In the name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful: Ramadan, the guest of Allah that visits us every year. There are great wisdoms in the divine order of Fasting the month of Ramadan. Ramadan, is a golden chance for us to earn loads of good deeds and get our sins washed. The greatest benefits of Ramadan are the spiritual ones. Ramadan, strengthens our connection with Allah. Furthermore, there are many psychological and medical benefits of Fasting and Qiyam ul Lail, the night prayer (Taraweeh). Let us have a look at few of countless blessings of Ramadan Kareem.
VIRTUES (FADAIL) OF RAMADAN:
There are various Ahadith on the virtues of fasting and Ramadan and it is not feasible to cite all of them here. However I will present a bouquet of Ahadith pertaining to the virtues of Ramadan.
(1) There is a gate in Paradise called Ar-Raiyan, and those who observe fasts will enter through it on the Day of Resurrection and none except them will enter through it. It will be said, ‘Where are those who used to observe fasts?’ They will get up, and none except them will enter through it. After their entry the gate will be closed and nobody will enter through it.
[Sahih Bukhari]
(2) When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.
[Sahih Bukhari]
(3) Allah said, “All the deeds of Adam’s sons (people) are for them, except fasting which is for Me, and I will give the reward for it.” Fasting is a shield or protection (from the fire and from committing sins)
[Sahih Bukhari, Hadith e Qudsi]
(4) Whoever prayed at night in it the month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.
[Sahih Bukhari]
(5) Whoever fasted the month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith (i.e. belief) and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven.
[Sahih Bukhari]
(6) By Him in Whose Hands my soul is’ the unpleasant smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk.
[Sahih Bukhari]
(7) Every good action is rewarded by ten times its kind, up to seven hundred times, except fasting, which is for Me, and I reward it.
[Mawtta Imam Malik]
(8) Every servant of Allah who observes fast for a day in the way of Allah, Allah would remove, because of this day, his face farther from the Fire (of Hell) to the extent of seventy years’ distance.
[Sahih Muslim]
(9) Abu Umaama (RadiyAllahu Anhu) said: “O Messenger of Allah, command me to a deed that will benefit me in front of Allaah”. The Prophet (SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “Observe the fast as it has no equal deed”.
[Sunan Nasai, Classified as Sahih by Allama Albani]
(10) Five (daily) prayers and from one Friday prayer to the (next) Friday prayer, and from Ramadan to Ramadan are expiations for the (sins) committed in between (their intervals) provided one shuns the major sins.
[Sahih Muslim]
(11) There are two pleasures for the fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord; then he will be pleased because of his fasting.
[Sahih Bukhari]
(12) There are three people whose supplications are not rejected: Father, the person who is fasting and a traveler.
[Al-Saheeha by Albani]
(13) The fast and the Qur’an are two intercessors for the servant of Allah on the Day of Resurrection. The fast will say: ‘O Lord, I prevented him from his food and desires during the day. Let me intercede for him.’ The Qur’an will say: ‘I prevented him from sleeping at night. Let me intercede for him.’ And their intercession will be accepted.
[Masnad Ahmed, Bayhqi, Allama Albani classified it as Sahih]
(14) When the Prophet (SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) returned after performing his Hajj, he asked Um Sinan Al-Ansari (RadiyAllahu Anha), “What did forbid you to perform Hajj?” She replied, “Father of so-and-so (i.e. her husband) had two camels and he performed Hajj on one of them, and the second is used for the irrigation of our land.”
The Prophet (SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said (to her),
“Perform ‘Umra in the month of Ramadan, (as it is equivalent to Hajj or Hajj with me (in reward)”
[Bukhari]