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Ramadan is an intensive course for erasing sins and seeking perfection
During these times man's sins are forgiven
Siyaam in Ramadan and night prayer reflect man's sincerity
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Ramadan is an intensive course for erasing sins and seeking perfection:
Dear brothers, Abu Huraira reported:
(The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ascended the pulpit and he said, "Amin, amin, amin." It was said, "O Messenger of Allah, you ascended the pulpit and said amin, amin, amin." The Prophet said, "Verily, Gabriel came to me and he said: Whoever reaches the month of Ramadan and he is not forgiven, then he will enter Hellfire and Allah will cast him far away, so say amin. I said amin. Whoever sees his parents in their old age, one or both of them, and he does not honor them and he dies, then he will enter Hellfire and Allah will cast him far away, so say amin. I said amin. Whoever has your name mentioned in his presence and he does not send blessings upon you and he dies, then he will enter Hellfire and Allah will cast him far away, so say amin. I said amin.")
We are in a month (Ramadan) which is considered an opportunity and an annual intensive course to erase sins and to exalt in seeking perfection. In fact, there are two main objectives of Ramadan: granting forgiveness and transcending through the levels of perfection.
Allah the Almighty imposed the acts of worship, and He made them serve the best interest of man, and this concept is expressed by a notable scholar who said, "The acts of worship serve the best interest of mankind". Another scholar said, "Ash-Shari'ah (the Islamic Laws) is all about justice, about man's best interest and about mercy." Accordingly, what is the wisdom (in the sense of man's best interest) behind Siyaam (fasting)? The wisdom is mentioned in the Noble Quran where Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V.2:2).﴿
This Ayah is crystal clear like a shining sun.
Dear brothers, had the acts of worship lacked the wisdom and the purpose of performing them, they would have turned into meaningless rites. It is impossible that Allah's religion be unreasonable or incomprehensible, because it is the religion of the Creator of the universe. Allah the Almighty says in the Noble Quran:
﴾ O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V.2:2).﴿
Unless the one, who performs Siyaam, seeks this purpose (i.e. to become amongst Al-Muttaqeen), and unless he strives to achieve this goal, he is totally forgetful of the wisdom behind Siyaam.
Some scholars defined Siyaam of Awam (The fasting of common people) as follows, "They fast, and they break their fast without knowing why, so they are like the camel which does not know why its owner leashes or unleashes it." On the hand, they defined Siyaam of the believers as follows, "They fast their limbs and senses from sinning or erring." Also, they defined Siyaam of Atqiya' (the righteous) by saying, "They fast from everything other than Allah."
The fruitful benefits of Taqwa (Fearing Allah):
Dear brothers, being "Mathani" is one of the characteristics of the Quran, and this means that every Ayah embraces the Ayah which precedes it and helps in interpreting it. Allah the Almighty says in another Ayah:
﴾ O you who believe [in Musa (Moses) (i.e. Jews) and 'Iesa (Jesus) (i.e. Christians)]! Fear Allah, and believe too in His Messenger (Muhammad PBUH), He will give you a double portion of His Mercy, and He will give you a light by which you shall walk (straight), ﴿
Hence, "that you may become Al-Muttaqun" indicates that one of the fruitful results of Taqwa is to be granted Light from Allah which helps you keep steadfast in your life. Actually, man should make actions and moves in his life, because he is motivated by his desires, and these desires are the driving force which urges and pushes man to live. If man's movement is accompanied with a light which shows him the perils ahead, his movement will be right, fruitful and beneficial. On the other hand, if he lacks this light, he will go astray, he will fall and he will stumble.
Consider the situation of the driver who drives on a path that is full of curves, potholes and bumps, and he has no light to show him any of them, he will definitely fall into one of those potholes or will divert from the path. (However, if he has light, he will drive his car safely.)
As for those who observe Siyaam exactly as Allah decrees, they will reach the rank of Taqwa by their Siyaam. One of the meanings of Taqwa is that Allah the Almighty will provide you with a Light to show you the path. If you are given that light, your decisions will be right, because you will have clear insight which will enable you to see Al-Haqq (the truth). As a result, you will seek Al-Haqq, and so you will follow it, you will see the diabolic matters, and you will avoid them, you will see Al-Batil (falsehood), and you will stay away from it, and you will see the righteous things as righteous, and you will follow them.
Man's behavior is based on his insight. Every person moves according to an insight he has, which leads him to the direction he should take.
The following Ayah embraces (in the sense of "Mathani") the Ayah of Siyaam, and it interprets the meaning of Taqwa. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ O you who believe [in Musa (Moses) (i.e. Jews) and 'Iesa (Jesus) (i.e. Christians)]! Fear Allah, and believe too in His Messenger (Muhammad PBUH), He will give you a double portion of His Mercy, and He will give you a light by which you shall walk (straight), ﴿
In a second Ayah, Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ O you who believe! If you obey and fear Allah, He will grant you Furqan a criterion [(to judge between right and wrong), or (Makhraj, i.e. making a way for you to get out from every difficulty)],﴿
One of the fruitful results of Taqwa is to be able to differentiate between Al-Haqq and Al-Batil. Hence, man will not be prey of straying ignorance or blinding darkness. Allah says:
﴾ O you who believe! If you obey and fear Allah, He will grant you Furqan a criterion [(to judge between right and wrong), or (Makhraj, i.e. making a way for you to get out from every difficulty)], and will expiate for you your sins, and forgive you, and Allah is the Owner of the Great Bounty.﴿
In a third Ayah, Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will remit his sins from him, and will enlarge his reward.﴿
Is there any person on earth who wishes to face difficulties in his matters or to have one problem after another? Of course, there is no one. Man feels comfortable upon having his matters managed easily without facing any problems. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make his matter easy for him.﴿
If man faces a problem, a difficulty or a calamity, Allah will help him, provided he fears Allah. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).﴿
The first fact about At-Taqwa is that it shows you the right path when you are face to face with Haqq and Batil, good and evil, what is good and what is bad, what is beneficial and what is harmful and what is purposeful and what is meaningless.
The second fact is that it erases your sins, because when man reconciles with Allah, he will be like a newborn baby (who has no sins at all) for Islam erases what occurred before it.
The third fact about Taqwa is that the one who fears Allah the Almighty, will have his matter made easy for him by Allah.
The fourth fact is that when man fears Allah, Allah will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).
During these times man's sins are forgiven:
Dear brothers, we should comprehend the Ahadeeth of the Prophet PBUH deeply. Our master Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas said, "I never heard something from the Prophet PBUH but I knew for sure that it is the truth that is revealed to Him from Allah the Almighty."
Narrated Muslim in his Sahih, that Abi Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet PBUH said:
(Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "The five daily (prescribed) Salat, and Friday (prayer) to the next Friday (prayer), and the fasting of Ramadan to the next Ramadan, is expiation of the sins committed in between them, so long as major sins are avoided.")
When you offer Fajr Salah, then you slip, but you offer Zuhr Salah the way you should, this Salah will erase the errors you commit between Fajr Salah and Zuhr Salah. Also, when you offer Asr Salah, it erases the errors you commit between Zuhr Salah and Asr Salah and so on. The same goes for Ramadan (it erases man's faults starting from the end of the previous Ramadan) and for Friday Salah.
(All the sons of Adam are sinners, but the best of sinners are those who repent often)
Given, the sin here is not the one which you insist on committing although you know it is a sin, because in this case this minor sin turns into a major one. The Prophet PBUH said in this regard:
(No petty sin remains when persisted upon, and no grave sin remains when repented for)
When man insists on doing a minor sin, it will turn into a major one. On the other hand, when man backslides, saying a word that he should not say, or looking at something forbidden unintentionally and without insisting on his sin, then this is the sin that is referred to in the following Hadith:
(The five daily (prescribed) Salat, and Friday (prayer) to the next Friday (prayer), and the fasting of Ramadan to the next Ramadan, is expiation of the sins committed in between them, so long as major sins are avoided.)
Consider this Hadith:
Dear brothers, the Prophet PBUH says in Sahih Hadith which is agreed upon by Muslim and Al-Bukhari:
(Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "He who observes fasting during the month of Ramadan with Faith while seeking its reward from Allah…..)
Why does man perform Siyaam? What prevents him from closing his front door and drinking a glass of cold water during Ramadan? Fearing Allah, believing that Siyaam is an obligatory act of worship and profoundly believing that Allah is watching him prevent him from doing so. This indicates that performing Siyaam proves man's faith.
Siyaam is an act of worship in the sense that you believe beyond doubt that Allah the Almighty has imposed it upon you. Furthermore, considering Siyaam an act of worship indicates your belief that Allah the Almighty is watching you.
(He who observes fasting during the month of Ramadan with Faith while seeking its reward from Allah…)
This person considers his thirst and hunger as striving in Allah's Cause and a means to please Allah, to draw closer to Him and to acquire His Pleasure.
(He who observes fasting during the month of Ramadan with Faith while seeking its reward from Allah, will have his past sins forgiven.)
This is glad tiding from the Prophet PBUH. If you observe Ramadan with faith while seeking its reward from Allah, your past sins will be forgiven. In another Hadith which is agreed upon by Bukhari and Muslim:
(Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to urge (the people) to perform (optional Taraweeh) prayer at night during the month of Ramadan. He did not order them or make it obligatory on them. He (PBUH) said, "Whosoever performs (optional Taraweeh) prayers at night during the month of Ramadan, with Faith and in the hope of receiving Allah's reward, will have his past sins forgiven.")
Night prayers in Ramadan are Taraweeh prayers per se according to the majority of scholars. Hence, the one, who fasts the day in Ramadan, leaving all sorts of food, drinks and other permissible matters in order to draw close to Allah the Almighty, then he offers night prayers with faith, aspiring for Allah's Reward, will be Divinely rewarded by having all his past sins forgiven.
These two glad tidings (being forgiven and drawing closer to Allah) are granted to the one who performs Siyaam during the day and offers night prayers during the night in Ramadan. The believer cannot be happier at any time than the time when he prays before Allah the Almighty while he recites the Noble Quran.
Siyaam in Ramadan and night prayer reflect man's sincerity:
Dear brothers, offering night prayers is mentioned in the Noble Quran in so many Ayat, Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And during night, prostrate yourself to Him (i.e. the offering of Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers), and glorify Him a long night through (i.e. Tahajjud prayer).﴿
A notable scholar (Al-Junaid), whose authoresses are uncountable, came to his student (Muhammad bin Ibrahim) in his dream, so this student asked him, "O sir, what did Allah do with you?" The scholar answered him, "O son, all the spoken words vanished, all the signs were gone, and what was left were only the few Raka't we offered during the night."
Fasting Ramadan is the act of worship which proves your sincerity, since you refuse to enter your house, close the door and drink even a drop of water or a bite of food although you might be extremely thirsty and hungry. Your refusal is the result of your deep belief that Allah is watching you.
Like fasting Ramadan, night prayers manifest man's sincerity. Unlike Fajr, which you may offer in a congregational prayer, and Zuhr which you may offer in Al-Masjid, night prayers are offered before Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, alone with no one else to see you. Thus, it reflects sincerity. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And during night, prostrate yourself to Him (i.e. the offering of Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers), and glorify Him a long night through (i.e. Tahajjud prayer).﴿
There is another Ayah about night prayers. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend (charity in Allah's Cause) out of what We have bestowed on them.﴿
The word "Bed" here has two indications one of them is literal and the other is metaphorical. The first indication is that they leave their cozy mattresses in order to offer night prayers, whereas the metaphorical indication is that they do not put their trust in the worldly life (but they put their trust in worshiping Allah), given the worldly life seduces, brings pain and passes by.
(O people, this worldly life is a place of crookedness and is not a place of straightforwardness. It is a place of grief and is not a place of joy. Whoever recognizes this will not feel joy at [the achievement of] some hope [because, he knows it is temporary] or feel grief at wretchedness. Allah has meant for the worldly life to be a place of trial, and has meant for the Hereafter to be a place of ramification. Hence, He has made the adversity of the worldly life a reason for the reward in the Hereafter, and He has made the reward of the Hereafter a compensation for the adversity of the worldly life. He takes to give and afflicts to reward.)
The following is one more Ayah about night prayers:
﴾ Verily, the Muttaqun (pious) will be in the midst of Gardens and Springs (in the Paradise),﴿
They enjoy life in Paradise which is as wide as the heavens and the earth, and under which rivers run. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾Then as for him who will be given his Record in his right hand will say: "Take, read my Record!* "Surely, I did believe that I shall meet my Account!"* So he shall be in a life, well-pleasing* In a lofty Paradise* The fruits in bunches whereof will be low and near at hand* Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days past!﴿
Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Verily, the Muttaqun (pious) will be in the midst of Gardens and Springs (in the Paradise)* Taking joy in the things which their Lord has given them. Verily, they were before this Muhsinun (good-doers).﴿
Why are they taking joy in the things which their Lord has given to them? What is the price they paid for all that? Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ They used to sleep but little by night [invoking their Lord (Allah) and praying, with fear and hope]* And in the hours before dawn, they were (found) asking (Allah) for forgiveness* And in their properties there was the right of the beggar, and the Mahrum (the poor who does not ask the others)* And on the earth are signs for those who have Faith with certainty* And also in your ownselves. Will you not then see?﴿
Man's Siyaam is for Allah, and only Allah will compensate for it:
Dear brothers, the Prophet PBUH said in another Sahih Hadith:
(It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger : of Allah (PBUH) said: "Every deed of the son of Adam will be multiplied for him, between ten and seven hundred times for each merit. Allah said: 'Except for fasting, for it is for Me and I shall reward for it.')
Allah rewards for every good deed between ten and seven hundred times for each merit, except for Siyaam. Let me elaborate this point: every Divine Assignment man is enjoined to do is absolutely in his best interest. Namely, when man fulfils the Divine Assignment, he shows his obedience to Allah the Almighty, and at the same time he is pretty sure that this Assignment is for his own good. For instance, if man refrains from lying, if he treats people honestly, if he is trustworthy and if he lowers his gaze, he definitely will set his heart at ease. Accordingly, every Divine Assignment but has a fruitful result that will be reaped by the one who fulfills it in the worldly life and then in the Hereafter.
This is a fact, because all the Divine Orders are for the best interest of man. Abstaining from lying, backbiting or tale-bearing is understandable (because of the evil nature of all these sins). However, when man fasts Ramadan, he is leaving food and drink and other matters which are originally permissible (during the rest of the year), so doing so is obviously for the purpose of obeying the Low Giver (Allah Who orders man to fast in Ramadan).
(Every deed of the son of Adam will be multiplied for him, between ten and seven hundred times for each merit. Allah said: 'Except for fasting, for it is for Me and I shall reward for it.')
When a father asks his son to look after his appearance or to be honest, it is obvious that the father is keen on his son's best interest, but what if this father asks his son to stop eating food without giving him any good reason for his order, yet this son obeys his father and stops eating? Definitely this son reaches the highest levels of dutifulness towards his father, right? This is the meaning of the following part of the previous Qudsi Hadith:
(… 'Except for fasting, for it is for Me and I shall reward for it.')
Things reported to be done by the Prophet PBUH in Ramadan:
Dear brothers, the Prophet PBUH used to recite the Noble Quran in Ramadan more than in the other months. Imam Al-Hasan said a word of wisdom concerning reciting the Noble Quran, "This Quran has been sent to us to work upon it, but some people make reciting it their profession". There is no doubt that reciting the Quran is an act of worship, and it draws the Muslim closer to Allah the Almighty; however, it was reported in the relic:
(There are people who recite the Quran, but are cursed by the Quran, while reciting (because they do not act on what they read).)
(Suhaib Narrated : that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "He does not believe in the Qur'an who makes lawful what it prohibits.")
The purpose behind reciting the Quran is not only to read it, but also to abide by it. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ O you who believe﴿
What do you feel upon reading the previous Ayah? Do you not feel that you are addressed here? You cannot ignore or neglect an order you receive from a powerful man, and you feel obliged to justify your disobedience to it, but how come you ignore the Words of Allah when He addresses you? Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allah and fear Him, and speak (always) the truth.﴿
Do we speak the truth? Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.). That is purer for them. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what they do.﴿
Do you abide by this order? Say kind words to people, follow Allah's Orders and remember that you are in this noble month (i.e. Ramadan).
Dear brothers, when you read in the Quran "O you who believe", what should you feel? You should feel that you are the addressee and that Allah is ordering you, and keep in mind that Allah the Almighty is the Only One Who deserves to be obeyed.
Dear brothers, remember the word of wisdom said by Al-Basri, "This Quran has been sent to us to work upon it, but some people made reciting it their profession". You should read it in order to comply with its orders.
(Yazid ibn Yabnus said, "We went to 'A'isha and said, 'Umm al-Mu'minin, what was the character of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, like?' She replied, 'His character was the Qur'an.)
Once she, may Allah be pleased with her, was asked about the Prophet's night prayers to which she answered, "Do you not recite the Quran?" They said, "Yes, we do." Then, she said, "Read Surat Al-Muzzammil"
﴾ Verily, your Lord knows that you do stand (to pray at night) a little less than two-thirds of the night, or half the night, or a third of the night, and so do a party of those with you, And Allah measures the night and the day. He knows that you are unable to pray the whole night, so He has turned to you (in mercy).﴿
The Prophet PBUH, as he was described, was a walking Quran, while the universe is a silent Quran and the Quran is a speaking universe (in the sense that it includes lots of scientific facts about the universe which have been proved to be true).
You should follow the Prophetic Sunnah; the Quran should be reflected in your behavior, its rulings should be applied to your transactions and Quran's dos and do not should show on you.
This fact is crystal clear, for the Quran has been sent to us to abide by it, but some people are satisfied with reading it only. Well, you should read it without any doubt, and you should apply what you read, so if there is an order, you should follow it, if there is a prohibition, you should abstain from doing it, and you should behave according to all the rulings mentioned in the Noble Quran.
Dear brothers, it was reported that the Prophet PBUH was the most generous among people, and he was even more generous in Ramadan. Generosity soothes the hearts of people, and it is the best way to worship Allah. Man is Divinely molded to love taking, so when he gives, he opposes his nature, given he will not exalt in the Sight of Allah unless he opposes his nature. Also, man inclines to be relaxed and cozy, so if he wakes up early in order to offer Fajr Salah, he opposes his nature. Generally speaking, man prefers relaxation over hard work, sleeping over being awake, unleashing his tongue over controlling it and taking money over donating it, so if he donates his money, he is opposing his desire.
Dear brothers, we will never sublime unless we act upon Allah's Order. Actions speak louder than words, so when you give Sadaqah, control your limbs and abide by Allah's Orders, you will sublime. Hence, fasting the days of Ramadan, praying night prayers during the nights of Ramadan, reciting the Quran abundantly and donating your money are the four things that every Muslim should be keen on. Ramadan is an intensive course in which man's sins will be erased, and he will have the opportunity to sublime in the Sight of the Lord of the heavens and the earth. The Prophet PBUH said:
(May his nose be rubbed in dust, who attains Ramadan and is not forgiven by it.)
Fasting during Ramadan with Faith entails Allah's Mercy:
Dear brothers, I hope that all of us will show commitment to the religious sessions during Ramadan and to Taraweeh prayers, for this will bring about the Divine Reward. In fact, if you fast the days of Ramadan and offer night prayers during the nights of Ramadan (i.e. Taraweeh) with Faith and in the hope of receiving Allah's Reward, you will be rewarded, but how?
You will be rewarded after you fast during the day as you are supposed to, and you stand before Allah the Almighty at night, invoking Him to open your heart to the recited Ayat of His Book, so that you may feel Tajalli (Divine Inspiration in the heart), tranquility, mercy, Divine Light, happiness and more than you have lost.
Dear brothers, call yourselves to account before you are called to do so, and weigh your deeds before they are weighed against you, and you should know that the Angel of Death has reached others and will reach us soon, so pay heed. The wise man is the one who calls himself to account (and refrains from doing evil deeds) and does noble deeds to benefit him after death; and the foolish person is the one who subdues himself to his temptations and desires and seeks from Allah the fulfillment of his vain desires.
Praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds.
The 2nd Khutbah:
I bear witness that there is no Deity worthy of worship except Allah, and He is the Wali (protector) of Saliheen (righteous people), and I bear witness that our master Muhammad PBUH, the one with the exalted conducts, is Allah's servant and messenger. O Allah our Lord, have peace and blessings upon our Master Muhammad, his Folks and his Companions.
Siyaam of Ramadan is a preventive treatment course:
Dear brothers, when man gives an order, he most likely has thought of only one purpose and one moral, but when you consider Allah's Orders, you will be surprised. If you spend your entire life in tracking down the apparent and disguised fruits of Allah's Orders, you will not embrace them all.
We sublime by observing Siyaam with which we draw close to Allah the Almighty, yet Siyaam is also healthy for man. I like a statement a physician said, "Siyaam is an annual preventive treatment during which man can avoid lots of diseases. Moreover, some diseases are cured by fasting."
One of the preventive effects of fasting is that it protects man from geriatric diseases which are the results of exhausting the body. "Fast and be healthy" is a well known fact, and some physicians said, "Fasting is a cure for the diseases of the digestive system like acute gastritis and obstinate vomiting." Others said that fasting is a cure for high blood pressure and arterial hypertension. Another group of physicians said that fasting reduces the symptoms of diabetes.
Generally speaking, Siyaam lifts the pressure from the circularity system, the heart, the arteries, the fatigue of the body which is the reason of heart disease and atherosclerosis.
Siyaam also disburdens the kidneys and the urinary tract, because high levels of urea in the bloodstream burdens the kidneys in the latter's effort to remove it from the blood and throw it in the urine, but when man fasts there will not be high urea levels in the bloodstream, and thus the kidneys will be disburdened.
Amongst the advantages of fasting is that the sugar in the liver moves. What happens when the levels of sugar decrease during the day (because of fasting)? The sugar in the liver controls sugar level in the body. This also happens to the fat beneath the skin and the proteins of the muscles, and this movement rejuvenates the glands and the liver's cells.
Factories usually run annual maintenance to their machines. Likewise, Ramadan is considered annual health maintenance to the body systems, so that they rejuvenate. Furthermore, Ramadan protects man from geriatric diseases, and it helps the body recover from other diseases. Nevertheless, Siyaam is bad for some diseases, and this is why Allah gives excuse to the patient who suffers from one of these diseases:
﴾…But if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days.﴿
Some diseases get worse by fasting, and in such cases if man fasts, he disobeys Allah and His Messenger PBUH.
Dear brothers, we should not stop fasting because of a Fatwa that is given by any doctor, for scholars insist that the doctor who is qualified to give such a Fatwa should be a pious Muslim doctor, and he should be good in his specialty, and if he gives such Fatwa, the patient should obey his orders and stop fasting. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ But if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days. And as for those who can fast with difficulty, (e.g. an old man, etc.), they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a Miskin (poor person) (for every day). But whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him. And that you fast, it is better for you if only you know.﴿
One more thing dear brothers, the Prophet PBUH used to eat three dates and drink a glass of water to break his fast, then he offers Maghrib Salah. Doctors analyzed this Prophetic Sunnah, and they came up with this result: "Eating dates after a long day of fasting helps the body's blood glucose levels quickly return to normal. Thus in 20 minutes the sugar reaches man's bloodstream, and this will satisfy the sensation of hunger, which in turn helps avoid overeating." Following this behavior makes man eat Iftar meal like any other meal without any irrational overeating. Hence, it is out of Sunnah to start our Iftar with dates and water, and then we offer Maghrib Salah. After that, we can start eating Iftar meal.
Those who overeat at Iftar will find it difficult to offer Taraweeh prayers, so if you want to offer night prayers, you should eat moderately, in order to have the energy to stand, pray, listen to the Quran recited by the Imam, comprehend it, think deeply about it and react to it. On the other hand, the one who overeats at Iftar will find it hard to offer Taraweeh, and he may stop at 8 Raka't, or he may convince himself that Taraweeh is Sunnah and not Fard, and there is no problem if he does not offer them. However, Taraweeh is a crucial part of Ramadan due to the following Hadith:
(Whosoever performs (optional Taraweeh) prayers at night during the month of Ramadan,…)
