THE MONTH OF LOVE AND COMPASSION: The humans constitute family, society, groups, organisations, and nations. The main constituents that bind the members of these constituted entities respectively are love and compassion. Wife and husband, parents and children, neighbours and relatives, friends and siblings, traders and customers, organisers and helpers, managers and subordinates, rulers and the subject remain connected with one another so long as the spirit of love and compassion endure. The more the love and compassion among the people the stronger the bond among them. The dimmer the love and compassion the weaker the relationship. Allah has deposited these two instincts, love and compassion in the very nature of humanity. The Qur’an says: “And among His signs is that He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find solace in them, and He put between you love and compassion; most surely there are signs in this for those who reflect” (30:21).
It is the love and compassion between the wife and husband which extend to the family. Thus, all the families in a society share the same attitude of love and compassion with one another. Likewise, all the communities in a nation demonstrate the same spirit of relationship. It may here be questioned as to why then the people also fight with each other. There is no denying the fact that the negative attitudes like hatred, jealousy, and ill-will do exist in the human psyche along with the spirit of love and compassion. The two sets of attitudes, negative and positive contrast with each other and the unseen forces behind one try to dominate the other. Whichever is stronger prevails. In order to make the positive attitudes, love and compassion stronger, Ramadan is the ideal month.
The most important relationship based on love and compassion is that of wife and husband. In Ramadan, the love and compassion between them need to be paid special attention to. The ayah 2:187 is a part of ayaat constituting the context of Ramadan. One part thereof reads: “sexual intercourse with your wives during the fast night has been made lawful for you; they are cover for you and you are cover for them; Allah knew that you acted hesitatingly in your souls, so He has turned to you favourably and forgiven you; so now share bed with them and seek what Allah has destined for you…” (2:187). This ayah refers to practical demonstration of love and compassion between wife and husband.
It is not to be forgotten that sexual relationship between wife and husband is the main adhesive element responsible for enhancing love and compassion between them. Had the sex even at night in Ramadan been forbidden, the conjugal link between wife and husband would have adversely been affected. The suggestion that abstinence from sex even at night enhances taqwa may not withstand the scrutiny. If conjugal sex makes spiritually negative impact on the wife and husband, why did then Allah declare it lawful? Moreover, the statement – they are cover for you and you are cover for them – does not leave even an iota of doubt over the wisdom behind legalisation of sex in fast nights. Wife and husband particularly the young ones or the newly married always look for the opportunity to enjoy sex. So, during Ramadan, they can do so at nights.
One meaning of the above phrase that wife and husband are cover for each other is that they should both remain inclined and ready to satisfy each other’s valid desire, otherwise they may resort to some other ways that will surely be invalid and unlawful. Undoubtedly, Allah allowed the married couple to enjoy sex at fast nights because He Himself created love and compassion between them. Thus, the more the opportunity for sex in the sacred month nights the more the love and compassion will penetrate their hearts.
THE MONTH OF CREATIVITY
Curiosity is embedded in human nature. Man wants to know what and why about everything. For that matter, he uses his heart, eyes, and ears. As discussed earlier, these three organs constitute intellectual power. The Qur’an has mentioned the three intellectual faculties (hearing, seeing, and understanding) six times in one and the same order (16:78; 17:36; 23:78; 32:9; 46:26; 67:23). Only two of them are quoted here in full:
1) “And follow not that about which you have no knowledge. Surely, the hearing, the seeing, and the heart, all of these shall be questioned about that” (17:36).
2) “He it is Who created you and made for you the power of hearing (al-sam‘), the power of seeing (al-absar), and the power of understanding (al-af’idah) yet you are seldom grateful” (67:23).
These three organs, faculties or acts refer to three stages of knowledge development. The hearing means learning the existing knowledge on the subject concerned; the seeing signifies observing the collected knowledge and analysing it; and the hearts denote developing new dimension of knowledge. This is the Qur’anic scheme of the growth of knowledge involving three human faculties. All these three stages are significant, but the second stage seems to be more important than the first and the last. The second stage, basar or absar is critical thinking over the collected, compiled, and memorised existing knowledge in a subject concerned. Critical thinking involves understanding, analysing, recognising, and internalising the existing information.
Let us now take only one relevant example in this regard. The interpretation of the Qur’an (tafsir) is available today in the form of hundreds of works written by many scholars in the classical, medieval, modern, and contemporary periods. Around 99% of these works may be deemed as collection and compilation of the already existing material in the field. It may then be said that the tafsir works merely represent only the first stage of the knowledge development. It needs to undergo the second and the third stages, particularly the second one.
The Qur’an is the repository of wisdom which needs to be unfolded in the tafsiri exercises. It is possible only by undertaking the effort to the stage of critical thinking and thereafter identifying the pearls of wisdom. The Qur’an was revealed in the month of Ramadan. With relationship between the Qur’an and Ramadan believers are advised to utilise the month of Ramadan in playing their part in the development of knowledge.
The Qur’an uses two terms quite often in its messages, tafakkur and tadabbur. Both these terms denote contemplation, deliberation, critical thinking, and pondering, etc.
1) “We have sent down the Reminder to you to enable you to make clear to mankind what has been sent down to them, so that they may reflect (yatafakkarun) upon it” (16:44).
2) “Do they not then ponder (yatadabbarun) over the Qur’an? Or have they locked their hearts out?” (47:24).
These two ayaat clearly indicate to the relationship of humanity with the Qur’an. Obviously, the Qur’an was revealed for mankind to read it, to ponder it, to believe in its authenticity, to delve into its fathomless ocean of wisdom, and to internalise its messages into practical life. It is through critical thinking (tafakkur and tadabbur) that one can develop in-depth understanding of the Qur’an which was revealed in the month of Ramadan.
The Qur’an and Ramadan are deeply connected with each other. For the sake of benefitting from the fasting month, the Qur’an is to be focussed on throughout Ramadan. One can then surely realise that Ramadan is the best opportunity for the humanity for reflection on the Message of Allah, for introspection, for intellectual exercise, for invocation to the Creator, for devotion to Him, for moral orientation, for financial succour to the needy, and for demonstrating love and compassion.
Thus, Ramadan serves as a venue for training of humans to make them ready to act for the remaining eleven months of the year. Ramadan from this angle is the month of Allah’s mercy on the humanity. Utilising the wisdom of Ramadan in the best way possible is to create peace and justice on the surface of the earth. (Concluded)