Alhamdulillah, the blessed month of Ramadan is about to envelope us shortly. The month that showers abundant blessings, copious rewards and abounding favours of Allah (سبحانہوتعالیٰ) for every good deed. In Islamic calendar, this month of Ramadan has been set apart exclusively for Ibadah (prayer). The exclusive prayer prescribed in this month is fasting. In Islamic phraseology this month-long fasting is called Saum or Roza that means to refrain from eating and drinking and association with wife from the start of dawn to the sunset.
The sole purpose of fasting is to inculcate in ourselves the quality of Taqwa i.e. piety or self-restraint. As the holy Qur’an 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 this purpose, unlike normal days, Allah (سبحانہوتعالیٰ) creates favourable atmosphere and ambience facilitating easy and unhindered indulgence with prayer by opening the Gates of the Paradise, closing the door of the Hell and fettering the Satan. (Bukhari – 1899) On the other hand, the reward for prayers are made manifold.
All these elaborate arrangements, as mentioned above, are made by our Merciful Lord to facilitate us to purge and purify ourselves both internally and externally with the sole purpose of infilling in us the quality of Taqwa (self-restraint) for our well-being in this material word and also for ultimate salvation.
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 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-self healthy and purifies it by warding off spiritual diseases, like undeterred acquisitiveness, envy, rancour, spite, backbiting and inclination to harming others. Without equipping ourselves with the quality of Taqwa, we cannot find guidance even in the Holy Qur’an which in no uncertain terms proclaims: “It provides guidance to those equipped with Taqwa.” (2:2)
Girding Loins
In order to be compatible with the importance and such elaborate arrangements made by Allah (سبحانہو تعالیٰ), 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 devote 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 get more time for Ibadah.
Brazen Sloth
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.
Dismissive Shrug
Worse, a large number of us, youth in particular, give dismissive 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 consciously or unconsciously invite. Such shameful activities are tantamount to rebellion against Allah, the consequences of which one is bound to face both here and hereafter.
The Last Ten Days
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. This is the reason why the last ten days of Ramadan finds special mention in the Holy Quran and Sunnah. Reports Hazrat Aisha, “When the Ramadan entered the last ten days, Prophet Mohammad ﷺ used to gird himself (for prayer), pray for the whole night and also awaken His family members (for prayer).” (Bukhari:2024)
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 Ramadan aptly called the ‘Night of Power’. The Holy Qur’an mentions that this blessed night is better than a thousand months (97:3). This night has assumed such exalted position only because the Holy Quran – 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 (سبحانہوتعالیٰ) that He gave us this Guide Book called the Qur’an. 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 Muhammadﷺ also recommended a special supplication in this blessed night i.e. Allahummainnakaafuwwunkarimuntuhibbulafwafa’fuanni (O’ my Lord, you are ever forgiver and generous, you love forgiving; so, forgive me). (Tirmidhi:3513) But it is sheer negligence on our part that we do not pay the requisite heed to the Holy Qur’an as it deserves.
This night visits Ramadan every year to remind us of this fact. Throwing light on the importance of this night vis-à-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.” (Tarjamanul Qur’an, 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 Ramadan. 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 Ramadan. He entered the mosque before sunset of 20th of Ramadan and come 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 fourwalls 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 (سبحانہوتعالیٰ) as much as one can through prayers and pious exercises. If done properly, one enjoys savouring the 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 Ramadan) 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 Ramadan or at the most before Eid prayer. The sole purpose of this charity as mentioned in Hadith is “to remove and purify our fasting of the stains we blemish by vain talks and lasciviousness and also as a means of provision 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 (سبحانہوتعالیٰ) 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 Ramadan we celebrate Eid al-Fitr. What for? What’s the purpose? The Holy Qur’an, while mentioning the purpose of it, says, “… so that you may pronounce the greatness of
Allah (سبحانہوتعالیٰ) for the Guidance (the Qur’an) He gave you and you may pay thanks to Him for.” (2:185). After the month-long fast one earns the quality of Taqwa necessary to seek guidance from the Qur’an and then at the close of the month Allah (سبحانہوتعالیٰ) gives us the Qur’an and makes us its true custodian so that we may cast our life in this mould and establish justice on the earth.
What can be a better elevation than being the custodian of the pure unalloyed guidance of Allah (سبحانہوتعالیٰ) 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 know that this Book establishes the supremacy and sovereignty of Allah (سبحانہوتعالیٰ) 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, after emerging to the clear light from the utter gloom, as Eid by bowing our head in obeisance to Allah (سبحانہوتعالیٰ) , our Lord, our creator – the one and only and paying thanks for this guidance.
Internal Invigoration
To conclude, it may be said that Allah (سبحانہوتعالیٰ) sends this month as a high-voltage power generator. We are required to internally invigorate ourselves by recharging the battery of Imaan to the full by engaging inIbadah to the maximum. This will keep us committed and steadfast striding in the path of Allah (سبحانہوتعالیٰ) for the rest of the year. If we fail to do so, it is sure to experience frequent tripping in our connection with Allah which may damage our Imaan (belief). May Allah (سبحانہوتعالیٰ) bless us with the understanding of the intrinsic values of this month and accordingly guide us to reap maximum benefits from it.