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The Month of Silence


Anas bin Malik رضى الله عنه relates that Ramadhan arrived so the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, ‘Indeed this month has come upon you, and therein is a night which is better than a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of it is deprived of all good, and none is deprived of it except one who is truly deprived’ [Reported by ibn Majah],

He who wastes his time in Ramadhan is truly deprived of the virtues and forgiveness of this month. The sahabah رضى الله عنهم ensured that not a moment passed in futility. They would complete their worldly tasks and free themselves two months prior to Ramadhan i.e. by Rajab.

Allah’s acceptance of a fast is not just conditional upon remaining hungry or thirsty but is also dependent upon the fasting of the other bodily organs i.e. the eyes, ears, heart, mind and especially the tongue.

Abu Hurayrah رضى الله عنه reports that Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said ‘Fasting is not merely abstaining from eating and drinking. Rather, fasting is to refrain from futility and indecency. So if someone abuses you or behaves ignorantly towards you, then say: “I am fasting” ’. [Reported by ibn Khuzaymah].

When fasting we should not even shout or raise our voices let alone argue. This is the month in which we should all remain silent as much as possible and not say or do anything which inconveniences others.



Why do we still fall victim to desire and continue to sin during Ramadhan?

We know that the shayateen (devils) are locked up in Ramadhan so why do we still persist in sin during this blessed month? This is not due to the shayateen misleading us but rather our own nafs. Committing certain sins has almost become second nature for us hence we feel no remorse or guilt and do not repent following the sin. To deal with this, we need a higher level of consciousness where we constantly review and revise our actions and meditate upon what we need to do to become a better person.

Every sin has a momentum and thus makes it easier to commit the next sin. Just as Allah سبحانه وتعالى propels a person on to the path of good and virtue, He also propels a person on to the path of sin. Thus, not only can good deeds become second nature but also sin. Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Holy Qur’an:

فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى
We shall ease him into difficulty.
[Surah al Lail 92:10]

One way of changing our behaviour is by keeping good company. In good company, a person will become aware of his or her character and behaviour whereas in bad company a person will not be able to detect anything wrong with his or her character.