“On the first night of the month of Ramadan, the shayatin (devils) are shackled, the jinns are restrained, the gates of the Fires are shut such that no gate among them would be opened. The gates of Paradise are opened such that no gate among them would be closed, and a caller calls: ‘O seeker of the good; come near!’ and ‘O seeker of evil; stop! For there are those whom Allah frees from the Fire.’ And that is every night.”(Tirmidhi, Sawm, 1)
We have been reciting this prophetic prayer in the two months preceding Ramadan: “O Allah! Make the months of Rajab and Sha‘ban blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadan.” (Tabarani, al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat, IV, 189) First of all, we cannot thank our Almighty Lord enough for bringing us once again to this blessed time when mercy and forgiveness rain like a downpour.
Ramadan is the month of the Qur’an
Ramadan is the month in which the Qur’an, which is “a guide for those mindful of Allah” (Baqarah, 2:2) for our happiness in this world and in the Hereafter, was first revealed.
This sublime book has described a seemingly ordinary night as “better than a thousand months” (Qadr, 97:3); the month of Ramadan as “the sultan of eleven months”; an arid and drought-ridden city, Mecca, as the “Mother of Cities” (An’am, 6:92); and most importantly, the orphan Muhammad in Mecca as a “mercy to the worlds” (Anbiya, 21:107) and “the last prophet” (Ahzab, 33:40). We should take the month of Ramadan as an opportunity to review our ties with the Qur’an. We seek to strengthen this bond in order to find the right path with the guidance of the Qur’an, avoid the ranks of the “asfal al-safilun” (lower than beasts) and reach the degree of “ashraf al-makhluqat” (the noblest of creation).
Ramadan is the month of fasting
There is a remarkable relationship between fasting and the month of Ramadan, when the Qur’an was revealed. For, it is emphasized that the Qur’an, is a guide for the “muttaqin” who hold fast to Allah’s orders and avoid His prohibitions: “This is the Book! There is no doubt about it—a guide for those mindful of Allah.” (Baqarah, 2:2) In the verse about fasting, it is stated, “O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you—as it was for those before you—so perhaps you will become mindful of Allah.” (Baqarah, 2:183) and it is stated that one of the main purposes of fasting is to bring people to piety. The worshippers will first reach the level of taqwa (piety) by fasting and enter the group of the righteous, and after joining this group, the Qur’an will now become a road map that will take them to the destination of Paradise.
Ramadan is the month of repentance and supplication
As stated in the hadith above, the month of Ramadan is a season of mercy when the devils are chained, the gates of hell are closed, and the gates of heaven are opened. Due to this spiritual atmosphere, Muslims generally take themselves to account during Ramadan and serve their Lord with more enthusiasm. However, many do not show the necessary sensitivity to benefit from the prosperity and blessings of Ramadan. In this respect, the statement “shayatin are shackled” in the hadith may confuse some people, and questions such as, “If devils are shackled in Ramadan, why do people still commit sins?” arise. First of all, it should be known that it is not only Satan that causes people to commit sins. It should not be overlooked that the nafs is also a factor that leads a person to commit sins. As a matter of fact, verses in the Holy Qur’an such as “And by the soul and the One Who fashioned it, then with the knowledge of right and wrong inspired it!” (Shams, 91:7-8); “…for indeed the soul is ever inclined to evil…” (Yusuf, 12:53) show this reality. Similar to this, in Surah Nas, Allah Almighty has stated that we should seek refuge in Him from the evil of the insidious Satan, who puts mischief in the hearts of people, whether they are from the jinn or humans (Nas, 114:1-6). As it can be understood from here, even when the devils are shackled, those who have devilish qualities among people can sin. Again, those who are constantly attached to evil desires in the eleven months of the year may continue to sin due to their habits, even if the devils are shackled in Ramadan. On the other hand, hadith scholars say that the expressions mentioned in the hadith can be understood literally or metaphorically. When the expressions in the hadith are understood literally, it can be said that the devils in shackles are not all the devils but their biggest and fiercest ones. If the hadith is understood metaphorically, it can be said that the purpose of the expression in question is as follows: Due to the spiritual atmosphere of the month of Ramadan, people remember their Lord more and commit fewer sins through fasting, khatim (reading the Qur’an from start to finish), and prayers. This situation is an indication that the devils are incapacitated and that their hands are tied.
In this respect, what Muslims have to do in order to get their share of the mercy of Ramadan is to remember their main duty of worship, to restrain their inner devil (nafs), and to keep their own devil in shackles by keeping away from external devils (environment and friends that lead them to sin). The gates of Heaven will be opened wide and the gates of Hell will be closed for the believers who act in this way and succeed in shackling their devils.
