Ramadan Message
By Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi
On behalf of the Islamic Society of Orange County, we wish you a very blessed month of Ramadan. May Allah help you to take full advantage of this great opportunity to purify yourself, and improve yourself as true Believers. May Allah accept your fasts, your prayers, your charity and all acts of kindness in this month and include you among His righteous servants.
In Islam every rule of the religion has a purpose. There is nothing we are commanded to do without any reason or purpose. The purpose of fasting is clearly mentioned in the Qur’an:
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ (البقرة 183)
O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may obtain taqwa. (Al-Baqaraqh 2:183)
The objective of fasting is not to make us hungry, thirsty or to deprive us some of our comfort and conveniences. These are only means for a greater end. We do physical exercises, we take medicine, we do some hard labor, all these things give us some pain and are hard; but we do them with the objective to feel better. Fasting is also a physical exercise and it has some pain but its purpose is very noble, highly beneficial for us as individuals and as community. The Qur’an tells us that the real objective of fasting is Taqwa. What is Taqwa and how does the fasting in Ramadan create and sustain Taqwa?
Taqwa is piety, righteousness and the consciousness of Allah. It is to make one’s best effort to live by Allah’s commands and to avoid His prohibitions. It is to become God-conscious and God-oriented person. The Qur’an has used the word “taqwa” to mean: consciousness of Allah, being mindful of Allah, fear of Allah, worship of Allah, sincerity in faith and avoiding disobedience to Allah. Taqwa is highly emphasized in the Qur’an and Sunnah. There are more than 158 ayat of the Qur’an on Taqwa and there are hundreds of Ahadith on this subject. Taqwa is Islam itself. It is the sum total of all Islamic values and virtues. If one has Taqwa one has achieved the real purpose of Islam.
If fasting is done in the right way, it will build the character of Taqwa. Let us look at some of the things that a fasting person is supposed to do and see how they are related to the character and spirit of Taqwa.
- Unlike prayers, charity and pilgrimage, fasting is an invisible act. Only Allah and the person who is fasting know whether one is fasting or not. One may quietly eat or drink something and no one will notice and no one can find out. However, the fasting person has made this commitment for the sake of Allah and he/she wants to guard the purity of his/her fast for the sake of Allah. Fasting thus teaches sincerity and it helps a person learn to live by the principles of his/her faith regardless whether others know or do not know. This is the very purpose and essence of Taqwa.
- The world is full of temptations. It takes a lot of discipline to say no to something that is very tempting, but it is not good for us. During fasting we learn how to say no to things that are otherwise permissible and good, but are forbidden during fasting. When one learns how to say no to that which is generally permissible, then one can easily control oneself to avoid that which is forbidden. This is the spirit of Taqwa.
- People generally care for themselves and their families, but they often ignore the needs of others. We do not even feel the pain and suffering of those who are hungry, homeless and living in poverty. Through fasting we learn to some extent the pain and suffering of those who are poor and destitute. Fasting teaches empathy and sympathy and it takes away some of our selfishness and self-centeredness. This is the spirit of Taqwa.
- When we fast together in Ramadan, it builds an atmosphere of virtues, brotherhood and sisterhood. We come closer to our Creator and we also come closer to each other. Unity, peace, harmony, brotherhood and sisterhood are the fruits of taqwa. In Ramadan we enjoy these fruits as we grow in Taqwa.
- We enjoy many blessings of Allah in our life, but we tend to take everything for granted. We do not fully appreciate what we have and seldom give thanks to our Giver. Taqwa is the spirit of thankfulness; and those who thank Allah, Allah has promised that He shall give them more. Fasting creates the spirit of gratitude and appreciation. The fasting person after depriving himself/herself from some of the routine matters of life for a short time discovers their real value and appreciates them. He/she becomes more thankful and obedient to Allah.
- Ramadan is the month of the Qur’an and the whole purpose of the Qur’an is to guide those who want to learn Taqwa. By celebrating the month of the Qur’an and by focusing on the Qur’an with fasting we become more prepared to imbibe the real spirit of the Qur’an and become more conscious of its real meaning and purpose. We become more ready to receive Taqwa in our lives.
Let us pay attention to build our taqwa during Ramadan. We should keep in mind:
- Allah: Let us remind ourselves again and again that we are fasting to obey Allah and to please Allah. This is our real intention and objective in fasting.
- Wara’: Let us remember that fasting is not only avoiding food and drink, but it is to discipline ourselves to avoid everything that is wrong.
- Charity: Let us become more charitable during this month. Let us help those who are in need and help good programs and projects for the benefit of the whole community and the Ummah.
- Unity: Let us bring more unity and harmony among us, care for each other and love each other.
- Shukr: Let us be more thankful to Allah for all His gifts and blessings. Let us be thankful to each other and increase our appreciation and positive attitude towards others in our family, neighborhood and community.
- Tilawat al-Qur’an: Let us read and understand the Qur’an more in this month and thereafter and be thankful to Allah for this special gift.
May Allah help us to take full benefit of fasting in this blessed month of Ramadan. May He keep us on the right path and bless us now and always. Ameen.
|
