Tuesday 8 July 2014
Ramadan, healer of hearts - The Way To Akhirah
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Ramadan, healer of hearts
I
wish to start this piece by remembering Muslims oppressed and exposed
to aggression all over the world. Millions of innocent people struggling
to survive in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, East Turkestan, Myanmar,
Crimea, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Moro, Pattani and many other places are
awaiting a helping hand from their Muslim brothers.
Putting
ourselves in their position, understanding their circumstances and
striving with all our might for their salvation during this holy month
is without doubt one of our greatest responsibilities.
We
hope that this blessed month will be one when these troubles are lifted
from Muslims and when, by Allah’s leave, they will attain bright days
filled with peace.
Ramadan
being the month when the Holy Quran, which leads people from the
darkness to the light of the path of our Almighty and All-Wise Lord, was
sent down as guidance, glad tidings and a reminder to those who tremble
in awe makes it of enormous importance for all Muslims. Our Almighty
Lord says this about the month: “The month of Ramadan is the one
in which the Quran was sent down as guidance for mankind, with clear
signs containing guidance and discrimination. Any of you who are
resident for the month should fast it. But any of you who are ill or on a
journey should fast a number of other days. Allah desires ease for you;
He does not desire difficulty for you. You should complete the number
of days and proclaim Allah’s greatness for the guidance He has given you
so that hopefully you will be thankful.” (Surat al-Baqara, 185)
The
month of Ramadan is a holy one that also contains the Night of Power.
Our Lord describes the Night of Power as “better than a thousand
months”.
Ramadan
is a month of compassion, forgiveness, cleansing and plenty. This holy
month has a unique place in terms of increasing the solidarity of
believers, who discharge their fasting obligations in union and unity.
As a matter of fact, believers increase their feelings of solidarity,
mutual aid and brotherhood and are bound to one another with bonds of
love every Ramadan.
Every
day of Ramadan is a day of festivity for Muslims; it is a blessing of
health and ease for the whole Islamic world and an important opportunity
to gain Allah’s good pleasure.
Our
Prophet tells believers this in one of the hadiths: “How happy are
those who spend this month fasting, worshipping and in doing good
deeds!”
The
observances that are commanded in the month of Ramadan bestow much
spiritual value on believers, help them grow as they restrain their
lower-selves and improve their moral values, and keep their religious
consciousness fresh. Fasting teaches one to overcome the lower-self and
restrain earthly desires; that is why Ramadan can be described as a
month of victory over the lower-self.
In
the same way that believers do not eat or drink during the hours of
fasting, they also avoid poor moral values, such as lying, backbiting,
unpleasant speech, giving offense, or anger in the face of events. They
do all they can to exhibit good moral virtues.
They
reflect on hunger and thirst, remember that the poor and hungry are in
need, realise the importance of helping the needy to the extent of their
means, spend what they have on good causes and look to help those in
difficulties.
Renowned
Islamic scholar Bediüzzaman Said Nursi describes how the month of
Ramadan trains the lower-self: “The instinctual soul wants to be free
and independent and considers itself to be thus. According to the
dictates of its nature, it even desires an imaginary dominicality and to
act as it pleases. Thus, in the month of Ramadan, the instinctual soul
of everyone, from the richest to the poorest, may understand that it
does not own itself, but is totally owned; that it is not free, but is a
slave. It understands that if it receives no command, it is unable to
do the simplest and easiest thing, it cannot even stretch out its hand
towards water. Its imaginary dominicality is, therefore, shattered; it
performs its worship and begins to offer thanks, its true duty.” (Letters, 29th letter, fourth point)
It
is very important that this sincerity acquired during Ramadan, this
concentration on training the lower-self and this scrupulousness over
moral virtues and remembering Allah and prayer, should not come to an
end once Ramadan is over.
Someone
with powerful faith must live by the moral virtues he exhibits during
Ramadan at all moments of his life. He must avoid evil all his life,
heed the voice of his conscience, strive for Allah’s approval with a
pure intent and turn to Allah alone. These are the values that will
please Allah.
The
alternative, in other words, worshiping and praying only during Ramadan
and then abandoning the moral values of the Quran after this month, is
forbidden by Allah.
I
once again sincerely hope that the month of Ramadan will bring
goodness, plenty and peace to all my Muslim brothers and sisters. May
the spiritual values acquired during Ramadan last a lifetime.
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Author: Ajnas Aboobacker
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