Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Ramadan has come to you – a blessed month. Allah has made obligatory upon you its fasting. In it, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hellfire are closed and the devils are chained. To Allah belongs a night in it, which is better than a thousand months. Whosoever is denied its good, then he has been deprived.” (Musnad Ahmad and An-Nasa'i). This Hadith gives the good news of the coming blessed month of Ramadan for the righteous servants of Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) informed his companions of its coming and it was not just a simple relaying of news. Rather, his intent was to give them the glad tidings of a magnificent time of the year, so the righteous who are quick to do good deeds can give the month its due. The Prophet (peace be upon him) explained the ways of seeking Allah's forgiveness and good pleasure in this month. He mentioned what Allah has prepared for His servants. So whoever does not attain Allah's forgiveness and mercy during the blessed month of Ramadan, then indeed he is deprived of the utmost reward. He who takes advantage of this blessed month by doing what is prescribed in it from the acts of obedience really achieves happiness. He may perhaps be showered with blessings and saved from the torment of the Fire. Being able to witness another Ramadan is itself a magnificent bounty, bestowed on those who make use if it, by standing in prayer during its nights while fasting during its days. Such a person returns to his Lord – from disobeying Him to obeying Him, from neglecting Him to remembering Him, from remaining distant from Him to turning towards Him in submissive repentance. A Muslim must acknowledge this bounty and be conscious of its gratness. For indeed, many people are prevented from fasting, either because they die before it or because they are not capable of observing it or because they turn away from it. One should therefore exert himself as much as possible in doing good deeds. We should ask Allah to guide us to fasting and standing up for night prayers; we should ask Him to give us enthusiasm, strength and energy during this month. May Allah awaken us from heedless oversleeping so we may take advantage of this blessed time. It is unfortunate that many people neither know the value of this auspicious month nor do they consider it to be sacred. So Ramadan, for them, is no longer a significant time for obedience and worship like reciting the Qur'an, giving in charity and making remembrance of Allah. Instead, to such people Ramadan is a month to to prepare and relish different types of dishes. Others spend Ramadan sleeping during the day and meeting people and attending gatherings during the night. Some even sleep past the time of the obligatory prayers, thus not praying in congregation or at their proper times. This is the extent to which views (of Ramadan) have changed. Some of the pious predecessors used to say: “Indeed Allah, the Most High, has made the month of Ramadan as a competition for His creatures, in which they may race with one another to attain His pleasure, by obeying Him. Thus, one group comes first and so they prosper and another group comes last and so they fail.” (Lata'if-ul-Ma'arif of Ibn Rajab, pg. 246) Also, one does not know if this is the last Ramadan he will ever see in his life. How many men, women and children fasted with us last year, and yet now they lie buried in the depths of the earth, depending on their good deeds. And they expected to fast many more Ramadans! Likewise, we too shall follow their path. Therefore, it is upon Muslims to rejoice at this great opportunity of doing good deeds. They should not neglect it, but instead be busy with what will benefit them and what will lead them to reap its everlasting fruits.
