A GUIDE TO RAMADAN 2025

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A GUIDE TO RAMADAN 2025

RAMADAN 2025

  • INTRODUCTION

أَخْبَرَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ هِلاَلٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏

 “‏ أَتَاكُمْ رَمَضَانُ شَهْرٌ مُبَارَكٌ فَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ صِيَامَهُ تُفْتَحُ فِيهِ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ وَتُغْلَقُ فِيهِ أَبْوَابُ الْجَحِيمِ وَتُغَلُّ فِيهِ مَرَدَةُ الشَّيَاطِينِ لِلَّهِ فِيهِ لَيْلَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ مَنْ حُرِمَ خَيْرَهَا فَقَدْ حُرِمَ ‏”‏

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:

“The Messenger of Allah said: ‘’There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month, which Allah, the Mighty, and Sublime, has enjoined you to fast. In it, the gates of the heavens are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and every devil is chained up. In it Allah has a night which is better than a thousand months; whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived.”

  • Sunan an-Nis’ai (2106)

As Ramadan 2023 is still going on, and the ‘First Ashra’ has already passed, the preparation for the month starts 10-15 days prior by eager Muslims all around the world. The reason for such an immense hurry and happiness for this month needs no description. Ramadan is the holy month of ALLAH (S.W.T.) and a lot of virtues, as well as Historical events, are associated with this month. When looked into the light of deep research, Ramadan is not the only month to fast and pray, rather it is the month to be steadfast in the path of Islam and prepare oneself for the trials and afflictions a Muslim may face as a test from ALLAH (S.W.T.).

Many Historical events are also associated with this holy month. Thus, full information about Ramadan, the reason why it is celebrated, and the virtues/Rewards associated with it need to be discussed.

This article is about the full info regarding Ramadan, Why Ramadan is celebrated, Ramadan rules, Tarawih Prayer, and other important elements associated with this holy month.

♥ WHAT RAMADAN IS?

‘Ramadan’ is the 9th Islamic Holy month that comes after ‘Shawwal’. The month of ‘Shawwal’ is preceded by the month of Rajab in which our last Prophet MUHAMMAD (S.A.W.) went to Mir’aj. On Mir’aj, MUHAMMAD (S.A.W.) was gifted with five regular Prayers for the Ummah (Muslim Community) and a full month (29 or 30 days) of regular fasting from ‘Sehar’ (the time before ‘Fajr’ prayer) to ‘Iftar’ (the time of Maghrib Salah at which fasting ends). The month of Ramadan begins after seeing the first Crescent moon of the month of Ramadan and ends after the second crescent moon is observed after 29 or 30 days.

Ramadan (also known as, ‘Sawm’ in Arabic) is the holy month in which ALLAH (S.W.T.) showers down His blessings on the Ummah. Also, the blessings as compared to the normal months are multiplied 70 times in this month. The reward for offering one prayer is equal to seventy (70) in this month. The Holy month consists of three Ashras (three parts) each divided into 10 days.

The first Ashra is the first Ten days and is known as the ‘Ashra of Mercy’ where ALLAH’s mercy is asked by the believer and ALLAH (S.W.T.) showers his mercy upon the believer.

The second Ashra consists of the second Ten days of Ramadan and is also known as the ‘Ashra of Forgiveness’. Here, the believer requests forgiveness from ALLAH (S.W.T.) for the sins he has committed.

The third and the last Ashra are the last ten days of the Holy Ramadan and are also known as the days ‘to seek refuge from Hellfire’.

Apart from this, the holy month’s last Ashra consists of the nights of Lay’la’tul Qadr in which fasting, praying, Dhikr (remembrance of ALLAH (S.W.T.)) and other acts of worship are highly rewarded. There are in total five Shab e Qadr (Night of Qadr) in total in the last Ashra and the believers keep themselves busy in the remembrance of ALLAH (S.W.T.) in these nights.

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ تَحَرَّوْا لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ فِي الْوِتْرِ مِنَ الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ ‏”‏‏.‏

 

Narrated `Aisha:

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Search for the Night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.”

  • Sahih al-Bukhari (2017)

The Tarawih prayer is also the most important prayer offered this month. The Muslims after offering the Fardh Rak’at of ‘Isha Salah’ offer 20 extra Rak’ats and recite the part of the Holy Qur’an in the Tarawih prayer. The Qur’an is recited in such a way that it gets completed before the end of Ramadan. In some places, only one Juz is recited, while there are places where two, three, or even five Juz are recited per Tarawih.

♥ WHY RAMADAN IS CELEBRATED?

There are many reasons for Ramadan to be celebrated as one of the Holy Months. However, the one and the main reason which tells its significance is its involvement in the important five Pillars of Islam (i.e.Tawheed (oneness of ALLAH (S.W.T.)), Salah (Obligatory prayers), Zakat (Charity to poor Muslims), Sawm (Fasting in the month of Ramadan), and Hajj (Pilgrimage to the Holy cities of Mecca and Medinah).

For the practicing Muslim, it is necessary to act on all these Five Pillars, and the negligence of any of these pillars could throw a believer out of the boundaries of Islam. Thus, a believer needs to act on these Five Pillars of Islam, and as Fasting is also one of the main pillars of Islam, this makes the month of Ramadan an important Holy month consisting of various acts of high rewards. This is the reason Why Ramadan is celebrated across all countries, and all the continents of the world with so much happiness and gratefulness.

The second reason the Ramadan of getting celebrated with such ecstasy by the Ummah is because of the fact that it was given as a gift to the Prophet MUHAMMAD (S.A.W.) on His first Journey to Mir’aj. The five obligatory prayers were also gifted to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) on this Journey to Mir’aj.

The third important reason is that the Holy Qur’an was completely revealed this month.

The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey – then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you, and perhaps you will be grateful.

  • Al Qur’an (Ch2, v185)

The fourth reason for observing Ramadan across the Globe with so much gratefulness is due to its association with various important Historical events that happened at the time of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) and other Sahabas (Companions of the Prophet).

In the Second Year of Hijra, the Battle of Badr happened on the 17th of Ramadan, and ALLAH (S.W.T.) granted victory to the small army of true Islamic believers against the mighty large army of Kuffars.

The city of Mecca was peacefully conquered on the 18th of Ramadan by the Prophet MUHAMMAD (S.A.W.) with his army of 10,000 Sahabas in the eighth year of Hijra.

Apart from that, various other important historical events related to Islam have happened in this holy month and thus serve as proof of its likeness by ALLAH (S.W.T.).

♥ RAMADAN FASTING RULES

  • It is obligatory for all Young Male and Female Adults and not observing fasting without a valid reason is a big Sin and highly hated by ALLAH (S.W.T.).
  • The Muslims must stop eating 15-20 minutes before Fajr Salah and till the Maghrib Salah (time of Sunset) happens.
  • The Muslims during Fasting need to abstain from eating and drinking till the time of Iftar (Maghrib) is reached.
  • Apart from staying Hungry and thirsty during fasting hours, a Muslim is also commanded to abstain from making sexual relations, looking at the Non-Mahrams, and doing sinful activities.
  • Smoking is highly disliked by ALLAH (S.W.T.) and His last Prophet, and when it is the month of Ramadan, which is also the month of attaining huge rewards for Aakhirah, smoking is disallowed and a believer addict of smoking must leave this activity which is disliked by ALLAH (S.W.T.), his Malaikah, and His Prophets.
  • Vomiting can also break the fast. If a person voluntarily vomits, then the fast is considered broken and the person will be considered guilty of sin. However, if the person has involuntarily vomited, then it does not nullify the fast provided the person does not swallow any of it.
  • The Menstruating women are not allowed to fast, pray and read the Qur’an. Thus, in the month of Ramadan, Menstruating women are freed from observing the fasts. However, when the Menstruating period is over, it is advised for them to observe those fasts she left on some other days after the month of Ramadan.
  • Eating any kind of medicine, or injecting any medicine into the body also nullifies the fast. Thus, during the fasting period, one must abstain from taking any kind of medicine or injection into the body.
  • Donating blood also nullifies the fast and is not allowed during the timings of fasting.
  • It is advised to brush the teeth prior to the beginning of the fasting period. Brushing teeth can nullify the fast if the liquid of the toothpaste enters our throat.

♥ TARAWIH PRAYER

The only unique prayer performed along with ‘Salat al Isha’ is the Taraweeh Prayer. When the believers end their fasts, the preparations for the Salat at Tarawih (Tarawih Prayer) begin. As the month of Ramadan is the month of Fasting and keeping oneself busy in spirituality, prayers, and expressing thankfulness to ALLAH (S.W.T.), the Tarawih Prayer brings many multiple rewards with itself. Tarawih is an act of Sunnah of MUHAMMAD (S.A.W.) and all his companions. The Tarawih prayers are read with the aim to complete the Qur’an before the completion of Ramadan. A ‘Hafiz/Qari/Mufti’ acts as an Imam and leads the Tarawih prayer and recites the different chapters of the Qur’an.

Many Sahih Hadith are there which tells us the significance of the Tarawih prayer and the rewards it brings with itself. One of the main rewards for observing the Salat-at-Tarawih is that all the Gunah-e-Kabira (Minor Sins) committed in the past by the believer are pardoned by ALLAH (S.W.T.).

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال‏:‏ ‏ “‏من قام رمضان إيمانًا واحتسابًا غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه‏”‏‏.‏ ‏(‏‏(‏متفق عليه‏)‏‏)‏ ‏.‏

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “He who observes optional prayer (Tarawih prayers) throughout Ramadan, out of the sincerity of Faith and in the hope of earning reward will have his past sins pardoned.”

  • Riyad as-Salihin 1187

♥ WHEN RAMADAN ENDS?

Ramadan usually ends on the 29th or 30th day depending upon the sight of the moon. If the moon gets seen on the 29th of Ramadan, the next day is the day of ‘EId-ul-Fitr’, and if Ramadan ends on the 30th day, the successive day is the day of ‘Id-ul-Fitr’.

‘EId-ul-Fitr’ is observed when the full month of Ramadan ends. It is a gift of ALLAH (S.W.T.) to the believers who observed fasts in the full month of Ramadan, prayed, asked forgiveness, and kept themselves busy in achieving spirituality and love of ALLAH (S.W.T.). On the day of EId-Ul-Fitr, the Special Id prayer is offered by the Ummah and after offering that prayer, Muslims hug and wish each other, and celebrate Eid. It was commanded by Prophet MUHAMMAD (S.A.W.) to pay Zakat-al-Fitr before offering the Eid Prayer

حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ مَيْسَرَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَمَرَ بِزَكَاةِ الْفِطْرِ قَبْلَ خُرُوجِ النَّاسِ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ‏.‏

 

Narrated Ibn `Umar:

The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered the people to pay Zakat-ul-Fitr before going to the Eid prayer.

  • Sahih Bukhari (1509)

 It is Haram for a Muslim to fast on the day of EId-ul-Fitr or Id-al-Adha, as Prophet MUHAMMAD (S.A.W.) doesn’t use to fast on any of these.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الْمُقَدَّمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا فُضَيْلُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا حَكِيمُ بْنُ أَبِي حُرَّةَ الأَسْلَمِيُّ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ سُئِلَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ، نَذَرَ أَنْ لاَ، يَأْتِيَ عَلَيْهِ يَوْمٌ إِلاَّ صَامَ، فَوَافَقَ يَوْمَ أَضْحًى أَوْ فِطْرٍ‏.‏ فَقَالَ لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ، لَمْ يَكُنْ يَصُومُ يَوْمَ الأَضْحَى وَالْفِطْرِ، وَلاَ يَرَى صِيَامَهُمَا‏.‏

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:

that he was asked about a man who had vowed that he would fast all the days of his life then the day of `Id al Adha or `EId-al-Fitr came. `Abdullah bin `Umar said: You have indeed a good example in Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). He did not fast on the day of `Id al-Adha or the day of `EId-al-Fitr, and we do not intend to fast on these two days.

  • Sahih Bukhari (6705)

 The day of Eid-ul-Fitr is observed all over the world by the Ummah with a lot of gratitude and happiness similar to that of Ramadan. On this day, relatives and friends visit each other and wish a happy and blessed Id.

♥ CONCLUSION

The blessed month of Ramadan has already arrived and the second Ashra is also on the verge of ending. As a large population has become the prey of the COVID wave in the past three years, we are lucky to witness this holy month in our lifetime and this is yet another chance for us to get back on to the path of Islam and leave all kinds of sins we commit as either a part of our habit or intentionally.

The blessed month not only brings the chance for the believers to cry and ask for forgiveness in the courtyard of ALLAH (S.W.T.), but also brings different rewards along with it, and is one full month where all the devils are chained. Thus, a believer has a full opportunity to ask forgiveness, pray, pay Zakat (Charity) to the needy and poor people, and free himself from Hellfire. As a Momin (Believer), our utmost responsibility is to prepare for the ‘Aakhirah (Day of Judgement)’ while remaining in this temporary place known as ‘Dunya’

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