the extreme torment of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. Remember! To disrespect the month of Ramadan is a cause of displeasing Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.

Let me tell you an admonitory parable of the person who disrespected the month of Ramadan, quoted from page 89 of ‘Faizan-e-Ramadan’ [Blessings of Ramadan], a 693-page book published by Maktaba-tul-Madinah. Listen to it and learn an admonitory lesson:

Punishment for disrespecting Ramadan

Once the leader of the believers, Sayyiduna ‘Ali کَـرَّمَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَـالٰی وَجۡـھَـهُ الۡـکَـرِیۡم went to a cemetery in Kufa to visit the graves. He رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ saw a newly-prepared grave there; he desired to know about its condition, so he رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ humbly requested Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ: ‘Ya Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ reveal the condition of the deceased buried in this grave to me.’ Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ immediately accepted his humble request and all the veils between him and the deceased were lifted. Now a horrific scene of the grave was before him. What he رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ saw was that the deceased was on fire and was crying and making this request to Sayyiduna ‘Ali کَـرَّمَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَـالٰی وَجۡـھَـهُ الۡـکَـرِیۡم:

يَاعَلِيُّ! اَنَاغَرِيۡقٌ فِي النَّارِ وَحَرِيۡقٌ فِي النَّارِ

O ‘Ali! I am drowning in fire and I am burning in the fire.

The dreadful scene of the grave and the painful call of the deceased person saddened Sayyiduna ‘Ali کَـرَّمَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَـالٰی وَجۡـھَـهُ الۡـکَـرِیۡم. He رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ lifted his hands in the court of his Merciful Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and submitted a request with utmost humility for the forgiveness of the deceased. A voice from the Ghayb (hidden) was heard, ‘O ‘Ali! Do not intercede on his behalf as he used to disrespect Ramadan in spite of fasting; he did not refrain from committing sins even in the blessed month of Ramadan; he used to fast during the day, but would indulge in sins during the night.’

Having heard this, Sayyiduna ‘Ali کَـرَّمَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَـالٰی وَجۡـھَـهُ الۡـکَـرِیۡم became even more grieved; he رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهُ fell into Sajdah and humbly began to say with tears in