Ramadan is a month of learning, a month of self reflection and contemplation, taking stock of one’s journey through life in the company of the Highest Order of universal society. It is the month for the commemoration and celebration of the Al Qur’an. It is surely a festival of taqwa.
All over the world, Muslims greet its coming with happiness, gladness and as if it was a long lost companion who has returned showering gifts. While at the month’s end, although parting with it saddens feelings, as if it was over too soon, Muslims feel a sense of achieving glowing success. Indeed at the end of Ramadan they experience joy and feel victorious. They overcome their own selves and desires to return to their true and natural God given state, their fitrah, pure in true worship and submission to Allah s.w.t.
Ramadan is indeed very special and tremendously invigorating for the Muslim community. Muslims await dearly for the arrival of the blessed month. Disputes may arise as when to begin, when to exactly start fasting, how to determine the awaited new crescent, hilal, but this soon diminishes as people understand the importance of principles over the trivialities and by prioritising the major essentials of worship. The most important of all, is unity of brotherhood and purposefulness.
Bazaars add to the colour and excitement as long as it is not excessive and distracting the purpose and consciousness of fasting. Businesses tend to strongly pick up but the booming Ramadan trade which thrives should be allowed to neither affect nor be an obstacle to performing worship. They do certainly cater to one’s self indulgence and hungry cravings of the day. The idea of turning it into some kind of tourism promotion, food festival or a cuisine fiesta is in bad taste and distorts the message of taqwa and God consciousness that Ramadan arouses in people.
Ramadan is a special and blessed month in honouring and venerating the anniversary of the message of tawhid, the start of the revelations, the nuzul al Qur’an. It is a grand celebration in its own unique Islamic way that the ummah is one, that the Qur’an is guidance from God Almighty, bringing proof of guidance and is the criterion between truth and falsehood, differentiating right from wrong.
The meaning of it all is tawhid – to invite all of mankind to sincerely and truly worship only Allah s.w.t. and that there is none other to be worshipped except Him. This is sincerity and purity of intention.
There was the story of the experience of a new convert to Islam who was starting her first ever fast during Ramadan. She was quite surprised to discover that Muslims really did fast meaning that they did abstain from food and drink for the whole day and it was not something that was made up. Fasting proves and motivates Muslims to show that sincerity and God consciousness – ikhlas and taqwa are qualities that are really quite attainable.
No matter what methods are used to tell the time for Ramadan activities, to signal its arrival, whether sirens, drum beats, cannon shots or just the call to prayers, adhan, the Muslim community communicates in all of these in their own special way. They become especially time-conscious during Ramadan.
The community wakes up much earlier than usual for early supper, sahur. By being awake early in the wee hours of the night, it enables them to engage in night vigil, qiam al layl, performing solat tahajjud - late night prayers, reading the Qur’an, dhikr and doa - remembrance of God and prayers, contemplating their deeds and efforts. The family is gathered together even in their tired and sleepy mode to have supper before dawn. Just by having sahur contains blessings and rewards beyond our comprehension. Muslims then work their day without food and water. They do not use fasting as a reason to shirk their duties or find something lighter to do. They try even to abstain from all acts deemed against the blessedness of Ramadan. They refrain from doing anything evil: being dishonest, telling lies, backbite, argue insensibly and at the most ideal level, to desist from even having a dark or bad thought in one’s heart or mind for those who aspire for a perfect fast. At dusk, they gather and celebrate daily together in breaking their fast, iftar. A short doa is recited to be thankful and grateful to Allah s.w.t. who enjoined fasting, provided them their boundless bounties and grace, rizq and made them Muslims. Then they pray solat Maghrib, have a short rest and go on to perform Isya’ followed by solat tarawih. Whole families throng to line rows to fill the saf in the musalla and the masjid - mosques.
Children sometimes play and have plenty of fun in the masjid or musalla compound and grounds. It seems only in Ramadan where children are usually permitted to be out at night within their parents’ supervision. There seems to be a sense of security even at night. Like the anecdote which says, “Ramadan’s coming. Hey! Look who’s leaving”. It is said that the doors of heaven are opened wide while the doors of hell are closed shut and Satan is kept in chains. Some families even rule out TV for the whole month. This helps to create serenity and an appreciation of the calmness of the night and it enables them to work out doing something more useful for Ramadan.
Muslim communities which engage in iftar, tarawih, tadarrus - Qur'an recitation circles and other shared activities are seen cheerful and vibrant with a sense of purpose in worship. A unison of cooperation and togetherness is seen unmatched by any other month. You can hear the rotational Qu’ran recitals, tadarrus participants humming and enchanting the hallways, echoing in the masjid, musalla and in Muslim homes. Late night and early morning prayers lit up houses, nights are alive with remembrance and grace.
Ramadan is the month for virtue and charity. Rasulullah s.a.w. was so generous and exceptionally charitable in Ramadan that the companions described it as if it was like a fast and blustery wind blowing through. Offering iftar or breaking of fast to others especially the needy is considered as great as fasting itself. In times of dire needs and miserable conditions of some of Muslims worldwide, the ummah needs to be imbued with more generosity and abundant charity, encouraging it to be managed more effectively and be more organised. Zakat ul fitrah institutionalises a certain form of alms-giving to be obligatory– to help the poor, to share with them to help them celebrate together with the ummah.
Sayyid Qutb writes on laylatul qadr, describing the Night of Power as the night which marked the beginning of the revelation of the Qur’an to Muhammad s.a.w., an event unparalleled in the history of mankind. The revelations and the assigning of the message to the Prophet s.a.w. is the greatest and most precious of events. The angels descend, led by Jibril by their Lord’s permission to fill the space between heaven and earth in such a glorious and splendid celebration, vividly portrayed in the Qur'an: surah al qadr. Humanity out of ignorance and misfortune may overlook the value and importance of laylatul qadr. When humanity ignores this, it loses the happiest and most beautiful sign of grace which Allah has bestowed upon it. Muslims are commanded not to forget or neglect this event. Rasulullah s.a.w. has thought them how easy and enjoyable it is to commemorate that night by being in devotion with pure motive of faith.
In the Qur’an, following the verse concerning fasting and Ramadan, Allah s.w.t. mentions how close He is to believers: Indeed it is a lofty declaration from the Most Highest the Most Exalted. Allah s.w.t. is close to them and Allah grants them their prayers to Him when they supplicate Him - when they humbly ask from Him. And so they must submit to His commands. Fasting and worship in Ramadan brings Muslims much closer to God Almighty.
We see the convergence of the Zionists, their allies, benefactors and other extremists as adversaries to Islam and threatening our existence and well being as a peace loving world community. For young Muslims, the Qur’an is ample and perfectly equipped to withstand any test or tribulation of time. The Qur’an remains steadfast in combating mischief and corruption even when society abdicates its moral authority. The young shall neither be fooled nor intimidated by onslaughts of apostasy, blasphemy, superstition, subtle propaganda or mind control. Through the Qur’an, the Sunnah and learning from their respected scholars, they can see through the errors and deception of liberalism, secularism and corruption.
It is hoped that this Ramadan becomes a convergence of the ummah to regain its true and proper position as the middle and upright community enjoining good, forbidding evil and inviting all towards belief and salvation.
Reference:
Animah Ferrar, Islam, Worldview and Way of Life
B Aisha Lemu, Islamic Aqidah and Fiqh
Hanafi Muhammad, 40 Fadhilat Puasa Ramadan - 40 Virtues of Ramadan
Ismail R Faruqi, The Cultural Atlas of Islam
Muhammad Ali Dannawi, Madrasah Ramadan, Penerokaan dan Hukum Hakam - Ramadan as an Academy, Exploration and Rules
Mustafa Masyhur, Bekalan di dalam Perjalanan Da’wah - Provisions in the Path of Da'wah
Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an.
