Ramadan and Fasting Facts

Here are 15 interesting facts about the month of Ramadan and Fasting:

    1.   Ramadan is a pillar of Islam

Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu ‘anhu) said: that the Messenger of Allah was standing before the people one day when a man came to him and said, `O Messenger of Allah, what is Iman’ He said: (Iman is to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers and in the meeting with Him, and to believe in the Resurrection in the Hereafter.) He said: `O Messenger of Allah, what is Islam’ He said: Islam is to worship Allah Alone and not associate anything in worship with Him, to establish regular prayer, to pay the obligatory Zakah, and to fast in Ramadan.) He said, `O Messenger of Allah, what is Ihsan’ He said: (Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, then He sees you.)

    2.  The Quran Was Revealed during Ramadan

(The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an – 2:185).

   3.  In it, is Laylatul Qadar

(Verily, We have sent it down in the Night of Al-Qadr – 97:1)

   4.   Ramadan is an Obligation

(So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month of Ramadan, (i.e., is present at his home), he must observe Sawm/fasting that month – 2:185)

   5.   Allaah Praised the Month of Ramadan

Allah praised the month of Ramadan out of the other months by choosing it to send down the Glorious Qur’an, just as He did for all of the Divine Books He revealed to the Prophets. Imam Ahmad reported Wathilah bin Al-Asqa` that Allah’s Messenger said: The Suhuf (Pages) of Ibrahim were revealed during the first night of Ramadan. The Torah was revealed during the sixth night of Ramadan. The Injil was revealed during the thirteenth night of Ramadan. Allah revealed the Qur’an on the twenty-fourth night of Ramadan. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

    6.   The gates of Paradise are open during Ramadan

Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu ‘anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah has said, “When Ramadan begins, the doors of heaven are opened.” A version has, “the doors of Paradise are opened and the doors of Hell are closed, and the Satans are tied with chains.” Another version has, “the doors of Mercy are opened.” [Sahih al-Bukhari Vol 1, Page 255 and Sahih al-Muslim, Vol 1, Page 346]

   7.    Fasting is for Allah’s sake

Abu Hurayra (Radiyallahu ‘anhu) reported Allah’s Messenger (sallalaahu alayhi wasalam) as saying:

Every (good) deed of the son of Adam would be multiplied, a good deed receiving a tenfold to seven hundredfold reward. Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, has said: With the exception of fasting, for it is done for Me and I will give a reward for it, for one abandons his passion and food for My sake. There are two occasions of joy for one who fasts, joy when he breaks it, and joy when he meets his Lord, and the breath (of an observer of fast) is sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk.

   8.   The Fasting person’s dua is answered

There are in the month of Ramadan in every day and night those to whom Allah grants freedom from the Fire, and there is for every Muslim an supplication which he can make and will be granted.” [al-Bazzaaz, Ahmad, Sahih] 

   9.   Forgiveness of sins through sincere fasting

Fasting is a means for one’s sins to be forgiven: The Prophet (sallalaahu alayhi wasalam) said: “He who fasts Ramadan, due to Iman and hoping for reward (from Allah) then his past sins are forgiven.” [al-Bukhari, Muslim] 

   10.   Fasting is a shield

Mu`adh bin Jabal (Radiyallahu ‘anhu) said, “I was with the Messenger of Allah on a journey one morning, walking near him. I said, `O Prophet of Allah, tell me of a deed that will grant me admittance to Paradise and keep me away from Hell.’ He said: You have asked about something great, and it is easy for the one for whom Allah makes it easy. Worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him, establish regular prayer, pay Zakah, fast Ramadan and perform pilgrimage to the House.Then he said: Shall I not tell you of the gates of goodness Fasting is a shield, charity wipes out sin, and the prayer of a man in the depths of the night.

    11.   Feeding the fasting person

Zaid ibn Khalid  Al-Jurani (Radiyallahu ‘anhu) related that the Prophet (sallalaahu alayhi wasalam) said: “Anybody who offers meal for breaking of the fast of another person earns the same merit as the one fasting without diminishing in any way the recompense of the fasting person.” (At Tirmidhi)

    12.   Woe to the one whose Ramadan came and left

At-Tirmidhi recorded that Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu ‘anhu) said: “The Messenger of Allah (sallalaahu alayhi wasalam) said: “May he be humiliated, the man in whose presence I am mentioned and he does not send Salah upon me; may he be humiliated, the man who sees the month of Ramadan come and go, and he is not forgiven; may he be humiliated, the man whose parents live to old age and they do not cause him to be granted admittance to Paradise.“

    13.   Umrah during Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj

Ibn ‘Abbas (Radiyallahu ‘anhu) relates that Allah’s Messenger (sallalaahu alayhi wasalam) asked a woman from Madinah: “What prevented you from embarking on the Hajj pilgrimage with us?”

She replied: “We had two camels. My husband and child took one and left the other for the rest of us to ride on.”

The Prophet (sallalaahu alayhi wasalam) then told her: “When the month or Ramadan arrives, go for ‘umrah, because `umrah in Ramadan is like accompanying me on Hajj.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1764)

    14.   The Fasting person gets VIP access to Ar-Rayyan

Sahl b. Sa’d (Radiyallahu ‘anhu) reported Allah’s Messenger (sallalaahu alayhi wasalam) as saying:

In Paradise there is a gate which is called Rayyan through which only the people who fast would enter on the Day on Resurrection. None else would enter along with them. It would be proclaimed: Where are the people who fast that they should be admitted into it? And when the last of them would enter, it would be closed and no one would enter it.

    15.   Virtue of Fasting

Rasulullah (sallalaahu alayhi wasalam) said: “The sleep of a fasting person is regarded as an act of ibaadah, his remaining silent is regarded as a tasbeeh, the reward for his good deeds is multiplied, his duas are accepted, and his sins are forgiven.”

May Allaah accept our fast, dua and prayers!