Ramadan: This month is superior to others in four things:
1.In it there is the best night of the year, which is Laylat Al-Qadr. Almighty Allah says:(Lo! We revealed it on the Night of Power. Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Night of Power is! The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein, by the permission of their Lord, with all decrees. (That night is) Peace until the rising of the dawn.)(Al-Qadr 97: 1-5)
So worship on this night is better than worshiping for a thousand months.
2.In this month was revealed the best of Books to the best of the Prophets (peace and blessings be upon them all). Almighty Allah says:
(The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong).)(Al-Baqarah 2: 185)
(We sent it (this Qur’an) down on a blessed night [(i.e. the Night of Al?Qadr) in the month of Ramadan — the 9th month of the Islamic calendar]. Verily, We are ever warning [mankind that Our Torment will reach those who disbelieve in Our Oneness of Lordship and in Our Oneness of worship]. Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of ordainments. As a Command (or this Qur’an or the Decree of every matter) from Us. Verily, We are ever sending (the Messengers).)(Ad-Dukhan 44: 3-5)
Ahmad and At-Tabarani narrated inAl-Mu`jam Al-Kabirthat Wathilah ibn Al-Asqa` (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“The Scriptures of Ibrahim were sent down on the first of the month of Ramadan. The Tawrah was sent down on the sixth of Ramadan. The Injeel was sent down on the thirteenth of Ramadan. The Zaboor was sent down on
the eighteenth of Ramadan, and the Qur’an was sent down on the twenty-fourth of Ramadan.”(Reported by Ahmad)
3.In this month the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are shut, and the devils are chained up.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are put in chains.”(Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
An-Nasa’i narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“When Ramadan comes, the gates of mercy are opened and the gates of Hell are shut, and the devils are put in chains.”(Reported by An-Nasa’i)
At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Ibn Khuzaymah narrated: “When the first night of the month of Ramadan comes, the devils and rebellious jinn are chained up and the gates of Hell are closed, and not one gate of it is opened. The gates of Paradise are opened and not one gate of it is closed. And a caller cries out: ‘O seeker of good, proceed! O seeker of evil, desist!’ And Allah has those whom He redeems from the Fire, and that happens every night.”
Some may ask, why do we see many evil actions and sins committed in Ramadan, for if the devils are chained up that would not happen?
The answer is that evil actions become less for those who observe the conditions and etiquette of fasting; or that the ones who are chained up are some of the devils – namely the rebellious ones – not all of them; or that what is meant is that evil is reduced in Ramadan, which is a proven fact. If evil happens at this time, it is still less than at other times. Even if all of the devils are chained up, that does not necessarily mean that no evil or sin will happen, because there are other causes of that besides the devils, such as evil souls, bad habits, and the devils among mankind.
4.There are many kinds of worship in Ramadan, such as fasting, praying Qiyam Al-Layl (Night Vigil Prayer), feeding the poor, performingi`tikaf(religious retreat), giving charity, and reading the Qur’an.
I ask Allah, the Exalted, the Almighty, to help us all to do that and to help us to fast and pray Qiyam Al-layl, and to do acts of worship and to avoid doing evil. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
Excerpt from and article on IslamOnLine
