10-13-2006, 11:25 AM
<b>RAMADAN </b> is a month of discipline, self-control, patience, and good
behavior. In Ramadan, Muslims are expected to gain the fruits of
fasting, namely, piety and consciousness of Allah. In this context,
Allah, Most High, says in the Glorious Qur'an : "O you who believe!
Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was
prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun
(the pious)." (Al-Baqarah 2:183)
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Also, He says: "And He it is Who has put the night and the day in
succession, for such who desires to remember or desires to show his
gratitude." (Al-Furqan 25:62)
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Life and death and the succession of nights and days have a purpose
and that is to test us and to give us an opportunity to express our
thanks and gratitude to our Creator and Sustainer. The month of
Ramadan comes and goes. We must examine ourselves now and see what
we have learned and achieved during this month. The test of success
of this month lies in the effects it has left upon us as follows:
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<b>Discipline</b>
We learn in this month how to discipline ourselves for the sake of
Allah. We follow a strict schedule of eating and drinking. We are
constantly aware that even in our such mundane activities as eating
and drinking, we must follow divine injunctions. We change our
habits in our daily routines because we learn that we are not the
servants and slaves to our habits, but always the servants of Allah.
Then after Ramadan, we have to keep this spirit of discipline in
other modes of our life and must continue with our submission to the
commands of Allah.
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<b>Renewal of devotional life</b>
Ramadan renews our enthusiasm for worship and devotion to Allah. In
this month we are more careful of our daily prayers and have special
prayers at night. There is no religion without prayer and Muslims
learn in this month how to strengthen and deepen their religious
life.
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<b>Renewal of contact with the Qur'an</b>
Ramadan and the Qur'an are linked together from the beginning. It
was in this month that this divine message was revealed to Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him). We are told that the Prophet (peace be
upon him) was fasting when he received the first revelation. Fasting
prepares the believers' hearts to learn the Word of Allah. It is the
most suitable condition for our spiritual and mental communication
with the Qur'an. The Muslim Ummah pays more attention to the Qur'an
in this month. This renewed contact with the Qur'an must help us in
following its message.
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<b>Renewal of identity with the Ummah</b>
Ramadan is not an individual experience only, but it is an
experience in community. The whole Muslim Ummah fasts together in
one and the same month. We identify with one another in our
obedience to Allah. This gives us a new sense of togetherness and
association. Ramadan teaches us that the Muslim Ummah is the
community of piety and devotion to Allah and its members derive
their strength from each other in deeds of piety and virtue. The
bonds that are based on piety and virtue are the strongest and these
bonds prove good for mankind. The strength of the Muslim community
lies in its commitment to the values of goodness, morality and
piety. Ramadan leaves an imprint of all these values upon the Muslim
Ummah.
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<b>A fresh sense of care and sympathy</b>
Fasting in the month of Ramadan helps us to understand the suffering
and the pains of the poor and needy. By our voluntary hunger and
thirst we realize what it means to be deprived of basic necessities
of life. Ramadan is called the month of charity and sympathy. We
learn how to be more kind and generous in this month. Many Muslims
also pay their Zakah in the month of Ramadan.
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<b>Jihad or struggle</b>
Fasting in Ramadan and Jihad both of them were prescribed in the
same year, that is, the second year of Hijra in Madina. Fasting
prepares for hardships and sacrifices. These are two important
things without which Jihad is not possible. Muslims learn in Ramadan
how to struggle against the forces of evil in their own selves, in
the society around them, and in the world at large.
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<b>Taqwa</b>
To summarize all the moral and spiritual gifts of Ramadan, we can
say that Ramadan gives us the great gift of Taqwa (piety). Taqwa is
the sum total of Islamic life. It is the highest of all virtues in
the Islamic scheme of things. It means, God-consciousness, piety,
fear and awe of Allah and it signifies submission to Allah and total
commitment to all that is good and rejection of all that is evil and
bad.
