Gaining piety is the juiciest fruit of Ramadhan month

A pilgrim at the Kaaba in Mecca prays alone amongst a sea of the faithful. He sits in the traditional Islamic posture. [Photo Courtesy of Haram Films, 2015]

The objective of fasting is to ensure that the piety gained this holy month is enough to propel a Muslim spiritually throughout the entire year.

Scholars have outlined the building blocks required to establish sufficient iiman (faith) to ensure a holy life for the rest of the year.

Sheikh Rishad Rajab, Masjid Jibran says that Muslims have been ordered to refrain from what is lawful, as a training to abstain from the forbidden.

“We have been ordered to forego relations with our lawful wives during the day as well as intentional eating and drinking as an exercise to discipline us from giving in to our desires which more often than not lead us astray,” he said.

The Sheikh clarifies that the training we engage in during Ramadhan is sufficient to give us enough thrust to ensure that our faith remains strong throughout the year.

Sheikh Bahero says that the magnificent month of Ramadhan is a replete with blessings and mercy and that is why Allah did not order an entire month of fasting and only made it mandatory for one month.

Sheikh Yaasir Qadhi speaking through social media says that Allah saved the choicest blessings and saved them for the month of Ramadhan.

Mohamed Islam says that building spirituality this holy month requires that a Muslim desists from committing sins of all kinds which builds up faith among the believers.

“During Ramadhan, mosques fill to capacity and this is a manifestation of the rising levels of Imaan among the people,” says Dr Islam.

Another requirement to give faith impetus to last throughout the year is Quran recitation which is mentioned before fasting and described as a guidance for the people.

According to Sheikh Dr Yassir Qadhi, Ramadhan is a special month associated with the Quran.

Shihab al Zuhr, a famous follower of the companions of the prophet reported that whenever Ramadhan came around, they would suspend most other acts of worship except feeding the poor and reciting the Quran.

It is a known fact that the companions of the prophet would recite the entire Quran many times over during the month of Ramadhan with some known cases clearing the entire Quran every night.

The hadith of the prophet mentions that the arch Angel Jibril would visit the prophet every single night to recite the Quran to him. And among the reasons Quran is highly recommended is to make its recitation a habit.

Sheikh Ali Ahmed Bahero says that Ramadhan and truthfulness should go hand in hand. “Truth is an attribute of Allah and it should manifest in speech and the actions of a Muslim,” he says. This makes truth the lifestyle we should pursue throughout the year.