The Month of Ramadan is  the month of repentance and forgiveness, devotion and servitude, nearness and piety, charity and Divine Revelation, love and mercy. Allah All Mighty  ordained fasting for strengthening man’s will to obey his Lord, to increase his heart in faithfulness, to achieve connection with his Creator, and deeply root the concepts of  worship and servitude to Him. Should devotional services, one of which is the fast, be observed as Allah, Glory be to Him, desires, they are sure to turn a believer’s character into a unique one that attracts people’s admiration and respect and guides people by the light hereof.

Should devotional services be observed as Allah All Mighty desires, they are sure to make a believer a man of brilliant mind, a pure heart, keen vision and deep insight. His mind and heart unite together in such a way that it becomes not clear which comes first truthfulness of his good manners or goodness of his knowledge. It becomes not clear which is more admirable fertility of his impassioned soul or smartness of his brilliant mind.                                                                                      Should devotional services be observed as properly as Allah  All mighty desires, they are sure to provide the believer with a piercing insight and wise judgment. They are sure to make him plunge into bliss from which all sensual enjoyments of the present world can never take him away; they are sure to provide him with noble manners that neither masses of bright gold nor sharp pungent lashes of jailors can possibly change.                    A true believer, as Allah, desires him to be, is as strong and firmly rooted as a mountain, as hard as a rock, as bright as the Sun, as impulsive as a volcano, as deep as a sea, as clear as the bright sky, as vivid as spring, as fresh as pure water, as shy as a maid, as peaceful and kind hearted as a child.

The fast has been enjoined upon man to help him overcome his soul and to guide it towards  eternal happiness. The angels have been made up of reason with no instinct, the animals of instinct with no reason, mankind of both reason and instinct. Should man’s reason control his instinct, he is sure to rise higher in rank than angels; should his instinct dominate his reason, he becomes lower in rank than the lowest animals.                             It is not heroic to overcome your caprices and desires in the month of Ramadan, and  then be defeated by them throughout the rest of the year. Real success is to preserve such victory over one’s whims and caprices at all times and under all circumstances.

It is not heroic to control our tongues in Ramadan and shun back-biting, scandal, slander, and false testimony, and then, after Ramadan, we let them off to such evil practices. Our tongues should be properly controlled and our hearts rightly guided till the end of life.

It is not heroic to cast down our eyes from the things that Allah, the Almighty, considers as unlawful, and to control our caprices in Ramadan, and then release them afterwards and, hence, become like the woman who breaks her thread, after it is firmly spun.                                                     It is not heroic that we refrain from sins and misdeeds in Ramadan, and we commit them again afterwards.                                                                           It is not heroic to seek what is lawful only in Ramadan, for fear that our fast shall not be accepted, and then, afterwards turn out careless and negligent  and commit unlawful things claiming that they are part of our customs and traditions.

It is not heroic to keep away, just for the sake of Ramadan, from places where evil deeds are committed, then get back to such places as if Allah is not there for the rest of the year.

It is not heroic to watch our steps with Allah with regards to  our duties and responsibilities so long as we are on the fast, but then after we bid Ramadan farewell, we get back to prefer our secular interests to honesty in carrying out such duties and responsibilities. Those who do such things know nothing about the meaning of the fast, neither do they know anything about the essence of Islam. They are just like a camel whose masters have hobbled and then released; and it does not know why it has been hobbled or set free. People as such do not know why they have fasted or broken the fast.

Although Ramadan is the month of repentance and forgiveness, this by no means denotes that repentance is singled out only for this month. Doors for repentance are left wide open through the whole year.

Why shouldn’t it be so since Allah, Glory be to Him, says, “Say, ‘O My slaves who have been prodigal against yourselves! Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy; surely Allah forgives sins altogether; surely He is All-forgiving, the Most Compassionate”. [XXXLX; 53]

He, All-High, All-Mighty, calls those who have been prodigal against themselves to repent, so how would the case be with the righteous believers?! Why shouldn’t it be so since Allah, says, “ O you believers, turn to Allah in sincere repentance.” [LXVI; 8].

Sincere repentance has been interpreted by some scholars as “sincere regret in the heart, asking for forgiveness by the tongue and giving up sins.”

Why shouldn’t it be so since Allah All High, says in the Divine Hadith narrated by Anas bin Malik (1), may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH) said, “Allah All Mighty said, ‘O son of Adam! Whenever you invoke Me and beg Me, I forgive you whatever sins you have committed, and I mind not. O son of Adam! Even If your sins reach the highest skies, and then you pray to me for forgiveness, I forgive you. O son of Adam! Even if you commit sins as great as the earth, and then you come unto Me associating none with Me (in worship), I come unto you with  forgiveness as great’.”

It is only one condition: Not to associate anyone with Him in worship and service.

Why shouldn’t it be so since Allah, Praise be to Him, is more pleased with His slave’s repentance than a thirsty man who suddenly finds water, a barren man who has a child or a  lost man who finds his way. To this effect, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) says, “Whosoever turns to Allah in sincere repentance, Allah is sure to make not only his mind and limbs but also all places of the world forget his sins and evil deeds.”                   Why shouldn’t it be so since Allah, The Truth, says in the Divine Hadith narrated by Abu –d-Darda’a (2), “Those who remember Me are those whom I shall grant My Friendship and Love; those who are grateful to Me are those whom I shall increase (in Grace and Honor); those who disobey Me I shall never cause them to despair of My Mercy. If they show repentance (unto Me), I shall be their Love; but if they fail to repent (unto Me), I shall be their Healer; I inflict them with distress in order to purify them from sins and misdeeds…”    

Why shouldn’t it be so since, “If a sinner turns to Allah with repentance, a herald calls out in the heavens and earth, ‘O creatures! Congratulate him, for he has been reconciled with Allah’.”

Repentance consists of knowledge, state and work. It is knowledge in the sense that it is knowledge of the danger of sins and that they stand as a barrier between the slave and his Lord. Such knowledge brings forth a psychological state which is a feeling of regret of the sins committed and the good things missed. Such a condition of regret produces a will and resolution to perform a deed that has to do with man’s present, past and future.

A man turning to Allah in repentance gives up the sin he is committing now, makes up his mind never to do it again in the future, and strives to redeem the wrong that he has committed. The Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), sums up the three stages in one term, namely ‘Regret”. He (PBUH) says, “Regret is repentance.” This is because regret must necessarily be the fruit of knowledge and the seed of action. Imam Al-Ghazali, may Allah have mercy on him, showed the things that  turn minor sins into major ones. He mentioned persistence, as there is no minor sin with persistence, and no major sin with repentance. He also mentioned underestimation of sin. This is because a sin becomes small in the sight of Allah if  it is regarded as great by the sinner; and it becomes great with Allah if belittled by the sinner.  To this effect, the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH),  says, “A true believer considers his sin as great as a mountain that he fears to fall upon him; but a hypocrite sees his sin as tiny as a fly that passed by his nose and he caused it to fly away”. He also mentioned insolent display of sins and disregard of Allah’s overlooking  one’s sin and allowing one a respite for repentance. In this context, it was said, “Do not consider the smallness of the sin, but with whom you have made bold. ”

Although Ramadan is the month of good work and currying favors with Allah, it does not mean that good work is singled out only for this holy month. The doors for good work are wide open in all months and the ways to Allah’s Favors are accessible at all times.

Righteous work is the essence of the soul’s life, exactly as food and drink are the essence of the body’s life. Poverty, in reality, is not lack of material wealth but rather of righteous work; and richness, in reality, is that of good work, Imam Ali (3), may Allah be pleased with him, says, “Riches and poverty are after exposition before Allah.”

It is true that sins and evil deeds are insurmountable obstacles  on the way to Allah, and that sincere repentance removes of such obstacles and makes the way to Allah safe and free. It is also true that righteous work is movement and progress on such a way. To this effects, Allah All Mighty says, “So let him, who hopes for the encounter with his Lord, work righteousness, and not associate with his Lord’s service anyone.” [XVIII; 110]

Since righteous work is the practical manifestation of true Faith, they are associated with each other in more than a hundred verses of the Holy Scripture. Allah, Glory be to Him, says, “But those who believe, and do deeds of  righteousness - the Gardens of Paradise shall be their hospitality, there in to dwell forever, desiring no removal out of them.” [XVIII; 107] Even more, a believer’s status with Allah is determined by the bulk of his good work. To this effect, Allah, Praise be to Him, says, “All have degrees (ranks) according to what they have done.” [VI; 132] Thus, if you want to know your status with Allah, behold where He uses you.

Further more, exalting one’s rank is never fulfilled except by good work. Allah All high, says, “And the righteous work exalts him (in rank).” [XXXV; 10]

Work is not considered as righteous unless it is proper enough to expose before Allah. This is because He All Mighty does not accept of work except that which is completely and sincerely devoted to Him. The Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), addresses this issue, “Allah, said, ‘I am the All-Sufficient Who needs no associate; whosoever does a deed wherein he associates anyone with Me, I leave him to that which he associates (with Me).” In this context it has been rightly said,  “ One penny spent faithfully is better than a thousand ones spent in hypocrisy and eye-service.” Allah, Glory be to him, also describers the believers’ sincerity saying, “We feed you only for the Face of Allah; we desire no recompense from you, nor thankfulness.” [LXXVI; 9]                 Righteous work is never as such unless it is free from mixing good with evil deeds together. Al-Daylami related in Musnad Al-Fardous, that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), said, “Two Rak’as (of prayer) by a pious person are far better than a thousand Rak’as by a person mingling good with evil deeds together.” It was also said “He whose piety does not deter him from disobeying Allah when he is in solitude, Allah never cares for anything he does.”                                                                                              Good work may sometimes override devotional service, as it is its fruit and the proof of its validity. Ibn Omar (4), quoted the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH)  as saying, “To help a brother of mine in his need is more desirable to me than to fast and seclude myself in the Holy Mosque for a month.” All creatures are dependents on Allah; the most beloved of them to Allah is the one who is the most useful to them. Ibn Abbass, was once in self seclusion in the Prophet’s Mosque when he went out of the Mosque to help someone. When he was asked, “Have you forgotten that you are in seclusion?” With tears in his eyes he replied, “No, but I heard the man of this tomb [i.e. the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH)], - not a long time ago - say,  ‘whosoever hastens to help a brother in need, and fulfills it, it is better for him than ten years’ seclusion’.” It was also narrated that Zaid Al-Khair (5), the venerable Companion, may Allah be pleased with him, asked the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), “What is the token of Allah’s Love to someone? And what is the token of His hatred to someone? ” The Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), replied, ‘How do you feel Zaid?’ Zaid said, ‘ I feel I like the good and its people, and whenever I can do it I hasten to it; and if I miss it, I get very sad at missing it, and crave after it. The Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), said, “This is the token of Allah’s Love.” We must never be prevented from doing good to people by their ingratitude and evil work. To this effect, Malik narrated that Ibn Omar quoted the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), as saying,   “Do good to those who deserve it and to those who do not deserve it. (This is because) if they deserve it, it is alright; but if they do not deserve it, it goes back to you, because you deserve it.”

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1.Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, is a venerable Companion and servant of the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH). He was born in Madinah and embraced Islam when he was still young. He narrated some 2286 Hadith. He went to Damascus and settled in Busra, where he passed away in 93 H. He was the last of all Companions to die.

2.Abu-d-Darda’a, Omair bin Malik Al-Ansari Al-Khazraji, was one of the venerable Companions. He was a knight and a judge. He was also a wise scholar. Before Islam, he was a trader in Madinah. He was one of those who memorized the Holy Koran by heart. He passed away in Syria in 32 H.

3.Ali bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, was a cousin and son-in-law of the holy Prophet’s. He was a prominent orator and knight. He was the first young man to embrace Islam. He was brought up in the holy Prophet’s house and protection. And he witnessed all events with the holy Prophet.

4.Abdu-l-Lah bin Omar was a venerable Companion and the son of Omar bin Al-Khattab. He immigrated with his father to Madinah. He was a versed scholar and Faqih. He narrated a great many Hadith. He passed away in 73 H.

5.Zaid A-Khair bin Muhalhal from Tai, may Allah be pleased with him,                     was a poet and orator. He came to the holy Prophet (PBUH) in the year 9 H. and embraced Islam. He remained only for a few days in Madinah, but he passed away with fever on his way back to Najd in 9 H.