Ihsaas-e-Ramazan

اَللّٰەُ اَکْبرُ اَللّٰەُ اَکْبرُ اَللّٰەُ اَکْبَرُ It was the first day of Ramadan. The elder aunt, after the ‘Asr Salah, was walking and reciting Tasbeeh (rosery). Noticing Amna, a sister-in-law of the aunt, coming towards her, the elder aunt asked a question, ‘Amna! I think there is nothing special being cooked in the kitchen!’ ‘Don’t worry. They are still young. They will do everything for Iftar’, replied Amna. 

As the Iftar time came near, the dinning mat was spread. After a little while all family members including the elder aunt sat around it. Placing the rosary in her lap, the aunt said, ‘Amna, the dining mat has been spread, but there is nothing to eat on it.

‘Aunt! Everything is there’, Amna replied gently. Uncovering the tray, the elder aunt gave vent to her feelings by saying, ‘Only fruit and water! It is the first day of Ramadan! Brother! You should have prepared something more. We make many food items at our home. Pakoras, Samosas, Dahi bhalay and fruit chat are usually cooked in the blessed month of Ramadan. I can see nothing here. Your income is not as low as you are depriving your children of these foods.’

‘Sis! ‘Water and fruits are also the blessings of Allah Almighty, and there are people who do not have even these blessings,’ after listening to his elder sister the brother patiently said. ‘You should be grateful to Allah Almighty even for these blessings. These fruits are not even inexpensive and our purpose is not to eat to our fill, are we? Right now, we will eat fruit and then after the Iftar we will eat dinner. Eating Samosas and Pakoras on an empty stomach usually causes health problems,’ he added.

Listening to her brother, the elder aunt responded, ‘You are right, but we should also feed our family generously.’

‘Sis, you are absolutely right, but actually today is the first day of blessed Ramadan, and our stomachs are not habitual of bearing such appetite, so if we suddenly eat oily food, it may make us ill,’ placing his hand on the hand of his sister, consoling her the brother said. ‘We will make them tomorrow and will also distribute them in the neighbourhood,’ he added. اِنْ شَآءَ اللّٰه,’.  

‘There is nothing to console me. You are embarrassing me,’ keeping her gaze lowered the aunt said. ‘No sis, I do not mean this at all. I am just making you understand this that we prepare and eat food according to our need. Extravagance is also prohibited in our religion. The same amount of money can be used to help a poor person, to provide him with food ration and to buy clothes for him. Allah Almighty also likes the act of helping others. We also try our best to have better things to eat (for Iftar) so that we do not fall ill. We should use the extra money for helping other Muslims.’

The aunt said, ’مَا شَآءَ اللّٰە You have become so smart that you are advising your elder sister.’ ‘Sis! You are sensible as you have understood what I have said,’ the brother said smilingly.

Ihsaas na ho insan mayn, kis kaam ki hay zindagi

Ihsaas hay tou zindagi, ihsaas hay tou bandagi

The blessed Ahadees are replete with mentioning the blessings and greatness of Ramadan.

Sayyiduna Salman Farsi رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ said: The Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم delivered a sermon on the last day of Sha’ban: O people! The month of blessing and greatness is coming to you. It is a month, in which (there is such) a night (which) is better than a thousand months. Allah Almighty has made fasting in this month obligatory; and it is Sunnah to stand (to offer Taraweeh) in its night[s]. One who gets the nearness to the majestic court of Allah Almighty through Nawafil in this month, it is as though he has performed Fard in another month. And he who performs one Fard in it, it is as though he has performed 70 Faraid in another month. It is the month of patience and the reward of patience is Jannah. It is the month of showing sympathizing with the poor, and the sustenance of believer is increased in this month. In this month, whoever makes arrangements for a fasting person to do Iftar (break the fast), making such arrangements [for Iftar] leads to the forgiveness of his sins and his release from Hell. Moreover, the man who arranges to break the fast will receive the reward equal to the reward of fasting person without causing any reduction in the reward of the fasting person. It is the month, of which the first ten days are mercy, the second ten days are forgiveness, and the third ten days are salvation from Hell. (Sahih Ibn-e-Khuzaymah, vol. 3, pp. 191, Hadees 1887; Mirqat-ul-Mafatih, vol. 4, pp. 454 That-al-Hadees 1965)

There are ample blessings in the month of Ramadan. In this month, Muslims get inclined towards good deeds. They repent and seek forgiveness. Moreover, even those who tend to be lazy on a typical day get engaged in worshipping Allah Almighty and performing good deeds. On the other hand, people seem to be grossly engaged in some other activities too, especially in excessive preparation of spicy dishes and recipes of new foods. Near to Eid, their inclination towards wasting time in unnecessary shopping is also at its peak.

Dear Islamic sisters! Spending Ramadan-ul-Mubarak in doing good deeds has many virtues, whereas it is a deprivation to spend it heedlessly. Therefore, the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said on the arrival of Ramadan: Indeed this month has come to you. There is a night in it that is better than a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of it is deprived of all goodness, and only the unfortunate is deprived of its goodness. (Ibn-e-Majah, vol. 2, pp. 298, Hadees 1644)

Therefore, being a mother, wife, daughter, sister, and daughter-in-law of a family, turn to performing good deeds along with fulfilling your responsibilities. Especially in this month of Ramadan, set your schedule in a way that you have maximum time for the recitation of the Holy Quran, Awraad-o-Wazaaif, and other acts of worship without affecting your home chores. Moreover, avoid spending your time doing useless things in this month.