Ramadan is a month full of blessings like no other. There are countless ways of discovering good deeds to do in Ramadan. In fact, good deeds in Ramadan are multiplied as a sign of the blessings of this virtuous month.
The Qur’an is the primary source of guidance we have been given by Allah (SWT), revealed in the month of Ramadan. When Ramadan is mentioned in the Qur’an, it refers to the Qur’an being revealed:
Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and the standard (to distinguish between right and wrong). So whoever is present this month, let them fast. But whoever is ill or on a journey, then (let them fast) an equal number of days (after Ramadan). Allah intends ease for you, not hardship, so that you may complete the prescribed period and proclaim the greatness of Allah for guiding you, and perhaps you will be grateful. (Surah Al-Baqarah)
Allah (SWT) wants to elevate the status of the month of the revelation of the Qur’an to a very high position, and it’s as though fasting is a celebration of the Qur’an being given to us. Without the Qur’an, what guidance would we have? What ethics and laws can be lived by? The Qur’an guides us to what is right and wrong and outlines the values and etiquettes Allah (SWT) would be pleased with. The month of Ramadan is that blessed month, the one that we elevate, the one in which the Qur’an was revealed, the biggest blessing of all.
Allah (SWT) has made fasting one of the primary Ramadan things to do. Unfortunately, most of us don’t fast outside of Ramadan, but let’s take a closer look at an important verse:
O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you - as it was for those before you - so perhaps you will become mindful (of Allah). (Surah Al-Baqarah)
When fasting, many of us can only think about when we will break our fast and what we will eat. We create a sense of deception in our minds and block the purpose of fasting. This verse mentions the purpose of fasting, which is to become mindful of Allah (SWT). We refrain from many things when we fast, promoting worship and good actions. This is a means of forcing us into a position where we become more mindful of what we do to please Allah (SWT) and be mindful of him. We are already hungry and battling our bodies against our own will to eat or drink, but the masaajid are busier, charity is given so much more, and most of us make a conscious effort to be better behaved. So, no doubt, the difficulty of fasting brings out the best in us.
Expiation means making amends of something that has been done wrong (ie. sins). Allah (swt) says, “surely, good deeds erase the bad deeds”. The good deeds in Ramadan are surely a means of making amends and seeking forgiveness for the bad deeds that we have done too. Ramadan is a month in which so many good deeds are done, that they begin to wipe out our bad ones like in no other time of the year. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
Whoever fasts Ramadan and knows its limits and avoids whatever he should avoid in it, it (Ramadan) will be an expiation of what is before it. (Ahmad)
For any God-fearing person, Ramadan encourages us to engage in these good deeds much more than any other month. This encouragement (in the form of being compulsory) is a great blessing for us. How many of us would fast in the month of Ramadan if it was not compulsory? Maybe 1%? How many would give to charity in this month? So, rather than looking at Ramadan as a difficult month, we should look at what we achieve from this blessed month. We can liken it to the words of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) when he said:
Allah wonders at those people who will enter Paradise in chains. (Al-Bukhari)
Allah (SWT) is forcing us to do something we naturally don’t want to do, forgiving us of our sins and making us better people. It’s a one-sided deal in our favour! The Hadeeth implies that we don’t want to go to Jannah (Paradise); we would rather stay here in this World. But Allah (SWT) wants much better for us. He (SWT) would rather force us to fast and pray and give Zakat so He (SWT) can take us to His Jannah. Ramadan is that month in which we can worship so that we can be forgiven – all for that end goal of a place in Jannah and Allah’s (SWT) mercy.
All year round, everyone is busy with life. Situations that affect us all can bring us together, whether in difficulty or happiness. Ramadan brings us together, especially families. We wake up at the same time and eat together. We break our fast together and, again, eat together. We worship together in numbers that don’t exist outside of Ramadan. We are unified in the same cause and are supportive of each other. Following Ramadan, we celebrate Eid together. These are times when we engage in a common cause and appreciate one another like in no other month of the year.
So, how is Ramadan a month of blessings? One of the effects of fasting is that it slows you down, and naturally, the body will reserve energy so that we can sustain ourselves until we can re-energise at Iftar. Slowing down allows us to engage with people better, and our families become more conscious of each other and share the burden of the fast. So not only are we becoming more conscious of Allah (SWT), but we are also humbling ourselves to become more conscious of the people around us. We begin to appreciate what is around us and what we take for granted outside of Ramadan and learn to become more forgiving.
So, this Ramadan, let’s not think too much about the difficulty of fasting but contemplate and appreciate all its blessings. So many times, we focus on the negatives and problems, but we never think about how Allah (SWT) has blessed this month for us, just so that He (SWT) can forgive us. Perhaps by the end of Ramadan, we may celebrate Eid as people many times better than before Ramadan (in shaa Allah!).
Here in the west, Allah (SWT) has blessed us with the ability to have a nutritious meal, a cosy place to stay, water on tap, and many gifts from Allah’s (SWT) Treasury. However, many people in poor areas don’t have the basic amenities and struggle throughout the year. Consider the difficulties they are facing along with having to fast, too. How difficult it must be for them. Why not support them by donating your Zakat in time to aid them? Use our Zakat Calculator to calculate how much you need to donate this year.
