الحمد لله الذي جعل رمضان سيد الشهور وأفاضَ فيه الخير و النّور، وأشهدُ أن لا إله إلا الله وحدَه لا شريك له القويُّ المتينُ، وأشهد أنَّ نبيَّنا وسيّدنا محمّداً عبدُهُ ورسولُه بعثه الله بالهدى واليقين، اللهمَّ صلِّ وسلِّم وبارك على عبدِك و رسولك محمدٍ و على ءالهِ الطّيّبين الطّاهرين.
Praise be to Allah, who made Ramadan master of all months, and made its goodness and light abundant and overflowing. I testify that no one is God but Allah, Al-Qawiyyul-Matin (the One Who is Very Mighty and Powerful), alone without a partner, and I testify that our Prophet and Master, Muhammad, is His slave and His Messenger. Allah dispatched him with the guidance and with the definitive truth! O Allah! Raise the rank of Your slave and Messenger Muhammad, and protect his nation from what he feared for it, and bless him, and his pure and good family!
أما بعد فإنَّ الله تبارك و تعالى قال في كتابه العزيز:
Thereafter: Indeed, Allah - Glorified and Exalted - said in His Glorious Book:
﴿وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَىٰ﴾
(سورة البقرة)
<Like the travelers take provisions, collect good deeds for the trip whose destination is the Afterlife, for surely, the best of provisions is the fear of God.>
(Surat Al-Baqarah)
و أفضل ما يتزوّد به الإنسان من هذه الحياة الفانية هو الإيمان بالله و رسوله و طاعة الله و رسوله. و خير العلوم هو علم الدين لأن علم الدين سبيل للوصول للسعادة الأبدية، فمن ناله و اتبعه كان من ملوك الآخرة و من خسره فقد خسر خسراناً كبيراً.
And the best of what the human can take as provisions from this fleeting earthly life is Faith in Allah and His Messenger, and obedience to Allah and His Messenger. And the best knowledge is that of the Religion, because the religious knowledge is the path to reaching the everlasting bliss. Whoever obtained that is among the kings of the Afterlife, and whoever lost it has suffered an enormous loss!
علم الدّين هو الذي يبين للإنسان ما يقربه من الله و تجنب ما يبعده من الله، فهو سعيد لأنه قدّم لنفسه لِما بعد الموت ما ينجو به من المهالك و العذاب. و من أهمل هذا التعلم فقد أهلك نفسه لأنه لا يدري ماذا يفعل و ماذا يترك، و من دراه فلم يتبعه كان من الخاسرين أيضاً.
It is the knowledge of the Religion that clarifies for the person what grants him a higher status with Allah, and what makes him less great to Allah, which is to be avoided. One would be happy, because he will have prepared for himself after death that by which he avoids the destruction and torture. Whoever neglected learning has ruined himself, because he will not know what he should do and what he should avoid, and whoever did not apply the knowledge they had is also among the losers.
و إليكم أيّها الأحبّة بعض ما ورد في فضائل و شمائل و بركات و أنوار شهر رمضان لعلَّها تُعلِّم جاهلَنا، و تُذَكِّر ناسيَنا، و تزيدُ المتذكّرَ إيماناً على إيمانِهِ.
O beloved ones! Take some of what came about the merits, blessings, and highlights of the month of Ramadan, so that such information would give knowledge the ignorant among us, remind the forgetful, and add Faith to the Faith of whoever is already mindful.
أسألُ الله أن يجعلنيَ و إيَّاكم ممن ذكرهم الله في القرءان الكريم بِقوله تعالى:
I ask Allah to make me and you among those whom Allah mentioned in His saying:
﴿ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَاهُمُ اللَّهُ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ أُولُواْ الْأَلْبَابِ﴾
(سورة الزمر)
<They are those who objectively hear what is said, and select what is good and correct, and they learn their religion, and implement what is most rewardable. Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, and those, they are the people of intelligence and sound mind.>
(Surat Az-Zumar)
استعدّوا لشهر رمضان و استقبلوه بالخير و العمل
Prepare for the month of Ramadan and meet it with goodness and practice.
أخرج النّسائيُّ في سننه و أحمد في مسنده و ابن أبي شيبة في مصنفه من حديث أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قالَ: لمّا حَضَرَ رَمَضَانُ قالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى اللهُ عليهِ وسلّم:
An-Nasa’iyy produced in his Sunan, as well as Ahmad in his Musnad, and Ibn Abi Shaybah in his Musannaf, from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah accept his deeds, that he said: “When Ramadan came, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"أتاكُمُ رَمَضَانُ شهرٌ مُباركٌ، فَرَضَ الله عزَّ و جلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ صِيَامَهُ، تُفْتَحُ فِيه أبْوَابُ السَّمَاء، و تُغْلَقُ فِيهِ أبوابُ الجَحِيمِ، و تُغلُّ فِيهِ مرَدَةُ الشَّياطِينِ، لِلَّهِ فِيه لَيْلةٌ خَيْرٌ مِن ألفِ شَهْرٍ، مَنْ حُرِمَ خَيْرَهَا فَقَدْ حُرِمَ".
“Ramadan has come to you, a blessed month. Allah the Mighty and Great has obligated you to fast. During it, the gates of the sky are opened, and during it, the gates of Hell are closed, and during it, the rebellious devils are shackled. Allah has in it a night that is better than one thousand months. Whoever was deprived of its goodness has indeed been deprived.”
كانَ رسولُ اللهِ صلى اللهُ عليهِ وسلمَ يُبَشِّرُ أصحابَهُ بقدومِ شهرِ رمضانَ، يستحثُّ بذلكَ عزائمَ المؤمنينَ، ويشرحُ صدورَ المسلمينَ للإقبالِ على طاعةِ ربِّ العالمينَ، ويُشَوِّقُهُم ويرغبُهم فيما عندَ اللهِ مِنَ الفضلِ العظيمِ والخيرِ العميمِ.
The Messenger of Allah used to congratulate his Companions for the coming of the month of Ramadan. By that, he sparked the determination of the Believers, and their hearts would be more inclined to worship the Lord of the Worlds. The Prophet would make them long for and desirous of what Allah has of Great Generosity, and vast goodness.
أتاكم رمضانُ شهرُ الخيراتِ والمبراتِ، موسمُ الطاعاتِ وموسمُ الرحماتِ، موسمُ البركاتِ وموسمُ الخيرِ والعطاءِ والفلاحِ، موسمُ الأعمالِ الصالحةِ من صيامٍ وقيامٍ وقراءةِ القرءانِ وصدقةٍ وإحسانٍ.
There has come to you Ramadan, the month of much goodness and benevolence, the season of doing plenty of various worships, the season of mercies, the season of blessings, and the season of goodness and of giving and of success; the season of good deeds like fasting, standing in prayer, reciting the Qur’an, charity, cheer and doing favors.
استعدوا لشهرِ رمضانَ، واستقبلوهُ بالخيرِ والعملِ، هو شهرٌ يأتينا مرةً كلَّ عامٍ وننتظرُهُ بشوقٍ وشغفٍ وهُيامٍ، فيحلُّ علينا ضيفًا عزيزًا.
فليحمدِ اللهَ تعالى كلٌّ منا أنْ مَدَّ اللهُ تعالى في عمرِهِ حتى أدركَ رمضانَ هذا العامَ. فكم مِنْ أناسٍ حالَ بينَهم وبينَهُ هادمُ اللذاتِ ومفرقُ الجماعاتِ، فرمضانُ مزرعةُ خيرٍ للعبادِ وتطهيرٌ للقلوبِ والنفوسِ من الفسادِ. وزادُ التقوى ليومِ المعادِ... فهناكَ أوانُ الحصادِ. فاعزِمْ في قلبِكَ يا أخي المسلمَ إذا وافيتَ رمضانَ أن تغتنمَهُ كلَّهُ بالخيراتِ والطاعاتِ، وأن تشمّرَ فِيهِ بِهِمَّة على الطاعاتِ والعباداتِ تغتنم أيامَهُ ولَياليهِ.
Prepare for the month of Ramadan and meet it with goodness and practice. It is a month that comes to us but once per year, we await it with longing and love and the most intense thirst, so it settles with us as an honored guest. Therefore, let every one of us praise Allah for His enabling us to live to see Ramadan of this year. How many have that destroyer of desires3 come between them and this Ramadan, that destroyer who breaks up groups? Ramadan is a farm of goodness for the worshipers, and a purifier of the hearts and of the selves from corruption, and it is a supply of piety for the destination which is the Day of Return. That time is the time to reap the rewards for the good that was sown. So be determined, O my Muslim brother - if you have lived to see Ramadan, then take advantage and fill it with good deeds and acts of obedience! Roll up your sleeves with ambition to engage in obedience and worships and take advantage of its days and nights.
وعن أبي هريرةَ رضي اللهُ عنهُ قالَ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال:
Abu Hurayrah, may Allah accept his deeds, related that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"إذا دخلَ رمضانُ فُتِحَتْ أبوابُ الجَنَّةِ، وَغُلِّقَتْ أبوابُ النَّارِ، وَسُلْسِلَتِ الشَّيَاطِينُ"
“When Ramadan enters, the doors of Paradise are opened, and the doors of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained.”
وفي روايةٍ:
And according to another narration:
"وَيُنَادِي مُنادٍ يا باغيَ الخَيْرِ أَقْبِلْ، ويا بَاغِيَ الشَّرِّ أَقْصِرْ، وللهِ عتقاءُ مِنَ النَّارِ، وذلكَ كُلَّ ليلةٍ"
“And a caller calls out: ‘O seeker of good, come forth! O seeker of evil, refrain! Allah has slaves that shall be liberated from Hell, and that occurs every night.”
رواه الترمذي وابن ماجه
That is narrated by At-Tirmidhiyy and Ibn Majah.
رمضانُ شهرُ العملِ الصالحِ والمغفرةِ والعتقِ من النارِ، وفرصةٌ لا تتاحُ في العامِ إلا مرةً واحدةً، فلا عذرَ لمعتذرٍ ولا مجالَ للتواني والكسلِ، بل هِمَّةٌ ونشاطٌ وتسابقٌ إلى الخيرات. هذا شأنُ المسلمينَ كلما جاءَ هذا الشهرُ المباركُ ومَنْ قَصَّرَ وتوانَى فقد ضيَّعَ الفرصةَ على نفسهِ وخالَفَ السُّنَّةَ.
Ramadan is the month of the good deeds, and of forgiveness, and of being liberated from Hell, and an opportunity that does not come but once per year. So, there is no excuse for the excuse maker, and no time for procrastination and laziness. Rather, it is a time for ambition, energy, and competing to do the good deeds. This is the way of the Muslims whenever this blessed month comes. Whoever was negligent and procrastinating, then he has lost the opportunity to his own detriment, and he has gone against the Sunnah.
يا باغي الخير أقبل أقبل على الله بالطاعات أقبل على الله بالقُربات، وأول ذلك المحافظةُ على الفرائض في أوقاتها ثم بقية الطاعات وسائر الحسنات. بادر بها، اشتغل بها، فإنك بحاجة إليها عما قريب. عما قريب ستحتاج إلى الحسنة الواحدة حينما يحضرك الأجل ويُختم لك العمل وتتمنى الرجوع لعملٍ صالح ولا تُمكنُّ من ذلك، فأنت الآن في زمن الأمنية وقد أهَّلَ الله عليك هذا الشهر فبادره بالطاعات والقربات.
O seeker of good, come forth! Come forth seeking the reward of Allah by the acts of obedience. Seek the reward of Allah by the acts of worship. The most important of that is preserving the obligations in their times, then the rest of the acts of obedience, and the remaining good deeds. Rush to do them and be occupied with them. Soon you will need them. Soon, you will need that one good deed, when the expiration comes to you and your deeds are sealed, and you will wish to go back to do a good deed and you will not be enabled to. And you are now in a time of safety, and Allah has been accommodating by giving you this month, so rush into it with obedience and worship.
يا باغي الخير أقبل، أقبل على الله واعرض عما سواه. أقبل على الله بالطاعات والقربات الصدقات وفعل الخيرات، أقبل بكلِّ أنواع الإقبال على الله. فإن الله مقبل عليك سبحانه وتعالى ويتقبلُّ منك القليلَ والكثير ويضاعف لك القليل أضعافًا كثيرة. إنَّ الله لا يظلم مثقال ذرة، وإن تكُ حسنة يضاعفها ويؤتِ من لدنهُ أجرًا عظيماً.
O seeker of good, come forth! Come forth seeking the reward of Allah and turn away from anyone else. Come forth seeking the reward of Allah by the obedience and worships; by the charities and good doings. Come forth with every type of good deed for the sake of Allah, for surely Allah is offering you a generous reward, Exalted is He, and highly Glorified! And He accepts from you the little and the lot, and He will multiply for you that little by many times. Surely, Allah does not wrong anyone even the amount of a particle’s weight. And if there was any good deed done, He will multiply it, and He gives, from Himself, a grand reward!
تأسُّوا بنبيِّكم صلى اللهُ عليهِ وسلّمَ، فقد كانَ عليهِ الصلاةُ والسلامُ إذا جَاءَ رمضانُ استعدَّ لهُ، لا بالمآكلِ والمشاربِ، بل بالطاعةِ والعبادةِ والجودِ والسخاءِ. فاتقوا اللهَ واشكروهُ على ما منَّ بهِ عليكم مِنْ حلولِ شهرِ الصيامِ والقيامِ، واعلموا أن إدراكَ شهرِ رمضانَ نعمةٌ عظمى ومنةٌ كبرى.
Follow the example of your Prophet ﷺ, for he would be ready when Ramadan would come, not by foods and drinks, but by obedience and worship, and by giving and generosity. So, fear Allah and thank Him for what He graciously gave you by the start of the fasting month and special time for standing in prayer. And know that living to see Ramadan is a great endowment, and a big favor!
ربَّنا ءاتِنا في الدنيا حسنةً وفي الآخرةِ حسنةً وقنا عذابَ النارِ ربنا لاتزغ قلوبنا بعد إذ هديتنا وهب لنا من لدنك رحمة إنك أنت التَّوابُ الرّحيم
Our Lord! Give us in the earthly life something good, and in the Afterlife something good, and save us from the torture of Hell!
Our Lord! Do not deviate our hearts after You have guided us, and give us, from Yourself, mercy.
Surely, you are At-Tawwabu-r-Rahim (the Forgiving and Merciful).
الله رَحِمَنا بأنْ افترضَ علينا صيامَ رمضانَ
Allah Had Mercy upon Us by Obligating Us to Fast Ramadan.
احمدوا اللهَ على بلوغِ هذا الشهرِ، وأكثروا فيهِ من فعلِ الطاعاتِ واكتسابِ الحسناتِ. واعلموا أنَّ مِنْ أعظمِ الأعمالِ التي شرعها اللهُ في
هذا الشهرِ بعدَ الصلواتِ المفروضةِ الصيامَ، فقد جعلَ اللهُ صومَ هذا الشهرِ أحدَ أهمِّ أمورِ الإسلامِ
Praise Allah for your reaching this month, and during it, do much obedience, and earn good deeds. And know that among the greatest of deeds that Allah made a religious duty during this month- after the obligatory prayers- is the fast. Allah made the fasting of this month one of the most important matters of the Religion.
قالَ اللهُ تعالى في القرءانِ الكريمِ:
Allah - Exalted is He - said in the Honorable Qur’an:
﴿فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ﴾ (سورة البقرة).
<Any of you who witnesses the crescent, then let him fast the month>
(Surat Al-Baqarah)
فيجبُ الصيامُ على كلِّ مسلمٍ بالغٍ عاقلٍ مقيمٍ صحيحٍ، أما الصغيرُ الذي دونَ البلوغِ فلا يجبُ عليهِ، ولكن يُرغَّبُ فيهِ ويُحَثُّ عليهِ ويؤمَرُ بهِ بعدَ سبعِ سنينَ قمرية إنْ أطاقَ جسمُهُ وتحمَّلَ ليعتادَهُ ويتربى عليهِ وينشأَ محبًّا للصيامِ وعارفًا بهِ. فلقد كان أصحابُ محمدٍ صلى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ يُصوِّمونَ صبيانَهم. وفاقدُ العقلِ لا يُخاطبُ بهِ لأنَّ القلمَ رُفِعَ عن المجنونِ حتى يُفيقَ، وعن الصبيِّ حتى يبلغَ، وعن النائمِ حتى يستيقظَ.
Thus, fasting is obligatory on every healthy, residing, sane, and pubescent Muslim. As for the child who is below puberty, it is not obligatory on him, but it is made desirous to him, and he is encouraged to do it, and he is commanded to fast after seven lunar years old, if his body can withstand fasting. That is so that he can become accustomed to fasting and be raised upon it, brought up loving the fast and knowledgeable about it. Indeed, the Companions used to make their children fast. The one who lacks sanity is not requested to fast, because the Pen is lifted from the insane until he gains sanity, and from the child until reaching puberty, and from the sleeping person until he wakes up.
ولا يجبُ الصومُ أيضًا على من لا يُطيقُهُ حسًّا لكِبَرِ سنِّهِ كالعجوزِ الفاني مخافةَ التلفِ والموتِ أو مَنْ هو مصابٌ بمرضٍ لا يُرجى شفاؤهُ وهذا من سَعةِ رحمةِ اللهِ وتيسيرهِ
Fasting is also not obligatory on whoever is physically unable due to old age, like the very old senior citizen, for fear of damage or death, and likewise whoever was inflicted with a sickness from which he does not hope for cure. This is from the vastness of the Mercy of Allah, and His Facilitating.
قالَ اللهُ تعالى:
Allah - Exalted is He - said:
﴿ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكمْ فِي الدّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ ﴾ (سورة الحج).
<Allah did not make upon you in the Religion any burden>
(Surat Al-Hajj)
كما لا يجبُ الصومُ على الحائضِ والنفساءِ وجوبَ أداءٍ أي طالَمَا الدَّمُ يَنْزِلُ مِنَ الْحائِضِ أوِ النُّفساءِ، بل يجبُ عليهما وجوبَ قضاءٍ. كذلكَ إذا طرأَ على المرأةِ الحيضُ ولو كان قبلَ الغروبِ بنصفِ ساعةٍ ونحوِ ذلكَ فسدَ صومُها ووجبَ عليها قضاءُ ذلك اليومِ.
Likewise, it is not obligatory on the menstruating and postpartum bleeding woman to fast while the blood is flowing. Rather, what is obligatory upon them is making it up. Likewise, if menstruation happened to the woman, even if by something like only a half hour before sunset, her fast is invalidated and making up that day would be obligatory on her.
وإذا خافتِ الحاملُ والمرضعُ على نفسَيْهِما أو على ولدَيهما، فكانَ الصومُ سببًا لضعفِ الحملِ أو ضعفِها هي فإنها تُفطرُ، فإنْ كانَ إفطارُها لأجلِ نفسِها فإنها تقضي فقط. أما إذا أفطرتا خوفًا على الولدِ فقط أن يُجْهَضَ أو يقلَّ اللبنُ فيتضرَّرَ فيجبُ مع القضاءِ الفديةُ لكلِّ يوم مُدٌّ مِنْ غالبِ قوتِ البلدِ.
And if the pregnant or nursing woman feared for herself, or for her child, and fasting weakened the pregnancy or was dangerous for the woman, then she can break her fast. If her breaking the fast was for her own sake only, then she only has to make it up. As for if her breaking the fast was for only the fear of her child; for fear of miscarriage or lack of breast milk, then along with the obligation of making it up is an expiation, for every missed day she must give the fill of two average-sized hands cupped together full of the most common staple food of the town.
وأما المسافرُ سفرَ قصرٍ بالطَّائِرَةِ أو بالسَّيَّارَةِ أو بغيرِ ذلكَ ولو سَفَرًا مُريحًا فيجوزُ لهُ الفطرُ ولو لم يشقَّ عليهِ الصومُ،
As for the traveler who travels a distance that allows shortening the prayer, whether by plane, car, or another means, even if it was a comfortable travel, it is permissible for him to break his fast, even if fasting was not difficult.
يقولُ اللهُ تباركَ وتعالى في القرءانِ الكريمِ:
Allah, Glorified and Exalted, said:
﴿فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ﴾ (سورة البقرة)
<Whoever among you was sick or on a travel, then he makes up those days on other days.>
(Surat Al-Baqarah)
وأجمعَ المسلمونَ على أنَّ للمسافرِ أن يفطرَ في سفرهِ، هذا حُكمُ اللهِ الذي وردَ في القرءانِ لكن إن لم يشقَّ عليهِ الصومُ فالمثابرةُ على الصّيام أفضلُ منْ أنْ يُفطِرَ.
The Muslims have a consensus that the traveler is allowed to break his fast while traveling. This is Allah’s rule that came in the Qur’an. However, if fasting is not difficult, then maintaining the fast is better than breaking it.
وكذلكَ يجوزُ الفطرُ للمريضِ إنْ كانَ في المثابرةِ على الصَّومِ مع هذا المرضِ مشقَّةٌ، إما إنْ كانَ هذا المرضُ لا يُؤثرُ عليهِ في صيامهِ من نحوِ صداعٍ أو وجعٍ في الضرسِ وغيرِ ذلكَ مِنَ الأمورِ اليسيرةِ، فإنَّ الواجبَ عليهِ أنْ يصومَ؛ لأنَّهُ لا عذرَ لهُ في الشّرع.
Likewise, breaking the fast is permissible for the sick if persisting on fasting while sick was difficult. As for if this sickness has no effect on him while fasting, such as the likes of a headache, toothache, or other easy matters, then what is mandatory on him is fasting, and he has no excuse in the Religion.
ويجبُ على الحائضِ والنفساءِ وعلى كلِّ مَنْ أفطرَ لعذرٍ أو غيرهِ القضاءُ إلا مَنْ أفطرَ لكِبَرٍ أو مرضٍ لا يُرجى بُرؤهُ فإنّهُ ليسَ عليهما إِلا الفديةُ، أي أنْ يُطعِمَ كلٌّ منهما عن كلِّ يومٍ مسكينًا مدًّا مِنْ غالب قوت البلد.
And it is obligatory on the menstruating woman, postpartum bleeding woman, and everyone who broke the fast with an excuse to make it up, except whoever broke his fast for old age or sickness from which there is no hope for cure. There is nothing obligatory on them except the expiation, which is for both of them to pay a poor person two average-sized hands cupped together of the most common staple food of the town for every missed day.
فيا مَنْ بلَّغَكُمُ اللهُ صيامَ هذا الشهرِ فاشكروهُ على نعمتهِ واسألوهُ التوفيقَ لما يُحبّهُ ويرضاهُ واغتنموهُ بكثرةِ الطاعاتِ والأعمالِ الصالحةِ والدعواتِ الخالصةِ، فإنَّ للصائمِ عندَ فطرهِ دعوةً لا تُردُّ فأخلصوا للهِ الدعاءَ واسألوهُ التوفيقَ لِما يحبهُ ويرضاهُ وءاخرُ دعوانا أنِ الحمدُ للهِ ربِّ العالمينَ.
And so, O you whom Allah made reach the fast of this year, thank Him for His endowment, and ask Him for the Divine Success to do what He accepts by doing plenty of worship, good deeds and sincere supplications, for indeed, the fasting person has a supplication upon breaking his fast that is not rejected, so be sincere to Allah when supplicating and ask Him for the Divine Success to do what He accepts, and the end of our call is:
“Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbi-l-^Alamin!”