The Significance of Ramadan

Fasting in Ramadan was prescribed during the 2nd year after the Hijra. Why not earlier? In Mecca, the economic conditions of the Muslims were poor. They were persecuted. Many days passed without them having anything to eat. It is easy to abstain from food when you have none. Fasting would have been easier under such conditions. So why was it then still not made obligatory?

The answer could be that it is not only about abstaining from meals. While fasting is an integral and primary part, Ramadan also offers a comprehensive program for our spiritual "overhaul." This entire program requires peace and security, which was present in Medina.

Yes, Ramadan is the most important month of the year. It is the month that the believers await with impatience. At the beginning of the month of Rajab - 2 whole months before Ramadan - the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) would usually pray: "Oh Allah! Bless us during Rajab and Sha'ban and let us reach Ramadan (in good health)."

During Ramadan, the believers are busy attaining mercy, forgiveness, and protection from the Hellfire. This is the month to renew our commitment and rebuild our relationship with our Creator. It is the spring for goodness and virtue, when righteousness blossoms in Muslim communities. "If we were to gather all the blessings of the other eleven months, they would not reach the blessings of Ramadan," said the great scholar and reformer Shaikh Ahmad Farooqi (Mujaddad Ali Thanvi). Ramadan offers every Muslim the opportunity to strengthen their Iman, purify their heart and soul, and it removes the bad effects of the sins they have committed.

As much as this opportunity exists, (however) there is also the risk of a terrible loss. If we let any other month pass by carelessly, we lose a month. If we do the same during Ramadan, we have lost everything. The person who misses a day of fasting without a legitimate reason can never make it up, even if they fast every day for the rest of their life. And one of the three persons whom the Prophet (s.a.w.) cursed is an unfortunate Muslim who is in good health during Ramadan but does not take the opportunity to seek Allah's mercy. One who does not fast clearly belongs to this category, but also a person who fasts and prays without making an effort to stay away from sins or (trying) to purify the heart through the numerous opportunities that exist in Ramadan. The Prophet (s.a.w.) warned us: "They are those who gain nothing from their fasting except hunger and thirst. They are those who gain nothing from their night prayers except a lack of sleep."

Those who understood this, for them Ramadan was indeed a special month. In addition to fasting, the obligatory prayers, and the Tarawih prayer, they spent the entire month in acts of worship such as voluntary prayers, Tilawah (reciting the Qur'an), dhikr, etc. This was the tradition of the pious people of this Ummah throughout the centuries. Abu Hasan Ali Nadvi noted: "I have seen with my own eyes such Ulema and Mashaikh who regularly recited the entire Qur'an in a single day during Ramadan. They spent almost the entire night in prayer. They ate so little that one wondered how they could endure it. These great people honored every day of Ramadan and would not waste it on other things. If you observe them, it makes you believe in the amazing acts of Ibadah and devotion of our predecessors, which have been recorded throughout history."

The emphasis on this type of worship may seem strange and even inappropriate to some. It requires an explanation. We know that the term Ibadah (acts of worship and obedience) does not only refer to formal acts, such as Salah, Tilawa, and Dhikr, but that it also includes worldly actions when they are accompanied by following the Shariah and with the intention of pleasing Allah. Accordingly, a believer practices Ibadah when they earn a halal income to fulfill their responsibility as the "provider" of the family. However, one must distinguish between the two (types of Ibadah). The first category consists of direct Ibadah, actions needed for one's own well-being. The second category consists of indirect Ibadah, worldly deeds that become Ibadah through sincere intentions and following the Shariah. Although the second category is important, as it encompasses the entire life as the concept of Ibadah, there is also a danger through which the nature of these actions can conceal other motives. - Is my action really Ibadah or am I in a treadmill? - This is where direct Ibadah comes to our aid. Through it, we can purify our motives and restore our relationship with Allah.

Islam does not advocate monasticism. It does not ask us to constantly isolate ourselves from this world, as our task is to live according to the commands of our Creator. But Islam calls upon us to take temporary breaks. The obligatory prayers are an example. For a few minutes during the numerous hours of the day, we leave the affairs of this world behind and stand before Allah, to remind ourselves that we only do Ibadah for Him and obey Him unwaveringly. Ramadan takes this to another level by providing training for an entire month. This spirit is embodied in Itikaf, a unique Ibadah associated with Ramadan in which a person gives up all their normal activities and retreats to the mosque for a specific period. There is great merit in it and every Muslim community is encouraged to provide at least one person who performs Itikaf during the last 10 days of Ramadan. But even those who cannot spare 10 days are encouraged to spend as much time as possible in the mosque.