إنَّ الصيامَ عبادةٌ عظيمةٌ فرضَها اللهُ على المسلمينَ ليقوموا بها في شهرِ رمضانَ مِنْ كلِّ عامٍ، وفيها الثوابُ الجزيلُ مِنَ اللهِ سبحانَهُ وتعالى،
Surely, fasting is a great worship. Allah made it obligatory on the Believers for them to fulfill it during the month of Ramadan every year, and for it there is an abundant reward from Allah, Glorified and Exalted.
يقولُ اللهُ في القرءانِ الكريمِ:
Allah said in the Honorable Qur’an:
﴿شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْءانُ هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ فَمَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَنْ كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ﴾
(سورة البقرة).
<The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur’an was revealed as guidance for the people, clarifying the truth and distinguishing truth from falsehood. So, whoever among you witnesses the crescent, let him fast the month, and whoever was sick or travelling, then he can make up the fast on other days. Allah permits for you the ease in the Religion, and does not make for you difficulty, and so that you would complete the entire month, and so that you would say “Allahu ‘Akbar” for His guiding you, and so that you will be grateful.>
(Surat Al-Baqarah)
لقد بينتِ الآيةُ الكريمةُ فضلَ شهرِ رمضانَ كما أشادتْ بفضلِ القرءانِ العظيمِ ونوَّهتْ إلى ما فيهِ مِنَ الهدى والفرقانِ، وبشَّرَتْ أمةَ القرءانِ بهدايةِ اللهِ تعالى لها، وهيَّأتها لشكرِ نِعمِ ربِّها عليها، وما في ذلكَ مِنَ الخيرِ والبركةِ ما لا يعلمُ مداهُ إلا اللهُ.
The verse clarified the merit of the month of Ramadan. Just as it praised the merit of the Great Qur’an and elevated what the Qur’an contains of guidance and distinguishing truth from falsehood, it also gave the nation that received the Qur’an congratulations for Allah guiding that nation - Exalted is He. The verse also readies the nation for having gratitude for the endowments of its Lord, and whatever that includes of good and blessings unknown to anyone except Allah.
﴿شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ﴾ الذي هو الشهرُ التاسعُ منْ شهورِ السنةِ القمريةِ
The month of Ramadan is the ninth of the lunar months.
﴿الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْءانُ﴾ مِنَ اللوحِ المحفوظِ إلى السماءِ الدنيا وذلك في ليلةِ القدرِ لقوله تعالى: ﴿إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ﴾ (القدر)، أُنزلَ جملةً واحدةً مِنَ اللوحِ المحفوظِ إلى بيتِ العزةِ في السماءِ الدنيا، ثم نزلَ بهِ جبريلُ عليهِ السلامُ على رسولِ اللهِ صلى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ نجومًا نجومًا أي متفرّقًا.
It is the month in which the Qur’an was brought down from the Guarded Tablet to Al-Baytu-l-^Izzah in the lowest sky. Then Jibril - peace be upon him - came down with it upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in installments, meaning in segments.
﴿هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ﴾ مِنَ الضلالةِ إلى ما فيهِ كمالُهم وسعادتُهم في الدارينِ
It was revealed as guidance for the people that takes them out of the misguidance and directs them to excellence, and to happiness in both abodes (the present life and the Afterlife).
﴿وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ﴾ والمرادُ أنَّ القرءانَ نزلَ هاديًا للناسِ ومبينًا لهم سبيلَ الهدى، موضحًا طريقَ الفوزِ والنجاةِ، فارقًا لهم بينَ الحقِّ والباطلِ في كلِّ شؤونِ الحياةِ.
And it was revealed as clarifications of guidance, distinguishing truth from falsehood. The intent is that the Qur’an was revealed as a guide for the people and it clarifies for them the path of guidance, and explains for them the path of guidance, elucidating the way of victory and salvation, distinguishing for them between the truth and the falsehood in all matters of life.
﴿فَمَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ﴾ أَيْ مَنْ أَدْرَكَ الشَّهْرَ حَيًّا فَرْضٌ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَصُومَ
And whoever among you witnessed the crescent, let him fast the month, meaning: whoever was alive when the month came in, it is obligatory on him to fast.
﴿وَمَنْ كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ﴾ ولذا أباحَ لكمُ الفطرَ لعذرِ المرضِ والسفرِ، وأنَّ على مَنْ أفطرَ بهما قضاءَ ما أفطرَ بعددهِ، كما أخبرَ تعالى أنهُ يريدُ بالإذنِ في الإفطارِ للمريضِ والمسافرِ اليُسرَ بالأمَّةِ، ولا يُريدُ بها العسرَ، فلهُ الحمدُ ولهُ المنةُ.
And whoever was sick or travelling, then he can make up the fast on other days. Allah permits for you the easier judgment in the Religion and does not make difficulty for you. For that reason, He made breaking the fast for the excuses of sickness and travel lawful for you, and whoever broke his fast for those reasons has to make up the number of days that he broke. Allah the Exalted informed that He gives permission to the nation; for the sick and the traveler to break the fast, and He did not make difficulty for you in the Religion. His is the Praise and His is the Endowing!
﴿وَلِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ﴾ أي وجبَ القضاءُ من أجلِ إكمالِ عدةِ الشهرِ ثلاثينَ أو تسعةً وعشرينَ يومًا
Your make-up fasting is obligatory so that you complete the number of days that was the month of Ramadan for that year, whether 30 days or 29.
﴿ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ ﴾ أي أرشدَكم لمعالمِ دينهِ وذلكَ عندَ إتمامِ صيامِ رمضانَ من رؤيةِ الهلالِ إلى تمامِ إحرامِ الإمامِ بصلاةِ العيدِ، فالتكبيرُ أولى ما يُشتغَلُ بهِ لأنّهُ ذكرُ اللهِ تعالى وفيهِ أجرٌ كبيرٌ.
And so that you say “Allahu ‘Akbar!” for that goodness to which He guided you. Here, Allah guides you to knowing what the signs of His Religion are. In this case, it is the takbirs that are said after completing Ramadan, from the time the crescent is sighted, until the imam’s ihram for starting the ^id prayer. The Takbir is the most deserving for one to busy himself with. It is the remembrance of Allah, and in it there is great reward.
فكلمةُ اللهُ أكبرُ جملةٌ تدلُّ على أنَّ اللهَ أقدرُ مِنْ كلِّ قادرٍ وأعلمُ مِنْ كلِّ عالمٍ وأعظمُ مِنْ كلِّ عظيمٍ واللهُ غالبُ كلِّ شىءٍ.
The statement “Allahu ‘Akbar” is a sentence that indicates Allah being more powerful than any strong one, and more knowledgeable than any other knower of anything, and greater than anyone who has any status. And Allah is Dominant over everything.
وإثباتُ الأعظميةِ للهِ في كلمةِ "اللهُ أكبرُ" كنايةٌ عن وحدانيتهِ تعالى بالإلهيةِ، وهو اعتقادُ أنَّ اللهَ واحدٌ لا شريكَ لهُ وأنهُ لا خالقَ سواهُ.
وفي لفظِ التكبيرِ عندَ انتهاءِ الصيامِ خصوصيةٌ جليلةٌ، وهي أنَّ المشركينَ كانوا يتزلفونَ إلى أصنامِهم ويتقربونَ إليها بِتقديم الأَكْلِ والتلطيخِ بالدماءِ، فكانَ لقولِ المسلمِ: "اللهُ أكبرُ" إشارةٌ إلى أنَّ اللهَ يُطاعُ بالصومِ وأنّهُ منزهٌ عن مشابهةِ الأصنامِ وسائرِ المخلوقاتِ.
Confirming greatness for Allah when saying “Allahu ‘Akbar” is an implication of His Oneness in Godhood. That is believing that Allah is One without a partner, and that there is no Creator besides Him. Saying that takbir after the fasting is finished has regal specialty, because the pagans used to give offerings to draw nearer to their idols, leaving food for them, and slaughtering sacrifices for them. However, the Muslim saying “Allahu ‘Akbar!” signals to it being Allah Who was obeyed by the fast, and that it is He Who is Exalted from resembling the idols and the rest of the creations.
﴿وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ﴾ أي تشكرونَ اللهَ على ذلكَ، فرضَ عليكمُ الصومَ، وندبَكم إلى التكبيرِ لتكونوا بذلكَ مِنَ الشاكرينَ للهِ تعالى على نعمهِ. فالشاكرُ هو الذي يستعملُ كلَّ ما أنعمَ اللهُ بِه فيما أذنَ بهِ. فهذهِ الجوارحُ التي أنعمَ اللهُ علينا يأتي يومٌ نعجزُ عن استعمالِها فيما ينفعُنا. أغلبُ الناسِ عندَ الاحتضارِ لسانهُم لا يطاوعُهم، لا يستطيعونَ أن يتكلموا، ترتبطُ ألسنتُهم من شدةِ الألمِ عندَ ذلكَ يندمُ يقولُ "يا ليتني استعملتُ هذا اللسانَ فيما ينفعني لِما بعدَ الموتِ وصنتُهُ وحفظتُهُ عما حرمَ اللهُ". فالعاقلُ هو الذي يحفظُ لسانَهُ ويدَهُ ورجلَهُ وسمعَهُ وبصرَهُ عما حرّمَ اللهُ وهو صحيحُ الجسمِ.
And so that you would be grateful to Allah for what He gave you. He obligated the fast on you, and recommended for you to say the takbir, so that you would be, by that, among those thankful to Allah for His endowments. The slave whose level of thanks makes him a “shakir” is the one who only uses the endowments of Allah upon him in the way permitted. These organs that Allah bestowed upon us, there shall come a day when we will be unable to use them for what benefits us. Most people, when death comes to them, lose control of their tongues. They are unable to speak; their tongues become knotted from the intensity of the pain. Upon that, one would regret and say: “Woe is me, had I only used this tongue for what benefits me after death, and that I had protected it and preserved it from what Allah forbade.” The intelligent one is the one who protects his tongue, hand, foot hearing and sight from what Allah forbade while he was of healthy body.
اللَّهُمَّ بارك لنا في شهرِ رمضانَ، اللَّهُمَّ أعنا على ذكرِك وشكرِك وحسنِ عبادتِك، رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيم
O Allah! Bless us in the month of Ramadan. Allah! Enable us to remember You by heart and tongue, and to appreciate Your endowments, and to have goodness in worshipping. Our Lord! Accept our worships from us! Surely, You are As-Sami^u-l-^Alim.