Blessings of Ramadan: Health, Faith, and Divine Reward

Team of researchers

According to a newspaper report, a team of researchers and doctors from Germany, England and America came to Pakistan in Ramadan. They chose Bāb-ul-Madīnah Karachi, Markaz-ul-Auliyā Lahore, and the city of Muḥaddiš-e-A'zam رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالَٰی عَلَيْہِ Sardarabad (Faisalabad) for their research. The report issued by the researchers after the surveys concluded that the Muslims suffer relatively less ear, nose and throat (E.N.T.) illnesses as a result of ablution (Wuḍū) they make prior to their daily Ṣalāh they offer in abundance in the month of Ramadan. The Muslims also get less stomach, liver, heart and nerve problems as they eat less to fast.

Excessive eating causes illnesses

Dear Islamic brothers! Fast does not cause any illness at all, in fact, people fall ill in Ramadan in consequence of eating oily and fried things at the time of Saḥarī and Ifṭār.

Further, many people eat and drink different things every now and then at night. Therefore, one should avoid excessive eating in Ramadan. At Saḥarī, one should not eat so much food that he ends up burping all day and does not feel any hunger and thirst at all.

In fact, the enjoyment of fast lies in bearing thirst and hunger. Extremely hot weather, dry lips and extreme hunger! If only this condition would remind us of the sweet heat and cool sunshine of Madina-tul-Munawwarah! And, if only it would remind us of the extremely heart-rending incident of Karbalā where the flowers of Prophet's garden were brutally trampled under feet on the scorching desert. Imām Hussain رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالَٰی عَنْہُ and his companions sacrificed their lives for Islam in the state of extreme thirst, hunger and helplessness. When we feel even more hunger, if only the thought of the blessed stone our Beloved Rasūl صَلَّى اللہُ عَلَيْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم tied to his blessed stomach would remind us of his hunger.

Dear Islamic brothers! We should fast in such a way that evokes the memories of our Beloved and Blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللہُ عَلَيْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم, his companions رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالَٰی عَنْہُم and other saints رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالَٰی عَلَيْہِم

Delivery without operation

Dear Islamic brothers! Join Dawat-e-Islami, a global & non-political religious movement of the Quran and Sunnah in order to get the spiritual benefits of fast and develop the Madanī mindset. Travel with its Madanī Qāfilahs in the company of Rasūl's devotees to learn the Sunnahs of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللہُ عَلَيْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ! There are great blessings of the Sunnah-Inspiring Ijtimā'āt and Madanī Qāfilahs of this Madanī movement. Here is a summary of the account given by an Islamic brother of Hyderabad (Bāb-ul-Islam, Sindh) in his own words: In 1998, my wife was expectant; I was in a difficult situation as the doctor had declared that she may have to undergo a caesarean (operation). Meanwhile, the 3-day Sunnah-Inspiring global Ijtimā' of Dawat-e-Islami had also approached. I intended to travel for thirty days with a Madanī Qāfilah in the company of Rasūl's devotees after the Ijtimā'. Prior to leaving for Multan to attend the Ijtimā', I took my bag with me to the hospital where my family members and other relatives assured their co-operation. My wife said her farewell with tears in her eyes.

I pinned all my hopes on the Ijtimā' and Madanī Qāfilah for the solution to my problem as I was too poor to afford the expenses of the operation. I prayed a lot during the Ijtimā', Having attended the concluding heart-rending supplication of the Ijtimā', when I phoned home, my mother informed me happily: 'Congratulations! Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has blessed you with a baby girl last night without an operation.' Delighted and excited by the good news, I asked my mother whether to come home or travel for thirty days. She ordered me to travel with the Madanī Qāfilah saying, 'Son, don't worry, travel for thirty days without any tension.'

Despite having a strong desire to see my new born baby girl, I travelled with the Madanī Qāfilah for thirty days. اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ! My problem was solved due to the blessing of Ijtimā' and Madanī Qāfilah. My family also got very impressed by the blessing of Madanī Qāfilah. Even my wife remarked, 'I feel safe, when you are with a Madanī Qāfilah.'

Operation nā ho, koī ulJhan nā ho

Gham kay sā-ay Ḍhalayn, Qāfilay mayn chalo

Bīwī bachchay sahī, khūb pā-ayn khūshī

Khayriyat say raheyn, Qāfilay mayn chalo

To avoid operation and to remove tension, travel with Madanī Qāfilah

If you desire protection for your wife and children, travel with Madanī Qāfilah

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيْب صَلَّى اللَّٰه تَعَالَى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

Compensation for previous sins

Sayyidunā Abū Sa'īd Khudrī رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالَٰی عَنْہُ has narrated that the Beloved and Blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللہُ عَلَيْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم has said: 'If anyone fasts in Ramadan realising its limits and avoiding what should be avoided, this will compensate for all his previous sins.' (Al-Iḥsān bitartīb Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān, pp. 183, vol. 5, Ḥadīš 3424)

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيْب صَلَّى اللَّٰه تَعَالَى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

Reward for fast

Sayyidunā Abū Hurairah رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالَٰی عَنْہُ has narrated that the Beloved and Blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللہُ عَلَيْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم has said: 'For every act of piety, man is rewarded ten to seven hundred times more. Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ said إِلَّا الصَّوْمَ فَإِنَّہُ لِيْ وَأَنَا أَجْزِيْ بِہٖ (except fasting, because fasting is for Me and I will give its reward Myself).

Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ also says, 'Man refrains from satisfying his desires and eating food for My pleasure. There are two glad tidings for the man who fasts; one at the time of sunset and the other when he meets his Rab عَزَّوَجَلَّ. Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ likes the smell emanating from a fasting person's mouth more than the fragrance of musk.' (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, pp. 580, Ḥadīš 1151)

There is another saying, 'Fasting is a shield; when any of you fast, he should neither utter words of indecency nor shout. If any one else abuses him or wants to fight him, he should say 'I am fasting.' (Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, pp. 624, vol. 1, Ḥadīš 1894)

Special reward for fasting

Dear Islamic brothers! The foregoing blessed Aḥādīš mention several virtues of fasting. There is a great reward for the one who fasts abiding by Sharī'ah and Sunnah, which involves avoidance not only from eating, drinking and intercourse but also from all the sins. By the grace of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ such a fast will compensate for all the previous sins. Especially the Ḥadīš which mentions the words فَإِنَّہُ لِيْ وَأَنَا أَجْزِيْ بِہٖ (the fast is for Me and I will give its reward Myself) is very noteworthy.

According to Tafsīr-e-Na'īmī, 'Some Muḥaddišīn' have read this Ḥadīš in the following manner أَنَا أَجْزِيْ which will then mean 'I am its reward.' So, the fasting person finds even Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ by fasting.