The following are Authentic (Sahih) Hadith attributing the virtues of Ramadan. I am listing the English translation and for some, paraphrasing the Hadith, followed by some brief commentary. Details of the narrators and the location of the hadith is not listed. For anyone interested in that information, refer to the lecture on the Virtues of Ramadan by Sheikh Omar Suleiman at the bottom of the page. Let’s pray that this Ramadan brings us closer to Allah and increases our piety. 

The Prophet (PBUH) said:

Ramadan, a blessed month, has come to you during which Allah has made it obligatory for you to fast. In it the gates of Heaven are opened, the gates of Al-Jahim are locked, and the rebellious devils are chained. In it, Allah has a night which is better than a thousand months. He who is deprived of its good has indeed suffered deprivation.

From this hadith, we learn that saying “Ramadan Mubarak” is not incorrect since the Prophet (PBUH) himself says Ramadan is a mubarak (blessed) month. Notice how it says the “rebellious” devils are chained up, not “all” devils. The effect of the devils on the people are less during Ramadan, not completely absent since the minor devils are still around.

When Ramadan begins, the gates of mercy have been open, the gates of the fire are closed, and the rebellious devils are chained up.

The word “mercy” is used instead of paradise, indicating that paradise is itself a mercy of Allah (SWT).

There are two months that never decrease in their blessings. These months being the two months of Eid (Ramadan and Dhu al-Hijjah).

One question that results from this hadith is that since Eid occurs after Ramadan, why would Ramadan be considered as a month of Eid? This is due to the fact that according to the Prophet (PBUH), the true celebration of Ramadan begins on day one, identifying Ramadan as a month of celebration.

Fasting Ramadan, the month of patience, and three days from every month is like fasting a lifetime.

The three days are considered the 13, 14, and 15 of every month (moon is fuller at that time). If you think about it, since Allah multiplies every good deed by 10, technically fasting 3 days a month is equal to fasting a whole month.

(1) Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith seeking Allah’s reward, he will be forgive for all of his past sins. (2) Whoever prays the night prayer (‘Isha/Tarawih) in Ramadan will be forgiven for all his past sins. (3) Whoever stands up just the night of Laylat al-Qadr seeking faith and reward from Allah (SWT) will be forgiven for all his past sins.

The beauty of these three hadith is that even if you miss on of the three actions above, you can still achieve the forgiveness of all your past sins by just accomplishing one action. Effectively, in Ramadan, we have numerous opportunities to be forgiven. If we seek to do all three actions and even if one or two fail you, at least you’ll in sha Allah succeed in one action and have your sins forgiven.

The five daily prayers, from one Jumu’ah to the next, and from one Ramadan to the next are an expiation for whatever sins come in between, so long as one does not commit any major sin.

This hadith promises the forgiveness of minor sins that occur between each action, as long as an Individual properly performs each one. In the case of major sins, three actions result in their forgiveness: entering into Islam, completing Hajj, and partaking in Hijra (migration). Keep in mind that sincere repentance can also do away within any sin. Even if Ramadan itself does not remove major sins like reversion, Hajj, or Hijra, it is the period where one is closest to Allah and there is no time where you are more likely to sincerely to repent to Allah then when you are closest to him.

A person’s fitna (test/trials) is in his family, wealth, children, and/or neighbors. This is atoned for by prayer (Salah), fasting, charity, and enjoining good/forbidding evil.

When the first night of the month of Ramadan comes, the devils and rebellious jinn are chained up and the gates of Hell are closed, and not one gate of it is opened. The gates of Paradise are opened and not one gate of it is closed. And a caller cries out: ‘O seeker of good, proceed; O seeker of evil, desist. Allah has those whom He frees from the Fire, and that happens every night.

If a person fasts properly, all gates to sin are shut (no backbiting, no gossiping, no fighting, no eating haram since you’re not eating anyways). The goal is to eventually make everything you’ve reformed about yourself in Ramadan a life long commitment. All good things are elevated in Ramadan: more prayer, Qur’an recitation, fasting, etc. The gates of paradise are open for those elevating their faith. If you are doing good deeds, keep doing them, and if you were trekking backwards, away from your faith, then stop in your tracks and come back to Allah. Ramadan is the prime moment to reform yourself. Your salvation from the hellfire can come on any single night. It can be first night or last night; there is no restriction to a certain day. Everyone should therefore pursue the pleasure of Allah on every night of Ramadan starting from the first moment since there is no guarantee we’ll see all 30 nights.

Whoever fasts one day seeking Allah’s pleasure, Allah will distance his face from the hellfire the distance of a journey of 70 years.

Another hadith says Allah puts 70 ditches between you and hellfire, with the distance of each ditch being the distance of the heavens and earth. Imaging if you fasted every single day of Ramadan, how many years/distance will been placed between you and the hellfire!

Fasting is like a shield from hell-fire.

There is a gate in Paradise called al-Rayyan. Those that observed fasting will enter through it on the day of judgment. A call will be made saying “where are those that used to fast” and none except them will enter through the gate and then it will then be closed.

If a person does Ramadan right (the quality of there physical and spiritual fast was sincere), they will in sha Allah be eligible to enter paradise through al-Rayyan.

Allah beautifies Jannah every day in Ramadan. Allah says to it, “beautify yourself, for soon my anticipating righteous servants will come forth, shed all of their hardships, and enter into you”.

Allah has said “every good deed of the Son of Adam is for him, except for fasting. Fasting is for me, and I shall reward the fasting person accordingly”. Verily, the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is more beloved to Allah (SWT) then the smell of musk.

Every deed has a personal component, except for fasting. A person has the complete power to act like he/she is fasting and break it on any occasion. What’s very interesting is that Allah has not quantified the reward for fasting a day in Ramadan, instead it has been left open. On the Day of Judgment, Allah will reward and multiply it by how sincere you were in in your fasts. If there are deficiencies in your good deed but you had sincere fasts, Allah will raise your deeds earned from fasting to make it enough to cover your deficiencies.

There are two joys for a fasting person: the joy when he breaks his fast, and the joy when he meets Allah (SWT).

To perform Umrah in Ramadan is equal to performing Hajj with me [Prophet (PBUH)].

Background: There was a lady living in Medina during the time of the Prophet (PBUH) who had a strong desire to perform Hajj in his company. Her husband however was too poor to afford Hajj. The Prophet (PBUH) went on to do his one and only Hajj without her. After his return to Medina, the lady approached him with her desire, after which he recited this hadith to her.

Notice the Prophet (PBUB) offered a beautiful solution that remains eligible for the rest of the Ummah till the Day of Judgment. He also did not tell her to wait until next year since he knew he would not be in this world to see the next Ramadan. This Umrah can be performed during any time in the month of Ramadan. It is not specified to last 10 days.

The scriptures of Abraham were revealed on the first night of Ramadan, the Torah was reveled on the 6th of Ramadan, the Gospel was revealed on the 13th of Ramadan, the Psalms were revealed on 18th of Ramadan, and the Qur’an was revealed on the 24th of Ramadan.

Allah correlated all of his revelations to begin at some point in the blessed month of Ramadan. Ramadan is not only the month of Qur’an, but the month of revelation!

Fasting and the Qur’an will intercede on the behalf of Allah’s servant on the day of Judgment.

Interestingly, Muslims are more likely to read Quran during the month of Ramadan over any other time.

The people will continue to remain on the right path as long as they hasten to break their fasts.

Imam al-Baghawi says that the Prophet (PBUH) was referring to certain sects that would break off from orthodox Islam. One of their innovations would include delaying Iftar until the appearance of the stars. This was also what the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) did during their fasts. Unsurprisingly, some deviant sects of Islam do break their fasts when the stars appear instead of at sunset.

Eat a little meal before the Fajr prayer (Suhoor). Verily there is a blessing in that.

The Suhoor is a blessed meal so do not neglect it, even if it is a sip of water. Verily the angles send their prayers upon those who eat their Suhoor.

The distinction between our (Muslims) fast and the people of the scriptures (Jews and Christians) is that our fast has a Suhoor. - ouwbmmsa