Thekabarnews.com—Sheikh Al-‘Allamah Abdul Aziz Bin Baaz, may Allah have mercy on him, once said:

“I don’t know of any specific way to welcome Ramadan, but a Muslim should do so with joy, happiness, and delight and be thankful to Allah ﷻ for making it easy for him to enter the month of Ramadan and giving him guidance, making him one of those who are still alive (healthy), with whom he competes to do good deeds.”

(Majmu’ Fatawa Sheik Bin Baz, (9/15)).

This means that there is no special way to welcome Ramadan.

Is it customary in our community to prepare certain foods, visit the graves of deceased family members or relatives, take a ceremonial bath with the goal of fasting during Ramadan, or engage in other practices?

We don’t require any of that, because the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ never taught it to us. The salafus sholih never did it either.

But let us just accept it, as I said before.

Ramadan makes us pleased and glad since it has many excellent things that we cannot find in other months.

It is truly a huge favor and mercy from Allah ﷻ for us Muslims.

So, we should truly rejoice and welcome him with happiness.

The Almighty Allah ﷻ said:

قُلۡ بِفَضۡلِ ٱللَّهِ وَبِرَحۡمَتِهِۦ فَبِذَٰلِكَ فَلۡيَفۡرَحُواْ هُوَ خَيۡرٞ مِّمَّا يَجۡمَعُونَ

“Say, “In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy – in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate.” (Quran | Surah Yunus: 58).

As a way to show delight, gladness, and thanks to Allah ﷻ, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ once told his friends the good news that Ramadan was coming. He ﷺ said:

ﻗَﺪْ ﺟَﺎﺀَﻛُﻢْ ﺭَﻣَﻀَﺎﻥُ، ﺷَﻬْﺮٌ ﻣُﺒَﺎﺭَﻙٌ، ﺍﻓْﺘَﺮَﺽَ ﺍﻟﻠﻪُ ﻋَﻠَﻴْﻜُﻢْ ﺻِﻴَﺎﻣَﻪُ، ﺗُﻔْﺘَﺢُ ﻓِﻴﻪِ ﺃَﺑْﻮَﺍﺏُ ﺍﻟْﺠَﻨَّﺔِ، ﻭَﺗُﻐْﻠَﻖُ ﻓِﻴﻪِ ﺃَﺑْﻮَﺍﺏُ ﺍﻟْﺠَﺤِﻴﻢِ، ﻭَﺗُﻐَﻞُّ ﻓِﻴﻪِ ﺍﻟﺸَّﻴَﺎﻃِﻴﻦُ، ﻓِﻴﻪِ ﻟَﻴْﻠَﺔٌ ﺧَﻴْﺮٌ ﻣِﻦْ ﺃَﻟْﻒِ ﺷَﻬْﺮٍ، ﻣَﻦْ ﺣُﺮِﻡَ ﺧَﻴْﺮَﻫَﺎ ﻓَﻘَﺪْ ﺣُﺮِﻡَ

“Ramadan has come to you, a holy month. Fasting is something that Allah has made you do. It opens the gates of Heaven and closes the gates of Hell. It also chains up the devils. There is one night during Ramadan that is better than a thousand months. Whoever is without its virtue is truly without it. Allah has made fasting throughout the beautiful month of Ramadan a duty for you. It is the month that the portals of heaven open. The doors of hellfire are shut. The devils are also in chains. There is also a night that is better than a thousand months in that month. Whoever is deprived of its goodness is genuinely deprived.” (Hadith by Imam Ahmad).

This lovely and noble month offers many blessings, so we should joyfully welcome its arrival and strive to obtain as many of its benefits as possible.

To put it another way, we pledge to saturate this beautiful month with as many good deeds and obedience to Allah Ta’ala as possible.

Finally, we ask Allah for help and guidance to reach the Ramadan we await.

We pray to Allah ﷻ for victory and strength.

By: Abu Abdirrohman Yoyok WN Sby.