On the authority of Aboo Hurayrah radiyAllaahu `anhu that he said: the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu `alaihi wa sallam used to give glad tidings to his Companions, saying:

“The month of Ramadaan has come to you; a blessed month that Allaah has prescribed upon you that you fast it. In it the gates of Paradise are opened, and the gates of the Hellfire are shut, and in it the devils are chained up. In it is a night that is better than a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of its goodness has indeed been deprived.” Reported by Ahmad and an-Nasaa·ee.[1]

And it has been reported: “Ramadaan has come to you – the most noble of all months – so it is welcomed.”[2]

The month of fasting has come with blessings * So how noble a visitor that has come

And upon the authority of `Ubaadah radiyAllaahu `anhu in connected form:

“Ramadaan has come to you, a month of blessings that Allaah covers you within; so he sends down Mercy, and the sins are wiped out, and in it the supplications are answered. Allaah looks at your competing within it, and He boasts of you to His Angels – so show Allaah good from yourselves – for verily the miserable one is he who is deprived of Allaah’s Mercy within it.” Reported by at-Tabaraanee, and its narrators are reliable.[3]

And it occurs in al-Bukhaaree and Muslim from a narration of Aboo Hurayrah radiyAllaahu `anhu that the Prophet sallAllaahu `alaihi wa sallam that he said:

“When Ramadaan enters, the doors of the Heavens are opened, and the doors of the Hellfire are shut, and the devils are chained up.”[4] And in the wording of Muslim: “The doors of mercy are opened.”[5] And also reported by Muslim from a narration of Aboo Hurayrah in connected form: “When the month of Ramadaan comes the doors of Paradise are opened, and the doors of the Fire are shut, and the devils are chained up.”[6]

And he radiyAllaahu `anhu narrated that the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu `alaihi wa sallam said:

“When it is the first night of Ramadaan; the devils and the arrogant, oppressive jinn are shackled, and the gates of the Fire are shut – without a single one being opened. And the gates of Paradise are opened – without a single one being shut. And a caller calls: ‘O seeker of good; come forward!’ and ‘O seeker of evil; abstain! For there are those whom Allah frees from the Fire. And that is every night.'” Reported by al-Tirmidhee, an-Nasaa·ee and al-Haakim.[7]

Explanation of Shaykh Ibn Baaz rahimahullaah

All praise is for Allaah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allaah, and upon his family, his Companions, and those who follow his guidance.

Then to proceed:

There are a huge number of narrations established from the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu `alaihi wa sallam – regarding this noble month – the month of Ramadaan, indicating its great status; and that this month is the month of solace, and the month of beneficence, and the month of giving in charity, and the month of hastening to perform acts of obedience, and competing with regards to the various types of good.

A month in which the doors of the Heavens are opened, and in which the doors of Hellfire are shut. In it the devils are chained up. A month that Allaah made its fasting obligatory, and standing in its nights supererogatory. In it the doors of Paradise are opened, and the doors of Hellfire are shut, and the doors of the Heavens and the doors of mercy are opened, – and in it a caller calls out: “O seeker of good; come forward! and: O seeker of evil; abstain! For there are those whom Allah frees from the Fire. And that is every night.”

So it is befitting that the believing man and the believing woman compete in this good, and hasten during this noble month to perform acts of obedience. For it is a tremendous month, and there is not a month that passes by the Muslims better than it, and there is not a month that passes by the hypocrites worse than it – because of their lack of doing good within it, and their failure to give it its due right.

So the believer hastens to the performance of good, and differs with the people of hypocrisy regarding it; so he strives in obedience to Allaah and in performing the obligatory acts, and abandoning the prohibited affairs, and he hastens towards the various forms of good – from charities, and remembrance of Allaah by tasbeeh (i.e. saying ‘SubhaanAllaah‘ “I declare Allaah free of all imperfections”), and tahleel (i.e. saying ‘Laa ilaaha illaa Allaah‘ “There is none that has the right to be worshipped except Allaah alone”), and takbeer (i.e. saying ‘Allaahu akbar‘ “Allaah is the Greatest”), and reading the Qur·aan, and being plentiful with all types of good – especially reading the Qur·aan.

For this is the month of the Qur·aan, so it is befitting that the believer is plentiful in reading the Qur·aan within this month. Every letter is a good deed, and every good deed is multiplied tenfold. [So he should read] while reflecting and contemplating – just as Allaah the Exalted and Most High said:

كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

Soorah Saad; (38):29

[[Meaning: This is a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, O Muhammad, that they may reflect upon its verses and so that those of understanding would be reminded.]]

And He – the Exalted – said:

إِنَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ

Sooratul-Israa·; (17):9

[[Meaning: Verily, this Quran guides to that which is most just and right.]]

And He the Mighty and Majestic said:

وَهَٰذَا كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ مُبَارَكٌ فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

Sooratul-An`aam; (6):155

[[Meaning: And this is a blessed Book which We have revealed, so follow it and fear Allah that you may receive mercy.]]

So it is befitting that the believer gives concern to this Mighty Book, the Qur·aan; and that he reflects upon it, and is plentiful in reading it. And the Prophet sallAllaahu `alaihi wa sallam used to revise the noble Qur·aan every night with Jibreel in this noble month; and in the final year [of his life] he revised it twice. So in this is an encouragement upon studying and revising the Qur·aan, and giving it concern, and being plentiful regarding that – due to that which it contains from tremendous good, and much reward. Every letter is a good deed, and every good deed is multiplied tenfold.

Likewise it is befitting that the believer is plentiful in giving in charity within it, and that he gives solace to the poor and the needy. The Prophet sallAllaahu `alaihi wa sallam said:

“Whoever provides food for a fasting person to break his fast with within it [i.e. Ramadaan]; then that will be a cause for his sins to be forgiven for him, and for his neck to be freed from the Fire, and for him is the like of his reward [i.e. the fasting persons].”[8]

And the Prophet sallAllaahu `alaihi wa sallam said:

“Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping to attain Allaah’s reward, then all his past sins will be forgiven.”[9]

And: “Whoever stands [in prayer] in the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping for Allaah’s reward, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.”[10]

And: “Whoever stands [in prayer] on the night of pre-decree out of sincere faith, and hoping for Allaah’s reward, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.”[11]

And the Prophet sallAllaahu `alaihi wa sallam said: Allaah – the Mighty and Majestic – said:

“Every [righteous] action of the son of Aadam will be multiplied for him, a good deed will be multiplied ten times up to seven hundred times. Allaah – the Mighty and Majestic – said: Except for fasting; for it is for Me, and I will reward for it, for [the fasting person] abandons his desires, and his food and his drink for My sake. There are two joys for the fasting person: the joy when he breaks his fast, and the joy when he meets his Lord.”[12]

And he sallAllaahu `alaihi wa sallam would say to his Companions when Ramadaan entered:

“Ramadaan has come to you, a month of blessings that Allaah covers you within; so he sends down mercy, and the sins are wiped out, and in it the supplications are answered. Allaah looks at your competing within it, and He boasts of you to His Angels – so show Allaah good from yourselves – for verily the miserable one is he who is deprived of Allaah’s Mercy within it.”[13]

And he sallAllaahu `alaihi wa sallam said:

“Whoever does not leave off false speech and acting in accordance with it, and foolishness; then Allaah is not in need of him leaving off his food and drink.”[14]

So it is obligatory upon the believer that he abstains from the prohibitions of Allaah. Sins are forbidden in every place and time; however during this noble month it is obligatory that a person is even more vigilant regarding them, and that the believer strives to safeguard his fasts, and protects them from all of the sinful affairs – such as: backbiting, and tale-carrying, and oppressing the people, and transgressing the bounds regarding anything of theirs; such as their wealth or their souls – and other than that from the sinful affairs, such as: eating from wealth attained by usury, and cheating in transactions, and backbiting, and tale-carrying, and eating from wealth attained by usury, and other than that from which Allaah has forbidden.

So the believer is cautious regarding all of the prohibitions of Allaah, and distances himself from them. He hopes in the reward of Allaah, and is fearful of the punishment of Allaah. He strives to perform that which Allaah has obligated; so he performs the [obligatory] prayers in congregation and is constant upon them in all of their five appointed times. He is righteous and obedient to his parents, and he keeps the ties of kinship. He calls to Allaah, and enjoins the good and forbids the evil. He is cautious of every evil and he strives regarding every good – especially in this noble month, the month of fasting, the month of giving in charity, the month of standing in prayer, the month in which the good deeds are multiplied.

So the believer strives to take advantage and make use of these days and these nights by fasting and standing in prayer. And the Prophet sallAllaahu `alaihi wa sallam has said:

“Whoever stands [in prayer] in the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping for Allaah’s reward, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.”[15]

And he sallAllaahu `alaihi wa sallam led the people in prayer three nights in Ramadaan, until the people gathered, then he left it off – out of fear that it would be made obligatory upon them.

Then during the caliphate of `Umar radiyAllaahu `anhu he gathered the people behind a single imaam; as they used to pray in multiple congregations until he gathered them behind a single imaam and led them in prayer. So occasionally he prayed twenty-three units, and occasionally he prayed twenty-one units.

So the affair of the believer in this regard is ample and wide; whether he were to pray eleven, or thirteen, or twenty-three – all of that has been made easy, and all praise is for Allaah.

And the Prophet sallAllaahu `alaihi wa sallam said:

“Prayer of the night is in twos.”[16] and he did not specify a set limit.

However if a person were to pray eleven or thirteen units as the Messenger sallAllaahu `alaihi wa sallam prayed – then that is better. And if he were to pray twenty-three, as the Companions did; or he were pray more than that, then this matter is something which is extensive – and all praise is for Allaah. Because the Messenger did not restrict it to a known number of units, however he would conclude it by praying a single unit. And [likewise] whether a person was to pray it at the start of the night or at the end of the night, or at the middle of the night – this is a broad, spacious affair – and all praise is for Allaah.

However it is recommended regarding the last ten that one remains awake just as the Prophet sallAllaahu `alaihi wa sallam would remain awake in the last ten.

As for the first twenty nights then the Sunnah (Prophetic way) is that one prays some of the night and sleeps – following the example of the Prophet sallAllaahu `alaihi wa sallam in that regard.

However it is obligatory that a person is cautious of all sins throughout all of the days and nights, and it is legislated that you safeguard your time by spending it in obedience to Allaah, by making tasbeeh (i.e. saying ‘SubhaanAllaah‘ “I declare Allaah free of all imperfections”), and by making tahleel (i.e. saying ‘Laa ilaaha illaa Allaah‘ “There is none that has the right to be worshipped except Allaah alone”), and by reading, and making remembrance [of Allaah], and seeking forgiveness, and by prayer, and the rest of the acts of worship. This time [in Ramadaan] you safeguard it, and are ardent upon it – such that none of it is lost or wasted. So it is maintained; either in obedience to Allaah, or in those things that are permissible.

Be warned and careful that none of it is wasted in that which Allaah has prohibited, such that it harms you in this life and in the Hereafter.

We ask Allaah to grant us all success, just as we ask Him to allow us – and yourselves – to complete its fasting and its standing in prayer. And we ask Allaah that he permits us – and yourselves – to hasten to good and to abstain from evil during it; indeed He is all-Hearing, Near.

And may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allaah, and upon his family and his Companions.

[From ‘Wadhaaif Ramadaan‘ of `Abdur-Rahmaan bin Muhammad bin Qaasim d. 1392H rahimahullaah, which is a summary of ‘Lataaiful-Ma`aarif‘ of Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali d. 795H rahimahullaah. Shaykh ibn Baaz d. 1420H rahimahullaah has an audio explanation of this summary, which has been transcribed and published.]

[1] Reported by Imaam Ahmad nos. 7148, 8991, 8992, 9497; & an-Nasaa·ee no. 2106; & `Abdur-Razzaaq 8383; & Ibn Abee Shaybah 1/3; & Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh 1 &2; & Ibn Abdul-Barr in ‘at-Tamheed’ 16/154. Shaykh al-Albaanee rahimahullaah said ‘Saheeh’, authentic.

[2] Reported by al-Bayhaqee in ‘Shu`abul-Eemaan’ 3/314 no. 3637 with the wording: ‘The most noble of months is the month of Ramadaan’; from a narration of Aboo Sa`eed al-Khudree radiyAllaahu `anhu – and al-Bayhaqee said: “In its chain of narration is weakness”.

And he reported it as a saying of Ibn Mas`ood radiyAllaahu `anhu with the wording: ‘The most noble of the months is Ramadaan, and the most noble of the days is Friday” 3/314 no. 363; & at-Tabaraanee in ‘al-Kabeer’ no. 9000.

[3] al-Haythamee said in ‘Majma`uz-Zawaa·id’ 3/257-258 no. 4783: “Reported by at-Tabaraanee in ‘al-Kabeer’.

[4] Reported by al-Bukhaaree no. 1899; & Muslim no. 1079.

[5] Reported by Muslim no. 1079.

[6] Reported by Muslim no. 1079.

[7] Reported by at-Tirmidhee no. 682; & Ibn Maajah no. 1642; & an-Nasaa·ee no. 2107; & al-Haakim in ‘al-Mustadrak’ 1/586 no. 1532. Shaykh al-Albaanee rahimahullaah said regarding this narration: ‘Saheeh’, authentic.

[8] Reported by Ibn Khuzaymah 3/191-192 no. 1787; and al-Bayhaqee in ‘ash-Shu`ab’ 7/215-217 no. 3336; & al-Asbahaanee in ‘at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb’ 2/349-350 no. 1753. And reported with a similar wording by at-Tirmidhee no. 807; & Ibn Maajah no. 1746.

[9] Agreed upon. Reported by al-Bukhaaree no. 38 & Muslim no. 760.

[10] Agreed upon. Reported by al-Bukhaaree no. 2009; & Muslim no. 759.

[11] Agreed upon. Reported by al-Bukhaaree no. 2014; & Muslim no. 760.

[12] Agreed upon. Reported by al-Bukhaaree nos. 1894 and 5927; & Muslim no. 1151.

[13] al-Haythamee said in ‘Majma`uz-Zawaa·id’ 3/257-258 no. 4783: “Reported by at-Tabaraanee in ‘al-Kabeer’.

[14] Reported by al-Bukhaaree no. 1903.

[15] Agreed upon. Reported by al-Bukhaaree no. 2009; & Muslim no. 759.

[16] Agreed upon. Reported by al-Bukhaaree no. 995; & Muslim no. 749.