How to welcome the blessed month of Ramazan.

Byline: Ghulam Yaseen Nizami

IT is a piece of very good news for all the Muslims that barely a few days are left between us and the holy month of Ramazan. Muslims all over the world feel very rejoice when they hear the coming of Ramazan. The month of Ramazan is like a most-awaited and special guest for the Muslims because this month comes with a lot of bounties, blessings, gifts and manifold rewards from our Creator. In the upcoming lines, we will shed light on the blessings of this holy month and will also illuminate how to get benefits more and more from this blessed month.

The month of Ramazan has countless bounties and blessings for all mankind and especially for Muslims. This is the month in which the Almighty revealed His last message for guidance in the shape of Quran; in which the Almighty says: The Ramazan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said: When Ramazan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.

Once on the last day of Sha'ban, our Prophet (PBUH) addressed His companions saying: Oh, people! A great month has come over you, a month full of blessings, a month in which is a night better than a thousand months. The Almighty has made fasting in this month obligatory upon you and voluntary to pray on the nights of Ramazan. Whoever draws nearer (to the Almighty) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever performs an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Heaven. It is the month of charity and a month in which a believer's sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Fire of Hell, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all.

The most crucial and essential obligatory act is to have fast during the days of Ramazan with patience and sincerity. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said: Whoever fasts in the month of Ramazan out of sincere faith, and hoping for a reward from the Almighty, then all his previous sins will be forgiven. There is a gate in Paradise called 'Ryan' and those who observe fasts will...