RAMADAN: A Receptacle of All the Pillars of Islam


All thanks and adorations are due to Allah, the Most Merciful the Most Beneficent. We seek His help and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the devil within ourselves and from the consequences of our evil deeds. Whomever Allah guides will never be led astray and whomever Allah leads astray will never find guidance. I pray Allah guide you and I and never lead us astray, Aamin.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, He is alone without any partner, and I bear witness the Muhammad (SAW) is His servant and His messenger.

It is no longer news that Ramadan is here: a month of mercy from Allah to humankind and mercy from humankind to humankind and other creatures of Allah. A month in which someone we believed could never see the mercy of Allah sees it and a month in which you receive gifts from someone never thought could give you anything. A month in which Brother Kamoru remembers he is a Muslim and Sister Shukura remembers she is a Muslimah. A month an average human being remembers he has a Creator and has some obligations placed on him. A month of COMPASSION, LOVE, MERCY, PEACE AND UNITY.
In this month, was the Qur’an revealed and so mother Divine Books revealed to previous Prophets (AS) as confirmed by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in a hadith related by Imam Ahmad. In this month placed the Night of Majesty.IN this month, Shaytan and his associates are chained, then gates of Hellfire are closed and those Jannat are opened. It is evident enough and safe to conclude that Allah praises Ramadan among others. The reason for this is best known to The Creator Himself (SWT).

I feel it is imperative to note that, there is a difference between Ramadan and Fasting (Sawm). The former is the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar while the latter is one of the pillars on which Islam is built. Though, Fasting is what often comes to mind any time Ramadan is mentioned. This is so because Allah Himself says “Whoever witnesses Ramadan should fast it”. Thus, Ramadan is a month in which Fasting (Sawm) is observed. However, the purpose of this distinction is not to derail from the fundamental belief of Islam. Rather, it is to make us view Ramadan from a different but fundamentally related angle to know that Ramadan encompasses more than Fasting. It is an intensive program/class for Muslims and a receptacle of all the pillars of Islam.

It is a fact of common knowledge that Islam is built on Five Pillars: Faith, Prayer, Fasting, Charity and Pilgrimage to Mecca- for those who are capable(financially and health wisely). Every Muslim is expected to consciously uphold all these pillars. However, before Ramadan, we usually have dwindling eeman(faith), we hardly observe regularly on time or even abandon it totally and take Friday Prayer more or less the only obligatory one, we seldom fast, our attitude towards Charity is lackadaisical and we view going for Hajj differently. However, the story changes immediately Ramadan comes in. Thus, majority of Muslims become conscious of these pillars.

Faith (eeman) is the basic principle and foundation on which other pillars are built. Every Muslim must believe that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad (SAW) is but His Servant and Messenger. Without this, you and I do not have any reason to uphold/observe the other pillars, for upholding them without the belief in Allah and His Messenger will only amount to an exercise in futility. However, Fasting in Ramadan shows one still has at least an iota of belief in Allah and His Messenger. During this period, people’s faith is usually on the increase. They uphold that which Allah has permitted and abstain from that which He has forbidden. Consequently, they remember that there exist these verses: “follow Allah and follow the Messenger.” And “whatever the Messenger has given you- take it; and whatever he has forbidden for you- refrain from…”

Moreover, Allah (SWT) being our creator made us realize that He has created us for a purpose- to worship him. Consequently, He commanded us to worship Him with Solat, being another pillar without which there is no Islam. The only time you find mosques filled up for Subhi, Zhur, A’sri, Magrib and especially I’shai is during the month of Ramadan. This is so because of the cliché, “Allah does not need the the fast of a fasting person who does not pray.” Or “a fasting person who does not pray is only causing himself hunger.” In Ramadan, people tend to be more conscious of Solat. Those who had abandoned it before Ramadan start observing it, those who used to observe it but not regularly before Ramadan start observing it regularly, and those who use to observed it regularly before Ramadan observe it increasingly (with Tahjjud).

In addition, Allah (SWT) prescribed fasting for us just as He prescribed for those before us, so that we may become righteous. He says whoever witnesses the Ramadan should fast. However, He gave exceptions, but in spite of this, Allah still reiterated the fact that, “To fast is better for you, if only you knew.” this is to show how important Fasting in the month of Ramadan is. During this period, we are to stay away from eating and drinking for a particular period of the day. It should be noted however that Fasting is not limited to abstaining from eating and drinking, it extends to abstinence from sexual relations (lawful/unlawful) and generally sinful speech like slander, backbiting, etc. and sinful acts.

Furthermore, another pillar of Islam which people pay rapt attention to during Ramadan is Charity (zakat/sodaqah). Allah commanded us to give charity in other to purify our wealth and earn rewards in manifolds in this life and hereafter. Naturally, when we are fasting, we usually look gentle and meek, and in turn, we treat people around us with gentleness. In the work environment, many workers attest to the fact that the period in which they enjoy their Muslim boss is during Ramadan. No matter how rigid or closefisted we might be before Ramadan, Fasting brings out the mercy, compassion, and generosity in us, thereby showing kindness to everyone around us. Moreover, Ramadan teaches us how to better practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, patience, perseverance, and empathy for those who are less privileged; thus, encouraging actions of generosity and compulsory charity. Charity as a pillar of Islam is best practiced/observed in this period.

Lastly, Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) is a mandatory religious duty ordained by Allah for us, which must be carried out at least once in our lifetime by those of us who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and can support our family in our absence. Apart from being an obligatory religious duty on us, Hajj has a spiritual merit that provides us with an opportunity of self-renewal, for whoever performs it accordingly with a sincere intent is viewed as one who never committed any sin before in his life. Normally, Hajj is done on the eighth to twelfth day of the last month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul HIjjah. During Ramadan however, Umrah can be done in place of Hajj. This is in assonance with the statements of the Prophet (SAW) as related in various narrations: “Perform Umrah in Ramadan, as it is equal to Hajj.” Another narration states that “When Ramadan comes, do Umrah as (the reward for) it then equivalent to Hajj.” The benefits of Ramadan bestowed this one upon us.

Ramadan offers us the opportunity to practise and consciously uphold all the pillars of Islam. As I stated earlier, Ramadan is not limited to fasting. During this period, we are to strictly adhere to that which Allah has commanded us to do; praying on time, giving alms to the poor, loving and doing good to people around us, saying the truth, enjoining righteousness and forbidden evil, among others. Equally, we must absolutely abstain from all that Allah has forbidden for us; associating partners with Allah, drawing up bad assumptions, slander, backbiting, adultery/fornication, among others. Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet ( SAW) to have said; “Gabriel came to me and said, “Whoever reaches the month of Ramadan and he is not forgiven; then, he will enter Hellfire and Allah will cast him far away, so say Aamin.” I said Aamin.” May you and I be forgiven by Allah in this Ramadan, Aamin.

In conclusion, we must all know that Ramadan is a practical example of how we ought to live our life before and after it. The good deeds you and I earned in Ramadan may not be sufficient to outweigh our bad deeds, which we earned in other months. On this note, I urge you to enter this glorious month with the intention to maintain the status quo after it. RAMADAN KAREEM!

Abdulrawzaq Yusuf B2K, Dept. Of Islamic and Common Law, Faculty of Law, Lagos State University, Ojo.