Yet another Ramadhan, the month of piety and training, reassessment and rethinking, and rejuvenation and rededication, has come to an end. About 1.7 billion Muslim men and women, who make about one-fourth of humanity, spent their days in fasting and nights in prayers and recitation of the Qur’ān. They generously spent of what Allah has given to them for the poor and the indigent and deprived and downtrodden. They paid their zakat and sadaquat for schools and madrasas and institutions and organisations, which are engaged in serving and uplifting the Ummah. Countless people devoted considerable part of their time in studying and pondering over the Holy Qur’ān, the criterion of good and evil, the complete and everlasting divine book of Guidance from the Lord of the Heavens and the earth, which was revealed in this very month. It is as a thanksgiving for the revelation of this great book that fasting has been prescribed.
The month-long spiritual and moral exercise strengthened their faith, increased their devotion and gave them more energy to implement Islamic teachings in the individual and collective life. Having gone through this annual refresher course in faith and obedience, they feel better equipped to work with greater and nobler zeal for serving the Ummah and the whole humanity at large. Now they are more confident that they have accumulated considerable moral strength and determination for pursuing their goal of life.
The Muslims are well aware of the dark forces from within and without which are always out to seduce and pull them down, but have confidence that this freshly acquired spiritual power will be of great help to them in their continuous struggle to achieve the ultimate meaning and objective of life namely peace and success and pleasure of God here and in the hereafter.
Muslim Ummah, having passed through various trials and tribulations, is now discovering that its salvation lies only in following Islamic teachings in their totality with sincerity and devotion.
Let the Ummah rededicate itself not only to the task of its own rejuvenation but also for reconstruction of the world on the divine principles of Islam by disseminating Islamic teachings and conveying the message of God to whole humanity. This is the formidable task the Ummah has been commanded to perform as it was done by those who responded to the call of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) in the earliest years of Islamic history. It entails wholehearted individual and collective efforts. It is not a bed of roses yet Allah will help those who tread His chosen path: roses will smile on those paths and mercy of Allah will pour down when they embark on this most meaningful, and the most valuable journey. After the training of Ramadhan the Ummah must dedicate itself for the challenging assignment. It is a daunting task and Allah will certainly help those who help Him.