Through his wise approach Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) wanted to help people develop their moral and religious understanding by using the punishment of sacred month violators to correct their behavior. The fundamental principles of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) which he used to resolve problems included both social order maintenance and respect for the rights of all people.
Attention to Mosques as an Effective Social and Political Institution
The familiarity of the noble Messenger of Islam and Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), with mosques throughout the year, and especially during the season of Ramadan, did not serve a purely devotional function.
Although the Khawarij and the adherents of Muawiyah were threatening the life of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), during the season of Ramadan, that Imam would enter the mosque unaccompanied by guards, and this very fact emboldened the Khawarij to plot his assassination inside the mosque.[¹] During Ramadan, while making his way to the mosque, the Imam would invite people to attend the mosques with the call, “Prayer, prayer!” and during this month, he would inspect the Grand Mosque and other mosques. [²] [³] During these inspections, the Imam would encourage and approve of commendable practices such as illuminating the mosques and reciting the Quran.[⁴] Encouraging the illumination of mosques and virtuous traditions like Quranic recitation circles, advising the designation of a place for purification, and providing the means for the presence of women and children in the mosque were among these practices. [⁵][⁶][⁷] Arfajah al-Thaqafi, one of the Imam’s companions, relates that during the month of Ramadan, he was appointed by Amir al-Muminin , (peace be upon him), as the prayer leader for women.[⁸]
Preserving the Sanctity of Religious Observances in Social Rights
In the conduct of the Imams regarding the reverence for these days and seasons, numerous examples can be found.
In some hadiths, the Imam considers eating and drinking during the month of Ramadan unbecoming, even for a traveler who returns to his city after noon and for women who are excused from fasting due to religious rulings. [⁹][¹⁰]
Another example of the approach of Amir al-Muminin , (peace be upon him), in preserving the sanctity of Ramadan is the intensification of punishment for those who do not hold Ramadan in due reverence.
Qays ibn Amr al-Harithi, known as Najashi, was a poet from Kufa and a companion of Amir al-Muminin , (peace be upon him), at the Battle of Siffin. Due to his skill in composing poetry and his ethnic and Arab nobility, he played a significant role in the cultural and social rivalry between Syria and Iraq, and his presence in Kufa was considered valuable.[¹¹]
What caused him to join Muawiyah and led him to satirize Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) and the social and cultural standing of Kufa and Iraq, was Amir al-Muminin’s insistence on the necessity of preserving the dignity and sanctity of Ramadan.[¹²] The incident was that he consumed wine during the month of Ramadan in the vicinity of Kufa, and the Imam added twenty lashes to his prescribed legal penalty for violating the sanctity of Ramadan.[¹³]
In response to Najashi’s query regarding the intensification of the punishment, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) stated that his audacity towards God and his failure to respect the sanctity of Ramadan was the reason for this decision, and he said:
“Our children are fasting, while you do not hold Ramadan in reverence.”[¹⁴]
