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Welcoming Ramadan
Author : Dr. Ibrahim Ejjo
Date Added : 23-07-2025

Welcoming Ramadan

 

Allah has ordained fasting in Ramadan for Muslims, making it one of the pillars of Islam and recording its obligation in numerous verses of the Qur’an—ensuring its ruling remains eternal, just like this divine Book. Allah says {what means}: "O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain piety." [Al-Baqarah /183]. And He, the Almighty, says {what means}: "The month of Ramadan in which the Qur’an was revealed as guidance for mankind, with clear proofs of guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever sights the month, let him fast it." [Al-Baqarah /185].

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) counted fasting Ramadan as a pillar of Islam, a foundation of the religion, and one of the greatest acts of worship drawing one closer to the Lord of the Worlds. He (peace be upon him) said: "Islam is built upon five (pillars): testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, establishing prayer, paying zakah, performing Hajj, and fasting Ramadan." [Bukhari & Muslim].

Allah has gathered immense goodness in this month. Among its virtues is that "Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, his previous sins will be forgiven." [Bukhari & Muslim].

Thus, the sincere believer and the devout Muslim welcomes Ramadan with high determination and overwhelming joy. Ramadan holds a special place in the hearts of the righteous—it is the greatest month in goodness, the most beneficial, and the most exalted in status. It is the month of obedience and worship, the month of blessings and divine mercy—the month in which Allah revealed the Qur’an as guidance and a clear criterion for mankind.

A believer welcomes it with sincere and pure repentance, through which Allah erases sins, elevates ranks, and replaces misdeeds with good deeds: "O you who believe, turn to Allah in sincere repentance." [At-Tahrim /8]

A believer welcomes Ramadan by being steadfast in performing prayers on time and maintaining congregational prayers, for "The prayer to prayer is an expiation for what is between them." And whoever is consistent in prayer, it will be a light, salvation, and proof for them on the Day of Judgment.

A Muslim welcomes Ramadan with the resolve to fast—an act that purifies souls from sins, trains them in patience (which is half of faith), and prepares them for hardships and trials.

A believer welcomes Ramadan with the determination to recite the Qur’an, reflect upon its verses, and understand its rulings—for it is the Qur’an that reforms beliefs, rectifies morals, purifies souls, and enlightens minds. Allah says [what means]: "There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book." [Al-Ma’idah /15].

A Muslim welcomes Ramadan with the commitment to regularly perform Taraweeh and night prayers (Qiyam al-Layl), for it is the practice of the righteous and the path of the God-fearing. Allah says {what means}: "They used to sleep but little at night, and at dawn they would seek forgiveness." [Adh-Dhariyat /17-18]. Moreover, He says {what means}: "Their sides forsake their beds to call upon their Lord in fear and hope." [As-Sajdah /16]

The scholars of Tafsir (The exegesis or interpretation of the Quran) explain that this refers to night prayer—when the worshipper leaves their bed and family, abandoning sleep and comfort, turning to Allah in fear and hope, faith and devotion. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever stands (in prayer) during Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, his previous sins will be forgiven." [Bukhari & Muslim].

Thus, every Muslim should prepare themselves to welcome this noble guest and great month.

We ask Allah to grant us the ability to fast and stand in prayer during it and to make us among those He frees from the Fire. All praise is to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on congratulating others on the arrival of Ramadan?

Congratulating others on the arrival of Ramadan is permissible.
If someone does it to express their love for worship and the blessings of Ramadan, and congratulates their fellow Muslim, they have done something good.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Shall I not tell you something that, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread peace (Salam) among yourselves." [Narrated by Muslim]
Giving Salam is a prayer for peace and safety.

When does the time for Udhiyah begin?

 
In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The permissible timeframe for Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) begins on the day of Eid al-Adha—the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah—once the sun has risen and a period of time sufficient to perform two brief prayer units (Rak'ahs) and two short sermons (Khutbahs) has passed. This window remains open until the sun sets on the final day of Tashreeq, which is the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah.
 
Our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), said: "Every valley of Mina is a place of sacrifice, and slaughtering may be done throughout all the days of Tashreeq." (Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi and Ibn Hibban)
 
The days of Tashreeq refer to the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah.
 
The most virtuous time to perform the sacrifice is immediately after concluding the Eid prayer, based on the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "The first thing we do on this day of ours is to pray, then we return and offer our sacrifice. Whoever does that has acted in accordance with our Sunnah (tradition), and whoever slaughters before that, it is merely meat he has provided for his family; it has nothing to do with the ritual sacrifice." (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
 
What is meant here is an estimation of time rather than the actual performance of the prayer itself, as our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), used to offer the Eid al-Adha prayer immediately after sunrise.
 
The sacrifice is valid if performed at any time during these designated days, whether by day or by night, though slaughtering at night is considered disliked (Makruh). And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

The Jurisprudential Significance of the Ḥadīth: "Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr Prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking..."
"Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking: 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-ḥamdu yuḥyī wa yumītu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr' ten times — ten good deeds will be recorded for him, ten bad deeds will be erased from him, he will be raised ten levels, he will spend that day in protection from everything disliked and guarded from the devil, and no sin will be able to befall him on that day except associating partners with Allah" — does this noble ḥadīth apply to the imam, and what is meant by "extraneous speech"?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite, immediately after the final salām, the specific remembrance reported in the sunnah to be said before turning away from one's place of prayer. The imam then leaves his praying spot, and the act of "turning" is fulfilled when the imam faces the congregation — even without physically leaving his spot — by positioning his right side toward them and his left side toward the qiblah, and this applies even while he is engaged in supplication.
Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn Qāsim al-ʿAbbādī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Tuḥfah (Vol.2/P.105): "It is most virtuous for the imam, once he has given the salām, to rise from his place of prayer immediately afterward." He adds that an exception must be made for the remembrances that are specifically required to be recited before he turns away. He then notes, citing Sharḥ al-ʿUbāb: "Yes, an exception to this rising immediately after the salām applies to the Fajr prayer, due to the authentic report that the Prophet ﷺ, when he prayed Fajr, would remain seated until the sun rose." He further cites, from al-Khādim, the ḥadīth concerning one who recites, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer while still in the position of crossing his leg to rise: "Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah..." and the rest of the well-known ḥadīth. He comments that this makes explicit that this particular remembrance is to be recited before the worshipper turns his legs to leave, and the same applies to Maghrib and ʿAṣr, as reported in those contexts as well.
What is meant by "speech" in the relevant ḥadīth is extraneous worldly speech that is not called for after the prayer and for which there is no legitimate excuse. The remembrances reported to be recited upon concluding the prayer, however, do not fall under this category of extraneous speech, since they are themselves required by the sharīʿah.
Al-ʿAllāmah ʿAlī al-Shabrāmalsī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Nihāyah (Vol.1/P.551): "If someone greets a person with salām while he is occupied with reciting this remembrance [i.e., 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh...'], should he return the greeting — without this causing him to forfeit the promised reward, since he is engaged in an obligatory matter — or should he delay returning the greeting until he finishes, this being a legitimate excuse for the delay?" He continues: "I say: the more likely view is the former, and the prohibition on speech is to be understood as applying to extraneous speech for which there is no legitimate excuse. Based on this, should the worshipper give precedence to this remembrance ('Lā ilāha illā Allāh...') or to reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ ('Qul huwa Allāhu aḥad')? This requires consideration, though it is not unlikely that the remembrance takes precedence, given that the Lawgiver urged hastening to it through his words 'while crossing his leg.' This is not considered ordinary speech, since it is not extraneous to what is required after the prayer."
Accordingly, it is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite this remembrance and to give it precedence over the other remembrances of the prayer, ensuring it is said before they move from their place. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is it permissible to divide a single Sa‘ of Zakat al-Fitr—or its equivalent value in cash—among more than one poor person?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Zakat al-Fitr is estimated at one Sa‘ per person, but the number of people to whom this Sa‘ can be given has not been specified. For this reason, it is permissible to distribute a single Sa‘ among more than one poor person. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

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