*The Virtue and Importance of the Blessed Month of Ramadan*

The Virtue and Importance of the Month of Ramadan 

The blessed month of Ramadan is a month full of blessings, good fortune, and bounties. The blessings and good fortune that Allah Almighty has specified for this blessed month are not specified for any other month. Also, the blessings that are specific to good deeds performed in this blessed month are not specific to those same deeds in other months. Allah Almighty has given this month a special distinction with fasting and night prayers, that is, fasting in Ramadan and praying at night in Ramadan.

Voluntary fasting is also observed in months other than Ramadan, and night prayers are also offered on nights other than those of Ramadan, but the virtue that lies in praying during the nights of Ramadan does not lie in praying during any other night, and the virtue, blessing, and good fortune that lies in fasting during the month of Ramadan does not lie in fasting during any other month. This is because these deeds have a special connection with this month, and Allah Almighty holds this month very dear. That is why Allah Almighty has said, "Ramadan is my month."

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said regarding the reward of those who fast:

عَنْ سَهْلٍ بن سعد قال : قال النبی صلی الله عليه وآله وسلم اِنَّ فِی الْجَنَّةِ بَابًا يُقَالُ لَه الرَّيان يَدْخُلُ مِنْه صَائمُوْنَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا يَدْخُلُ مِنْه اَحَدٌ غَيْرُهُمْ يُقَالُ اَيْنَ الصَّائِمُوْنَ فَيَقُوْمُون لَايَدْخُلُ مِنْهُمْ اَحَدٌ غَيْرُهُمْ فَاِذَا دَخَلُوْا اُغْلِقْ فَلَمْ يَدْخُلْ مِنْهَ اَحَدٌ.

(صحيح البخاری، کتاب الصوم، باب الريّان للصائمين)

"Hazrat Sahl (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that there is a gate in Paradise called Rayyan, through which those who fast will enter on the Day of Judgment. No one else will enter through it. It will be said, 'Where are those who fast?' Then they will stand up. No one else will enter through this gate except them, and when they have entered, the gate will be closed. So, no one other than those who fast will enter through it."
There are many gates in Paradise, but there is a special gate, and the name of this gate is Bab al-Rayyan. In Arabic, Rayyan means a beautiful, drizzling rain, which makes the weather pleasant, with neither the heat of summer nor the mud of rain.

Rayyan also means satiation, which is the opposite of thirst. Thirst is called Al-Atash, and someone who is extremely thirsty is called Atshan. But if someone drinks a beautiful, cold, sweet drink and becomes satiated, they are called Rayyan in contrast to Atshan. So, as much thirst as there is in Atash and Atshan, there is that much satiation in Rayyan.

This gate will be reserved only for those who fast in the month of Ramadan. Those who fast will be led through this gate. What is the wisdom behind this?

In reality, fasting is the name of adopting hunger and thirst for Allah. Those who fast will become Atshan for Allah and Allah will say, "Lead those of my servants who became Atshan for my sake through Rayyan so that they may be satiated even before entering Paradise." So, today's thirst will be replaced by the satiation of the hereafter. Now the decision is up to us how much we prepare ourselves to endure today's thirst for the satiation of the hereafter.

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that it will be announced that no one except those who fast will be allowed to pass through this gate. Allah will say that this gate is reserved only for those who remained hungry and thirsty for my sake. Allah Almighty will command and it will be announced, "Where are those who fast?" Then, upon hearing this voice, those who fast will stand up in the field of judgment and say, "Master, we are present." At that time, the command will be given that all those who fast should enter Paradise through Bab al-Rayyan, and it will also be said that no one else should enter through this gate except those who fast, and when those who fast have entered through this gate, the gate will be closed, and then no one else will be able to enter through this gate. This special blessing and good fortune has been reserved by Allah Almighty for those who fast.

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "There are many gates in Paradise. Those who pray will enter through Bab al-Salat, those who are Mujahid will be led through Bab al-Jihad, those who give charity will be led through Bab al-Sadaqah, and those who fast will be led through Bab al-Rayyan."

Allah Almighty has placed a gate in the name of every deed, and those who perform that deed will pass through the gate named after that deed. If someone prays, then the gate is the gate of prayer. . . If someone is a Mujahid, then the gate is the gate of Jihad. . . If someone gives charity, then the gate is the gate of charity. According to this principle, there should have been a Bab al-Siyam for those who fast, just as every deed has a gate named after that deed. But why is the gate for those who fast not named Bab al-Siyam? Because these people endure hunger and thirst for Allah, so Allah changed the name of this gate and named it Bab al-Rayyan after the satiation of His court, and said: Those who fast will be led through Bab al-Rayyan. If the name of this gate had been Bab al-Siyam, that is, if the gate had been named after fasting, then the value and status of this gate would have been equal to the gates of other deeds. Here, the name is not based on the name of the deed, but on the name of the reward for the deed, and what is the reward? The reward for other deeds is good deeds. If someone does a good deed, they get ten, one hundred, or seven hundred good deeds, that is, the reward is received in the number of good deeds.

فَمَنْ جَآءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَه عَشْرُوْا اَمْثَالِهَا.

"Whoever does a good deed will receive ten times its reward."

The reward for every deed is fixed according to the number, and the gate for every deed is fixed according to the name of that deed. But regarding the reward for fasting, it is said that

اَلصَّوْمَ لِيْ وَاَنَا اَجْزِيْ به

"Fasting is especially for me, and I will give its reward."

What is that reward? Allah Almighty has not made the reward for fasting as clear as He has made the rewards for other deeds, but has kept it hidden. A glimpse of this reward is coming to light from this blessed saying of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

لصائم فرحتان يفرحهما اذا افطره فرح واذا لقی ربه فرح.

(صحيح البخاری کتاب الصوم)

"There are two joys for the one who fasts: a joy at the time of breaking the fast and a joy at the time of meeting his Lord."

Understanding the meaning of Rayyan in conjunction with this hadith will make it clearer that the reason for not naming the gate after the deed of fasting is that the rewards for the remaining deeds have been stated in terms of the number of good deeds, so the name of the gate has also been named after the deed. But since Allah has not announced the reward for fasting, the name of the gate has been named after the reward for it, that the gate for those who fast is the gate of satiation, and satiation of what? He said that there is no satiation for the one who fasts except in seeing me. He said: O you who fasted, you endured hunger for my sake, today I will remove your hunger through my vision. . . You endured thirst for my sake, today I will quench your thirst with the syrup of my vision. . . You bid farewell to the pleasures of your soul for my sake, today I will give you the pleasure of my closeness through my vision. . . You forbade yourself many comforts for my sake, today I will make you embrace the comfort of my union.

So this satiation is from the closeness of Allah, the union and vision of Allah.

The one who becomes ill with the desire for the beauty of the beloved*
The beauty of the beloved is their physician

A poet has expressed the same meaning in Persian in this way.

از سرِ بالین من برخیز اے نادان طبیب
*درد مندے عشق را دارو بجز دیدار نیست

!!!From the pen of Maulana Sohaib Ahmed...