WELCOME RAMADAN
All praise is due to Allah, Who has guided us to the straightest
path, Whom we ask to provide us with relentless non wearisome
determination, avert despair from our hearts, and strengthen hope
within our souls. Prayers and Peace of Allah be upon our Prophet
Muhammad, the one supported with the most evident sign, and the
brightest proof, and called to the true religion with the most
right argument and the most eloquent statement, and upon his family
and Companions. The glorious leaders, who opened the hearts with
their wisdom, and conquered the land with their arms.
Verily, Ramadan is the month
of patience, and the school of patience. Fasting itself habituates
and trains people on patience. That is why it is related from the
Messenger of Allah, Prayers and Peace of Allah be upon him, that he
named Ramadan the month of patience. In another Hadith, he, Prayers
and Peace of Allah be upon him, said: "fasting constitutes half the
patience." [Reported by Al-Tirmizi]
Patience is of
three kinds: patience
on obedience of Allah, patience on (being prevented) what is
prohibited by Allah, and patience on (enduring) the trials of
Allah: all of which are combined in fasting. In it, there is
patience on the obedience of Allah, patience (on being prevented)
from the desires prohibited by Allah to the fasting person, and
patience on the pain of hunger, thirst and weakness of the body the
fasting person suffers.
Furthermore, fasting
extraordinarily multiplied in reward, for it is Allah Almighty Who
rewards the fasting person by Himself. It is proven in both Sahihs
on the authority of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him,
from the Messenger of Allah, Prayers and Peace of Allah be upon
him, that he said: "Every deed of the son of Adam is worth ten to
seven hundred times in reward. Allah, Glory and exaltation be to
him, said: Except for fasting, it is for me, for which I give
rewards. He (the fasting person) abandons his (sexual) desire,
food, and drink for My sake." [Narrated by Muslim]
In his comment on that Hadith,
Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: "According to that
narration, fasting is then excluded from the deeds which are
multiplied (but with limited multiplication). All deeds multiplied
ten times, except for fasting, whose multiplication goes beyond
this limit: Allah Almighty multiplies it so many times
immeasurably. That is because Allah Almighty says: {Only those who
are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning}
[Surat Az-Zumar: 10]
Transliteration:
innama yuwaffa alssabiroona
ajrahum bighayri hisab
It seems clear to us how
important is the relation between fasting and patience, and how
fasting is a way to acquire the character of patience, which Allah
Almighty enjoined, raised in value, mentioned more often in His
Holy Book, praised those who abide by it, and promised them an
abundant reward with Him.
In
confirmation of that, He Almighty said:
{And endure you patiently (O
Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم), your patience is not but from
Allâh.} [Surat Al-Nahl: 127]
Transliteration:
Wasbir wama sabruka illa
billah
{And verily, whosoever shows
patience and forgives, that would truly be from the things
recommended by Allâh.} [Ash-Shura: 43]
Transliteration:
Walaman sabara waghafara inna
thalika lamin 'azmi al'omoor
{O you who believe! Endure and
be more patient (than your enemy)} [Surat Al-'Imran:
200]
Transliteration:
Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo
isbiroo wasabiroo warabitoo waittaqoo Allaha la'allakum
tuflihoona
{but give glad tidings to
As-Sâbirûn (the patient)} [Surat Al-Baqarah: 155]
Transliteration:
wabashshiri
alssabireena
The Messenger of Allah,
Prayers and Peace of Allah be upon him, said: "He, who seeks
patience, Allah Almighty provides him with patience; and none is
granted a grant greater and more extensive than patience."
[Reported by Al-Bukhari]
'Umar Ibn
Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, the Emir of Believers,
said: "We found the
best of our living through patience."
He further said: "We have
obtained the best of our living through patience; and were patience
to be a man, it would have been a generous one."
'Ali Ibn Abi
Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, the Commander of Believers,
said: "No doubt,
patience is a mount which never lapses."
Al-Hasan, may
Allah have mercy upon him, said: "Patience is one of the treasures of
goodness that is given by Allah only to a servant who is generous
in His Sight."
Thus, the fasting person who
seeks the reward (for his fasting) of Allah learns many lessons in
patience because of his fasting. During his fasting, he abandons
food, drink and (sexual) desire, thereby availing himself of a
great lesson in patience, as he gets accustomed to wean himself
from its desires and inclinations.
The fasting person who seeks
the reward (for his fasting) of Allah is he who, being harmed or
insulted, would neither grow angry, nor requite the abuse with the
like of it, nor become disconcerted. As if saying to him who harms
or abuses him: "Do what you like to do, since I pledged my Lord,
with my fasting, to keep my tongue and organs (from obscenity):
then, how should I break my pledge and abuse you as you have abused
me."
{"If you do stretch your hand
against me to kill me, I shall never stretch my hand against you to
kill you : for I fear Allâh, the Lord of the 'Âlamîn
(mankind, jinn, and all that exists)."} [Surat Al-Ma'ida:
28]
Transliteration:
Lain basatta ilayya yadaka
litaqtulanee ma ana bibasitin yadiya ilayka liaqtulaka innee akhafu
Allaha rabba al'alameen
The fasting person who seeks
the reward (for his fasting) of Allah is never infuriated for the
most trifling reasons. like those who do not get themselves armed
with patience, thinking fasting to be but a kind of punishment and
deprivation, thereupon they blow out and grow exasperated and
nervous. On the contrary, the fasting person who seeks the reward
(for his fasting) of Allah is always calmed, tranquil, and well
pleased.
The fasting person who seeks
the reward (for his fasting) of Allah always averts the spirit of
boredom, because his fasting is only for the Sake of Allah, his
patience is for the Sake of Allah, and his reward is incumbent upon
Allah.
Similarly, the fasting nation
that seeks the reward of Allah learns discipline and patience on
order, and liberation from the captivity of habits.
It is obvious then how fasting
is effective in the acquisition of the character of patience,
which, if one gets adorned with, he would be entitled to prosper in
his life, present much good to his ummah, and leave in it a great
trace. However, in the absence of patience, then how rapid he
weakens and becomes pointless!
Therefore, man, willingly or
unwillingly, should be patient, for he is inevitably exposed to
many trials along his life, within himself by illness, in his
property by wasting, in his children by death, or in his public
life through wars, and their consequences of losing a lot of his
usual needs. If he does not habituate himself to patience to such
sufferings, and dispense with his familiar needs, surely, he would
fall a victim of those incidents.
That is just the state of man
with desires, which are made charming in his eyes, induce him, and
seem to him in every way. Unless he has a deterrent of patience and
faith, he would be on the verge of decline.
He, who stands up for the call
to reform, and comes to grips with defense of the truth, is in dire
need for patience, and adapt with adversities, for he is to face a
very difficult pass which none could break in but he, who is
endowed with great endeavor. Surely, there are, from among the
invalidators and corruptors, transgressors, reckless fools and
foul-tongued persons, let alone these who are ready to strike with
their hands, and seek after falsehood with their feet. The more the
Da'iyah (caller) to the truth and reform is patient and ready to
endure the loss of a beloved or the confrontation of an adversity,
the greater his endeavor is. The men of truth then should be
patient on calling the people, and patient in expectation of
outcomes, for to be hasty in getting the outcomes may lead to
reverse results, whose harm is more than advantage. If patience,
therefore, is relied on in every affair, it would help the Da'iyah
(caller) go on work, and cause the springs of determination and
firmness to gush forth within him.
I mean the patience that is
armed with the great hope, and confidence of Him in Whose Hand is
the dominion of all things; and not the patience of the desperate
who has no way but to be patient, nor of him who submits and
humiliates himself to others than his Lord Almighty.
Summing up, patience is one of
the greatest moral characters, and the noblest acts of worship. The
best of patience, which has the most favorable consequence, is the
patience on compliance with the order of Allah Almighty, and
abstain from what Allah has forbidden. That is because with it, one
becomes sincere in his obedience to Allah, his faith valid, and his
reward due. The one with little patience on obedience has no
portion in his piety, nor a share in his
righteousness.
It is of praiseworthy patience
to persevere the failure to fulfill an expected desire, or attain a
hoped pleasure. Indeed, patience on it helps one forget it; and it
is unwise to show regret after despair.
It is of beautiful patience to
persevere a scary terror or an expected catastrophe feared to take
place. One should not hasten to be worried about that which has not
come yet, for most worries are false, and most terrors are
repelled.
It is of good patience to
persevere any adversity that has befallen you, for by patience on
that, the closed gates are open. {And those who, when they have
committed Fâhishah (illegal sexual intercourse) or wronged
themselves with evil, remember Allâh and ask forgiveness for their
sins; - and none can forgive sins but Allâh - and do not persist in
what (wrong) they have done, while they know.} [Surat Al-'Imran:
135]
Transliteration:
Waallatheena itha fa'aloo
fahishatan aw thalamoo anfusahum thakaroo Allaha faistaghfaroo
lithunoobihim waman yaghfiru alththunooba illa Allahu walam
yusirroo 'ala ma fa'aloo wahum ya'lamoona
Disgraced be he, and disgraced
be he, who Ramadan approaches him, and then his sins have not been
forgiven. Why? Because it is an opportunity, which may never
neither reoccur nor come upon him once again (during his
lifetime).
The question
which has occurred to my mind since I started writing those lines
is:
Who would repent in
Ramadan?
When would he return to Allah,
who has not returned in Ramadan? When? When?
O
Muslims {And be not
like her who undoes the thread which she has spun, after it has
become strong} [Surat Al-Nahl: 92]
Transliteration:
Wala takoonoo kaallatee
naqadat ghazlaha min ba'di quwwatin ankathan
A month having such
characteristics and merits is worthy of causing people to shed
tears for leaving it, and fret in sigh for seeing it
off.
Oh Ramadan be gentle, the
tears of lovers are flowing, and their hearts are about to burst,
out of severe pain for leaving it! it may be that a pause for
farewell would extinguish the burning fire of
yearning.
It may be that
before departure***we would get all good we wish!
It may be that
a broken would be mended, a repentant released***a sinner accepted
and a wretched become happy!
What has happened has
happened, and the above written; and Allah Almighty is Most High,
and has the best knowledge; and to attribute knowledge to Allah is
safer. Prayers and Peace of Allah be upon Mohammad and upon his
family and companions.
Translated by
Wathakker.net website
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