Wednesday, August 3, 2011

When the first night of Ramadan comes

The Prophet (pbuh) said, “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 frees from the Fire, and that happens every night.”
[at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah and Ibn Khuzaymah - Classed as Hasan by Sh al-Albaani in Sahih al-Jaami’, 759]

Commentary:
We benefit the following from this Hadith:

1. In the month of Ramadan the gates of Paradise are opened and not one of them is closed and the gates of Hell are shut and not one of them will be open.

2. The devils (Shayateen) and rebellious jinn are chained up (shackled and restrained).
If it is asked, how come 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 them (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.

3. A caller calls out: ‘O seeker of good, proceed (come near); O seeker of evil, desist (stop).

4. And finally, Allah has those whom He frees from the Fire, and that happens every night during this great and virtuous month. So Every night Allah has people whom He redeems (frees) from the Fire.
In another narration, the Prophet (pbuh) said: “At every breaking of the fast, Allah has people whom He redeems.” (Musnad Imam Ahmad, classed as Sahih by Sh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 987)

Also in another narration, The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Allah has people whom He redeems (frees) every day and night – i.e., in Ramadaan – and every Muslim every day and night has a prayer that is answered.” (Al-Bazzaar (Kashf 962)

And Allah knows best!

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