THE MONTH OF RAMADAN

During Ramadan. So the prophet (PBUH) has informed us, the gates of paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained (as reported by Ahmad). That is during Ramadan, Allah makes it easier for us to see the way to paradise, by Allah's will; and he makes it easier for us to abstain from those evil deeds which lead to the Hell-fire. He also informed us that the time between the five prayers two consecutive Fridays and two consecutive Ramadan's are expiations for all the sins committed during that period. Provided one has avoided the major sins such as theft adultery abandoning prayer. In the Qur'an Allah tells us that there is a day in the month of Ramadan whose night is better for worship than 1,000 months of worship at any other time. Also the prophet (PBUH) has informed us that a minor pilgrimage (umrah) to makkah if performed in Ramadan is equivalent in reward to that of Hajj performed him (PBUH). Such is the importance of fasting the month of Ramadan in Islam that if a person deliberately breaks his fast without a valid excuse or does not fast at all he commits a major sin and according to the prophet (PBUH). Thus such a person would not be able to make up for one day fasting in Ramadan even if he were to fast perpetually. If he relieves that fasting is not incumbent upon him he cannot be considered a Muslim even though he may pray zakah and perform pilgrimage.