The Greatest and Noblest Nabi صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: ‘سَيِّدُ الشُّهُوْرِ رَمَضَانُ وَسَيِّدُ الْاَ يَّامِ يَوْمُ الْجُمُعَةِ’ i.e. the chief of all months is Ramadan and the chief of all days is the day of Jumu’ah. (Al-Mu’jam-ul-Kabeer, vol. 9, pp. 205, Hadees 9000)
Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has declared it Fard for the believers to keep the Siyam [fasts] of this sacred month. The Beloved and Blessed Nabi صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: If bondmen had known what Ramadan is, so my Ummah would wish if only Ramadan had remained the whole year! (Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, vol. 3, pp. 190, Hadees 1886)
It is stated in another blessed Hadees: One who got Ramadan and did not keep its Siyam, so he is an unfortunate person. (Al-Mu’jam-ul-Awsat, vol. 3, pp. 62, Hadees 3871)
In the present era, there are many such people who deprive themselves of keeping Sawm by making up different such excuses as I am not feeling well, it is extremely hot, my disease will become severe, I will become weak, I have to do work all day long, I will keep Siyam later on, etc. It is stated in a blessed Hadees: One who missed even a single day’s Sawm of Ramadan without exemption and without disease, so even [keeping] Sawm forever cannot compensate for it, even if he keeps it later on. (Sunan-ut-Tirmizi, vol. 2, pp. 175, Hadees 723) That is, he cannot attain that virtue in any way which could have been attained by keeping the Sawm in Ramadan. This is the severe warning for not keeping Sawm; and breaking the Sawm after one has started it is even more severe than it. (Bahar-e-Shari’at, vol. 1, pp. 985)
The importance of the month of Ramadan was so deeply rooted in the hearts of our pious predecessors that they would neither miss Sawm nor break it after starting it even in the state of severe illness. Mentioned here is parable of a devotee of Ramadan, i.e. A’la Hadrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه:
A’la Hadrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه stated: A few years back in the month of Rajab, I saw my respected father in my dream; he said to me, ‘You will fall severely ill in the following Ramadan, [but] do not miss Sawm.’ I did fall severely ill in Ramadan, as was told by him. A doctor, etc. advised [me to not keep Sawm] but I did not miss any Sawm, اَلْـحَمْـدُ لـِلّٰـه عَزَّوَجَلَّ. Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ granted me good health by its blessing. It is stated in a Hadees, ‘صُوۡمُوۡا تَصِحُّوۡا’ (Keep Sawm; you will get healthy). (Al-Mu’jam-ul-Awsat, vol. 6, pp. 146, Hadees 8312; Malfuzaat A’la Hadrat, pp. 206)
I plead with all the Muslims to consider this sacred month to be very important from the bottom of your heart. Instead of inventing excuses for missing Sawm, keep Siyam in this month for the betterment of your own worldly life and the afterlife. If you have any valid reason for not keeping the Sawm, so contact the Dar-ul-Ifta Ahl-e-Sunnat or any respected Mufti who is a devotee of Rasool, instead of missing the Sawm on the basis of your own perception or on someone else’s advice. May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ shower the blessings of Ramadan on us!
اٰمِيۡن بِجَاهِ النَّبِيِّ الۡاَمِيۡن صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيۡهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
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