Virtues of Ramadan
By: Noor Chaudhry
Tags: Quran, Ramadan, Islam, Muslims, Fasting

Ramadan is at our doorstep and with the magnitude of a month like this it’s important for us as believers to understand some of the virtues of this glorious month, and the purpose of fasting during it. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened.”¹ The following are some basic, yet important benefits Muslims should try to focus on during the month of Ramadan:

Taqwa of Allah:

The first and perhaps most important goal of fasting is to increase oneself in the taqwa of Allah. While taqwa is often translated as the “consciousness of Allah” or “fear of Allah” let’s take a look at a couple of statements from the scholars of the past to get a more in-depth understanding of what taqwa is.

Mujahid ibn Jabr (may Allah have mercy upon him) who is a famous student of the companion Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was reported to have said regarding taqwa, “It is that you obey Allah, so that He is never disobeyed, and you are conscious of Him, so that He is never forgotten, and that you thank Him, so the He is never shown ingratitude.”² Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy upon him) is reported to have said regarding taqwa, “…implement (the Divine) commands and prohibitions. And its essence is to protect yourself from His punishment and anger, all Glory be to Him.”³

Allah mentions in the Quran,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ “O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you — as it was for those before you — so perhaps you will become mindful ˹of Allah.˺”⁴

Here Allah clearly states that the purpose of fasting being prescribed upon the believers is to increase them in taqwa, translated here as “becoming mindful of Allah”, as the believing nations did before us. The reason a Muslim should be keen on increasing himself or herself in taqwa is because it is the sole factor Allah uses to distinguish the believers to determine which of them is the best. Allah says in the Quran,

إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ “Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you.”⁵

Allah tells us the most honored from the believers are the ones with the most taqwa translated as “most righteous.” Therefore, a Muslim should always be looking for ways to increase himself or herself in the taqwa of Allah, both in and outside of the month of Ramadan.

Reconnecting with the Quran:

The second point a Muslim should focus on during the month of Ramadan is to reconnect themselves with the book of Allah. Allah says in the noble Quran,

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَىٰ وَالْفُرْقَانِ “Ramaḍân is the month in which the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and the standard ˹to distinguish between right and wrong.˺”⁶

We often hear the month of Ramadan referred to as “the month of the Quran” and it is truly a time when every believer should try to strengthen their relationship with the Quran.

Abu Hurairah narrated, “Gabriel used to repeat the recitation of the Qur’an with the Prophet (ﷺ) once a year, but he repeated it twice with him in the year he died. The Prophet (ﷺ) used to stay in I`tikaf for ten days every year (in the month of Ramadan), but in the year of his death, he stayed in I`tikaf for twenty days.”⁷

Therefore, every Muslim should make it their goal to develop a closer relationship with the Quran than they already possess and they should also strive to have that relationship carry over after the month of Ramadan.

Forgiveness of Allah:

Allah mentions a special night in the Quran, the night of al-Qadr, and how this night is better or equivalent to the worship of 1000 nights. Allah says,

لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ “The Night of Glory is better than a thousand months.”

The Prophet, peace be upon him, reported to us when this night would occur in a hadith,

‘A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) and Ibn Numair reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Look for (and in the words of Waki, seek) Lailat-ul-Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadan.⁸

In another narration,

It was narrated from ‘Aishah that she said: “O Messenger of Allah, what do you think I should say in my supplication, if I come upon Laylatul-Qadr?” He said: “Say: ‘Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul-’afwa, fa’fu ‘anni (O Allah, You are Forgiving and love forgiveness, so forgive me).’ ⁹

Here the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, emphasizes seeking the forgiveness of Allah on the blessed night of al-Qadr. Therefore, the believer should be keen on seeking the forgiveness of Allah and finishing the month of Ramadan having received the mercy of his or her Lord.

May Allah cause us to reach the month of Ramadan and allow it to be a means for us to achieve His Forgiveness, Ameen.