Receiving Ramadan
Since 2012-11-29
My dear brother, in few days a dear guest, a generous month, and a great season shall visit us. It is the month that Allah has singled out from all months with honor and gave it special tribute.
In the name of Allah and all praise be to Him, and prayers and peace of Allah be upon the noblest of Allah's creation, Muhammad ibn Abdullah and upon his family and companions and all his allies.
My dear brother, in few days a dear guest, a generous month, and a great season shall visit us. It is the month that Allah has singled out from all months with honor and gave it special tribute. It is the month during which the Quran has been revealed. Fasting the month was dictated, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has recommended its night prayers. It is the month of blessings, the month of fasting, night prayers and Quran recitation. The month of emancipation and forgiveness, the month of charity and kindness. It is a month in which the rewards of good deeds are doubled and sins are lapsed as if they have never been done. A month in which invocations are responded to, ranks are promoted, bad deeds are forgiven, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hellfire are closed, and devils are fettered.
Brother: A month of some these virtues, does not it entail that we should welcome it with joy and happiness, and absolute determination to fast and perform night prayers. Is not it behooving that we hurry to undertake good deeds during this month and hasten to repent sincerely of all sins, evil deeds and everything that affects the fasting, such as idle talk, manipulation, and performing everything that is prohibited.
Should not we take advantage of every minute of it, undertaking great deal of good deeds, such as reciting the Qur'an, dhikr, prayer, charity, supplication, and other acts of worship?
This is a great month, Allah has made it as an arena for His servants to compete towards Him with all types of obedience, and rival among themselves with all types of good deeds. It is one month per year; will we deprive ourselves from striving and performing a lot of good deeds and acts of worship?
Muslim Brother: the month of Ramadan has a great place in our true Religion: Islam. It is the fourth pillar of this religion. It also has a very great purpose, Allah Almighty has clarified in His holy Book; that is piety, Allah has said: {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-Muttaqûn} [Surat Al-Baqarah 2:183]
{يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ} البقرة: 183
Transliteration: Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo kutiba AAalaykumu alssiyamu kama kutiba AAala allatheena min qablikum laAAallakum tattaqoona
The purpose of fasting is not self-punishment or starvation but it is intended to piety and the training and refining of the believing soul, raising its degree, getting it accustomed to liberation from desires and pleasures, and taming it to be patient and to tolerate pains and avoid the forbidden and the prohibited, and to rise above all aspects of animality whose main concern is just eating, drinking and the satisfaction of sexual instinct. The piety of Allah is to follow His orders and to avoid his prohibitions.
My brother: you should know that reaching Ramadan is a great blessing to the one who has caught up with it, the one who has undertaken its duties by returning to his Lord, repenting from disobeying Him into performing acts of obedience, and from heedlessness to Him into keeping His remembrance.
Brother: The legitimate fasting is not restricted to avoiding food and drinks as many people think, but it is to prevent limbs from committing sins and acts disobedience. So a person has to be aware of this and to avoid all that could violate fasting, reduce rewards and anger Allah Glorified and Exalted; including all sins; such as neglecting prayers, taking usury, doing injustice, disobeying parents and severing relations with relatives, backbiting, gossiping, lying, perjury, smoking, listening to music and watching the prohibited in television, and the like, and other things that Allah forbids. In this way the meaning of fasting is correctly performed.
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