Benefits and Secrets of Sawm (Fasting)

Introduction – Ramadan the Month of Fasting

§  Sawm means to hold back,
  Surah Al Baqarah 183:

 (يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيۡڪُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِڪُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ)

 (O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqûn) – we don’t need more evidence to know that in the month of Ramadan, we have to fast.

§  Hadith: 

(عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ كُلُّ عَمَلِ ابْنِ آدَمَ يُضَاعَفُ الْحَسَنَةُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا إِلَى سَبْعِمِائَةِ ضِعْفٍ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلاَّ الصَّوْمَ فَإِنَّهُ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ يَدَعُ شَهْوَتَهُ وَطَعَامَهُ مِنْ أَجْلِي لِلصَّائِمِ فَرْحَتَانِ فَرْحَةٌ عِنْدَ فِطْرِهِ وَفَرْحَةٌ عِنْدَ لِقَاءِ رَبِّهِ ‏.‏ وَلَخُلُوفُ فِيهِ أَطْيَبُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ رِيحِ الْمِسْكِ) 

(Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Every (good) deed of the son of Adam would be multiplied, a good deed receiving a tenfold to seven hundredfold reward. Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, has said: With the exception of fasting, for it is done for Me and I will give a reward for it, for one abandons his passion and food for My sake. There are two occasions of joy for one who fasts, joy when he breaks it, and joy when he meets his Lord, and the breath (of an observer of fast) is sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk.) – Sahih Muslim 1151

§  Allah (swt) says that the deeds of the fasting are for Him, why? Because He loves it and He sees the sincerity of the slave when they are fasting. Allah (swt) rewards from 10 to 700 hasanat for good deeds, be He did not define the reward for fasting because He will write it, not even the angels, subhan Allah.

§  The smell of the fasting person is nicer to Allah (swt) than the smell of musk, and they have two glad tidings, first at the time of iftar because you have achieved and are happy, and when he meets Allah (swt).

§  Hadith: (عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ أَتَاكُمْ رَمَضَانُ شَهْرٌ مُبَارَكٌ فَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ صِيَامَهُ تُفْتَحُ فِيهِ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ وَتُغْلَقُ فِيهِ أَبْوَابُ الْجَحِيمِ وَتُغَلُّ فِيهِ مَرَدَةُ الشَّيَاطِينِ لِلَّهِ فِيهِ لَيْلَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ مَنْ حُرِمَ خَيْرَهَا فَقَدْ حُرِمَ) (It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month, which Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has enjoined you to fast. In it the gates of heavens are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and every devil is chained up. In it Allah has a night which is better than a thousand months; whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived."') – Sunan An Nisa’a 2106

§  All of the doors of the heavens are open in the month of Ramadan, and you feel it, you feel people are racing to goodness. Why? Because the prize is a paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, subhan Allah.

First Benefit: Taqwa

§  We all want to strive for taqwa, but there are so many temptations throughout the year that pull us away, but Allah (swt) made this month so easy to do worships, and He changed the universe and took away our enemy, the shaitan.

§  What makes a person to not drink that glass of water in the fridge, though no one is there, because they fear and have taqwa of Allah (swt), knowing that He is watching.

§  This is a month of mercy, and Allah (swt) made only one month of the year to be obligated to fast, subhan Allah.

Second Benefit: Purification of the nafs

§  Surah Ash Shams 7-10: (وَنَفۡسٍ۬ وَمَا سَوَّٮٰهَا (٧) فَأَلۡهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقۡوَٮٰهَا (٨) قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ مَن زَكَّٮٰهَا (٩) وَقَدۡ خَابَ مَن دَسَّٮٰهَا (١٠)) (And by Nafs (Adam or a person or a soul), and Him Who perfected him in proportion; (7) Then He showed him what is wrong for him and what is right for him; (8) Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself (i.e. obeys and performs all that Allâh ordered, by following the true Faith of Islâmic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds). (9) And indeed he fails who corrupts his ownself (i.e. disobeys what Allâh has ordered by rejecting the true Faith of Islâmic Monotheism or by following polytheism or by doing every kind of evil wicked deeds) (10))

§  The gates of paradise are opened and the gates of the hellfire are closed, and the devils are chained, so you are can focus on purifying yourself.

§  And the Prophet (pbuh) said the slave will love to see his book of records filled with istighfar on the Day of Judgement.

Third Benefit: Generosity

§  This is a month of generosity, with money, kindness, food, time, etc.

§  Hadith: (قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ إِنَّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ بَابًا يُقَالُ لَهُ الرَّيَّانُ يَدْخُلُ مِنْهُ الصَّائِمُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لاَ يَدْخُلُ مَعَهُمْ أَحَدٌ غَيْرُهُمْ يُقَالُ أَيْنَ الصَّائِمُونَ فَيَدْخُلُونَ مِنْهُ فَإِذَا دَخَلَ آخِرُهُمْ أُغْلِقَ فَلَمْ يَدْخُلْ مِنْهُ أَحَدٌ) (Sahl b. Sa'd (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: In Paradise there is a gate which is called Rayyan through which only the people who fast would enter on the Day on Resurrection. None else would enter along with them. It would be proclaimed: Where are the people who fast that they should be admitted into it? And when the last of them would enter, it would be closed and no one would enter it.) – Sahih Muslim 1152

§  And one of the gates of paradise is called ‘ArRayan’ for the ones who fast, it will call on them, and how we long to hear this call, may Allah (swt) make us enter from this door. Ameen.

§  The Prophet (pbuh) said protect yourself from the hellfire, even if you give half a date, subhan Allah.

§  We need to have different types of charities, some might be seen or unseen. For example, some might be seen to encourage others, but we also need charities that no one knows about, even those close to us.

§  And know for sure that a charity will never decrease you.

Fourth Benefit: Ramadan is the Month of the Quran

§  There is shifa’a, cure with guidance in the Quran.

§  Let us have different times with the Quran, let us recite the Quran, listen to each other, make tajweed, recite after salat al fajr since the angels witness it.

Fifth Benefit: Month of Worship

§  Hadith: 

(عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ إِذَا كَانَ أَوَّلُ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ صُفِّدَتِ الشَّيَاطِينُ وَمَرَدَةُ الْجِنِّ وَغُلِّقَتْ أَبْوَابُ النَّارِ فَلَمْ يُفْتَحْ مِنْهَا بَابٌ. وَفُتِّحَتْ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ فَلَمْ يُغْلَقْ مِنْهَا بَابٌ وَيُنَادِي مُنَادٍ يَا بَاغِيَ الْخَيْرِ أَقْبِلْ وَيَا بَاغِيَ الشَّرِّ أَقْصِرْ وَلِلَّهِ عُتَقَاءُ مِنَ النَّارِ وَذَلِكَ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ) (Abu Hurairah narrated that :Tthe Messenger of Allah said: "On the first night of the month of Ramadan, the Shayatin are shackled, the jinns are restrained, the gates of the Fires are shut such that no gate among them would be opened. The gates of Paradise are opened such that no gate among them would be closed, and a caller calls: 'O seeker of the good; come near!' and 'O seeker of evil; stop! For there are those whom Allah frees from the Fire.' And that is every night.") – At Tirmidhi 682

§  The doors of paradise are open this month, so you want to make the most of it, and run to the goodness.

§  You feel the breeze of Ramadan, there is faith and a sweetness in the air.

§  The honor of a believer is qiyam al layl, to be independent from the people but at the same time be attached to Allah (swt), to be poor to Allah, Rabbi AnNass.

§  There are different types of worships in the month of Ramdan, including reciting the Quran, seeking forgiveness, fasting, prayer, dua’a

§  Conditions of worship:

o   Ikhlas: sincerity. We have to have determination, intention, and hoping for the reward. We want to fast eemana wa ihtisban (ايمانا و احتسابا), with belief and hoping for the reward. There is no need to say the intention out loud, it is in the heart.

o   Following the way of the Prophet (pbuh): according to what is in the Quran and the Sunnah. We do not need to invent or innovate in the religion.

Sixth Benefit: Qiyam al Layl – The Night Prayer

§  We see that we are attracted to the night prayer in the month of Ramadan. After isha’a, there is taraweeh, then there is tahajjud.

§  In Qiyam Al Layl, we are purifying ourselves in many ways through reciting the Quran, praying, making supplications, especially in the last third night, when Allah (swt) descends to the lowest heaven in a manner that suits His majesty.

§  The Prophet (pbuh) said that the slave is closest to His Rabb in ‘jawf al layl’.

§  Surah Al Muzamil 1-4: (يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلۡمُزَّمِّلُ (١) قُمِ ٱلَّيۡلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلاً۬ (٢) نِّصۡفَهُ ۥۤ أَوِ ٱنقُصۡ مِنۡهُ قَلِيلاً (٣) أَوۡ زِدۡ عَلَيۡهِ وَرَتِّلِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ تَرۡتِيلاً (٤)) (O you wrapped in garments (i.e. Prophet Muhammad SAW)! (1) Stand (to pray) all night, except a little. (2) Half of it, or a little less than that, (3) Or a little more; And recite the Qur'ân (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style(4))

§  Hadith: (أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ تَسَحَّرُوا فَإِنَّ فِي السَّحُورِ بَرَكَ) (Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Take Suhur as there is a blessing in it.") – Al Bukhari 1923

§  The time of suhoor is when the angels are making istighfar for you, it is a blessed time, and Allah (swt) is very near as well since it is the last 3^rd of the night, subhan Allah.

§  Allah (swt) is calling on His slaves in the last third of the night, is there anyone seeking forgiveness so that I may forgive Him, is there anyone asking, so that I may give Him, subhan Allah.

§  You can get the reward of hajj and umrah every day in Ramadan, how? After the fajr prayer, you remain until the time of shurooq, whether doing istighfar, saying morning supplications, reciting Quran, etc, and then pray two units of dhuha.

§  And to perform umrah in the month of Ramadan, is like performing hajj with the Prophet (pbuh), subhan Allah.

§  Ramadan enters and ends with the entering of the crescent, our deen is easy no complications in counting or calculating.  

§  The time of the start of fast is by the time of the fajr adhan and we begin our iftaar at the time of the maghrib adhan, we don’t delay it, you want to follow the Sunnah and be rewarded for it.

Seventh Benefit: Make dua’a

§  The Prophet (pbuh) said three whose dua’a will not be returned, one of which is a fasting person until he breaks his fast.

§  Take at least some time to make dua’a while you are fasting, if you are not making dua’a in the Ramadan, then when will you make dua’a? Subhan Allah.

§  Allah (swt) frees certain slaves from the hellfire every night in Ramadan, may Allah (swt) make us of them. Ameen.

§  Allah (swt) fulfills our dua’as, if not now, then later, alhamdulliah.

Eighth Benefit: Do ihsan

§  Do much ihsan during the month of Ramadan, though little but consistent. One of the wives of the Haroon ArRasheed, Zubaida, may Allah have mercy on her, used to do so many charities, built wells, etc and then she passed away. A righteous person saw her in a dream very happy, and he told her it must be all of the great charities you did, she said no, it was the shedding of the tear alone out of fear of Allah (swt), subhan Allah.

§  Give some water, dates, yogurt, whatever it may be, it considered iftar of the fasting one and you get the reward of their fast, though it does not decrease their reward either, subhan Allah.

Ninth Benefit: Unity of the Ummah

§  You see that we are all united in terms of fasting in the month of Ramadan, even more beautiful while in Makkah, people of all nationalities, breaking their fast together, all united under (لا اله الا الله), subhan Allah.

§  The Prophet (pbuh) would spend his night studying the Quran in Ramadan.

§  Hadith: (عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَجْوَدَ النَّاسِ، وَكَانَ أَجْوَدَ مَا يَكُونُ فِي رَمَضَانَ حِينَ يَلْقَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ، وَكَانَ جِبْرِيلُ يَلْقَاهُ فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ، فَيُدَارِسُهُ الْقُرْآنَ، فَلَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حِينَ يَلْقَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ أَجْوَدُ بِالْخَيْرِ مِنَ الرِّيحِ الْمُرْسَلَةِ‏) (Narrated Ibn `Abbas: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was the most generous of all the people, and he used to be more generous in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel used to meet him. Gabriel used to meet him every night in Ramadan to study the Holy Qur'an carefully together. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to become more generous than the fast wind when he met Gabriel.) – Al Bukhari 3220

Types of dua’a

§  Dua’a as a worship: such as prayer.

§  Dua’a as supplication: asking Allah (swt) for a need, to have harm removed

Laylt Al Qadr – Night of the Decree

§  Surah Al Qadr:

 (إِنَّآ أَنزَلۡنَـٰهُ فِى لَيۡلَةِ ٱلۡقَدۡرِ (١) وَمَآ أَدۡرَٮٰكَ مَا لَيۡلَةُ ٱلۡقَدۡرِ (٢) لَيۡلَةُ ٱلۡقَدۡرِ خَيۡرٌ۬ مِّنۡ أَلۡفِ شَہۡرٍ۬ (٣) تَنَزَّلُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ فِيہَا بِإِذۡنِ رَبِّہِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمۡرٍ۬ (٤) سَلَـٰمٌ هِىَ حَتَّىٰ مَطۡلَعِ ٱلۡفَجۡرِ (٥)) (Verily, We have sent it (this Qur'ân) down in the night of Al-Qadr (Decree) (1) And what will make you know what the night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is? (2) The night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshipping Allâh in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months) (3) Therein descend the angels and the Rûh [Jibril (Gabriel)] by Allâh's Permission with all Decrees, (4) (All that night), there is Peace (and Goodness from Allâh to His believing slaves) until the appearance of dawn. (5))

§  When the horses are racing, they speed up towards the end. Similarly, we should be faster in the end, we should make our whole night, or at least half, all qiyam because there is a night greater than 83 years of worship, subhan Allah.

§  It is called the night of a lifetime, night of the decree.

§  This one night changes our whole year of decrees, and the dua’a can change the decree. You don’t know with your dua’a that night, our entire faith, character, etc can change for the better, subhan Allah.

§  Hadith: (عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ  أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ وَافَقْتُ  لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ مَا أَدْعُو قَالَ ‏ "‏ تَقُولِينَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ  فَاعْفُ عَنِّي ‏"‏) (It was narrated from 'Aishah that she said: "O Messenger of Allah, what do you think I should say in my supplication, if I come upon Laylatul-Qadr?" He said: "Say: 'Allahumma innaka 'afuwwun tuhibbul-'afwa, fa'fu 'anni (O Allah, You are Oft-Pardoning and love pardoning, so pardon me).'") - Sunan Ibn Majah 3850

Benefits of from Ramadan

§  Whatever we gain from Ramadan, we should carry it throughout the year.

§  Surah Adh Dhariyat 17: (كَانُواْ قَلِيلاً۬ مِّنَ ٱلَّيۡلِ مَا يَہۡجَعُونَ) (They used to sleep but little by night [invoking their Lord (Allâh) and praying, with fear and hope].)

§  Hadith: (عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ مَنْ قَامَ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ، وَمَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ) (Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever established prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven; and whoever fasts in the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.") – Al Bukhari 1901

§  There was a story of a neighbor who came to visit a mother and her daughter. The neighbor greeted the mother, and then gave her hand to the daughter, but she refused to greet her. The neighbor did not react, but simply continued her conversation with the mother. Then the daughter came to her and said I am sorry, I love you and greeted her.

§  When the neighbor left, the mother was so upset with her daughter to have shown that kind of behavior. The daughter told her you do this every night. The mother was in shock and she said me, how? The daughter said Allah (swt) is greeting you every night, He is descending to lowest heaven, asking to forgive you, to give you, but you ignore it, and you go out without covering or praying.

So the daughter said, you feel insulted that I did not give my hand to a neighbor, but you don’t feel insulted to come forward to Allah? Subhan Allah. And this became a means for the repentance of the mother, subhan Allah

§  And remember what to say, Hadith: (أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، - رضى الله عنه - رِوَايَةً قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِذَا أَصْبَحَ أَحَدُكُمْ يَوْمًا صَائِمًا فَلاَ يَرْفُثْ وَلاَ يَجْهَلْ فَإِنِ امْرُؤٌ شَاتَمَهُ أَوْ قَاتَلَهُ فَلْيَقُلْ إِنِّي صَائِمٌ إِنِّي صَائِمٌ) (Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported: When any one of you gets up in the morning in the state of fasting, he should neither use obscene language nor do any act of ignorance. And if anyone slanders him or quarrels with him, he should say:" I am fasting, I am fasting.") – Sahih Muslim 1151

May Allah (swt) accept all of our worships and may He give us tawfeeq every day in Ramdan and the night of the decree. Ameen.