Blessings of Fasting and Ramadhaan

Blessings of Fasting

The benefits of the month of fasting are too many to be counted. If one does recognize them and realize their importance, he wishes to have the month of Ramadan to be throughout the whole year. These blessings are given by Allah to the fasting Muslims, who are to fast with full faith and expectation.

These blessings and benefits of the month of fasting during Ramadan have been grouped and summarized into different categories. They are summarized here without commentary. It should be remembered that all of these blessings were taken directly from Qur'an and Hadith.

The following is a partial list for the blessings and benefits of the month of fasting during Ramadan:
Taqwa: This concept may mean the following complementary descriptions:
Fearing Allah (SWT) Practicing the Revelations of Allah (SWT)
Accepting the little things that one has achieved
Preparing for departure from this world to the Hereafter
Self-discipline
Self-control
Self-restraint
Self-education
Self-evaluation
By accepting these criteria and by practicing them, the Muslim will achieve the concept of Taqwa in his private and public life.

Protection:
This idea is to mean the following complementary explanations:
Avoiding Immorality
Avoiding outcry/uproar
Avoiding stupidity
Avoiding all makrooh/mashbooh/haram
By achieving these good manners, a Muslim will come out of fasting a better human being in the society.

Revelation of Qur'an:
The Qur'an was revealed during the month of Ramadan. The Qur'an is meant to be:
A Guidance to mankind
A Manifestation of right from wrong
A Summation, purification and culmination of all previous revelations
A Glad-tiding to the believers
A Healer
A Mercy

Doors of heaven are open
Doors of hell are closed Devils are chained down
Fasting with iman (faith) and expectation:Such type of intention leads to forgiveness by Allah (SWT) to the individual's sins.
Door of Rayyan:There is in Paradise a door called Al-Rayyaan. It is for the fasting Muslims. Only those who fasted the month of Ramadan are the ones to enjoy the bliss of Paradise inside that area.

Rejoices: There are two types of rejoices for the Muslims who fast.
These are:
When breaking fast
When meeting Allah (SWT)

Mouth Smell: The smell of the mouth of the fasting Muslim will be better than the smell of musk during the day of judgement

Glad-Tidings: These glad-tidings are given to the well-wishers while the ill-wishers are to be stopped during fasting.

Ramadan-Ramadan: Whoever fasts two consecutive fastings of Ramadan with good intention will receive forgiveness for the mistakes committed throughout the year. Multiplication of Rewards: Doing good =10x, 70x, 700x or more during the month of Ramadan.

Feeding Others: Whoever invites others to break the fast, and whoever takes care of the hungry, needy, during Ramadan will receive equal rewards to the fasting person(s).

Fasting Muslims are in Good When They:
Hasten their Iftar
Delay their Sahoor

Blessings of Sahoor (The Afternight Breakfast):
Night Prayers
Zikr, Remembrance,
Contemplation
Recitation of Qur'an
Food for Sahoor
Fajr Salat in Jamaat
Du'a' of Fajr

Taraweeh Prayers: Whoever performs the Taraweeh prayers with sincerity and good intention will receive forgiveness of his past mistakes.

Shafa'at (Pleading One's Case for Forgiveness):
Whoever fasts Ramadan will receive the Shafa'at of:
Ramadan
Qur'an

Ihya' (Passing Nights Awake): Last ten days of Ramadan. When a Muslim makes this type of effort, he will get rewards, forgiveness, and multiples of blessings.

Itikaf (Retreat): A Muslim who performs I'tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan will get:
Blessings and rewards
Peace of mind
Contemplation and evaluation

Lailatul Qadr (The Night of Power): Whoever observes it with sincerity and good intention will get the following benefits:
Forgiveness of mistakes
Better than 1,000 months
Du'a'
Zikr
Prayers
Reading Qura'n
Rewards Blessings
Better human being

Generosity:
Kindness, hospitality, visitation, etc. All of these and many more are among the benefits of Ramadan.

Sadaqatul Fitr (Charity During Fasting): The benefits of paying such as charity to the needy are tremendous, among which are the following:
Purity
Feeding the needy
Sharing happiness
Improving human relations
Improving society

Zakat (Religious Tax Payment): The benefits of paying Zakat are many. These are summarized as follows:
Purity
Flourishing of wealth
Improving economy
Circulation of wealth
Elimination of inflation
Elimination of poverty

Fasting and Health: By fasting, one gets the following benefits:
Purification of body from toxins
Reducing of weight
Purity of brain
Rejuvenation of body
Living of life with happiness
Looking younger

Change of Lifestyle: By living a different life style, one gets rid of the monotony of life and hence enjoys his life span.

Sharing-Living: Of hunger, thirst and rituals with others in the society.

Eid-Ul Fitr (Feast): Sharing of happiness and visitation of one another as members of the society.

Graveyards Visitation: One will get the following benefits by visiting graveyards.
Du'a' for the deceased
Preparing oneself for departure from this world
Feeling respect for the deceased
Making the person to be humble in his life

Du'a' at Iftar is Accepted by ALLAH (SWT): The supplication of a fasting person is accepted by Allah (SWT) at Iftar time.

'Umrah in Ramadan: Visiting Makkah during the fasting month of Ramadan is: Equal to one Hajj (pilgrimage) Equal to one Hajj with Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam)

Successes in Ramadan: Muslims throughout their history received many benefits during the month of fasting, among which are the following:
Battle of Badr
Battle of Khandaq
Opening of Makkah
Battle of Tabuk
Tariq Ibn Ziyad opened Europe
Salahuddin liberated Jerusalem from the crusaders
Egypt and Israel, 1973--Egyptians kicked the Israelis out of Egypt during Ramadan

By Ahmad H. Sakr, Ph.D.
Foundation for Islamic Knowledge.