The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is reported to have said: “There is no believer who fasts during the month of Ramadan for the sake of Allah, except that Allah the Almighty obliges Himself to grant seven qualities to him: whatever is forbidden in his body will be eliminated and melted away. He will be brought closer to the mercy of Allah the Exalted. With his fasting, he covers the mistake of his father, Adam. Allah will make the moments of death easy for him. He will be protected from the hunger and thirst of the Day of Judgment…”
Virtues of the month of Ramadan
The month of Ramadan holds a special sanctity and status among the lunar months of the year, as we read in its dedicated prayer:
“…And this is the month You have magnified, honored, ennobled, and excelled over the other months…; Ramadan is the month to which You gave greatness, honor, dignity, and superiority over the other months.” The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) says: “If someone recites a verse of the Quran during this month, their reward is like that of someone who has completed the Quran in other months.”
Imam Ali (AS) quotes the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH): “There is no believer who fasts during Ramadan for the sake of Allah, except that Allah the Almighty obliges Himself to grant seven qualities to him: whatever is forbidden in his body will be eliminated and melted away. He will be brought closer to the mercy of Allah the Exalted. With his fasting, he covers the mistake of his father, Adam. Allah will make the moments of death easy for him. He will be protected from the hunger and thirst of the Day of Judgment. Allah the Exalted will grant him a share of the delicious foods of Paradise; and finally, Allah the Exalted, grants him immunity from the fire of Hell. (The inquirer in this detailed hadith was a Jewish scholar) who said, ‘You have spoken the truth, O Muhammad.'”
Ramadan is the most esteemed month before Allah In general, religious duties are classified into five categories: obligatory, forbidden, recommended, disliked, and permissible. Recommended (Mustahabb) refers to actions that are good to perform but are not obligatory, and there is no sin in omitting them.
Prayers and seeking forgiveness in the month of Ramadan, the acts of the days of the month of Ramadan, I’tikaf (seclusion in a mosque for worship), reciting the Quran, breaking the fast, and giving charity are among the recommended acts in Ramadan.
The recommended acts of Ramadan and their virtues
1- Supplication and seeking forgiveness in Ramadan: Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) said: “In the month of Ramadan, persist in seeking forgiveness and praying (Supplication). As for prayers, they repel calamities from you, and as for seeking forgiveness, it erases your sins.”
Explanation: Among the duties of those fasting in this month is to supplicate and ask for their needs from the Almighty, feeling needy before the Independent and extending their hands of need towards Him.
2- The acts of the days of the month of Ramadan: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “O people, the month of Allah has come to you with blessings, mercy, and forgiveness, a month that is the best of months in the sight of Allah, its days are the best of days, its nights the best of nights, its hours the best of hours.”
3- I’tikaf in the month of Ramadan: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Performing I’tikaf for ten days in Ramadan is equivalent to two Hajj and two Umrah pilgrimages.”
Explanation: According to narrations from the Infallibles (AS), it is recommended for every Muslim who can, spend the last ten days of the blessed month of Ramadan in I’tikaf in a mosque, as the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did throughout his life.
Reciting the Quran in Ramadan is among the best of deeds
4- Reciting the Quran in the Month of Ramadan: The best deeds during the nights and days of the blessed month of Ramadan are reciting the Quran. Although reciting the Quran is rewarding at all times, it is especially so in Ramadan because the Quran was revealed in this month, hence it has a special reward and virtue as stated: Imam Abu Ja’far (AS) said: “Everything has a spring, and the spring of the Quran is Ramadan.” Therefore, the privileges of the Quran, due to its revelation in Ramadan, surpass those in other months. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Whoever recites a verse of the Quran in this month, their reward is like that of someone who has completed the Quran in other months.”
5– Breaking the fast and giving charity in the month of Ramadan Imam Baqir (AS) said to Sadeer: “Do you know what these nights are?” Sadeer replied: “Yes, may I be sacrificed for you, these are the nights of Ramadan, but what about them?” The Imam said: “Can you afford to free ten slaves from the descendants of Ismail (AS) each night of these nights?” Sadeer replied: “My wealth does not suffice for that, my parents be your ransom.” The Imam continued to reduce the number until reaching one for the entire month. Sadeer said: “I cannot afford it.” Then the Imam (AS) said: “Can you afford to break the fast of a Muslim every night?” Sadeer replied: “Yes, and even ten.” The Imam then said: “That is what I meant, O Sadeer, breaking the fast of your Muslim brother equals freeing a descendant of Ismail (AS).”
Performing recommended acts during the month of Ramadan is of great virtue. Allah does not account for what a fasting person spends on food and drink as long as there is no extravagance. Imam Abu Abdullah (AS) said: “Whoever gives charity in the month of Ramadan, Allah will avert seventy kinds of calamities from him.”