By: Sulaiman Osho
IN the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Almighty God says in Qur’an 3:25-27, “But how (will they fare) when We gather them together against a day about which there is no doubt and each soul will be paid out just what it has earned without (favour or injustice)? Say: ‘O God! Lord of Power (and Rule) thou givest power to whom Thou pleasest and Thou strippest off power from whom Thou pleasest thou enduest with honour whom thou pleasest and thou bringest low whom Thou pleasest; in Thy hand is all Good. Verily over all things Thou hast power. Thou causest the night to gain on the day and Thou causest the day to gain on the night; Thou bringest the living out of the dead and thou bringest the dead out of the living; and Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou pleasest without measure.’”
The emergence of the month of Ramadan when fasting is compulsory for the Muslims always heralds the spiritual and moral uplift of individuals and the society at large. Perhaps it is a month of training and re-training of the faithful to deepen their devotion to Allah, the Creator and source of all goodness, truth and beauty. (Qur’an 36:81:59:24). Perhaps it is a period of re-awakening of the spirits of man as a responsible, dignified and honourable agent of Allah on earth (Qur’an 2:30; 32:9).
Ramadan is a month of spiritual retreat for man to reflect on the limitless Blessing of Allah on him as everything in heaves and the earth are subjected to the service of mankind. (Qur’an 2:29; 22:65, 31:20; 45:13). Perhaps it is a Blessed month when the mercy and forgiveness of Allah are sent down on the children of Adam for restraining themselves from the good things of Allah within the limit of their power and capacity for the sake of the Almighty (Qur’an 2:283, 286).
Ramadan is a unique moment when high integrity and sound morality of man is guaranteed as we display high sense of moderation, practicality and balancing in the month of fast. It is a special month of spiritualism when the obligatory acts of faith (iman), worship (salat), poor rate (zakat), fast (sawm), and in fact lesser hajj (umrah) are observed with total submission to the will of Allah. Man’s responsibility on earth to worship Allah and seek His pleasure is at the highest level during the month of Ramadan (Q.51:57).
Indeed, Satan is in chains in the month and the gates of paradise are opened and the seven gates of hell are closed. That is perhaps the reason why believers and non-believers shun negativities such as pool betting and visits to brothels, liquor shops and other forbidden places in Islam.
Truly, the arrival of Ramadan has changed the attitude, behaviour, value and norms in our society. The twin engine of the machinery of bribery and corruption and all forms of indecencies like nude pictures, obscene talks, back-biting and evil deeds like stealing, armed robbery, pen robbery, assassination, kidnapping and others are reduced to the minimum. This is one of the miracles about the blessed month of Ramadan.
The Prophet (SAW) says: “Fasting is a shield or shelter from committing sins. If one of you is fasting, he should avoid obscenity and quarreling, and if somebody should fight or quarrel with him, he should say: ‘I am fasting.’”
Besides, Ramadan fast has provided a golden opportunity for us to atone for our past sins, errors and mistakes. And since Allah is the Great Forgiver (Al-Ghaffar), we engage in the fast in total obedience to his directive and instruction so that He may overlook our sins (Qur’an 22:60; 38:66:64:14).
Since Allah is the forgiver of sins, we engage in acts of worship in the month of Ramadan to seek His forgiveness for our minor and major sins (Qur’an 40:3).
Since Allah is liberal in forgiving sins, we show kindness, love care and tenderness to others in the month of Ramadan so that Allah may also overlook our errors (Qur’an 53:32).
And since Allah is the Most Forgiving (Al-Gaffar), we lower our gaze in total submission to Him and we submit the totality of ourselves and our belongings to Him in total humility in order to earn His forgiveness (Qur’an 4:24, 43,56; 22:60;58:2; 60:12; 64:14).
An authentic Hadith of Prophet Muhammad says on Ramadan and forgiveness of sins that Salman Al-Farsi reported that the messenger of Allah (SAW) addressed us on the last day of Sha’ban and said: “O you people! A great and blessed month is near at hand. A month in which comes a night better than a thousand months. Allah has ordained fasts for you and prescribed supererogatory prayer at night. He who draws closer to Allah through a noble deed in the month is as if he performed an obligatory duty during tomes other than Ramadan, and he who fulfills an obligatory duty in it will be like one who fulfills seventy obligatory duties in another month. It is the month od patience, and the reward of patience is Paradise…”
