Ahlan The Holy Month Of Ramadan-Al-Kareem

n the Name of Allah, Most compassionate, Most Merciful. All praises be to Allah (s.w.t), the Lord of all mankind, and all that exist. May peace and praises of Allah (s.w.t)  be upon our Master and Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.w) and his Pure Progeny (a.s), faithful followers, and all martyrs and combatants for Allah’s (s.w.t) teachings, since the birth of Adam(a.s) until the Day of Judgment.

Allah (s.w.t) Says in Quran-al-Kareem:

Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgement (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful. (2:185)

Let us all raise hands 4 dua dat this Holy Month brings prosperity n unity amongst the Muslim Ummah bring disgrace to the enemies of Islam and Ahlul-Bait(A.s) who are  in reality the enmies of Allah (s.w.t) I would here like 2 quote an excerpt from a dua of our Mola Syed-e-Sajaydeen Imam Zain-ul-Abideen(a.s):

Praise be to God who ordained His month, the month of Ramadan, the month of fasts, the month of Islam the month of purity, the month of purification and the month of standing up (for prayer) to be one of those paths. O Lord, bless Mohammad and His Aal (family) and inspire us to know its excellence and honor its dignity, and to abstain from whatever Thou hast forbidden in it; and help us to observe its fasts, by restraining our limbs from disobeying Thee and employing them in that which would please Thee.

O Lord, I beg Thee for the sake of this month, and for the sake of him who adored Thee in it, from its beginning to the time of its closing, whether he belonged to the class of angels whom Thou didst advance to nearness, or of prophets whom Thou didst send, or of pious servants whom Thou didst distinguish, to bless Muhammad and his Aal (family) and make us, in this month, worthy of that which Thou hast promised to Thy friend out of Thy bounty; and entitled us to that to which Thou hast entitled those who are most diligent in Thy service; and place us in the class of those who deserve high and exalter (rank) by Thy mercy.

One shud try to be closer 2 Allah (s.w.t) as one can through  repentence and astaghfaar, as acc. to a narration Imam Jaffer-e-Sadiq (a.s) has said that the person who is not granted forgiveness in this holy month then he won’t b forgiven till the next Ramadan only if he goes to Arafa.

Imam Jaffer-e-Sadiq (a.s) has said in his Will about what He considers essential for the authenticity of fasting beautifully I’ll quote some of them:

"The fast observer should consider himself as Hereafter's traveller, should remain in the state of humility, fear, self-degradation, and like a servant fearing his master, should remain afraid of Allah; his heart should remain pure from defects and contamination, and his inner-self should be free from everything except Allah; must sacrifice his entire friendship and intentions for Him and must purify his heart from all other friendships except Allah's; must surrender his eyes and soul to Him; must commit his soul for His remembrance; must utilize his body in Allah's path and must keep it distant apart especially the tongue from all sorts of sins and indecencies. shouldn’t quarrel nor be jealous, shouldn’t complain about others,don’t swear even if true .Don’t  say any such thing which should not be said. Keep silent instead.Be patient.consider yourself closer to the Hereafter. Keep waitin for the Re-apperance of Qaim-e-Aal-e-Mohammad (a.t.f.s) and be hopeful of the reward of the Hereafter.

 Whoever has observed these limitations had indeed carried out his obligations of fasting properly, and whoever has shown negligence to discharge these obligations has wasted his fast and would not be benefited from its reward."

We must think about musts which Imam al-Sadiq [a.s] in this narration has considered essential for a fast observer, so that we may appreciate the advantages and blessings incorporated therein. For example, a fast observer who consider himself as a Hereafter's traveller - a traveller who is nearing his final destination - obviously will not be interested in worldly allurements, and will not pay attention towards anything except collection of provisions for his eternal journey. Or for example, a fast observer who is in a state of humility and heart-brokenness would not be interested in anything, except attaching himself to Allah (the Glorious, the Exalted), and would be pleased with His remembrance. "Man mata walam yaarifu Imamul Zaman mata mita Jahilia." “Whosoever dies without recognizing the Imam of his time dies the death of the jahiliyyah.”  The Holy Prophet (s.a.w)

- Musnad Ahmad

And the fast observer who has surrendered his body and soul absolutely to Allah (the Glorious, the Exalted), wouldn't care for anything except Him, inevitably his soul and body, self and conscience, and his entire existence would be filled with Allah's remembrance, love, worship, and servitude. And the fasting of someone like him is the fasting of favourites. (I swear by Allah in the name of His favourite and friends that may He bless us with the grace of undertaking such a fast at least once in lifetime).

        The Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) in his Sermon on welcoming the month of        Ramadan says:

O People! The month of Allah (Ramadan) has approached you with His mercy and blessings. This is the month that is the best of all months in the estimation of Allah. Its days are the best among the days; its nights are the best among the nights. Its hours are the best among the hours.

This is a month in which he has invited you. You have been, in this month, selected as the recipients of the honors of Allah, the Merciful. In this holy month, when you breathe, it has the Sawab/thawab (heavenly reward) of 'Tasbeeh' (the praise of Allah on rosary beads), and your sleep has the thawab of worship.

Your good deeds are accepted in this month. So are your invocations. Therefore, you must invoke your Lord, in right earnest, with hearts that are free from sins and evils, that Allah may bless you, observe fast, in this month, and recite the Holy Qur'an.

Verily! The person who may not receive the mercy and benevolence of Allah in this month must be very unfortunate having an end as bad (in the Hereafter). While fasting, remember the hunger and thirst of tomorrow in Qiyamat. Give alms to the poor and the needy. Pay respects to your elders.

Have pity on those younger than you and be kind towards your relatives and kinsmen. Guard your tongues against unworthy words, and your eyes from such scenes that are not worth seeing (forbidden) and your ears from such sounds that should not be heard by you.

Be kind to orphans so that when your children become orphans they also may be treated with kindness. Do invoke that Allah may forgive your sins. Do raise your hands at the time of Salat (Prayers), as it is the best time for asking His mercy. When we invoke at such times, we are answered by Him, when we call Him, He responds, and when we ask for anything, it is accepted by Him.

O People! You have made your conscience the slave of your desires; make it free by invoking Him for Istighfar (repentance/forgiveness). Your back is breaking under the heavy load of your sins, so prostrate before Him for long intervals and make it lighter.

Do understand fully well that Allah has promised in the name of His Majesty and Honor that He will not take to task such people who fast and offer Salat in this month and perform 'sajda' (prostration), and will guard their bodies against the Fire of Hell on the Day of Judgment.

O People! If anybody amongst you arranges for the 'Iftar' (food for the ending of the fast) of any believer, then Allah will give him a reward as if he has set free a slave. He will forgive his minor sins.

Then the companions of the Prophet (S.A.W.W) said: "But everybody amongst us does not have the means to do so?"

The Prophet (S.A.W.W) told them: - Keep yourself away from the Fire of Hell, by inviting for 'Iftar', though it may consist of only half a date or simply with water if you have nothing else. O People! Anybody who may cultivate good manners in this month will walk over the 'Siraat' (Bridge) in 'Qiyamat', though his feet may be shaking.

Anybody who in this month may take light work from his servants (male or female), Allah will make easy his accounting on the Day of Judgment.

Anybody who does not tease others in this month, Allah will keep him safe from His wrath in Qiyamat. Anybody, who respects and treats an orphan with kindness in this month, Allah shall look at him with dignity in Qiyamat. Anybody who treats well his kinsmen, in this month, Allah will bestow His mercy on him in Qiyamat, while anybody who maltreats his kinsmen in this month, Allah will keep him away from His mercy, in Qiyamat.

Whoever offers 'Sunnat' (Recommended) prayers in this month, Allah will give him a certificate of freedom from Hell. Whosoever offers one 'Wajib' Salat in this month, for him the Angels will write the rewards of 70 such prayers, which were offered by him in any other months.

Whosoever recites repeatedly 'Salat and salam' on me, Allah will keep the scales of his deeds heavy, when in Qiyamat the scales of others will be tending towards lightness.

Whosoever recites in this month only one 'Ayat' (verse of the Holy Qur'an), he will be rewarded in a manner as if he had recited the full Qur'an in the other months.

O People! The Gates of Paradise remain opened in this month. Do invoke that the gates may not be closed on you, while the Gates of Hell are closed. Do invoke that these gates may never be opened. During this month Shaytan (Satan) is imprisoned so ask your Lord not to let him have power over you.

I wud like 2 end this with an excerpt from Mola Sajjad’s(may our souls be his ransom) beautiful dua Of the knowers :

My God, place us among those within the gardens of whose breasts the trees of yearning for Thee have taken firm root and the assemblies of whose hearts have been seized by the ardour of Thy love! They seek shelter in the nests of meditation, feed upon the gardens of nearness and disclosure, drink from the pools of love with the cup of gentle favour, and enter into the watering-places of warm affection. The covering has been lifted from their eyes, the darkness of disquiet has been dispelled from their beliefs and their innermost minds, the contention of doubt has been negated from their hearts and their secret thoughts, their breasts have expanded through the verification of true knowledge, their aspirations have ascended through precedent good fortune in renunciation, their drinking is sweet from the spring of devotion to good works, their secret thoughts are delicious in the sitting-place of intimacy, their minds are secure in the place of terror, their souls are serene through the return to the Lord of lords, their spirits have reached certitude through triumph and prosperity, their eyes have been gladdened through gazing upon their Beloved, their settling place has been settled through reaching the request and attaining the expectation, and their commerce has profited through the sale of this world for the next!

Innallahay wa mala'ikatu yusalluna 3alannabi. Ya ayyuhallatheena amanu  sallu  3alayhi  wa  sallimu  tasleema.

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