Aida Masuri Mustafa When it comes to wealth and investments, any sane person would want to maximise his profits, and to reap the best possible income as much as possible.
But brothers and sisters in Islam, know that one of the greatest spiritual investments that we all have access to - whether we’re rich, or poor - is the blessed month of Ramadan. Cliché, I know, but let me explain.
In this beautiful Deen of ours, there is a “calculation” of hasanah that Allah has set, and He subhanahu wa ta'ala has taught the angels on how to record our good deeds based on this calculation.
Rasulullah salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam (ﷺ) said that Allah said: “If My servant intends to do a bad deed, then (O Angels) do not write it unless he does it. If he does it, then write it as it is. But if he refrains from doing it for My Sake, then write it as a good deed.
If he intends to do a good deed, but does not do it, then write a good deed. And if he does it, then write it for him as 10 good deeds up to 700 times.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari 7501]
So the bare minimum of actually doing any one good deed is 10 hasanah, and up to 700 times. Isn’t that amazing? To put this into perspective and to keep things simple, imagine that all jobs right now offer a wage of RM 1 per hour. Suddenly there’s a new job vacancy that offers a minimum wage ten times more, and up to 700 hundred times more per hour. So you’ll be earning a maximum of RM700 per hour! People are going to call us crazy if we don’t grab that opportunity!
And yet, our Rabb Al-Kareem (the Most Generous), offers us so much more than that in the month of Ramadan. And to Allah belongs the highest example.
Rasulullah ﷺ said: “Every deed of the son of Adam is multiplied from 10 to 700 times. Allah the Exalted says: Except for fasting, for it is done for My sake, and I will reward it.” [Sahih Muslim 1151]
What it means is that the aforementioned calculation of hasanah does not apply to fasting, because its hasanah is so massive, beyond the angel’s knowledge, that Allah subhana wa ta’ala Himself will reward for it!
🌸 Fasting is Equivalent to Sabr
Consider also this amazing observation by Imam Ibn Hajar rahimahullah. He wrote in his Lata'if Al-Ma'arif that patience has three types, and all of these three types of patience are combined in fasting:
(1) Patience in obeying Allah
Because we fast in Ramadan simply due to it being a commandment from Allah. It is one of the pillars of Islam. And even though we are physically tired from fasting, we still continue to safeguard the five daily prayers, help our parents and family with ihsan (excellence), and do other types of ‘ibaadah that are obligated upon us.
(2) Patience in refraining from that which Allah has prohibited
Because we stop ourselves from doing that which Allah has made haram in Ramadan, i.e. drinking, eating, and having physical relations with one’s spouse during the day. We also control our limbs, sight, hearing, and tongue from disobeying Allah in all other matters.
(3) And patience in accepting the decree of Allah when it is hurtful
Because we are patient with the pangs of hunger, thirst, and tiredness due to fasting.
We practise all of these types of patience when we fast properly. So fasting *is* patience, and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in the Qur’an: "Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning.” [Surah Az-Zumar 39: 10]
Meaning, the reward for fasting is 100% full, 100% complete, and yet without reckoning, without restriction, without limit! Allahu akbar!
This is the Ramadan that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala offers to all of us every year. Just one day of fasting brings massive hasanah in our scale of good deeds, so what about fasting for a full month? This is the akhirah currency that we should all strive for!
🌸 Prevent Hasanah Leakage
I feel terrible whenever I read stories about people who flamboyantly wasted their wealth until they ended up bankrupt. They began with an abundance of wealth in their hands, but eventually lost everything because they didn’t care to manage these blessings properly.
Similarly, this massive, unlimited hasanah from fasting can also be reduced and even depleted to zero if we don’t take care of it. Here are two critical matters that can cause ‘leakage’ in our hasanah:
1️⃣ When we treat fasting in Ramadan as just another yearly, mundane routine; when we do not fast with iman and ihtisab. Rasulullah ﷺ said:
“Whoever observes fasts in the month of Ramadan out of sincere iman and ihtisab, then all his past sins will be forgiven.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari 38]
What do iman and ihtisab mean in regard to fasting?
Fasting with iman means to fast with full conviction that it is from the Commandments of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and not because of culture, not because we want to lose weight, nor because society pressures us to do so. We fast purely because of “sami’na wa ata’na | we hear and we obey”.
Fasting with ihtisab means to fast while yearning and hoping for a reward from Allah. It is not fasting while feeling moody, lazy, and annoyed, with the mindset of ‘Ugh I just want this month to finish and be done with quickly!’ But it is fasting with enthusiasm, happiness, gratefulness, and full of hope towards Allah.
So this Ramadan, fast with both iman and ihtisab so that we may attain that full and unlimited reward from Allah, as well as His forgiveness!
2️⃣ Sinning in Ramadan will also deplete one’s hasanah. Rasulullah ﷺ said:
“Whoever does not leave evil words and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari 1903]
Meaning, that massive hasanah that comes with the Ramadan package will not be rewarded to those who sin with their speech and actions. Their hasanah will be depleted to zero - may Allah protect us from this major loss! This was why Rasulullah ﷺ said:
“There are people who fast, yet get nothing from their fast except hunger.” [Sunan Ibn Majah 1690 | Graded Hasan by Darussalam]
And among the many reasons that can cause massive hasanah leakage, while we are oblivious to it, is social media. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in the Qur’an to both the believing men and women to lower their gaze. Yet as we scroll our social feeds, there will inevitably be photos, videos, or even advertisements that we shouldn’t be looking at (eg. athletes who don’t cover themselves properly, etc.). And these things are so common and prevalent that we don’t say {Astaghfirullah | O Allah, forgive me} whenever we look at them.
So be careful with our gadgets and TVs. Try to minimise as much as possible from entertainment or from scrolling our social feeds mindlessly. Don't make our Ramadhan be filled with the same habits and routines as any other ordinary days of ours. Strive to maximise our Ramadhan hasanah as much as possible because there is no guarantee that we will meet another Ramadan in the following years to come.
May Allah allow us to reach the month of Ramadan, and help us utilise the month to the best of our capability. May Allah grant us all hasanah in full, without limit!
Allahumma balighna Ramadan!
Your sister in Deen,
Aida Msr 🌸
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Reference: Sunnah.com
