Question: "Could the Shaikh give us some words of
benefit for the blessed month of Ramadaan, on this fine occasion"
Shaikh al-Albaanee, may Allaah have mercy upon him said,
"Allaah, the Exalted and Most High, says in the Noble Quraan:
O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was
prescribed for those before you, so that you may become people having
Taqwaa. Soorah al-Baqarah (2):183
So in this aayah, as will not be hidden to all those who are
present, Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, informs the Ummah of
Muhammad, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, through this aayah,
that He has made Fasting obligatory upon them just as He had made its
like obligatory upon the nations before us. This is a matter that
is well-known to all of the Muslims who read this aayah, and
clearly understand its meaning. But what I wish to speak about is
something else, a matter which very few of the general people notice-‹and
this is the saying of Allaah, the Exalted and Most High, at the end of
this aayah:
So that you may become people having Taqwaa.
So Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, when He commands His believing
servants, or obligates them with some Legislation, (then He) usually just
mentions the command, without explaining the wisdom for it. This
is because the general wisdom behind Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic¹s,
placing duties upon His servants is that He should test them by it, so
that it should become apparent (as to) those who will obey Him and
those who will disobey Him, the Exalted and Most High.
However in this aayah, He mentioned something that is not found
frequently in the Noble Quraan, which is that He mentioned the reason
for the order to Fast, by His Saying:
So that you may become people of Taqwaa.
So the wisdom behind the Believers to fast is not just that they should
prevent themselves from enjoyable and permissible and good things, even
though this is an obligation upon the fasting person - but this is not
the only thing that is required and intended by this Fasting. So
Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, concluded His command to fast by His
Saying:
So that you may become people of Taqwaa.
Meaning: that the wisdom behind the prescription of Fasting is that the
Muslim should increase in obedience to Allaah, the Exalted and Most
High, in the month of Fasting, and become more obedient than he was before
it.
Then the Prophet, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, clearly stated
and completely clarified this point of divine wisdom, by his,
sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, saying, as is reported in the Saheeh
of al-Bukhaaree (no. 1903), that he sallallaahu alaihi wa
sallam, said, "Whoever does not abandon falsehood in speech and
action, then Allaah has no need that he should leave his food and
drink." Meaning: that Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, did not
intend and desire, by the obligation of Fasting - which is to withhold for
a stated time, well known to you all - that they should only withhold
from eating and drinking. Rather they should also withhold from
that which Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, has forbidden with regard to
sins and acts of disobedience to Him; and from that is falsehood in
speech and action.
So the Messanger, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, is emphasizing
the aayah:
So that you may become people of Taqwaa.
i.e. that you should, as an act of worship to draw you closer to
Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, in addition to withholding from food and
drink, also withhold from forbidden actions such as backbiting, carrying
tales to cause harm to people, false witness, lying and so on, with
regard to those forbidden manners that we are all aware of.
Therefore it is obligatory that all the Muslims should be aware that
actions which disrupt the Fast are not just the physical acts, which are
generally known, which are eating, drinking and sexual intercourse.
The Fast is not just that you withhold from this. Therefore
some of the scholars differentiate, and divide those things which disrupt
the Fast into two categories, and this is what I intend by this talk of
mine at this time that is blessed, if Allaah wills.
Sunnahs Neglected In Ramadaan
