Introduction to Ramadan by the Holy Prophet Mohammed (saww)

O' People! the Month of Allah (Ramadhan) has approached you with His mercies and blessings. This is the month that is the best of all the months in the estimation of Allah. Its days are the best among the days; its nights are the best among the nights. Its hours are the best among the hours. This is a month in which you have been invited by Him. You have been, in this month, selected as the recipients of the honours from Allah, the Merciful.

In this holy month, when you breathe, it has the thawab (heavenly reward) of Tasbeeh, and your sleep has the thawab of worship.

Your good deeds are accepted, in this month. So are your invocations. Therefore, you must invoke your Lord in right earnest, with hearts that are free from sins and evils. That Allah may bless you, observe fast in this month and recite the Holy Quran.

Verily the person, who may not receive the mercy and benevolence of Allah in this month must be very very unfortunate having the end as bad (in the Hereafter), While fasting, remember the hunger and thirst of tomorrow in Qiyamat. Give alms to the poor and the needy, Pay respects to your elders. Have pity on you youngers and be kind towards your relatives and kinsmen. Guard your tongues against unworthy words, and your eyes from such scenes that are not worth seeing (forbidden) and your ears from such sounds that should not be heard by you.

Be kind to orphans so that when your children become orphans they also be treated with kindness. Do invoke that Allah may forgive your sins. Do raise your hands at the time of Prayers, as it is the best time for asking His mercy. When we invoke at such times, we are answered by Him, when we call Him, He responds, and when we ask for anything it is accepted by Him.

O' People! you have made your conscience the slave of your desires, make it free by invoking Him for forgiveness... Your back is breaking under the heavy load of your sins, so prostrate before Him for long intervals and make it lighter.

Do understand it fully well that Allah has promised in the name of His Majesty and Honour that He will not take to task such people who offer Prayers in this month, and perform 'sajda' (prostration) and will guard their bodies against the Fire of Hell, on the Day of Judgment.

O' People! if anybody amongst you arranges for the 'Iftar' (food for ending of fast at sunset) of any believer, then Allah will give him the reward as if he has set free a slave. He will forgive his minor sins.

Then the companions of the Prophet (PBUH) submitted: "But not everybody amongst us has the means to do so."

The Prophet told them: "Keep yourself away from the fire of Hell, by inviting for iftar, though it may consist of only half a date or simply with water if you have nothing else".

O' People! anybody who may cultivate good manners, in this month will walk over the 'Sirat' (Bridge) in 'Qiyamat', though his feet may be shaking.

Anybody who may take light work from his servants (male or female), in this month Allah will make easy his accounting on the Day of Judgment.

Anybody who does not tease others in this month, Allah will keep him safe from His wrath in Qiyamat. Anybody, who respects and treats an orphan with kindness in this month, Allah shall look at him with dignity in Qiyamat. Anybody who treats well his kinsmen, in this month, Allah will bestow His mercy on him in Qiyamat while anybody who maltreats his kinsmen, in this month. Allah will keep him away from His Mercy, in Qiyamat.

Whoever offers Sunnat (recommended) prayers in this month Allah will give him a certificate of freedom from Hell. Whosoever, offers one 'Wajib' (compulsory) prayer in this month, for him the Angels will write the rewards of 70 such prayers, that were offered by him in any other month.

Whosoever recites repeatedly 'Salaat-o-salaam' on me, Allah will keep the scales of his deeds heavy, when in Qiyamat the scales of others will be tending towards lightness, Whosoever recites, in this month, only one 'ayat' (verse of the Holy Quran) he will be rewarded in a manner as if he had recited the full Quran, in other months.

O' People! the Gates of Paradise remain open in this month. Do invoke that the gates may not be closed on you; while the Gates of the Hell are closed, do invoke Allah that these gates may never be opened."

The Commander of the Faithful, Ali (AS) got up and said, "O' the Prophet of Allah (SAAW)... what is the best deed in this month?"

He (SAAW) replied," O' Abul Hasan! abstaining from the matters forbidden by Allah, the Majestic, the Glorified, is the best deed in this month."

Then the Prophet (SAAW) wept.

Ali (AS) asked, "O' the Messenger of Allah! What makes you weep?"

He replied, "O' Ali (AS) I weep for what they will do with you in this month. As if I am with you, and you are offering prayers to your Lord, when the worst of the foregone, and those who are yet to come, a brother of the person who slew the camel of Samood has come and gives you a (sword) blow on your head, which reddens your beard."

The Commander of the Faithful asked "O' the Prophet of Allah, will that be for the safety of my Faith".

He replied, "Yes, it will be with the safety of your Faith O' Ali whoever kills you has killed me; whoever bears enmity to you is my enemy; whoever abuses you has abused me; because, indeed you are to me like my own self; your soul is from my soul; your nature is from my nature; Indeed Allah the Holiest and the Greatest, created me and you too; He chose me and you too; He selected me for Prophethood and selected you for Imamat; whoever denies your Imamat, has denied my Prophethood.

O' Ali you are my successor, father of my children, my son-in-law, and my Khalifa over my Ummah, both during my life and after my death. Your order is my order, your 'No is my No.' I swear by Him who made me the Prophet and made me the best of the people, indeed you are the Proof of Allah for His creatures, His Trustee of His Secrets, and the guardian of His slaves."