A sahabi (companion of Prophet) Abu Hurairah says that Prophet Muhammad said, “My Ummah has been given five special things that were not given to anyone before them. The smell from the mouth of a fasting Muslim is sweeter for Allah than the sweet smell of musk. The fish in the sea ask for forgiveness for them until they break their fast.
Allah prepares and decorates His special Jannah (Paradise) every day and then says: “The time is near when My loyal servants shall put away the load (of the world) and come to you.”
The evil shayateen (devils) are chained in this month of Ramadan so as not to take people towards evils which they normally do during other months. On the last night of Ramadan, the fasting Muslims are forgiven.
The Sahaabah (companions of Prophet) then asked, “O Prophet Muhammad , is that the night of Laylatul Qadr?”
Prophet Muhammad replied, “No, But it is only right that a servant should be given his reward on having completed his duty.”
These five gifts from Allah were not granted to the (fasting) people before Islam. If only we could truly appreciate how great this gift from Allah really is, we will sincerely try to get these special favours.
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1st Gift from Allah in Ramadan
First, we are told that the smell from the mouth of the fasting person is more pleasing to Allah than the smell of musk. Ulema have given three possible explanations to this:
- Some say that, in the Aakhirah (Hereafter), Allah shall reward that smell from the mouth with a pleasing smell more sweet and refreshing than musk. (Durre Manthur)
- On the day of Qiyamah when we shall rise from our graves, a sweet smell shall come from the mouths of those who fasted and that shall be better than musk.
- In this very world the smell is more pleasing for Allah than musk. This shows the ties of love between Allah and His fasting slaves.
We all know that even a bad smell from a person, whom one loves truly and sincerely, is in itself attractive to the lover, who in this case is Allah Himself. What is shown is how close to Allah a fasting person is.
Fasting is one of the most pleasing forms of worship in the sight of Allah and for this reason a Hadeeth states that for every deed the reward is brought by the Angels, but Allah says,
The reward for fasting, I Myself will give, because it is for Me alone.
Another report of the same Hadeeth (when read in a different way) says “I Myself become his reward”. And what greater reward can there be for the lover than to meet the Beloved?
In another Hadeeth we read,
Fasting is the door to all other forms of worship of Allah.
This means that, through fasting, the heart becomes encouraged to other forms of worship. This is the case if the fast is kept properly, and is not merely remaining hungry and thirsty.
2nd Gift To Muslims Ummah in Ramadan
The second special favour is that the fish in the sea ask for forgiveness for the person who fasts. The purpose here is to explain that many living things make dua for him. This is so because Allah says in the Holy Quran,
“Certainly those who believe and do righteous deeds, Allah shall make them beloved (in this world)” [Quran-19:96]
One Hadeeth explains this further:
“When Allah loves a person, He says to the angel Jibraeel ‘I love that person, so you also love him.’
Jibraeel then also loves that person and announces in the first heaven that, ‘That person is loved by Allah, you all should also love him.’ Then all the creations of the heavens begin to love him.
Then, love for that person spreads all over the earth.”
Normally only those who are near to a person seem to love him, but here that love spreads all over, even the animals in the jungle and the fish in the sea do the same. They all then make dua on his behalf.
3rd Gift from Allah in Ramadan
The third favour given to the fasting persons is that Jannah is decorated for them. The Hadeeth states that at the beginning of every year, Jannah begins to be decorated for Ramadan. We know that when an important person is expected to arrive, great care is taken in the preparations for his welcome. For example, in a marriage preparations start months in advance, likewise it is with Ramadan.
4th Favour by Allah on Muslims in Ramadan
The fourth favour is that evil shayateen (devils) are chained, so evil is much less. One would have expected that, because of the great desire for worship of Allah in the blessed month of Ramadan, the shayateen would try just as hard to pull the faithful away from the right path, so that much more evil would be committed.
That is not the case. Instead we see so much less evil.
How many drunkards do we see, who just because of the blessed month of Ramadan, do not drink any wine?
How many other sinners we see giving up evil acts during the blessed month of Ramadan?
A Doubt and its Answer
You may wonder that, when the shayateen are chained, how is it that we still see sins being committed, even though in lesser amounts?
The reply is that all evil may not necessarily be caused by the evil shayateen. Having for eleven months lived in obedience to the wishes of the shayateen, the doing of evil actions caused by them becomes a habit and so evil is being done in Ramadan and also out of Ramadan.
For this reason we find those who normally commit sins continue to do some of it in Ramadan. Thus, even though shayateen have been chained, their effect on us has become so strong that we follow their ways from our own side even in Ramadan.
Another important point is that Prophet Muhammad has said:
“When a person commits a sin, a black spot forms on his heart, when he sincerely makes taubah (repents), it is removed otherwise it remains. When he again commits a sin another spot forms (and so on), until his heart becomes completely black. Then nothing good can enter his heart.”
Referring to this, Allah says in the Quran:
“Never! But on their heart is the stain (of Evil)”. [Quran-64:14]
Thus their hearts become totally stained, in such cases, these hearts are obviously attracted towards sins.
This is the reason why many people without any fear do one type of sin, but when thinking of another similar sin, then their hearts refuse to do it.
For example, if those people who drink wine are told to eat pork, they would hate it, whereas these two evils are equally sinful.
Similarly, the heart is stained by them, thus resulting in these sins being done even without any action of the shayateen.
All of us can see that in Ramadan, It does not require a great amount of effort and energy to perform a good act. Neither does it need a great amount of self control and effort to avoid sin, as in other times.
5th Favour of Allah in Ramadan
The fifth favour is that forgiveness is granted on the last night of Ramadan. Because of this great favour, the Sahaabah thought that this night must be Laylatul Qadr. They knew the great blessings of that night and asked whether it meant Laylatul Qadr. The reply was that it was not. This is just a favour granted for having fasted to the end of Ramadan.