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Saa’im comes from the Arabic word Sawm, which literally means to abstain [from something]. Islamically, Sawm means to fast or abstain from certain things from dawn to dusk. The Saa’im, therefore, is the fasting person.
ARE YOU…
the type of person who finds fasting burdensome? Do you consider yourself to be doing a great favour by fasting?
Usually happens with the younger generation. Do you fail to complete your schoolwork and try to get off with the excuse of “Madam, I didn’t do my work because I was fasting.” Yes, you are fasting. So What? All Muslims do. Does that mean you will stop all your daily work just because you are fasting. We Muslims should not consider it a burden rather it’s just a normal thing, and we are not doing a ‘favour’ upon anyone by fasting. It is for our own good. Ramadan is a blessed month, a month ofRahmah, a month to gain multiple rewards, a month to seek forgiveness from Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, a month of training for the rest of year!
We all are fasting, alhamdulillah. Let’s make it for the sake of Allah alone. Let’s do it happily to please our Lord subhanahu wa ta’ala, who is the only one worthy of worship, who created us, provided for us and blessed us with the ni’mah of Islam.
Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said,“Every action of the son of Adam is given manifold reward, each good deed receiving ten times its like, up to seven hundred times. Allah the Most High said: ‘Except for fasting, for it is for Me and I will give recompense for it, he leaves off his desires and his food for Me’.For the fasting person there are two times of joy; a time of joy when he breaks his fast and a time of joy when he meets his Lord, and the smell coming from the mouth of the fasting person is better with Allah than the smell of Musk.” [Reported by Muslim from Abu Hurairah (Eng. Trans. Vol.2, no. 2567).]
Narrated by Abu Hurairah , Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “He who fasts in Ramadan due to eemaan and hoping for reward from Allah then his previous sins are forgiven.”[Saheeh al-Bukhari (Eng. Trans. Vol.3, no.125) & Saheeh Muslim (Eng. Trans. Vol.1, no.1664). ]
SubhanAllah! Don’t we all want our sins to be forgiven? Isn’t it a golden opportunity? Then why consider it a burden? Do it happily, seeking the reward from Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. The above hadeeth applies to one who affirms the obligation of fasting in Ramadan and hopes for the reward of doing it, being pleased with it, not feeling aversion to it, nor thinking that standing to offer salaats in its night is a hardship. Encourage your children. Explain to them the benefits of fasting instead of pitying of them if they are fasting. May this blessed month not pass away before we are forgiven all our sins!
the type of person who doesn’t value Ramadan? Are you so heedless about your sins that even the concept of Ramadan doesn’t stop you from them?
There are some people to whom the advent of Ramadan is of no consequence. They won’t stop watching movies nor will they stop vulgar speech, backbiting, gossip etc. Do we happen to be as such? Let’s check ourselves!
From Abu Hurarah (radiAllahu anhu): The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whosoever does not abandon falsehood in speech and action, then Allah the Mighty and Majestic has no need that he should leave his food and drink.” [Related by al-Bukhari (4/99)]
He sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam also said: “Fasting is not merely abstaining from eating and drinking. Rather, it is also abstaining from ignorant and indecent speech. So if anyone abuses or behaves ignorantly with you, then say: I am fasting, I am fasting.” [Sahih: Related by Ibn Khuzaymah (no.1996) and aI-Hakim (1/430) who authenticated it. Refer to Sahihut-Targhib (no.1075).]
Shaikh Saleh Fauzan (hafidhahullah) said: “And we should know that just as the good deeds are multiplied during this month, then likewise, evil acts are worse and their punishment is greater. So we should fear Allah and magnify the sanctity of this month.” [Ittihaaf Ahlil-Eemaan bi Duroos Shahri Ramadan]
And how many times in a day do we sit to gossip about people? Talk behind their backs? The average Muslim youth’s conversation, most of what will be heard are expletives, bad words and cusses. Be it in schools, universities or workplace. Anyone who tries to intervene would receive the response, “Oh, come on! This is how everyone speaks!” or “This is how I express myself”.
Remember, what the majority does is NOT always right. Most of the people in this world disobey Allah, are they right? A big NO! If we want to enter Jannah which Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has created for the believers then, my dear brothers and sisters in Islam, we have to take that extra step. We have to work for it. We have to be different from others. We have to control our desires. We are Muslims, we don’t need to express ourselves in a way which is not pleasing to our Rabb subhanahu wa ta’ala.
We have an excellent opportunity in this blessed month. Let’s refrain from using foul language, gossip, backbiting, watching things which are not permissible, listening to music etc., and then, inshaAllah, it will become our habit to speak and do good. Every time you want to gossip, use the ‘f’ word, backbite, do something wrong remind yourself, “I am fasting”.
Allah the Exalted says: “Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it). [Surah Al-Baqarah: 83]
Ponder over the above verse. All those words which we use thinking it’s alright because everyone uses it, would you like them to be recorded? What answer will you give Allah subhanahu wa’tala when asked about it? Also remind each other. Remind your siblings, Remind your children. When you tell something to someone else, you tend to be extra cautious not to do that thing and inshaAllah that will help.
For my dear sisters in Islam, if you are still not wearing proper Hijab, if you have your pictures displayed online, now is the time. Take the step my dear sisters, start wearing proper Hijab this Ramadan and Allah will help you. What if this was to be your last Ramadan? Are you to ready to face your Rabb subhanahu wa ta’ala?
If we are not particular about offering our obligatory prayers on time, let’s start it now. For brothers if you don’t offer your prayers in congregation, it is an excellent opportunity to start now.
Ibn ‘Umar reports that the Prophet said: “Prayer in congregation is superior to a prayer performed individually by twenty-seven degrees.” [Related by Bukhari and Muslim]
If we are not used to offering sunnah prayers, let’s make it a habit this Ramadan. Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)said: “Allah will build house in Jannah for whoever is diligent in observing 12 sunnah rakat (as follows) 4 rakat before and 2 after Dhur, 2 after the Maghrib, 2 after Ishaa, and 2 before Fajr.” [Sahih: narrated by at-Tirmidhi No. 379 and by others.]
If we talk to the sisters or brothers too much, let us learn to stop talking to those who are not halaalfor us to talk to. We find that we have jealousy in our hearts, vengeance in our hearts, distrust in our hearts for other Muslims based upon nothing but Shaitaan’s whispers to us, let us purify our hearts!
Let us all CHECK ourselves. What is lacking in us? Which are the things WE need to work on? Are we sincerely worshipping Allah alone? Have we wondered why we do what we do? Do we do it seeking Allah’s pleasure or people’s praise?
Are we worshipping Allah as the Prophet sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam taught us, or do we innovate in the religion and do something solely because someone in our family does it, or because that’s how we have been doing it since childhood? For the sake of Allah let’s stop innovating in the religion! Thisdeen is pure, let’s not contaminate it with teachings that are not from it. Seek knowledge from authentic sources my dear brothers and sisters! Seeking knowledge is an obligation on every Muslim male and female. Let’s strive to follow Qur’an and Sunnah as understood by the salaf-us-salih (pious predecessors)!
the type of person who has taken Ramadan as an eating contest?
The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat a few mouthfuls, to keep him going. If he must do that (fill his stomach), then let him fill one third with food, one third with drink and one third with air.” [Related by at- Tirmidhee and Ibn Maajah .Authenticated by Shaykh Albanee in Silsilatul-Ahaadeethus-Saheehah (no. 2265)]
The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The more people eat their fill in this world, the hungrier they will be on the Day of Resurrection.” [Silsilah al-Saheehah 342]
Sunnah of breaking the fast: Anas [Radi Allahu anhu] reported the Messenger of Allah [Salla Allahu Aleihi Wassalam] used to break his Saum (fast) before offering Maghrib (sunset) prayer with three fresh dates; if there were no fresh dates, he will eat three dry dates; and if there were no dry dates; he would take three draughts of water. [Abu Dawood and others, graded authentic by Shaikh Al-Albani in Sahih Al-Jami’ As-Saghir, No.4995]
FEED THE FASTING PERSON (especially the needy): “Whoever provides food for breaking of the fast for a fasting person receives the reward of the fasting person, without the reward of the fasting person being reduced in any way.” [at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah]
the type of person who sleeps during the day while fasting and stays up all night doing nothing or wasting it in vile entertainment?
Sheikh Saleh Fauzan: “One should warn from over sleeping in this Month (Ramadan), I mean sleeping in the day (time) because it makes (one) lazy from performing acts of obedience, perhaps it may cause one to miss the congregation prayer or it may cause the time for(that specific prayer) to pass by. What is requested from a Muslim is that he be energetic in acts of obedience and( that)he sleeps in the night,especially in the first part of it(the night), so he can arise in the morning energetic to perform and participate in acts of obedience.” [al Muntaqaa, (111/5) , fatwa number: 167]
For those of us who are awake, do we spend our time worshipping Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, offering Tahajjud and making du’a to Allah?
Narrated Abu Huraira (radiAllahu anhu) Allah’s Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, comes every night down on the nearest Heaven to us when the last third of the night remains, saying: “Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?” [Al-Bukhari: Volume 2, Book 21, Number 246]
the type of person who spends the month of Ramadan in the marketplace shopping
If you have to go to market for a necessity, remember Allah: “Whoever enters a market and says: ‘Laa ilaha illallah wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu yuhyi wa yumeetu wa huwa hayyun laa yamoot, bi yadihil khair, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shayin qadeer’[There is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, alone without partner, to Him belongs dominion and praise, He causes life and death and He is the Living and does not die. In His Hand is all the good, and He is over all things competent] Allah will write for him/her a million good deeds and erase a million bad deeds and raise him a million levels.” [at-Tirmidhi, classed as hasan by al-Albani] (LEARN the dua inshaAllah)
the type of person who abandons listening to music and watching television for the month of Ramadan, and are you just waiting for Ramadan to be over so you can get back to what you used to do again?
Or Are You the Type of Person…
Who wants all your sins to be forgiven this Ramadan and make a new start from now, inshaAllah ta’ala?
Who is striving to make the best of Ramadan and leave it better than you entered it?
Who prays taraweeh with sincerity hoping for a reward from Allah?
“Whoever prayed at night in it ( i. e. Ramadan) out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.” [Saheeh Al-Bukhari (Arabic/English), vol. 3, # 226, and Saheeh Muslim (English trans), # 1662.]
Who is eagerly waiting for Laylatul Qadr, which is better than a thousand months?
“Laylatul Qadr is better than a thousand months.” [Qur’an, 97:3] That is, superior to approx 83 years of worship! The dua to say when seeking the night of Laylatul-Qadr: “Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbil-afwa fa’fu ‘annii” (O Allah You are the Forgiving and Pardoning Who loves to forgive and pardon so forgive and pardon me) [at-Tirmidhi and it is saheeh)
Who has increased the tilawah of the Qur’an during this blessed month in which Qur’an was revealed?
Who is striving to please Allah in every possible way?
Whatever I have written is a reminder for myself first. I am reminding you, so that it serves as a reminder for me. May Allah guide us to live in accordance to the Sunnah of His Messenger, sallallaahu’alayhi wa sallam. May Allah forgive all our sins during this blessed month and May He subhanahu wa ta’ala accept our qiyaam and siyaam and make it sincerly for his sake! May He subhanahu wa ta’ala grant us the tawfique to increase our ibaadah during this blessed month!! I ask Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, to grant us Jannatul Firdaws. Aameen!
