Ramadan is one of the most important Muslim festivals since it commemorates the first time the Quran (Muslim holy book) was delivered to Prophet Muhammad PBUH. The five pillars of Islam are Shahada (faith declaration), Salat (prayer), Zakat (almsgiving), Sawm (fasting), and Hajj (Pilgrimage).
Allaah has made fasting this month the fourth pillar of Islam , as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month…” [al-Baqarah 2:185]
And it was narrated in al-Sahihayn (al-Bukhari, 8; Muslim, 16) from the hadith of Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Islam is built on five (pillars): the testimony that there is no god except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah; establishing prayer; paying zakah; fasting Ramadan; and Hajj to the House (the Ka’bah).”
Fasting during the month of Ramadan is obligatory for a person if he fulfils five conditions:
If a person meets five criteria, he is required to fast during the month of Ramadan:
1-He is a Muslim
2-He is accountable (mukallaf)
3-He is able to fast
4-He is settled (not travelling)
5-There are no impediments to fasting
If these five conditions are met, a person must fast.
Kaafirs are excluded from the first condition. The kaafir is not obliged to fast and his fast is not valid. If he becomes Muslim he is not obliged to make up fasts from before.
The evidence for that is the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And nothing prevents their contributions from being accepted from them except that they disbelieved in Allaah and in His Messenger (Muhammad) and that they came not to As-Salaah (the prayer) except in a lazy state, and that they offer not contributions but unwillingly”
[al-Tawbah 9:54]
If the contribution is not acceptable even though it benefits others, because of their kufr, then other acts of worship may be even more unacceptable.
He does not have to make up fasts if he becomes Muslim because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven”
[al-Anfaal 8:38]
And it was proven in mutawaatir reports that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not tell those who became Muslim to make up the obligatory duties that they had missed.
The History of Ramadan
To understand how Ramadan became such an important part of Islam, we need to go back to the very beginning; 610 A.D. to be precise. This is the year during which an Arabian man by the name of Muhammad (PBUH) was meditating in the cave of Hira, located in the Jabal an-Nour mountain close to Mecca. Whilst he was meditating, Muhammad (PBUH) was visited by the angel Jibril who revealed the first words of what would later be known as the Qur’an. Allaah says in the verse quoted above (interpretation of the meaning):
“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong)…” [al-Baqarah 2:185]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, We have sent it (this Quran) down in the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree).” [al-Qadr 97:1]
The angel told Muhammad (PBUH) that these words came directly from Allaah (SWT) and that He is the one and only God. At this time in Arabia, it was common for people to worship several different gods, but the angel told Muhammad (PBUH) that Allaah is the only, all-knowing, true God.
After revealing the first words of Allaah (SWT), the angel commanded that Muhammad (PBUH) recite what he had just been shown. Muhammad (PBUH) couldn’t read or write, but he was able to recite the words perfectly. It was explained to Muhammad (PBUH) that he was the final of the prophets Allaah (SWT) had sent to spread the teachings of the religion of Islam. Other prophets Allaah (SWT) had sent also feature in the teachings of Judaism and Christianity, and include Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus).
The night the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) first saw the angel Jibril is known as Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power). Allaah has made Laylat al-Qadr in this month, which is better than a thousand months, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, We have sent it (this Quran) down in the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree). And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is? The Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshipping Allaah in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months). Therein descend the angels and the Ruh [Jibreel (Gabriel)] by Allaah’s Permission with all Decrees, (All that night), there is peace (and goodness from Allaah to His believing slaves) until the appearance of dawn.” [al-Qadar 97:1-5]
“We sent it (this Quran) down on a blessed night [(i.e. the Night of Al-Qadr) in the month of Ramadan — the 9th month of the Islamic calendar]. Verily, We are ever warning [mankind that Our Torment will reach those who disbelieve in Our Oneness of Lordship and in Our Oneness of worship].” [al-Dukhan 44:3]
Allaah has blessed Ramadan with Laylat al-Qadr . Explaining the great status of this blessed night, Surat al-Qadr was revealed, and there are many ahadith which also speak of that, such as the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month which Allaah has enjoined you to fast, during which the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the rebellious devils are chained up. In it there is a night which is better than a thousand months, and whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived.” (Narrated by al-Nasai, 2106; Ahmad, 8769, classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Targhib, 999.)
And Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever spends Laylat al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, will be forgiven his previous sins.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1910; Muslim, 760)
Many Muslims believe this night occurred on the 27th night of the lunar year (which the Islamic calendar is based on), though some believe it occurred on any of the other odd nights in the final 10 days of the month.
Significance of the Holy month
‘Thawab’ is what the spiritual rewards of fasting are known as and it is believed that these rewards multiply during the period of Ramadan where Muslims stay away from food and drink, smoking, sexual activities and any sinful behaviour, and instead focus more on prayer, self-reform, charity and taqwa, which is heightened awareness of God. Suhoor, or sehri, is the predawn meal is referred to as suhur, before the call for the morning pray, Fajr, and iftar is the nightly feast that breaks the fast after the evening prayer, Maghrib.
Allaah has made fasting Ramadan and spending its nights in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward a means of forgiveness of sins, as was proven in al-Sahihayn (al-Bukhari, 2014; Muslim, 760) from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”
Al-Bukhari (2008) and Muslim (174) also narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever spends the nights of Ramadan in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”
The Muslims are unanimously agreed that it is Sunnah to pray qiyam at night in Ramadan. Al-Nawawi said that what is meant by praying qiyam in Ramadan is to pray Tarawih, i.e., one achieves what is meant by qiyam by praying Tarawih.
Whoever prays qiyam in Ramadan with the imam until he finishes, it will be recorded for him that he spent the whole night in prayer, because of the report narrated by Abu Dawud (1370) and others from the hadith of Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays qiyam with the imam until he finishes, it will be recorded for him that he spent the whole night in prayer.” (Classed as sahih by al-Albani in Salat al-Tarawih, p. 15).
During the month of Ramadan, Allah opens the gates of Paradise and closes the gates of Hell, and chains up the devils, as is stated in al-Sahihayn (al-Bukhari, 1898; Muslim, 1079), from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah who said that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained up.”
