Ramadan, which literally connotes a month that sieves and waters down sin, is an auspicious month for all Muslims. It’s a month designated for the ultimate communion between an adherent of Islam and his lord. It is indeed a month of blessing, a month of forgiveness, a month of piety, a month of purity, a month of inestimable devotion to ‘ibadat, and a month of unmeritable rewards. This month has been said to foment utmost devotion from Muslims as the door of Jannah is left wide open, immediately after it commences, and the door of hell is firmly shut down. Shaytan and his allies are enclosed and tied down, and thus, all actions that exhort proximity with one’s lord are made easy and vices eschewed, invariably. The month is characterised by immense reward-multiplying incentives, which makes one a devotional compliance wittingly or unwittingly ranging from recitation of the Qur’an, charity, Qiyamul-layl, and tafsīr, amongst others. Our forebears in Islam have been said to give the nascent and first ten days of the month as MERCY’’ while the intermediate part is tagged as ‘’Forgiveness’’ and the concluding part is given the appellation “emancipation’’. This stratification is deeply rooted in the authentic tradition of the prophet.
Consequently, the importance of this month is unquantifiable, as there are three authentic traditions that accentuate the awe and the indefatigable merits of this month. The prophet was reported to have said, “Whoever fasts in the month of Ramadan with utmost Iman and hopes of reward from Allah, all his past sins will be averted”. In another narration, the Prophet was reported to have said that whoever stood up during the night of Ramadan with utmost Iman and hoped for reward from Allah, all his past sins would be expounded. In another narration, ‘’whosoever stands for worship and adoration in the night of majesty, all his past sins will abate him’’. The import from the above-stated signifies that this month is specially curated to expatiate Muslim sins, as sins are inevitable. Both young and old alike strive vehemently to augment all the expected acts of worship during this enviable month. The serenity Muslims enjoyed, coupled with the strength of brotherhood and comradeship, and the egalitarian society projected for Muslims, are actualized.
The impact of this month virtuously permeates all the genres of the human race. A nonchalant husband who cares less about his family becomes responsive as he won’t like to subject his family to a wholesome hunger strike. Reckless and profession-minded wives scorn their excessive quest for sales to meet up with the ‘’Iftar’’ and ‘’Sahur’’ meal needs of their family. Youths who are thugs and transgressors who care less about their lives than to talk of others and are extremely engrossed in all forms of perverted acts become wholesomely changed people devoted to the competition of who reads the largest portion of the Quran amongst contemporaries. Scholars who have become spiritual gladiators become subordinate to one another in hosting a series of soul-inspiring lectures to fulfil the zeal of their laity during this beloved month.
Furthermore, it was even reported that whoever witnesses this month without and fails to subject himself to servitude, which will make him subservient to the forgiveness of Allah, is invariably among the dwellers of hell. The prophet said Amin during the course of his khutbah on a blessed day, the one related to the discourse here. ‘’Whoever witnessed the month of Ramadan and didn’t see the forgiveness of Allah would enter hell’’ and was one of the reasons for the three Amin.
Every act done in Islām has its rewards categorically stated except this Ramadan, which is outrightly special from others. If one profess statements of testimony, you become a Muslim; if you observe solar (prayer), it’ll ameliorate you from vices such as hypocrisy, backbiting, and other detested behaviour. When one performs a sincere Hajji rite coupled with being accepted by Allah, there’s no other reward for it except jannah; Zakat cleanses the wealth of the dispenser and also stirred for him an increment in his wealth; conversely, the reward of Ramadan isn’t stated whatsoever; it was reported that fasting is to Allah and he’s to dispense its reward. The import from this is that how humongous or Lilliputian the reward of fasting could be is not determinable. Thus, Muslims are expected to fast with utmost sincerity to accept their anticipated reward in the hereafter. The prophet was also reported to have said that “for the fasting ones, there are two excitements: he’s excited while he breaks his fast, and he’ll be excited while meeting his lord. As if this isn’t enough, the fasting ones will also pass through a special entrance of ‘BĀBU RAYYAN’ to enter paradise.
Conclusively, one of the outstanding logics behind Ramadan is to make the wealthy witness what the poor have had to deal with on a daily basis. Thus, he exhorts them to be compassionate in faith. In light of the current economic realities of the country, it is important that this be entrenched to a tremendous extent in order to serve the poor from their bane as an underprivileged and thus also witness a joyous fasting epoch. Allahuma balighna Ramadan.
Emiola, Habeeb. Final year student, Islāmic studies, Lagos state university.
emiolahabeeb2@gmail.com
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