The Importance of Ramadan – Why Ramadan?

Welcoming the blessed month

The long awaited month has finally arrived. Ramadan, the 9th month of the Hijri calendar is celebrated by Muslims all around the world by performing their annual fasting of the holy month.

It holds a special place in the hearts of Muslims, as it is considered a platform for believers to elevate their ranks in the eyes of Allah, to diversify their acts of goodness and to achieve a state of mind that is different from any other month. It is also a door of mercy and forgiveness for those who had transgressed themselves, hoping for a chance to redeem themselves in front of their merciful Lord.  It is a month of unity, where families and friends gather to break their fast and neighbours sharing their meals to invite the blessings of their Lord. A month where we see our local mosques filled with congregants and the cries of their prayers. Children happily running around the vicinity, while their ears are blessed with the recitation of the Imam.

No matter how you see it, Ramadan is truly a time where we feel Allah SWT is the closest to us.

Prophetic wisdom on the importance of the blessed month

There are countless of Hadiths pertaining to the importance and significance of this blessed month. Here a few that can help us to appreciate this holy month:

1. A month where the gates of Jannah are open while the gates of hell are closed

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,

“When Ramadan begins, the gates of Jannah are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained.”

– Bukhari & Muslim

Commentary: The gates of Jannah are opened due to the abundance of good deeds being done in this month, serving as a form of motivation for all believers to strive. Similarly, the gates of Hell are closed as fewer sins are committed by those who have faith. Additionally, their mortal enemy is also chained, preventing them from erring and falling into transgression. If Allah has made it easy for us to strive, what more reason do we have to treat Ramadan as just another month and not strive to be the best versions of ourselves?

2. A month of forgiveness, promised for those who optimise their time during this month

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“And the angels seek forgiveness for them until they break their fast.” – Musnad Ahmad with a weak chain.

Commentary: Ramadan is known to be a month where a person can easily strive to achieve Allah’s forgiveness. By fasting, praying Tarawih and Qiyamulail with Iman and hope, all of his past sins will be forgiven by Allah as mentioned in several different Hadiths. This serves as a reminder, that on a month where even angels seek forgiveness for us, we should not disrespect it by continuing on our path of transgression.

3. The month of Quran

Ibn Abbas said:

“Gabriel used to meet him every night in Ramadan to study the Holy Qur’an carefully together.” – Bukhari

Commentary: Allah will not reveal the Quran in the month of Ramadan, as mentioned in the Quran, except to glorify this month. It is from the custom of the Prophet and our pious predecessors to busy themselves with the Quran during the month of Ramadan. Imam Malik Rahimahullah would, whenever the month of Ramadan arrived, set aside reading books and attending religious classes to focus solely on reciting the Quran from the Mushaf. So, we should limit the amount of screen time we spend on our devices and social media, and instead direct our attention towards reciting, reading, and contemplating the words of Allah, in order to respect and honor the month in which it was revealed.

Why Ramadan?

Without a doubt, we are all anticipating this month to increase our good deeds and improve on ourselves. One of the wisdoms behind the obligation of fasting is to nurture Taqwa (God conscious) as Allah mentioned in the Quran. So on a personal level, Ramadan should be a platform for us to be better versions of ourselves that we might not achieve outside of Ramadan. For example: If we are just learning how to read the Arabic letters, unable to read the Mushaf, then we may recite regular Surahs like Al Fatihah, Ayatul Kursi, 3 Qul and juz 30 to also reap the benefits of the Quran. Remember, the goal is not to compete with others, but to excel in your own way in line with your current capabilities. The more struggle you endure, the higher reward you will get.

Another example is to set a goal that we might not be able to achieve outside of Ramadan on a regular basis, for example: striving to pray the five daily prayers in congregation every day of the month of Ramadan. If we are unable to do all five, then try to strive to pray Subuh & Isya’ in congregation. You will be surprise how the barakah of Ramadan can help you do things which are deem impossible or unachievable in other months. The aim is always to set a plan and strive, for a person who does not have any plan will surely loss the blessings of this month and would not be able to picture how Ramadan can nurture the better versions of ourselves.

At the end of the day, Ramadan is only a number that decreases daily. If we do not optimize it now, then we may not know if we will see it again next year. Many of our loved ones and predecessors have passed away, leaving us behind, alive, unaware whether we will have the opportunity to enjoy Ramadan again the following year or join those who have gone before us under the ground.