“When the first night of the month of Ramaḍān arrives, the devils and the rebellious among the jinn are chained; the gates of the Fire are closed, and none of them is opened; the gates of Paradise are opened, and none of them is closed. A caller then proclaims: ‘O seeker of good, come forward; O seeker of evil, desist.’ And Allah has those whom He frees from the Fire—and that is every night.”

Narrated by al-Tirmidhī (no. 682), with the wording being his; Ibn Mājah (no. 1642); Ibn Khuzaymah (no. 1883); Ibn Ḥibbān (no. 3435); and al-Ḥākim in al-Mustadrak (no. 1532), from the ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him).
Authenticated in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb wa al-Tarhīb (no. 998) and Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ (no. 1960).

Brief Explanation of the Hadith

This ḥadīth clarifies the great virtue and mercy uniquely bestowed upon the month of Ramaḍān, for the believer welcomes it with successive divine gifts that prepare the means of obedience, open before him the gates of hope, call him to hasten toward goodness, and warn him against persisting in evil during a season in which mercies descend and bestowals are renewed every night.
The first of these divine bestowals is his statement (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): “When the first night of Ramaḍān arrives,” that is, at the beginning of the month of Ramaḍān, “the devils and the rebellious among the jinn are chained.” Chaining (taṣfīd) means being bound with shackles—that is, their hands are restrained with fetters and chains—so they are unable to reach the son of Ādam with whispering and temptation as they are able to do outside of Ramaḍān. It has also been said that the intended meaning is that they are prevented from causing corruption as they do at other times, due to the believers’ preoccupation with fasting, recitation of the Qurʾān, and remembrance.
The rebellious ones (al-maradah) are the fierce and defiant among the jinn, wholly devoted to evil and misguidance. This does not mean that evil ceases entirely, for the servant must still strive against his own soul. Hence it was said that the devil is chained only away from the one who fulfills the conditions and etiquettes of fasting; as for one who restricts himself to abstaining from food and drink while failing to guard his limbs, he is not like the former.
Among the divine bestowals of this month is his statement: “and the gates of the Fire are closed, and none of them is opened,” due to Allah’s abundant pardon of the sinful among the monotheists; and “the gates of Paradise are opened, and none of them is closed”—and its gates are eight. The ḥadīth is to be understood according to its apparent meaning, that the opening of the gates of Paradise and the closing of the gates of the Fire are in their literal sense.
In the opening of the gates of Paradise there is glad tidings of the virtue of Ramaḍān, encouragement toward righteous action, and magnification of the sanctity of this month.
Among the divine gifts of the month of Ramaḍān is His saying: “And a caller calls: O seeker of good, come forward; and O seeker of evil, desist.” This call recurs each night, a divine proclamation that this is a time for earnest effort and diligence. It exhorts the people of virtue to advance and restrains the people of vice from transgression, while simultaneously opening the door of repentance to them. Thus, no sinner is to despair, nor any aspirant to goodness to grow negligent, and the opportunity is renewed daily.
Among the divine gifts of the month of Ramaḍān is His saying: “And Allah has those whom He frees from the Fire—and that is every night”; in another narration: “Indeed, Allah has those whom He frees from the Fire at every breaking of the fast,” and in a third: “Every day and night.”
The meaning is that by His grace and generosity, Allah frees during the nights of Ramaḍān a multitude of those who deserved the Fire through their sins, bestowing upon them His pardon. Thus, the door of hope remains open, hearts are bound to aspiration, and the servant strives in the hope of being among the ranks of the freed.
There is no contradiction among these wordings; rather, the intent is to clarify the continual renewal and repetition of this bounty in Ramaḍān, and that emancipation from the Fire occurs at the breaking of the fast each day, which is the beginning of the night upon the completion of sunset. Thus, the mention of “day” is in consideration of its breaking of the fast, not independently of the night.
The ḥadīth indicates the importance of seizing virtuous times, showing that the sanctity of the period facilitates abundant obedience and the diminution of sin. It affirms the existence of Paradise and Hell, which are present now and possess gates that are opened and closed. It further demonstrates the vast grace and generosity of Allah, for He prepares for His servants the means of guidance, safeguards their fasts, and alleviates the plots of the devils against them, out of mercy and to facilitate their path to Paradise.