Answer
Wa `alaykum as-salamu wa rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
The month of Ramadan is the best season for offering good deeds and gaining rewards. It is the duty of every Muslim to prepare him/herself for that blessed month.
In his answer to the question, Dr. Muhammad M. Abu Laylah, Professor of Islamic studies and ex-head of the English Department, Faculty of Languages and Translation at Al-Azhar University, states:
The month of Ramadan is highly honored by Allah, His Prophet (peace be upon him) as well as Muslims throughout generations.
In the Quran, Allah mentions Ramadan by name and refers to it in different verses. Allah Almighty says:
“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful.” (Al-Baqarah 2:185)
So, the month of Ramadan is the month of Quran, fasting, Remembrance of Allah, `Itikaf, visiting Muslims, getting your heart ready to receive the light of this month.
The Prophet used to say these words when the month of Shaban draws to a close: “O Muslims! A noble and generous month has come to you. A month in which a night is better than one thousand months, and this month is the month of charity, patience, and mercy. In this month the gates of Paradise become wide open and the gates of Hell are shut, and the devils are chained…” (An-Nasa’i)
The Prophet urged us to fast, not only from food and drink, but also to refrain from any bad behavior, whether it is against one’s self, the society or the humanity at large.
Had the Muslims really know the status of Ramadan in Allah’s Sight, they would wish if the whole year is Ramadan.
Allah Almighty knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.