The Blessed Month of Glory
Shaikh Sadooq relates from an authentic source that Hazrat Imam Reza(A.S.) related from his ancestors, who related it from Hazrat Ameerul Momeneen Ali ibn Abi Talib (A.S.) that one day, the Messenger of Allah delivered the following sermon to them:"O people! The month (Ramazan) of Allah has come with His mercies and blessings. This is the month, that is the best of all months in the estimation of Allah. Its days are best among the days. Its nights are best among the nights. Its hours are best among the hours. This is a month in which you have been invited by Him (to fast and to pray). You have been given the opportunity in this month to receive the honours from Allah, the Merciful. In this Holy month if you truly fast as ordained, then every breath that you take has the sawab of "Tasbih" (The praise of Allah on the rosary beads), and your sleep has the sawab of worship. Your good deeds are rewarded more than is usual and your invocations are accepted. Therefore, you must invoke your Lord in right earnest with hearts that are free from sin and evil, and pray that Allah may bless you to keep fasts, and to recite the Holy Quran. Verily! The person, who in this month does not receive the mercy and benevolence of Allah, is very unfortunate. While fasting remember the hunger and thirst of tomorrow in Qiyamat (Day of Judgment). Give alms to the poor and needy. Pay respect to your elders. Have sympathy for your youngsters and be kind towards your relatives and kinsmen. Guard your tongue against unworthy words, and your eyes from scenes that are not worth seeing (forbidden) and your ears from sounds that should not be heard.""Be kind to orphans so that when your children become orphans they will also be treated with kindness. Do invoke that Allah may forgive your sins. Do raise your hands at the time of Namaz (Prayers) as it is the best time for asking for His mercy. When we invoke at such times, we are answered by Him. When we call Him, He responds, and when we ask for anything the prayer is accepted by him."O people! you have made your conscience the slave of your desires. Make it free, by invoking Him for forgiveness. Your back is breaking under the heavy load of your sins, so prostrate yourself before Him for long intervals and make it lighter.""Do understand fully well that Allah has promised in the name of His majesty and Honour that He will not take to task such people who fast and offer Namaz in this month, and perform "sajda" (prostration), and that He will guard their bodies against the fire of hell on the day of judgment.""O people! If anybody amongst you arranges for the "Iftar" (food for ending of fast at sunset)of any believers, then Allah will give him the reward as if he has set free a slave. He will forgive his minor sins."Then the companions of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) submitted: - "But everybody amongst us does not have the means to do so."The Holy Prophet(S.A.W.) told them:"Keep yourself away from the fire of hell by inviting a believer for "Iftar", though it may consist of only half a date or simply with water if you have nothing else.""O people! anybody who in this month may cultivate good manners, will walk over the "Siraat" (bridge) in Qiyamat though his feet may be shaking.""Anybody who in this month may take light work from his servants (male or female), Allah will make easy his accounting on the day of judgment. Anybody who does not annoy others in this month, Allah will keep him safe from His wrath in Qiyamat. Anybody who respects and treats an orphan with kindness in this month, Allah shall look at him with kindness in Qiyamat."Anybody who treats well his kinsmen in this month, Allah will bestow His Mercy on him in Qiyamat, while anybody who maltreats his kinsmen in this month, Allah will keep him away from His Mercy.""Whoever offers "Sunnat" (recommended) prayers in this month, Allah will save him from hell. Whoever, in this month, offers one "Wajib" Namaaz, for him the angels will write the rewards of 70 such prayers, that were offered by him in any other month.""Whoever recites repeatedly "Salaat-o-Salaam" on me, Allah will keep the scales of his deeds heavy, when in Qiyamat the scales of others will be tending to lightness. Whosoever recites in this month, only one "Ayat" (verse of the Holy Quran), he will be rewarded in a manner as if he had recited the full Quran in other months.""O people the gates of paradise remain open in this month. Do pray that the gates may not be closed on you. While the gates of hell are closed, do pray to Allah that these gates may never be opened."
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