The Virtue of Ramadan in the Qur'an

Imam Ibn Kathir

THE OBLIGATION OF FASTING Allah says in the Quran: "O you who have faith! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you - so that hopefully you will have taqwa." - Al Baqarah(2):183 Meaning that hopefuly you can safeguard yourselves from the Fire through Fasting; fasting is a means to the forgiveness of sins, and sins lead one to the fire. The two sahihs record the hadith in which the prophet (pbuh) said: "Islam is built upon five: that you worship Allah and reject the worship of anything else, to establish the prayer, the giving of Zakat, performing pilgrimage to the house and Fasting the month of Ramadan." [This is the wording of Muslim, Bukhari has the first sentence as 'that you testify none has the right to be worshipped save Allah']. THE VIRTUES OF FASTING Fasting carries with it a number of benefits, amongst which are: the elevation to ones rank, the expiation of sins, the breaking of ones desire and lusts, the increase of charity, the multiplication of actions of obedience to Allah, giving thanks to the one who knows the hidden matters, and preventing oneself from even contemplating the commiting of sin. THE ELEVATION OF RANK With regards to the elevation of rank, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: "When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paardise are opened, the gates of Hellfire are locked and devils are chained." [Bukhari] He (pbuh) also said, relating from his lord Mighty and Magnificient, "All of the actions of the son of Adam are for him except the fast for that is for me and I will reward it. Fasting is protecting sheild, so when it is the day when one of you are fasting, let him not behave or speak indecently; if someone tries to abuse him or fight him, let him say, 'I am fasting'. By the one in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, the smell emanating from the mouth of the one fasting is better with Allah then the smell of musk. The one fasting has tewo time of joy, when he breaks his fast he is happy and when he meets his lord he will rejoice at his fasting." [Bukhari and Muslim] The prophet (pbuh) also said: "Every action that the son of Adam does, [its reward] will be multiplied, a good deed will be increased tenfold. Allah Mighty and Magnificient says, 'except for the fast, for that is for Me and I will reward it for he left his desires and food for My sake'" [Muslim] The prophet (pbuh) also said: "In paradise there is a gate which is called ar-Rayyan through which the people who fasted will enter on the day of Judgement, and no one else shall enter along-side them. It will be asked, 'where are those who fasted?' and they will walk through it, and upon the entry of the last of them, it will be locked, and no one else will walk through it." [Bukhari and Muslim] With regards the 'opening of the gates of paradise', this is a phrase that points to the increase of actions of obedience that in turn lead to the opening of the gates of Paradise. 'Locking the gates of Fire' is a phrase that points to the decrease, and lack of therewith, of sins which in turn leads to the locking of the gates of the Fire. 'The chaining of the devils' is a phrase that points to the termination of their whisperings, and temptations, to those who are fasting because they give up hope of receiving a favorable response. His saying, "All of the actions of the son of Adam are for him except the fast for that is for me, and I will reward it," fasting has been specifically adjoined to him in the order of Honour it because the hidden nature of fasting prevents ostentation entering it, and moreover, hunger and thirst are not used as means to draew closer to any king of this world nor any idol.

Nifaq Part 2: The Cures of Hypocrisy!

Those who analyse their souls and find nothing to feel guilty for really should be worried because none of us is without faults and flaws.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) describes the attributes of a hypocrite in faith in a very concise way. The Prophet once said

that the signs of a hypocrite are three: Whenever he speaks, he lies; whenever he promises, he breaks it; and if he is entrusted with something, he betrays the trust (Al-Bukhari).

This does not mean that if a Muslim tells lies, breaks promises, or betrays trusts he becomes a hypocrite. It means that these qualities, if found to be a part of their nature in their regular dealings with people, are strong indicators that this person's faith is weak.

Only Allah knows for sure who among us is a sincere believer and who is a true hypocrite. Sometimes hypocrites don't even realize that they are hypocrites. They are so convincing to other people that they even convince themselves they are believers, whereas their behavior shows quite the opposite.

They always find ways to justify their sinful actions and convince themselves that they are good believers. 
Two very important patterns of behavior  to mention here that many people find themselves in from time to time. The first is that of those whose faith is strong as long as their life is going smoothly, but as soon as something goes wrong they become miserable and ask, "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Why has Allah forsaken me?"

And as for man, when his Lord tries him, then treats him with honor and makes him lead an easy life, he says: My Lord honors me. But when He tries him (differently), then restricts for him his means of subsistence, he says: My Lord has disgraced me. (Al-Fajr 89:15-16)

Although this is not the proper attitude to have when things become difficult in our lives, it is human nature to be fickle or inconsistent in our level of belief (Iman goes up and down). Life is always changing, so maintaining firm faith at all times is difficult for the best of us.

Faith increases and decreases but we must do our best to maintain a balance at all times. Part of our faith in Islam requires us to believe in the divine decree (qadar) of Allah.

If good things happen, we consider these to be blessings from Allah's mercy and generosity. We do not attribute them to our own skill and talents, nor do we let them cause us to forget Allah's blessings on us.

If bad things happen, we attribute them to the wrongfulness of our actions and we do not let sorrow or despair cause us to lose faith in Allah. True faith is firm regardless of the circumstances around us.

The second behavior pattern is that of those who only remember Allah when bad things happen.

So when harm afflicts a man he calls upon Us; then, when We give him a favor from Us, he says: I have been given it only by means of knowledge. Nay, it is a trial, but most of them do not know. (Az- Zumar 39:49)

These are people who are not really close to Allah in the way they lead their lives until something bad happens to them. They do not pray regularly, or not at all, nor do they try to put the needs of others ahead of their own needs. Not only that, but they fall into sinful practices as well to further distance themselves from Allah and their duties toward Him.

When the natural negative consequences of their actions come back to harm them, they return to Allah and the way of Islam for a short time and then resort to their old ways as soon as things get better again. 

The best way to avoid being a hypocrite is to ask ourself why we are doing a certain good deed. If, for example, we are praying in a mosque, sincerely ask ourself, "Why am I praying here in this mosque?" If the honest answer is "To please Allah" or "To receive Allah's forgiveness for my sins," then you are doing it for the right reasons.

If we find that we are there because we want someone to see that we are a good Muslim who prays in the mosque, we need to get this out of our heart.

Having the proper intentions is the most important aspect of our actions. If our deeds are for anyone other than Allah, or for Allah and someone else, He will reject them and there will be no reward for them, no matter how great the deeds.

It is also very important to stay close to Allah at all times, whether we are in prayers or just performing our daily routines. Before doing anything, we need to always ask ourselves, "Is this an action that is acceptable in Islam? Is this the way that Allah would like me to do this?" If the answer is yes, then we should go ahead without fear, even if people may say that we are wrong.

Being in a state of hypocrisy is really far worse than being a non-believer. At least non-believers are up front about not believing in the message of Islam. Their position is clear and we know where we stand with them, what to expect from them.

Hypocrites, on the other hand, are not up front and do not reveal what is in their heart. They pretend to be believers when in the company of Muslims, but when they retire to their intimate friends, they show their true colors. They are described in the Qur'an:

When they meet those who believe, they say: "We believe"; but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say: "We are really with you: We (were) only jesting." (Al-Baqarah 2:14)

Allah describes the hypocrites in the Qur'an in many places. Since we cannot know what is in their hearts, we must look to their actions to best determine their level of faith or lack of it.

If we find their actions to be sinful, we should either advise them to change their ways, or, if they do not listen, avoid contact with them as much as possible so that they do not affect us negatively.

The hypocrites, men and women, (have an understanding) with each other: They enjoin evil, and forbid what is just, and are close-fisted with their hands. They have forgotten Allah so He has forgotten them. Verily the hypocrites are rebellious and perverse. (At-Tawbah 9:67)

In our Race to Jannah May Allah purify our hearts of any typeof hypocrisy and lead us all to what pleases Him alone. Ameen!

Nifaq - Who are the Hypocrites - Part 1.

This topic is of extreme importance in our daily lives, as it reflects our behavior, our manners, our faith in Allah, and His teachings.

The word Hypocrisy is defined in Webster's dictionaries as: an act or a practice of feigning to be what one is not, or to feel what one does not feel; especially, the false assumption of goodness. Therefore, a hypocrite is a false pretender and dissembler to virtue or piety.

In the Islamic terminology, the word Hypocrisy is a substitute for 'Nifaq'. This word Nifaq has been mentioned in the Qur'an thirty-one (31) times in different forms such as: Nifaq; Munafiqoon; Munafiqat; Munafiqeen, and Nifaqan.

 There are some faults prevalent in society that a person may acquire, nurture and establish within himself which affect his personal behavior. The fault of hypocrisy is one of them. Allah hates those people who acquire this fault, and He therefore warns them that their punishment is indeed hell. Allah says in Sura At-Tauba:

God hath promised the hypocrites, men and women, and the rejecters of Faith, the fire of Hell; therein shall they dwell; sufficient is it for them: for them is the curse of God, and an enduring punishment. (9:68)

Allah has promised the hypocrites a heavy penalty by saying in Sura Nisa:

To the hypocrites give the glad tidings that there is for them but a grievous penalty. Yea, to those who take the unbelievers as their leaders rather than the believers (4:138-139)

 One may ask why a person should act as a hypocrite? Or why he should be a hypocrite? The answer could be any of the following:

1. A person who has no faith in Allah, His Messenger, and the Day of Judgment may act as a hypocrite.

2. A person who has a weak faith may be trapped in his daily life to play the role of a hypocrite.

3. A person who lacks confidence in himself/herself may become a hypocrite.

4. A person who lacks security, morally, psychologically, or financially, may be led to be a hypocrite.

5. A person who is conceited, selfish, and who likes himself above all others, may play the game of hypocrisy so as to achieve his personal gains and to satisfy his ego.

6. A person who is not a man unto himself, and whatever he does is seeking assurance of success and gain. Hence, he plays the dirty game of hypocrite.

A person who seeks to please everybody even if it demands his cheating, lying or stealing. Allah says in this regard in Sura Al-Munafiqun:

When the hypocrites come to thee, they say, 'We bear witness that thou art indeed the Apostle of God.' Yea, God knoweth that thou art indeed His Apostle, and God beareth witness that the hypocrites are indeed liars. (63:1)

 These situations, factors and prerequisites may lead a person to be a hypocrite. The only way to cure this disease from people is that they should have faith in Allah, in His Messenger, Muhammad (pbuh), in the Day of Judgment and in the teachings of Islam. Even if he/she has a weak faith, he should try his/her best to strengthen it, and to enrich it daily.

Therefore, it is a matter of having faith (Iman) or having no faith. Nifaq, hence is noticed and observed in those societies, in those families, and those individuals who, either have no faith, or who are weak in their faith.

The signs of a hypocrite are many among which are the following three signs:

1. He lies whenever he talks.
2. He does not fulfill his commitment.
3. He betrays the trust that he takes.

In this regard Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said (Reported by Abu Hurayrah):

The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he gives an agreement, he does not fulfill his commitment; and when he is entrusted, he betrays the trust.

For this reason Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) informed us that a hypocrite is a mischievous person. He said: (Reported by Abu Hurayrah)

You will find that the worst person is double-faced; he meets one group of people with one side of his face, while another with the other side.

 Since this vice is most hated by Allah and His Messenger, and since the penalty is very heavy, then we must check ourselves. Check our Iman, our personality, our character, our manners, our behavior and our daily activities. Then try to find out whether we are acting like a Mushrik; like a Kafir; like a Munafiq or like a Mura'i. If any of these vices is having a foothold on us, we must get rid of it and to remove ourselves from it as soon as possible so as to be rewarded by Allah.

If we do not act immediately, remember that life is short, and who knows for how long we are to live! Death may be as close to us as a twinkling of an eye. Hence, we should be prepared to face Allah Almighty with happiness and not with sorrows or sadness.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:

Don't give the title of Sir or Mr. to a hypocrite if he becomes master, or you will displease your Lord the Almighty. (1)

May Almighty Allah make our race to Jannah easy and deliver us from any signs of hypocrisy. Ameen

30 Signs of the Hypocrites

1. Falsehood and Lying
2. Treachery
3. Showing insolence and licentiousness in argumentation
4. Breaking one's promise
5. Laziness in worship
6. Showing off
7. Lack of remembrance of Allah
8. Hastiness in prayer
9. Slandering those who give themselves freely to good deeds from among the believers and the righteous
10. Mocking the Qur'an, the Sunnah and the Messenger, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam
11. The protective oath
12. Disliking to spend for the sake of Allah
13. Desertion and abandonment of the Muslims
14. Originating false rumours and causing sedition
15. Finding fault with Allah's decree
16. Bringing down the honour of the righteous
17. Remaining away from the congregational prayer
18. Causing mischilef while claiming to establish peace
19. Outward behaviour contradicting what is in the heart
20. Fear of unpleasant events, incidents and happenings
21. False excuses
22. Commanding the evil and preventing the good
23. Tying one's hands back out of stinginess
24. Forgetting Allah
25. Denial of the promise of Allah and His Messenger
26. Concern for the outward appearance and neglect of the innner condition
27. Eloquence, long-winded speech, boasting and bragging
28. Lack of understanding of the religion
29. Not sinning in front of the people (due to fear of them) but showing boldness to Allah by committing sins in secrecy
30. Rejoicing at the affliction of the believers with a calamity and being saddened at their being touched by joy and pleasure

 In our race to Jannah let us make sure that we scrutinize ourselves and make sure that none of this signs are in us InshaAllah