Alhamdulillah, the sun of the blessed month of Ramadhan has beamed on us once again. The month that brings with it abundant blessings, copious rewards and abounding favours of Allah (سبحانہ وتعالیٰ). In Islamic calendar, this month of Ramadhan has been set apart exclusively for Ibadah (prayer). For this purpose, unlike normal days, decks are cleared and hindrances removed in this month by Allah (سبحانہ وتعالیٰ) to create favourable atmosphere and ambience facilitating easy and smooth indulgence with prayer by opening the gate of the Paradise, closing the door of the Hell and fettering the Satan (Bukhari – 1899). On the other hand, the rewards for prayers are made manifold. As the holy month progresses, the rain of blessings, bounties, favours and rewards becomes heavier and heavier and ascends to its peak in its last ten days.
All these elaborate arrangements, as mentioned above, are made by our merciful Lord to facilitate us to purify ourselves both internally and externally with the sole purpose of infilling in us the quality of Taqwa (piety) for our ultimate salvation. As the Holy Qur’ān clearly mentions, “O’those who believe, fasting has been enjoined upon you as was enjoined for those before you so that you may become God-fearing.” (2:183)
For easy understanding, the quality of Taqwa may be likened to the resistance power of our soul. We covet and struggle to increase the resistance power of our body to ward off the ill effects of bacteria, virus and other hazards to keep ourselves healthy. Similarly, the quality of Taqwa is the resistance power of our soul which keeps our spiritual-selves healthy and purifies it by warding off spiritual diseases, like undeterred acquisitiveness, envy, rancour, spite, backbiting, etc. Without equipping ourselves with the quality of Taqwa, we cannot find guidance in the Holy Qur’ān which in no uncertain terms proclaims: “It provides guidance to those equipped with Taqwa.” (2:2)
As mentioned above, in the last ten days of this holy month the rain of bounties and favours reaches its zenith. This is the reason why the last ten days of Ramadhan finds special mention in the Holy Qur’ān and Sunnah. Reports Hazrat Aisha, “When the Ramadhan entered the last ten days, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to gird himself (for prayer), pray for the whole night and awaken His family members (also for prayer).” (Bukhari:2024)
FOUR EXCLUSIVE BOUNTIES
If we delve into its reason, we find four exclusive bounties during the last ten days. These bounties are:
(i)LailatulQadr (The night of power) : This is one night in the last ten days of Ramadhan aptly called the ‘Night of Power’. The Holy Qur’ān mentions that this blessed night is better than a thousand months (97:3). This night has assumed such exalted position only because the Holy Qur’ān – the pure and infallible guidance for mankind – was revealed which mankind could not have gotten on its own even by making prayers for thousand months or even for the whole life.
It is nothing but the mercy and benevolence of Allah (سبحانہ وتعالی) that He gave us this Guide Book called the Qur’ān. This was revealed as nectar by the Most Merciful Lord to resuscitate the entire humanity writhing on the brink of death and disaster. That’s why Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has exhorted us to trace this blessed night in the odd nights of the last ten days and pray (Bukhari:2017). The Prophet said, whosoever stands in prayer in this night with firm faith, attention and alertness all his earlier sins are erased. (Bukhari:2014)
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has also recommended a special supplication in this blessed night i.e.Allahummainnakaafuwwunkarimuntuhibbulafwafa’fu anni (O’ my Lord, you are ever forgiver and generous, you love forgiving so forgive me.) (Tirmizi:3513) But it is sheer negligence on our part that we do not pay the requisite heed to the Holy Qur’ān as it deserves. This night visits every year in Ramadhan to remind us of this fact.
Throwing light on the importance of this night vis a vis our negligent behaviour, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad writes, “Alas! how moanful and mournful your obliviousness and waywardness are. You eagerly search for this night but never search for what was revealed in this night which made it so exalted and powerful. If you really get this, every night is LailatulQadr (night of power) for you.” (TarjamanulQur’ān, Tafseer Surah Al-Qadr)
(ii)Itikaf (The Retreat) : This means to keep oneself secluded in retreat in a mosque for the last ten days of Ramadhan. It is mentioned in the book of Hadith that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to regularly go into retreat in mosque in the last ten days of Ramadhan. He entered the mosque before sunset of 20th of Ramadhan and came out only after the Shawwal crescent had been sighted. It is one of the most pious acts of merit strongly recommended, though not obligatory. These ten days one restricts oneself in the four walls of a mosque exclusively for prayer and drenches oneself completely in the heaviest rain of blessings, severing all mundane affairs and relations from the outside world with the sole object to achieve proximity to Allah (سبحانہ وتعالیٰ) as much as one can through prayers and pious exercises. If done properly, one enjoys savouringthe moment, undergoes divine experiences and relishes the taste of inner fulfilment and spiritual enlightenment.
(iii)Sadqa-e-Fitr (Fast-breaking charity): It has been made obligatory for all the Muslims to pay Sadqa-e-Fitr (a special form of charity in Ramadhan) to the destitute, poor and needy worth about 2.5 kg of wheat or its price per member of a family even on behalf of the one born before Eid prayer. This charity is to be paid preferably in the last days of Ramadhan or at the most before Eid prayer. The sole purpose of this charity as mentioned in a Hadith is “to remove and purify our fasting of the stains we blemish by vain talks and lasciviousness and also food for the underprivileged.” (Abu Daud – 1609)
This is another favour of our Beneficent Lord providing us with an opportunity to erase the blemishes of our fasting to make it acceptable to Allah (سبحانہ وتعالیٰ) by paying the Sadqa-e-Fitr, which may well be called expiatory charity. And whoever on earth can claim that his fasting is totally unspotted and uncorrupted by intentional or unintentional violations. Paying off this charity clears our fasting from the stains of any such violation like the hot press that clears the cloth of wrinkles.
(iv)Eid al-Fitr: Just at the end of Ramadhan we celebrate Eid al-Fitr. What for? What’s the purpose? The Holy Qur’ān, while mentioning the purpose of it, says, “… so that you may pronounce the greatness of Allah (سبحانہ وتعالیٰ) for the Guidance (the Qur’ān) He gave you and you may pay thanks to Him for.” (2:185)
After the month long fast one earns the quality of Taqwa (Piety and self-restraint) necessary to seek guidance from the Qur’ān and then at the close of the month Allah (سبحانہ وتعالیٰ) gives us the Qur’ān and makes us its true custodian so that we may cast our life in this mould and establish justice on earth. What can be a better elevation than being the custodian of the pure unalloyed guidance of Allah (سبحانہ وتعالیٰ) which makes us Khair-e-Ummah(Best of the people). This elevation we celebrate as Eid al-Fitr, chanting Allahu Akbar (Allah is Supreme), making the world known that this Book establishes the supremacy and sovereignty of Allah (سبحا نہوتعالیٰ) on this earth and not of any person, family, clan, tribe caste or colour. All human beings are the progeny of Adam and Adam was made of dust. Thus we celebrate this occasion, of emerging to the clear light from the utter gloom, as Eid by bowing our head in obeisance to Allah (سبحا نہوتعالیٰ), our Lord, our Creator – the one and only and paying thanks for this guidance.
GIRDING LOINS
In order to be compatible with the importance and such elaborate arrangements made by Allah (سبحانہ وتعالیٰ), what is required is elaborate preparation by girding our loins to welcome this month with maximum zeal and fervour. The importance of this month calls us for shunning or at least keeping all our worldly engagements to the bare minimum and spare our maximum time exclusively for Zikr (Remembrance of Allah) and Ibadah (Prayer). This may require us for possible leave from job, trade, business and other avoidable engagements.
We must keep even food preparation in our houses to very normal to allow the ladies to spare their time for prayer. We may make necessary purchasing and other household involvements before the start of this month as far as possible to spare time to draw maximum benefits from this holy month to purify ourselves both intrinsically and corporally. Such preparations shall facilitate us to set apart more time for Ibadah.
BRAZEN ACCIDIE
It is heart rending to mention that, barring a limited number of conscious Muslims, our general response to this elaborate arrangements and facilitative atmosphere provided by our Merciful Lord for our purification in this month, is very cold and subdued. Some make this month the month of feasting, nay gluttoning, and keep their women engaged in kitchen to load the dining table with delectable and piquant comestibles of different tastes and flavours at the time of Iftar (fast breaking).
Some make this month a month of shopping and purchasing and keep themselves busy for Eid –shopping particularly during the last ten days of the month. Even in LailatulQadr we find our markets flooded and abuzz with men and women frantically engaged in shopping the whole night when they are supposed to be in prostration before their Lord at that time.
NONCHALANT SHRUG
Worse, most of our youth give nonchalant shrug to this blessed month not realising its importance. They not only skip fasting on the frivolous excuses but shamelessly eat and drink in the open in blatant defiance of the commandment of Allah (سبحانہوتعالیٰ) without whit of compunction and being quite oblivious of His wrath they are inviting. Such shameful activities tantamount to rebellion against Allah.
High-power Generator
To conclude, it may be said that Allah (سبحانہ وتعالیٰ) sends this month as a high-voltage power generator. We are required to recharge to the full, by engaging in Ibadah to the maximum, enabling ourselves to tread the path of Allah (سبحانہ وتعالیٰ) comfortably for the rest of the year. Otherwise, in rest of the year we are sure to experience frequent tripping in our connection with Allah which may damage our Iman (belief). May Allah (سبحانہ وتعالیٰ) lead us to the right path.