1220 – Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are shut, and the devils are chained.” Agreed upon.
1221 – He likewise reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Begin the fast when you sight it (the new moon) and end the fast when you sight it. If it is hidden from you, then complete thirty days of Sha‘ban.” Agreed upon, and this is al-Bukhari’s wording. In Muslim’s narration: “If it is hidden from you, then fast thirty days.”
[Explanation]
Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) records in his Riyad al-Salihin, under the chapter “The Obligation of Fasting Ramadan,” the hadith of Abu Hurayrah in which the Prophet ﷺ said: “When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of the Fire are closed, and the devils are chained.”
Three matters occur in Ramadan:
- The gates of Paradise are opened, encouraging those who strive for it through abundant acts of devotion—prayer, charity, remembrance, recitation of the Quran, and so forth.
- The gates of the Fire are closed because sins are fewer during this month than at other times