Receiving the Blessed Month

Ḥabīb ꜥUmar ibn Ḥafīẓ (God preserve him, benefit us through him and extend his lifespan) said:

What is more excellent than receiving the month of Ramadan in the state of excellence [iḥsān], and through connecting with those of excellence [muḥsinīn]. The pinnacle of excellence and its reality and source is as was mentioned by the Master of the Excellent Ones of created things as he ﷺ said, “That you worship God as if you can see Him.”

With your awareness of this month’s arrival, it is a must that you be as though you can see the One who made fasting in this month obligatory upon you, and gave you these specific virtues – and He is God! Your joyousness in Ramadan for the sake of God is the same joy of one who sees God, as if you see God, and God the Exalted sees what is in your heart with regards to this month in which He made obligatory your fasting.

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Our portion of God’s Generosity in His Giving during Ramadan, and His Grace towards its people, is based on our magnification of the month, and our happiness for its arrival. We can then properly turn back to Him from all of our sins [tawba], and by rejecting oppression from its people, and by connecting ties of kinship – and there should not be anyone in our homes who has been cut off from familial ties – and through filial piety, and staying far away from intoxicants and drugs, and by purifying our hearts from harbouring spite for any Muslim; it is for these reasons that we seek and welcome the Gaze on the first night of Ramadan. On the first night of Ramadan, God Gazes upon the Umma of Muhammad ﷺ and whoever receives this Gaze will never be punished after it ever! So, how successful is the one who receives the Gaze from their Lord.

The First Night of Ramaḍān

Ḥabīb ꜥUmar ibn Ḥafīẓ (God preserve him, benefit us through him and extend his lifespan) said:

Make sure you end Shaꜥban in the best of states, for God records the rewards that we will receive and the supererogatory actions that we will perform before Ramadan enters. He also records the bad deeds and the wretchedness of those that will be deprived the blessings of Ramadan. What will be your state on the last Friday of Shaꜥban and the night before it? Attend the gatherings at the end of this month with a heart focused on the All-Merciful.

Prepare for the first night of Ramadan, for on this night God gazes at His creation, a special gaze which is unique to this Umma. God will never punish the one upon whom He gazes [Bayhaqī]. Look at how many gifts have been given to this Umma – when Ramadan enters the gates of the Garden are opened and the gates of the Fire are closed [Bukhārī & Muslim]. If someone who is destined for the Fire dies during Ramadan he will see that the gates of the Fire are closed!

Ibn ꜥAbbas (may God be pleased with them both, in (at-Targhib wa’t-Tarhib, 2:439) reports from Our Master Muhammad ﷺ:

Surely Paradise is decorated the whole year for the Ramaḍān to come.

When the first night of the Ramaḍān comes, a wind called musīra blows from the bottom of the Heavens.

The leaves of the trees of Paradise and the handles of its doors shake with such force and wonderful sound is heard that all listening have never before heard a more beautiful sound.

The Maidens [ḥūr al-ꜥīn] of Paradise then appear standing on the highest point of Paradise saying, “Who is it that wishes to marry?” and God the Exalted marries him off to them.

Then the Maidens ask, “O, Keeper of Paradise! What night is tonight?”

The Keeper responds with respect, “Tonight is the first night of the month Ramaḍān. The doors of Paradise were opened for the ones from the Community [umma] of Our Master Muḥammad ﷺ who observed fasting.””

Then Our Master Muḥammad ﷺ said:

God ﷻ says, “O Riḍwān (Doorkeeper of Paradise)! Open the doors of Paradise and O Mālik (Doorkeeper of Hell)! Close the doors of Hell to the ones from the community of Muḥammad ﷺ who observed fasting!

O Jibrīl! Descend to the earth, handcuff and chain the wild ones of the devils, then throw them into the sea, so that they cannot ruin the fasting of my beloved Muḥammad’s ﷺ Community.”

Our Master Muḥammad ﷺ then said: Godﷻ orders a caller (an Angel) to make this call, three times every night of the month of Ramaḍān:

Who is it that wishes for something? I will grant him what they want.

Who is it that wishes to repent? I will accept their repentance.

Who is it that wants forgiveness? I will forgive them.

Who will lend money to the poor not to the rich and to the loyal not to the oppressor?

Our Master Muḥammad ﷺ continued: “Every day of Ramaḍān during the breaking of the fast, Godﷻ saves one million people from Hell who deserve it. On the last day of Ramaḍān, Godﷻ saves as many people as the sum of all of those Heﷻ saved during Ramaḍān.”

No Footnotes.