RAMADHAN SERMON CORNER Wednesday, 3rd Ramadhan 1432 H/3rd August 2011

((: . .))
On the authority of Abu Hurairah R.A who reported that the Messenger of Allah S.A.W had said: When Ramadhan comes the gates of Paradise will be opened and the gates of the Fire will be closed and the devils will be shackled. (Reported by Al -Bukhari and Muslim) 1. In this hadith, Rasulullah S.A.W said that: When Ramadhan comes the gates of Paradise will be opened. It means that during the month of Ramadhan, Allah S.W.T opens big chances to the believers to do good deeds as many as possible (examples: nawafil prayers, dhikrullah remembering Allah S.W.T, reciting Al-Quran, sadaqah etc). It is our choice; whether we want to grab this chance or to leave it go away. Then, Rasulullah S.A.W continued: The gates of Fire will be closed. It means that fasting prevents us from committing sinful act (masiah) because when we fasting, our mind will be more focused to break the fast, hence we will not mind to do or think other things that lead us to commit masiah. That is why Allah S.W.T stated in a Hadith Qudsi:

2.

Fasting is a protection. When any one of you is fasting on a day, he must not neither obscene nor noisy. (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) 3. Rasulullah S.A.W then said: And the devils will be shackled. Muslim scholars argued on whether all types of Shaytan or some of them will be shackled. However, it is agreed that the devils will be shackled and tied, hence will not be able to disturb the sons of Adam. But, why there is still some people keep committing sinful act on the month of Ramadhan? This is because, even though Allah S.W.T has shackled the devils, we cannot escape from our own evil desire. When our desire wants something, it does not matter they way, as long as it is being fulfilled. And if we still committing masiah on this month, it means that the Shaytan managed to turn our own desire into devils. From this hadith, it is be understandable that Allah S.W.T is very merciful to us as the ummah of Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. Allah S.W.T shows His Mercy to us by providing many chances for us to enter His Paradise, even with small, little deed that we done. Until up to the level, Allah S.W.T rewarded the good deeds much more in the month of Ramadhan, as stated in a hadith:

4.

All deeds of the sons of Adam will be duplicated: A good deed will be rewarded ten to seven hundred times as much as it. (Reported by Muslim). Not enough with that, Allah S.W.T also make fasting as protection for us from the sin and masiah. But, to make it as a powerful protection, we have to give up our desire and food for Him, as what fasting defined as.

5.

Month of Ramadhan is the month of tarbiyyah. It trains us how to control ourselves, our desire not to go too extreme. It is the suitable time to make a turning point of a change to us, from a bad personality into a good personality, and from a good personality into a better personality than before. Make full use of this once-a-year chance to gain Allahs pleasure, because there is nothing worthier than His pleasure. Fasting should be the best way to protect ourselves from committing masiah. Fasting also should be a best platform to level up our taqwa and iman. If we still committing masiah in this blessed month, then there is something wrong to our fasting, and we have to check our fasting, either it is not according to what Allah and His Prophet taught or we missed something from it.

LUKHMAN ABDUL TAIB Centre for Foundation Studies International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Petaling Jaya, 3rd Ramadhan 1432 H