THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN

THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN

We celebrate the month of Ramadan of all the Muslims all around
the world and we earnestly desire that this holy month brings fertility,
benefaction, serenity and, before all, peace to all the believers.

The Ramadan Month

The Ramadan Month is a month of fertility in which the Holy Qur'aan,
which was sent as a guide for all the mankind, was revealed and
which contains the Night of Power that is revealed to be “….
better than a thousand months.” (Sura Al-Qadr, Verse No. 3).
During this month, all Muslims on earth observe fasting and praise
Allah for all the blessings He has provided. Allah commands the
following in Sura Al-Baqarah in relation with the Ramadan Month:
“Ramadan is the (month) in which the Qur'aan that (contains)
Clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong)
was sent down as a guide to mankind. So every one of you who witnesses
that month should spend it in fasting. But if any one is ill, or
on a journey, the prescribed period (should be made up) by days
later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to
put you to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed
period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance
ye shall be grateful." (Sura Al-Baqarah, Verse No. 185)

The Fasting Observance

Observance of fasting in a way that it satisfies Allah is the
indicator of a strong faith, pure sincerity, cordiality and fear
of Allah; because, fasting is a worship between Allah and man. Only
Allah knows the intention, cordiality, and sincerity of the man
while he is fulfilling this obligation and his meticulousness in
practicing the illegitimate and legitimate things. It is impossible
for men to know whether a man fasts for the purpose to show off
or with a sincere intention. The consideration of this worship of
a person who is fasting is only given by Allah. Our Prophet Muhammad
(SAS) announced the following good news in one of his Hadiths (record
of a saying or action of the Prophet Muhammad): “How happy
they are who spend this month fasting, worshipping and spending
for goodness!”.

Allah commands that fasting is obligatory in Sura Al-Baqarah as
follows:

“Oh ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you
as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self
restraint.” (Sura Al-Baqarah, Verse No. 183)

Believers in Islam observe this command Allah notified in the Holy
Qur'aan during one month and they discipline their selves while
performing other religious exercises along with fasting. This understanding
ensures that a man gets to know his self more closely and impartially
on one hand, and allows him to understand how much he needs such
a discipline on the other.

Man benefits from the blessings of this special discipline he gets
in Ramadan Month in all areas of his life; because, there happens
some changes in the life of a man who has disciplined his self -
i.e. he has become aware of the fact that the blessings he has belong
to Allah and that he is impotent. Such a person’s conception
of the world, his responses to and interpretations of events become
different. His humane aspects become more important. Many highly
positive changes occur in the point of view of a person who has
recognized that it is impossible to live without Allah’s blessings,
and understood hunger by personally suffering it.

The Ramadan Month is a Means For Our Appreciating Allah’s
Endless Blessings With Us

“Can’t they see that we have created many animals for
them? Thus they own them. We have reduced the animals to obedience
for them; some of them are their mounts and they eat (the meat)
of some other. The animals have many a benefit and drinks for the
mankind. Won’t they be grateful for them anyway?” (Sura
Al-Yasin, Verse No.71 and 73)

Allah has created men with various deficiencies and inabilities
impotencies in this world. The fact that the man is obliged to take
nourishment until the end of his life, that his survival is dependent
on this condition is actually a deficiency. However, perhaps, many
people have not thought to consider the matter of nourishment as
impotence before. They have considered it a natural necessity as
a requirement of the nature of man. However, the fact that the man
has such a necessity is a deficiency and there are many reasons
hidden under this deficiency. Every individual should try to understand
these reasons; because, the man can only recognize his impotence
before our Creator and how much he is dependent on every blessing
to come from Him only when he understands that reason. This is one
of the reasons why fasting is made obligatory for the believers
in Islam; even hunger and thirst of short duration helps men to
remember and feel his own impotence and weakness and to understand
how much he is dependent on Allah, and serves as a means for the
man to properly appreciate the sustenance provided by Allah throughout
his life and to sincerely praise for them and think.

Man is dependent upon Allah and, in His capacity of “Sustenance
Provider”, Allah has provided all His men with what they need.
Allah has notified us of this fact in the Holy Qur'aan and He asks
His men who believe in Him to praise for all those blessings with
them.

“If you start counting the Blessings of Allah, you will not
be able to count even by making a generalization. Allah is really
compassionate and merciful.” (Sura Al-Nahl, Verse No. 18)

Conclusion

The Ramadan Month, all religious exercises performed in this month
and the good morals commanded by Allah in the Holy Qur'aan allow
us to act by sincerely turning towards Allah; because, the most
important quality that Allah requests and that will allow us to
be forgiven is sincerity. And all the religious exercises performed
help us live as a sincere believer in Islam.

“These are they in whose hearts (Allah) has inscribed true
faith and whom HE has strengthened with soul from Himself. And He
will admit them into Heavens through which streams flow; therein
they will abide. Allah is well pleased with them and they are well
pleased with Him. They are Allah's party. Hearken! It is Allah's
party who are the successful.” (Sura Al-Mujadilah, Verse No.
22)