All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be on His Messenger Muhammad.

Virtues of Ramadan

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated; "Allah''s Messenger (peace be upon him) said; ''When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of Jannah (Paradise) are opened and the gates of Jahannam (Hell) are closed, and the shayateen (devils) are chained up."

The gates of Jannah (Paradise) are opened in this month because a great deal of righteous deeds are performed, and as an encouragement for those who seek Allah''s reward. While the gates of Jahannam (Hell) are closed because only a few sins are committed by the believers. The shayateen (devils) will be chained that they may not have the influence on the believers by whispering to them and misguiding them, that they might ordinarily have during the other months of the year.

Allah has prescribed fasting and made it obligatory on all nations. He has said;

"O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous" [Noble Quran 2:183]

If fasting were not a great act of worship, and the reward thereof were not so great Allah would not have prescribed it on all nations.

Of the virtues of fasting is that it is a means for atonement of sins. It is narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that;

"The Prophet, (peace be upon him), said; "Allah has said; ''All the deeds of Adam''s children (all mankind) they do for themselves, except fasting which belongs to Me and I will reward for it. Fasting is a shield (against the Hell and against the committing of sins). If one of you happens to be fasting he should avoid sexual relations with his wife and should avoid quarrelling. Should someone fight or quarrel with him, let him say, ''I am fasting''. By Him in Whose Hand is my soul (Allah), the smell of the mouth of the one who is fasting is better in the sight of Allah than musk (perfume)." [from the collection of sayings of the Prophet by Imam Bukhari]

It is a shield because it safeguards the believer from vain talk and wrong doing and thereby protects him from the Jahannam (Hell).

Of all the good deeds, Allah has favored fasting to be greatly rewarded by Him and distinguished it with prestige, if it is observed with the pure intention of pleasing Him alone.

From other sayings of the Prophet, (peace be upon him) we know that:

Fasting is so highly regarded for a believer that he would have two occasions of joy, one at the time of breaking his fast, [to enjoy the bounties of Allah, because he has been favored with Allah''s mercy to observe fasting while many others have been deprived of this great blessing], and the second would be when he meets his Lord [and enjoys the abundant reward for having observed fasting].

Also, that fasting intercedes with Allah on behalf other believer on the Day of Judgment.

When Does Fasting Begin and End?

Fasting begins upon sighting the new moon after the ending of the month of Sha'ban (on the lunar calendar). Allah says:

[Noble Quran 2:185]

However, it is not incumbent on each person to sight the new moon. If a trustworthy Muslim testifies that he has sighted it then everyone must observe fasting. Abu Hurairah, (may Allah be pleased with him), says: "A Bedouin [dweller of the desert] came to the Prophet, (peace be upon him), and reported; 'O Prophet I have seen the new moon of Ramadan.' So the Prophet, (peace be upon him), asked the man; 'Do you bear witness that {laa elaha illa Allah} There is no deity worthy of worship throughout the Creation - Only Allah, the Creator is worthy of worship?' The man said; 'I do'. Then the Prophet, (peace be upon him), said; 'Do you testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?' Then man said; "Yes." So the Prophet, (peace be upon him), asked Bilal, (may Allah be pleased with him), to announce to the people to being their fast the next day."

Ibn 'Umar also confirmed the practice of sighting the new moon in his report: "The people were seeking the new moon. Having sighted it myself, I reported it to the Prophet, Peace be upon him. He began his fast and ordered the people to being theirs too."

He who sights the new moon of Ramadan must inform those in authority in the Muslim government or community. Once the Muslim government announces the beginning of Ramadan, upon sighting the new moon, it becomes binding on the rest of the Muslims to being their fasting.

It should be kept in mind, however, that astronomical calculations must be ruled out from Shari'ah and must not be relied on for sighting the moon, as the Prophet, (peace be upon him), has ruled that Muslims must begin their fast upon seeing the new moon, not upon calculating the month astronomically. It is only when it becomes hard to see the new moon, due to weather conditions, then Muslims may complete the month of Sha'ban, which precedes the month of Ramadan, as thirty days.

The lunar month is either 29 or 30 days according to the sighting of the new moon. It is never more or less in number.

Who Should Fast and Who Should Not?

On the other hand, permission to abstain from fasting is granted to the travelers who do not travel for the purpose of breaking their fast. Even though it is permissible to break fast during travel, yet it is praiseworthy to fast while traveling if no hardship imposed. In any case, travelers should make up the days they missed out in Ramadan once Ramadan is over and they are back home.

As for those whose sickness does not allow them to fast, they fall into three categories:

If it is neither hard nor harmful for them, they must observe fasting.

If it is hard but not harmful for them, they are permitted to break their fast.

If it is harmful for them, then they must abstain from fasting. It is stated in the Quran:

The Prophet, (peace be upon him), is reported to have said: "Cause no harm to yourselves nor cause it to others."

The days that happen to be missed in Ramadan must be made up once Ramadan is over.

During the monthly menstruation of women or postnatal time after giving birth, women should not fast, but they must make up these days that are missed as soon as possible in the following month(s). Pregnant or breastfeeding women whose health or the baby's health would be negatively affected by the fasting should break their fast and then make them up in the future as soon as it is not a problem for their health.

It is also recommended for those engaged in combat in the Way of Allah to break their fast. The Prophet, (peace be upon him), told his companions in one of the battles: "You are going to meet your enemy in the morning, abstaining from fasting is better for your strength, so break your fast."

-From the collection of sayings of the Prophet, (peace be upon him), collected by Imam Muslim

Wisdom Behind Fasting

Fasting is a great act of worship for the Muslim which he performs by neglecting his desires to please his Lord and hopes for His Reward. It just common sense that the one who would not give up desired things except that it would be for something more desirable. In this case the pleasure of Allah is the most sought after desire.

It is also a means of achieving piety and righteousness. The Prophet (peace be upon him), said: "He who does not give up false speech and evil actions, Allah doesn't need his refraining from food and drink."

In other words, Allah is not going to accept this person's fasting.

The heart, through fasting, is apt to maintain its tenderness since the desires are not sought rather shunned, and tend to be more receptive to the words of Allah.

The rich will, through fasting be more appreciative of Allah's graces and bounties. He will also suffer deprivation as do the poor and needy under their everyday circumstances. So he will be more motivated to help them from what Allah has provided him. It helps depress pride of the ego and maintains humbleness. Moreover, fasting has its health advantages by virtue of decreasing the intake of food and relaxing the digestive system. Great is the Wisdom of Allah, and great are His Graces!

Obligatory Conditions of Fasting

• Performing the other acts of worship and duties is most important, and salah (ritualistic prayers) in particular, without which no other act of worship is accepted by Allah. Praying in congregation is a great aspect in our religion. Everyone should attend: its reward is twenty seven times greater than that which is performed individually. The Prophet(peace be upon him), was just about to burn the houses of those who did not attend the congregational prayers.

• Performing the other acts of worship and duties is most important, and salah (ritualistic prayers) in particular, without which no other act of worship is accepted by Allah. Praying in congregation is a great aspect in our religion. Everyone should attend: its reward is twenty seven times greater than that which is performed individually. The Prophet(peace be upon him), was just about to burn the houses of those who did not attend the congregational prayers.

Praiseworthy Etiquette of Fasting

• Taking the meal of Suhur:

• The Prophet(peace be upon him), said; "Take the meal of suhur because there is blessing in it." - Bukhari He also said; "The difference between our fasting and that of the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) is taking the meal of suhur." Even taking a cup of water in lieu of suhur meal has blessings in it also.

• Breaking the fast as soon as the sun sets.

• Making Du'a upon breaking the fast.

• Reciting as much Quran as possible during the month of Ramadan.

Fast Breaking Practices

• 1. Sexual intercourse during the time of day for fasting. Willful violation of fast by such practice requires the fast of sixty consecutive days in order to make up for the day in which the intercourse took place.

• 2. Wilful/Intentionally ejaculation by means of kissing or caressing or otherwise. Wet dreams or Unintentional ejaculations does not break the fast.

• 3. Eating, drinking, smoking or taking any food substitutes such as receiving blood, glucose, or I.V. substances by intention while knowing you should be fasting. If done without remembering you are fasting, then it would not count as breaking the fast. If such an act was prescribed for an essential reason, the fast would be consider broken but would only require one day for each day missed.

• 4. Vomiting on purpose without necessity.

• 5. Menstrual bleeding.

Days in which the above practices (2 through 5) are to be make up a day for a day once Ramadan is over.

On the other hand, the application of khol(surma), eye, ear, or nose drops or brushing the teeth or gargling with water do not break the fast. As long as there is no intention of taking any nourishment internally.

Wearing perfumes, using siwak or toothbrush without toothpaste do not break fast since it has been reported that the Prophet, (peace be upon him), practiced that. One can also take the shower or a bath while fasting. However, it is incumbent to make intention of fasting before dawn. Such intention is to be made in the mind only.

Pronouncing certain words for that intention is a bid'ah (innovation) neither the Prophet, (peace be upon him), nor were his companions ever reported to have composed certain words for the intention.

Qiyaam or Taraweeh Prayer

Allah the mighty the majestic has made five daily prayers obligatory on the Muslims, He due to His grace made the reward thereof fifty folds. He also encourages the believers to perform supererogatory or nafl prayers. Among which is the prayer which falls between midnight and dawn.

Allah the mighty the majestic praised those who engage themselves in prayer at that time of the night: “Their sides forsake their beds invoking their Lord in fear and hope. As-sajdha 32:16. The Prophet said: “ The best prayer next to obligatory is the night prayer”: Mulsim . In another tradition he said: “ O people! Practice greetings (assalamu alikum), give the food (to those who need it), connect your relatives (by visitation) and pray at night while others are asleep, and shall enter Jannah(paradise) peacefully ”.:At-Thirmidi. Of the night prayer is, Witr, mnimum of which is one and Maximum is eleven.

Performing night prayer in Ramadan is far more superior to that performed in a different month by virtue of the recommendation of the Prophet : “He who performs night prayer in Ramadan with faith in Allah, in the great reward for it and it seeking such reward will have his past sins forgiven.” : Bukhari

Taraweeh prayer is considered of the night prayer in Ramadan, therefore one should take good care of it. To pray Taraweeh in Jama’ah (congregation) is sunnah initiated by our beloved Prophet , and revived by the second rightly Guided Khalifah Umar . Through there is a difference of opinion among the scholars in the past how many rak’ah Taraweeh should be, but all of them unanimously agreed that the best is to apply the sunnah of performing it eleven raka’at only. The Prophet did not pray more than eleven raka’at in Ramadan or other month. Aaisha , the wife of the prophet said: "The Prophet never prayed more than eleven raka’at in the night neither in Ramadan nor in any other month " : Bukhari and Muslim

The full reward of Taraweeh is obtained only when it is performed in Jama’ah. The person who performs it is Jama’ah will be considered, according to authentic traditions, as if he spent the rest of that night praying.

Virtues of Reciting The Qu'ran

There are two types of Quran recitation:

• 1. Practical recitation which means reading with belief in and application of the orders of Allah and refraining from the unlawful things.

• 2. Word recitation

There are many ahadeeth in which emphasis is laid on the great reward for those who recite the Qur’an. The Prophet (peace be upon him), said: “The best of you is he who learns the Qur’an and teaches it.” He also said: “The one who excels in reciting the Qur’an will be in the company of the honored angels. The example of the believer who reads the Qur’an is like that of the Utrujah (a citrus fruit) which has a beautiful fragrance and beautiful taste. While the example of the believer who does not read the Qur’an is like that of the date fruit, it has sweet taste but has no fragrance.” He also said: “He who recites one letter of the Book of Allah, will be rewarded for it, and the reward will be multiplied in folds.”

There are certain suras of the Qur’an that have more value in reciting them. The Prophet (peace be upon him), verified that satan does not enter the house wherein suratul-Baqarah is recited. Particularly when one recites Ayatul-Kursi in the night, as the Prophet informed, he shall be protected by Allah, and satan shall not come near him till he wakes up in the morning. Same results may be achieved by the recitation of the last ten verses of Al-Baqarah, as well as the last three suras of the Qur’an.

Our pious predecessors used to busy themselves extensively in reciting the Qur’an during the month of Ramadan. It was customary for them not to go beyond ten verses before they learned the rulings and the knowledge those ten verses contained.

Etiquette of Reading The Qur'an

The Qur’an which we recite contains the actual words of Allah revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him). Therefore, we should observe the following when reciting it:

1. Seek refuge in Allah before reading it. (viz. A’oothu billahi minash-shaitanir-rajeem)
2. Set the intention that the recitation thereof is purely to seek the pleasure of Allah alone.
3. Recite with an alert heart that you may comprehend its contents, imagining while reciting it that Allah is speaking to you through the Qur’an.
4. Make sure you are clean before touching the Qur’an. Do not read it when you are in the state of impurity (i.e. If you need ghusul-shower)
5. Do not read the Quran in lavatories/restrooms or similar places.
6. Read it slowly with pleasant sound and rhythm.
7. Prostrate wherever a verse requires prostration.

The Virtues of The Last Ten Days of Ramadan and Lailathul Qadr

It has been reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to put extra effort in his devotion in the last ten days of Ramadan. He used to awake his family in the night that they may not lose the benefit of those blessed nights. It is also reported that he used to make I’tikaaf by spending the last ten days in the masjid.

As for Lailathul Qadr, which then interpreted into English means the night of honor and decree. It is erroneously translated into the night of power. The prophet (peace be upon him) recommended to be sought in the last ten days of Ramadan. This night is valued to be better than a thousand months spent in devotion to Allah. One of the privileges of this night is that the Qur’an was revealed in it. In it too, the angels descend to earth with blessings, goodness and mercy. It is a peaceful night in which many are saved from the Hell. Forgiveness of the past sins is granted to those who spend it busying themselves in prayer and the remembrance of Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Seek it in the odd nights (of the last third) of Ramadan.