A great and blessed month has arrived – the month of Ramadan. It is the month of fasting, prayer, and recitation of the Qur'an, the month of mercy and forgiveness, the month of charity and kindness. In this month, the gates of Paradise are opened, good deeds are multiplied, sins are erased, and prayers are answered. It is a month in which Allah bestows countless blessings upon His servants and grants abundant rewards to His righteous believers.

Allah has made fasting in this month one of the pillars of Islam. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ observed its fast and commanded people to do so. He ﷺ said that whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking reward from Allah will have their past sins forgiven. Likewise, whoever stands in prayer during its nights with faith and anticipation of reward will also have their past sins forgiven.

This month contains a night that is better than a thousand months – Laylat al-Qadr. Whoever is deprived of its blessings is truly deprived. Therefore, welcome Ramadan with joy, sincerity, and determination to fast, pray, and hasten towards good deeds. Seek repentance from all sins and support one another in righteousness and piety. Encourage one another to do good, forbid evil, and call towards virtue so that you may attain Allah's grace and immense rewards.

Fasting has numerous benefits and great wisdom, including purifying the soul, refining character, and cleansing the heart from arrogance, pride, and greed. It trains a person in patience, forbearance, generosity, and self-discipline in seeking Allah’s pleasure.

Fasting also helps a person recognize their dependence on Allah, appreciate His countless blessings, and remember the needs of the poor and needy. This leads to gratitude, using Allah’s blessings in obedience to Him, and showing kindness to the less fortunate. Allah alluded to these benefits in His words: "O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain piety." (Surah Al-Baqarah: 183) This shows that fasting is a means to achieving piety, which is obeying Allah and His Messenger by doing what is commanded and avoiding what is forbidden with sincerity, love, and fear of Allah’s punishment.

The Prophet ﷺ also pointed out some benefits of fasting in his saying: "O young men! Whoever among you can afford marriage, let him marry, for it helps lower the gaze and guard chastity. And whoever cannot, let him fast, for it will be a shield for him." (Bukhari 5065, Muslim 412) This indicates that fasting helps a person maintain purity and self-restraint, as it weakens the desires and strengthens the spirit. Since Satan flows through the human body like blood, fasting restricts his influence, enhances faith, and increases acts of worship while reducing sins.

Fasting also has many physical benefits. It detoxifies the body, strengthens health, and has been acknowledged by many doctors as a cure for various ailments.

There are many verses and hadiths about the virtue and obligation of fasting. Allah says: "The month of Ramadan in which the Qur'an was revealed as a guidance for people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever witnesses the month, let him fast it. But whoever is ill or on a journey, then the prescribed number (should be made up) from other days. Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you, and so that you may complete the prescribed period and glorify Allah for guiding you, and that you may be grateful." (Surah Al-Baqarah: 185)

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Islam is built upon five pillars: the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, establishing prayer, giving zakat, fasting in Ramadan, and performing Hajj to the House (Kaaba).” (Bukhari 8, Muslim 7)

It is also narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Every deed of the son of Adam is multiplied – a good deed is rewarded tenfold up to seven hundred times, except fasting, for it is for Me, and I shall reward it. He leaves his desires and food for My sake. The fasting person has two joys: one at the time of breaking the fast and one at the time of meeting his Lord. And the smell from the mouth of a fasting person is more fragrant to Allah than the scent of musk." (Muslim 2760)

In another hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said: "When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained." (Muslim 2549)

In another narration: "On the first night of Ramadan, the devils and rebellious jinn are chained, the gates of Paradise are opened, and not a single gate is closed. The gates of Hell are shut, and not a single gate is opened. A caller announces: O seeker of good, come forward! O seeker of evil, stop! And Allah has those He frees from Hellfire every night." (Tirmidhi 682, Ibn Majah 1642)

The Prophet ﷺ also said: "Whoever fasts Ramadan with faith and seeking reward, his past sins will be forgiven. Whoever prays during its nights with faith and seeking reward, his past sins will be forgiven. And whoever stands in prayer on the Night of Qadr with faith and seeking reward, his past sins will be forgiven." (Bukhari 38, Muslim 1817)

It is reported that the Prophet ﷺ usually prayed eleven rak’ahs in Ramadan and other times. He prayed four, and do not ask about their beauty and length; then another four, and do not ask about their beauty and length; then he prayed three. Sometimes, he prayed thirteen rak’ahs.

There is no fixed limit for night prayer in Ramadan, as the Prophet ﷺ said: "The night prayer is in twos (rak’ahs). If one fears the approach of dawn, let him pray one rak’ah to make it an odd number." (Ahmad 4492)

Thus, Ramadan is a month of immense blessings, a time for spiritual renewal, self-discipline, and increasing devotion to Allah. May Allah enable us to make the most of this blessed month, accept our fasting and prayers, and grant us His mercy and forgiveness.