Ramadan: The Blessed Month to Get and Give

Ramadan: The Blessed Month to Get and Give



Allah (subhanahu wa t'ala) created man fully equipped with all integral aspects of his entity - physical, mental, spiritual - so that he would recognize his fitra, his purpose, and accomplish the goal in his life to which he has committed himself. He cannot survive without the laws of Allah if he wishes to be a normal, functional human being.

Fasting was ordained at the first moment of man's appearance on Earth, along with the execution of all other Shari'a laws to be performed upon reaching maturity.

The goal of fasting is to attain all avenues of Divine protection, security and peace, as Allah concludes in the verse of Siyam, "...so, that you will attain taqwa."

Ramadan is derived from the root ra-ma-dha, which means: heat, thirst and dehydration.

Abstinence from consuming liquids is perhaps the most difficult ordinance in fasting. Next comes other prohibitions of refraining from eating and intimacy with one's spouse. Allah says, "And seek what Allah hath ordained for you and eat and drink until the white thread of dawn appears to you distinct from its black thread. Then continue fasting until the sunset."

Fasting is the ultimate form of self-discipline for man, as it helps him control his desires and reconnect with his Lord; for whenever he senses the pangs of hunger and thirst, he will be elevated to the level of spiritual bliss, as if he were seeing Allah; and if not actually seeing Him, he would at least perceive that Allah is seeing him.

In fasting, both the poor and the rich experience the same deprivations, as they are overcome with hunger and thirst by the decree of Allah (SWT). This is the law that elevates man from enslavement to his desires to the level of one who controls, and ultimately transcends, his desires. Man's response to the guidance and law of fasting is to find the strength to say "No" in a powerful way. He remembers how Adam lost his battle with the shaitan by neglecting the law of "Don't".

It is the substantial mercy of Allah that a sick person need not fast, nor a traveler, an elderly person who cannot fast, a menstruating woman, or a woman in nifas (postpartum bleeding). Likewise, pregnant or breast-feeding women, if a physician advises her against it, are exempt from fasting. This illustrates the ease of the Shari'a. Allah makes every law flexible and compatible with man's circumstances. "Allah wills ease for you, but does not will difficulty for you."

Ramadan is the month in which the Holy Qur'an was revealed, so there is harmony between the fasting body and the soul, which is yearning to receive the message of heaven. The heart, which controls desire, is the heart which can assimilate the substance of inspiration. The Muslim now becomes qualified to carry out the message with patience, constancy and commitment.

This holy month is characterized by devoting oneself to living with the Qur'an. The Prophet (SAWS) was the most generous during Ramadan, when Gibreel (Gabriel) used to review the entire Qur'an with him. During these times, the Prophet would be more generous and fruitful than a wind loaded with rain.

The month of Ramadan is also precious for the believer because of the evening prayers after Salat ul-Ishaa (the 'Taraweeh). The Prophet (SAWS) said, "The one who observes the night prayers of Ramadan in faith and seeking Allah's blessings, will be forgiven his former sins.” This optional prayer is referred to in Surat al-Muzammil. "Oh, thou folded in garments! Stand to prayer by night, but not all of the night, half of it -or a little less, or a little more; and recite the Qur'an in slow, measured rhythmic tones."

The Creator who prescribed fasting for man's welfare, out of his boundless mercy and compassion, grants man the greatest bounties: "The one, who fasts the month of Ramadan out of true faith and looking to Allah for blessing, will be forgiven his former sins."

We should strive to seek the night of Layla al-Qadr, the night of power, which is so exclusively loaded with the value of being “better than a thousand months." Can anyone spend more than eighty years making ibadah incessantly? Of course, this is humanly impossible! This glorious night was designated with the existence of Creation. On this very night of al-Qadr, Gibreel suddenly appeared and surprised the Prophet (SAWS) in the cave of Hera when he delivered the first immortal words, "Proclaim! (or Read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, who created...." A Muslim should seek this night in the last ten nights of Ramadan, in particular, the odd nights.

A Muslim is ranked during Ramadan on the steps of righteousness and glory until, finally, at the end of the month, he provides the poor with the sadaqat al-Fitr and invites his needy brother to join the community for special food, clothing and rejoicing at the conclusion of the completion of the fast.

At the conclusion of Ramadan, Allah will bestow upon believers a new dignity and elevation of taqwa, whose reverberations will be felt throughout the months to come. Allah says, "So you will complete the days of Ramadan and make takbir because of how Allah guided you and in order to show your acknowledgement of Allah's grandeur."