In Ramadan Paradise opens its doors,
Hell closes its and Satins are chained.
Arfajah said "We were with `Utbah
ibn Farqad while he was discussing Ramadan. A companion of the Prophet
entered upon the scene. When `Utbah saw him, he became shy and stopped
talking. The man [the companion] spoke about Ramadan, saying "I
heard the Messenger of Allah say during Ramadan: "The gates
of Hell are closed, the gates of Paradise are opened, and the devils
are in chains. An angel calls out : 'O you who intend to do good
deeds, have glad tidings. O you who intend to do evil, refrain,
until Ramadan is completed. [Ahmad and an-Nasa'i]
Fasting in Ramadan; a shield from
Hell The Messenger of Allah, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, said
:
"When Allah created Paradise and Hell-fire, He sent Jib reel
[Gabriel] to Paradise, saying: Look at it and at what I have prepared
therein for its inhabitants. The Prophet (S) said: So he came to
it and looked at it and at what Allah had prepared therein for its
inhabitants. The Prophet (S) said: So he returned to Him and said:
By your glory, no one hears of it without entering it. So He ordered
that it be encompassed by forms of hardship, and He said: Return
to it and look at what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants.
The Prophet (S) said: So he returned to it and found that it was
encompassed by forms of hardship. Then he returned to Him and said:
By Your glory, I fear that no one will enter it. He said: Go to
Hell-fire and look at it and what I have prepared therein for its
inhabitants, and he found that it was in layers, one above the other.
Then he returned to Him and said: By Your glory, no one who hears
of it will enter it. So He ordered that it be encompassed by lusts
[or desires]. Then He said: Return to it. And he returned to it
and said: By Your glory, I am frightened that no one will escape
from entering it. [at-Tirmithi and al-Hakim among others].
Therefore, when you know, that fasting subdues the desires and reduces
their severity, and that it is these desires and lusts that lead
to Hell Fire, then you will see how fasting comes between a fasting
person and Hell Fire and you will rush to fast in Ramadan and after
Ramadan in the best possible way.
Al-Qur'an rather talks about the
reward of fasting and there are verses which general meaning infers
that those who obey Allah will be saved from Hell, and fasting is
a form of obeying Allah. We will leave the verses that talk about
the reward to the section related to Paradise. However, the Ahadith
of our beloved Prophet Mohammad, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam,
are clear in this regard;
Abu Said al-Khudri reported that
the Messenger of Allah, said:
"No servant fasts on a day in the path of Allah except that
Allah removes the Hell Fire seventy years further away from his
face." [Bukhari and Muslim]
Abu Sa`eed al-Khudri relates that
the Messenger of Allah salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam said : "Fasting
is a shield with which a servant protects himself from the Fire"
[Ahmad, Sahih]
`Uthman Ibn Abil-`Aas relates that
the Messenger of Allah salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam said : "Whoever
fasts a day in the way of Allah, Allah places between him and the
Fire a trench like that between heavens and the earth". [at-Tirmithi
and at-Tabarani, sahih]
Abu Huraira narrated that Allah's Messenger, salla Allahu alaihi
wa sallam, said: "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." [Bukhari]
The Messenger of Allah, salla Allahu
alaihi wa sallam said: "When it is the first night of Ramadahn
the evil devils are chained. The gates of Fire are locked- not a
single gate is opened, and the gates of Paradise are opened- not
a single gate is locked, and a caller calls out :'O seeker of good
come forward, and O seeker of evil withhold, and there are many
whom Allah frees from the Fire - and that is every night".
[at-Tirmithi, Ibn Majah, and Ibn Khuzaimah : Hasan]
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet,
salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, climbed upon the mimbar (pulpit)
and said: "Aameen [O Allah grant it], aameen, aameen".
So it was said, "O Messenger of Allah, you climbed upon the
mimbar and said: "aameen, aameen, aameen"? So he said
:"Jibraa'eel, `alaihi assalam, came to me and said, 'Whoever
reaches the month of Ramadan and does not have [his sins] forgiven
and so enters Fire, then may Allah distance him, say aameen".
So I said "aameen". [Ibn Khuzaimah, Ahmad and al-Baihaqui
: Sahih]
Jabir,radhiya Allahu `anhu relates
that the Messenger of Allah, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam said
:"In every day and every night, during the month of Ramadan,
there are people to whom Allah grants freedom from the Fire, and
there is for every Muslim a supplication which he can make and will
be granted". [al-Bazzaar, Ahmad and Ibn Majah; Sahih]
In the famous hadith of Mu`ath ...
I said O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an act, which will take
me into Paradise and keep me away from Hell-Fire. He said: you have
asked me about a major matter, yet it easy for him for whom Allah
Almighty makes it easy. You should ..., You should fast in Ramadan
.... Then he (the Prophet) said : shall I not show you the gates
of goodness ? Fasting is a shield ...[at-Tirmithi]
We pray to Allah to make for us this
Ramadan a shield from Hell Fire.
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