{"id":94431,"date":"2026-02-02T03:17:37","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T08:17:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/muslimmatters.org\/?p=94431"},"modified":"2026-02-02T03:17:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T08:17:37","slug":"starting-shaban-train-yourself-to-head-into-ramadan-without-malice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/muslimmatters.org\/2026\/02\/02\/starting-shaban-train-yourself-to-head-into-ramadan-without-malice\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting Shaban, Train Yourself To Head Into Ramadan Without Malice"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

As Ramadan approaches, it is imperative for Muslims to purify their hearts of malice (<\/span>\u1e25iqd<\/i><\/strong>). At its least harmful, malice diminishes one\u2019s rank in the sight of Allah \"sub\u1e25\u0101nahu and obstructs a believer from performing voluntary acts of goodness. At its most severe, malice becomes a deadly spiritual disease associated with idolatry, unbelief, and even the practices of black magic.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Messenger of Allah \ufdfa instructed us to approach Ramadan with hearts free of malice, as indicated by his statement:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOn the middle night of Sha\u2019ban, Allah Almighty looks down upon His creation, and He forgives the believers, but He abandons the people of grudges and malice to their malice.\u201d1<\/a><\/sup>Ibn Ab\u012b \u2019\u0100\u1e63im, Al-Sunnah li-Ibn Ab\u012b \u2019\u0100\u1e63im (al-Maktab al-Isl\u0101m\u012b, 1980), 1:233 #511; declared authentic (s\u0323ah\u0323i\u0304h\u0323) according to Shaykh al-Alb\u0101n\u012b in the comments. Full text at: www.abuaminaelias.com\/dailyhadithonline\/2025\/09\/03\/allah-forgives-except-hiqd\/<\/span><\/span> In another narration, the Prophet \ufdfa said, \u201cAllah looks down at His creation on the middle night of Sha\u2019ban, and He forgives all of His creatures, except for an idolater or one who harbors hostility (<\/span>mush\u0101\u1e25in<\/span><\/i>).2<\/a><\/sup>Ibn \u1e24ibb\u0101n, Al-I\u1e25s\u0101n f\u012b Taqr\u012bb \u1e62a\u1e25\u012b\u1e25 Ibn \u1e24ibb\u0101n (Mu\u02bcassasat al-Ris\u0101lah, 1988), 12:481 #5665; declared authentic due to external evidence (s\u0323ah\u0323i\u0304h\u0323 li ghayrihi) by Shaykh al-Arn\u0101\u2019\u016b\u1e6d in the comments. Full text at: www.abuaminaelias.com\/dailyhadithonline\/2019\/06\/16\/forgives-shaban-except-mushrik\/<\/span>\u201d<\/span> Imam al-\u1e62an\u2018\u0101n\u012b explained that \u2018one who harbors hostility\u2019 refers to a person who carries malice in the heart.3<\/a><\/sup>Mu\u1e25ammad ibn Ism\u0101\u2019\u012bl al-\u1e62an\u02bb\u0101n\u012b, Al-Tanw\u012br Shar\u1e25 al-J\u0101mi\u2019 al-\u1e62agh\u012br (Maktabat D\u0101r al-Sal\u0101m, 2011), 3:344.<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In a related narration, the Messenger of Allah \ufdfa issued a grave warning:<\/span><\/p>\n

“If not one of three evil traits is within someone, then Allah will forgive whatever else as He wills: one who dies without associating any partners with Allah, one who does not follow the way of black magic, and one who does not harbor malice against his brother.”4<\/a><\/sup> Al-\u1e6cabar\u0101n\u012b, Al-Mu\u2019jam al-Kab\u012br (Maktabat Ibn Taym\u012byah, D\u0101r al-\u1e62umay\u02bb\u012b, 1983), 12:243 #13004; declared fair (h\u0323asan) by Imam al-Mun\u0101w\u012b in Fay\u1e0d Al-Qad\u012br: Shar\u1e25 al-J\u0101mi\u02bb al-\u1e62agh\u012br (al-Maktabah al-Tij\u0101r\u012byah al-Kubr\u00e1, 1938), 3:289. Full text at: www.abuaminaelias.com\/dailyhadithonline\/2025\/08\/28\/three-allah-does-not-forgive\/<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In other words, a Muslim who deliberately nurtures malice against his brothers or sisters places himself in the company of idolaters and those who seek aid from devils. Malice is so heinous that Allah \"sub\u1e25\u0101nahu may withhold forgiveness from one who persists in it. As Imam al-Mun\u0101w\u012b observed, \u201cMalice is an evil portent. Its condemnation has been related by the Book and the Sunnah countless times.\u201d5<\/a><\/sup>Al-Mun\u0101w\u012b, Fayd\u0323 al-Qadi\u0304r, 3:289.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Clearly, the Messenger of Allah \ufdfa intended for believers to purify themselves of malice by the middle of Sha\u2018b\u0101n\u2014at least two weeks before the arrival of Ramadan. To that end, we must develop a proper understanding of what malice is, how it undermines fasting, and the means by which it is treated, lest our Ramadan be corrupted from within before it even begins.<\/span><\/p>\n

Malice: The Root of Evil<\/b><\/h2>\n

Imam Ibn \u1e24ibb\u0101n, who compiled the sayings of the Prophet \ufdfa in written form, wrote plainly, \u201cMalice is the root of evil. Whoever harbors evil in his heart will have a bitter plant grow, the taste of which is rage and the fruit of which is regret.6<\/a><\/sup>Ibn \u1e24ibb\u0101n, Raw\u1e0dat al-\u2019Uqal\u0101\u2019 wa Nuz\u2019hat al-Fu\u1e0dal\u0101\u2019 (D\u0101r al-Kutub al-\u02bbIlm\u012byah, 1975), 1:134.<\/span>\u201d<\/span> There is no acceptable degree of malice, for the scholars have described it as \u201cone of the mothers of sin.7<\/a><\/sup>Al-\u1e62an\u02bb\u0101n\u012b, Al-Tanw\u012br Shar\u1e25 al-J\u0101mi\u2019 al-\u1e62agh\u012br, 5:140.<\/span>\u201d<\/span> Unlike anger\u2014which is often dangerous but occasionally righteous\u2014malice is never praiseworthy. It is a weed in the garden of the heart and must be uprooted.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shaykh \u1e24asan al-Fayy\u016bm\u012b, one of the Hadith masters of the 9th century Hijrah, defined malice as \u201cto internalize enmity and hatred.8<\/a><\/sup>\u1e24asan ibn \u02bfAl\u012b al-Fayy\u016bm\u012b, Fat\u1e25 al-Qar\u012bb al-Muj\u012bb \u02bbal\u00e1 al-Targh\u012bb wal-Tarh\u012bb (Maktabat D\u0101r al-Sal\u0101m, 2018), 11:266,<\/span>\u201d<\/span> He explained that it is often described as the desire for revenge, and that its true nature emerges when rage cannot be released\u2014because one is unable to retaliate in the moment\u2014causing it to turn inward, fester, and ultimately transform into malice. In this sense, malice is unresolved anger: a smoldering fury that is retained and nurtured until it erupts in acts of vengeance. The desire for revenge and the pleasure of justified rage are beautified by Satan, yet in reality, they are a silent poison that corrupts the believer from within, masking the virtues of character and even sabotaging one\u2019s fasting in Ramadan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Malice is not a single spiritual disease, either, but rather a constellation of related sins that take root in the heart. Imam Ibn \u1e24ajar al-Haytam\u012b listed unjust anger, envy, and malice as a single disease among the major sins.9<\/a><\/sup>Ibn \u1e24ajar al-Haytam\u012b, Al-Zaw\u0101jir \u2019an Iqtir\u0101f al-Kab\u0101\u2019ir (D\u0101r al-Fikr, 1987), 1:83.<\/span><\/span> Further examination of the Hadith commentaries in which malice is mentioned shows that scholars consistently associate it with envy (<\/span>\u1e25asad<\/span><\/i>), arrogance (<\/span>kibr<\/span><\/i>), rancor (<\/span>ghill<\/span><\/i>), malevolence (<\/span>ghish<\/span><\/i>), hypocrisy (<\/span>nif\u0101q<\/span><\/i>), rage (<\/span>ghay\u1e93<\/span><\/i>), and lingering grudges (<\/span>\u1e0dagh\u0101\u02bein<\/span><\/i>).10<\/a><\/sup>For the full length study on malice, see the paper, \u201cMalice in Islam: The Root of Evil in the Heart\u201d by Abu Amina Elias (Faith in Allah, August 29, 2025): www.abuaminaelias.com\/malice-in-islam-root-of-evil<\/span><\/span> Indeed, it could be said that \u2018all roads lead to malice,\u2019 for it is the central node through which Satan\u2019s whisperings assail the heart. Therefore, purifying the heart of malice disarms the Devil of his most potent of weapons.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fasting, when observed in accordance with both its outward rules and inward realities, is among the most effective means of treating malice in the heart. The relationship between the two is reciprocal: fasting purifies malice, while malice corrupts fasting. For this reason, the Messenger of Allah \ufdfa urged believers to rid themselves of malice at least two weeks before the onset of Ramadan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fasting: A Treatment for Malice<\/b><\/h2>\n
\"forgive\"

\u201cWhen I forgave and held no malice toward anyone, I relieved my soul of the anxiety of enmity.” Imam al-Shafi’i [PC: Christopher Stites (unsplash)]<\/p><\/div>Malice has been described by the Prophet \ufdfa and the righteous predecessors as a \u201cdisturbance\u201d (<\/span>wa\u1e25ar<\/span><\/i>), an \u201cagitation\u201d (<\/span>waghar<\/span><\/i>), and a state of inner \u201cdisorder\u201d (<\/span>bal\u0101bila<\/span><\/i>). This is because malice harms the one who harbors it more than anyone else: it unsettles the heart, disrupts worship, and robs the soul of tranquility. As Imam al-Sh\u0101fi\u02bf\u012b expressed in his poetry, \u201cWhen I forgave and held no malice toward anyone, I relieved my soul of the anxiety of enmity.11<\/a><\/sup>Mu\u1e25ammad ibn Q\u0101sim al-Am\u0101s\u012b, Raw\u1e0d al-Akhy\u0101r al-Muntakhab min Rab\u012b\u02bb al-Abr\u0101r (D\u0101r al-Qalam al-\u02bfArab\u012b, 2002), 1:177.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When we fast, we deliberately train ourselves to refrain from retaliation and revenge. We cultivate patience, forbearance, and dignified self-restraint in the face of insult, in accordance with the Prophet\u2019s \ufdfa instruction, \u201cIf someone insults him or seeks to fight him, let him say: \u2018Indeed, I am fasting.\u201912<\/a><\/sup>Al-Bukh\u0101r\u012b, \u1e62a\u1e25\u012b\u1e25 al-Bukh\u0101r\u012b (D\u0101r \u1e6cawq al-Najj\u0101h, 2002), 3:26 #1904; Muslim ibn al-\u1e24ajj\u0101j, \u1e62a\u1e25\u012b\u1e25 Muslim (D\u0101r I\u1e25y\u0101\u02bc al-Kutub al-\u02bbArab\u012byah, 1955), 2:807 #1151. Full text at: www.abuaminaelias.com\/dailyhadithonline\/2011\/08\/07\/virtues-fasting-sawm\/<\/span>\u201d<\/span> This posture stands in direct opposition to the impulse of malice. Thus, one who truly fasts is actively resisting malice, even if unaware of its formal or academic definition.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this light, the commentators understood what the Prophet \ufdfa meant when he said,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShall I tell you what will rid the chest of disturbances? Fasting for three days each month.13<\/a><\/sup>Al-Nas\u0101\u2019\u012b, Sunan al-Nas\u0101\u2019\u012b (Maktab al-Ma\u1e6db\u016b\u02bb\u0101t al-Isl\u0101m\u012byah, 1986), 4:208 #2385; declared authentic (s\u0323ah\u0323i\u0304h\u0323) by Shaykh al-Alb\u0101n\u012b in \u1e62a\u1e25\u012b\u1e25 al-J\u0101mi\u2019 al-\u1e62agh\u012br wa Ziy\u0101datihi (al-Maktab al-Isl\u0101m\u012b, 1969), 1:509 #2608. Full text at: www.abuaminaelias.com\/dailyhadithonline\/2019\/04\/23\/fasting-purification-heart\/<\/span>\u201d<\/span> Imam al-San\u2019ani explained, \u201cDisturbances in the chest, that is, its malevolence, malice, rage, hypocrisy, or intense anger. This [ridding of disturbance] is due to the benefit of fasting.14<\/a><\/sup>Al-\u1e62an\u02bb\u0101n\u012b, Al-Tanw\u012br Shar\u1e25 al-J\u0101mi\u2019 al-\u1e62agh\u012br, 7:12.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The righteous predecessors likewise linked fasting to the treatment of malice, specifically citing the Prophet\u2019s \ufdfa description of Ramadan as \u201cthe month of patience.15<\/a><\/sup>Al-Nas\u0101\u2019\u012b, Sunan al-Nas\u0101\u2019\u012b, 4:218 #2408; declared authentic (s\u0323ah\u0323i\u0304h\u0323) by Shaykh al-Alb\u0101n\u012b in \u1e62a\u1e25\u012b\u1e25 al-J\u0101mi\u2019, 1:692 #3718. Full text at: www.abuaminaelias.com\/dailyhadithonline\/2014\/07\/03\/fasting-ramadan-three-days\/<\/span>\u201d<\/span> Al-\u1e24\u0101rith al-Hamd\u0101n\u012b, may Allah have mercy on him, said, \u201cFasting the month of patience\u2014Ramadan\u2014and fasting three days each month removes disorders within the chest.\u201d Muj\u0101hid similarly said, \u201cIt removes agitation within the chest.\u201d When asked what agitation in the chest is, he replied, \u201cHis malevolence.16<\/a><\/sup>\u2019Abd al-Razz\u0101q al-\u1e62an\u2019\u0101n\u012b, Mu\u1e63annaf \u2019Abd al-Razz\u0101q (al-Maktab al-Isl\u0101m\u012b, 1983), 4:298 #7872.<\/span>\u201d<\/span> Imam Ibn Ba\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101l clarified this linguistic connection, explaining, \u201cAgitation in the chest refers to the inflammation of malice and its burning within the heart.17<\/a><\/sup>Ibn Ba\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101l, Shar\u1e25 \u1e62a\u1e25\u012b\u1e25 al-Bukh\u0101r\u012b (Maktabat al-Rushd N\u0101shir\u016bn, 2003), 8:42.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If malice is the node around which Satan gathers his weapons, then patience is the virtue through which Allah dispenses His cures\u2014such as mercy (<\/span>ra\u1e25mah<\/span><\/i>) and sincere goodwill (<\/span>na\u1e63\u012b\u1e25ah<\/span><\/i>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Healing from the Disease<\/b><\/h2>\n

Malice is a malignant disease at all times of the year, not only during Ramadan, and its cure is not confined to fasting alone. Imam Ibn Qud\u0101mah, citing the great Imam al-Ghaz\u0101l\u012b, teaches that the general remedy for diseases of the heart is to compel oneself to act in opposition to them.18<\/a><\/sup>Ibn Qud\u0101mah al-Maqdis\u012b, Mukhta\u1e63ar Minh\u0101j al-Q\u0101\u1e63id\u012bn (Maktabat D\u0101r al-Bay\u0101n, 1978), 1:190.<\/span><\/span> Thus, if a Muslim feels inclined to curse another person, he should instead force himself to pray for that person\u2019s guidance and well-being\u2014however distasteful this may feel to the heart. As Imam al-Ghaz\u0101l\u012b observed, such remedies are \u201cvery bitter to the heart, yet benefit lies in bitter medicine.19<\/a><\/sup>Ab\u016b \u1e24\u0101mid al-Ghazz\u0101l\u012b, I\u1e25y\u0101\u2019 \u2019Ul\u016bm al-D\u012bn (D\u0101r al-Ma\u02bbrifah, 1980), 3:199.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Building upon this insight, Shaykh \u1e62\u0101li\u1e25 ibn al-\u1e24umayd, one of the Imams of al-Masjid al-\u1e24ar\u0101m in Mecca, offers the following counsel:<\/span><\/p>\n

Whoever is afflicted with the disease of malice must compel himself to behave toward the one he resents in a manner opposite to what his malice demands\u2014replacing censure with praise and arrogance with humility. He should place himself in the other\u2019s position and remember that he himself loves to be treated with gentleness and affection; thus, let him treat others in the same way.20<\/a><\/sup>\u1e62\u0101li\u1e25 ibn \u02bfAbd All\u0101h ibn \u1e24umayd, Na\u1e0drat al-Na\u2019\u012bm f\u012b Mak\u0101rim Akhl\u0101q al-Ras\u016bl al-Kar\u012bm (D\u0101r al-Was\u012blah lil-Nashr wal-Tawz\u012b\u02bf, 1998),10\/4432<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Such, then, is your mission this Ramadan: to enter the month with a heart purified of malice, and to emerge from it fortified against this disease ever taking root again. Strive to place yourself in the position of those you resent, so that you may regard them with empathy and incline your heart toward forgiveness. If nothing else, keep the words of the Messenger of Allah \ufdfa ever before your eyes, \u201cWhoever would love to be delivered from Hellfire and admitted into Paradise, let him meet his end with faith in Allah and the Last Day, and let him treat people as he would love to be treated.21<\/a><\/sup>Muslim, S\u0323ah\u0323i\u0304h\u0323 Muslim, 3:1472 #1844.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Success comes from Allah \"sub\u1e25\u0101nahu, and Allah \"sub\u1e25\u0101nahu knows best.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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Related:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n