| 2 Bukhari hadiths


1899 - Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hellfire are closed and the devils are chained.".

Commentary :
The month of Ramadan is the month of forgiveness and deliverance from Hellfire, during which Allah, Exalted is He,has made easy the material and moral means to attain forgiveness, and the performance of good deeds, including: fasting, night prayer, Zakaah, and the like.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ informed us that when the month of Ramadan comes, the gates of heaven are actually opened to celebrate this holy month, to welcome it in the exalted assembly [of angels], to note its abundant virtues and honor, and to inform the angels of its arrival. It could also mean that the gates of Paradise are opened as suggested by the mention of the closing of Hellfire’s gates afterward. Some versions of the hadeeth cited in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim have been reported to that effect. As it starts, the gates of Hellfire are closed before those who observe fasting; this means that should anyone, who observes fasting, die while fulfilling the due rights (of the sacred month) and observing his religious duties, will be saved from Hellfire in that month of Ramadan. The devils are also chained, and this means that they are tied up with chains and prevented from corrupting Muslims in the same way they do at other times. All these virtues are due to the special honor conferred by Allah, Exalted is He, on this month during which He bestows His divine mercy and forgiveness on His servants.
The reference to the ‘devils’ here means the rebellious devils among the Jinn, the most hostile and aggressive ones, as stated in some versions of the hadeeth narrated by Al-Tirmithee and Al-Nasaa’i, and not all the devils. This explains why some evil deeds and sins are still committed by some people during the month of Ramadan. Based on the opinion suggesting that all the devils are chained during the month of Ramadan, it could mean that they are chained and prevented from harming those who observe fasting, complying with its conditions and etiquettes. However, the devils are not chained and prevented from harming those who fail to observe such conditions and etiquettes. Moreover, the chained devils may still harm people, in proportion to the perfection of their fasting, but their harm is lesser and weaker compared to at other times. Whoever perfects his fasting will be shielded from the devils in a way that would not apply to those who fail to perfect their fasting. It is noteworthy that the chaining of all the devils does not necessarily mean that no evil deeds would be committed during the sacred month of Ramadan, because there are other causes for sins, such as the evil-enjoining self and the devils among human beings.
The hadeeth also underlines the virtues of Ramadan, and it serves as supportive evidence on the existence of Paradise and Hellfire and that they have gates that are opened and closed. It also proves the existence of devils, and that they have physical bodies that can be tied up with chains. It also highlights the greatness of Allah's Kindness towards His servants and His Generosity.
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