those who fast. 5 – On the last day of Ramadân-i-sherîf He forgives the sins of all the Believers who have fasted.” Hadrat Imâm-i-Rabbânî ’quddisa sirruh’ states in the forty
[1] The istighfâr is a short invocation said for forgiveness of sins, for protection against disasters, harms and dangers, and for the acceptance of acts of worship. It is as follows: “Estaghfirullah al ’azîm al kerîm al-ledhî lâ illâha illâ Anta Huw-al Hayy al Qayyûma wa atubu ileyh.” fifth letter of the first volume of Maktûbât: “The thawâb given for all nâfila worships, such as supererogatory namâz, dhikr, and alms that are performed during the month of Ramadân-i-sherîf, is like that which is given for the fard worships performed during other months. One fard performed in this month is like seventy fard performed in other months. A person who serves (the meal called) iftâr to a fasting person will be forgiven his sins. He will be freed from Hell. Also, he will be given as many blessings as the fasting person is given, while the blessings of the fasting person will not decrease at all. Also, superiors who make things easier in this month so that people under their command can fast conveniently, will be forgiven their sins. They will be freed from Hell. During the month of Ramadân-i-sherîf Rasûlullah would manumit slaves and give whatever he was asked for. Those who perform worships and good deeds during this month are given the blessings for performing them all the year round. He who disrespects this month and commits sins in it spends the whole year committing sins. One must deem this month a good opportunity. One must perform as many worships as one can. One must perform the deeds that Allâhu ta’âlâ likes. One must take this month as an opportunity to earn the Hereafter. The Qur’ân al-kerîm was revealed during Ramadân. The night of Qadr[1] is in this month. It is sunna to make the iftâr [to break fast] with dates in Ramadân-isherîf. Some important sunnats during Ramadân are to say the prayer (Dhehebezzama’ wabtelletil urûk wa thaba-t-al-ejr inshâAllâhu ta’âlâ)[2] when making the iftâr [as noted in the Shalbî annotation to Tabyîn], to perform the namâz of tarâwîh, and to read the entire Qur’ân.”
THE FAST HAS THREE FARDS:
1 – Niyya (to intend);
2 – To know the earliest time of the niyya, as well as its latest time;
3 – To fend off the things that will break the fast starting from dawn (fajr sâdiq) up to sunset, [that is, within the shar’î day].[3]
[1] See ‘Sac red Nights’ in the se cond fas cic le of End less Bliss. [2] The meaning of this prayer is: “Time of hunger is over. It is time our veins attained water. Inshâ-Allâh, thawâb has ensued. [3] The word ‘shar’î’ is an ad jec ti ve. It me ans ‘that which is prescribed by the Is la mic Sharî’at. Please see the tenth chapter, Prayer Times, in the fourth fascicle of Endless Bliss.
Endless Bliss Page (51_53)
