The Month of Ramadan
God knows our propensity to forget and not to be persistent in recalling; that is why He has prescribed acts of worship for us in order to make our conscience and our hearts come alive to His remembrance. The fast of the month of Ramadan is part of this education, of this elevation of the soul, once a year for a month. God asks us to deprive ourselves of these essential things that are our daily concerns: eating, drinking; things so common for us that they become commonplace. Abundance makes us forget that one day we might not have any more. We no longer even know how to appreciate the pleasures we taste. Worse, there are on this earth, at the same time as we eat and we are satisfied [i.e. eating to our fill], men and women who would like to be able to have a tenth of what we consume. Because of distress caused by poverty, they have to endure hunger and thirst. But they also and above all have to endure our passivity and our disinterest. However, they are our brothers and our sisters not in Islam only but in humanity as well.
God has put abundance in this world so that every man can benefit from his share of sustenance; however, it is a minority that controls and consumes most of the wealth. It is such an injustice which is accentuated by our passivity when it is not our selfishness.
The
month of Ramadan has been ordained in order to instill awareness and a
reminder. Above all, remember Allah with intensity and foresight. Leaving a
little of this temporal world to rise to the consciousness of the Most High.
The fast of this blessed month is a source of reminder for those who want to
remember. Then, it wants to be a call to altruism and solidarity, because we
cannot as a Muslim or even quite simply as a human being live in the
indifference of what is happening in a large part of the world; to pretend that
there are no men and women who live in destitution and poverty; without knowing
that every day in the world many children die of starvation. “It’s normal”, we say to ourselves, “How could we know that when we’re not
talking about it in the press or on television?”
We cannot as Muslims, as beings with a heart, step back and pretend these sad and bitter realities do not exist, and to just look where the spotlight falls.
This
month, more than any other, wants to be one of reminding and raising awareness
of these realities, to live them a little while depriving oneself of these
pleasures. But, fasting is not only intended to taste hunger or thirst; it also
calls for sharing and solidarity. Restrict yourselves to what you have to give
some to others who don’t have it too often. Fasting is also a call to this
awareness and to this generosity. We as Muslims must learn from the
prescriptions of God and we cannot afford to deprive ourselves of drinking,
eating, having relations only with one’s wife [for the man] or husband [for the
woman]. We must push the spirit of the fast further and extend our charitable
work by sharing its goods and riches. This will enrich our hearts and our
consciences, it will remind us that by being close to God, we will be close to
men, that by obeying God, we will put ourselves at the service of men; this is
our vocation, this is our path.
Also
one should know, one of the purposes of food deprivation is to free up the time
that one spends eating. But you have to ask yourself this question: What do you
do with this free time? Eliminate as much as possible the TV, internet or video
games that distract you from your obligations during this holy month. Avoid any
distraction that may distract you from your religious duties, since your time
must be managed wisely.
In
a Hadith, our beloved prophet (pbuh) said: “Whoever
fasts during the month of Ramadan knowing and observing vigilantly the rules of
fasting, atones for the sins of his past.” (Bukhari).
“If Allah’s servants knew what Ramadan was
they would wish that it were perpetually Ramadan.” (Bayhaqi)
“He who one day fasts for the sake of
Allah will be far from the fire, a distance like that one travels in 70 years.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
The
month of Ramadan is the perfect time to consolidate our relationships with our
relatives and friends. A sacred month during which we have the duty to control
our desires. This is a great time for repentance and charity.
Take
advantage of this month to become aware of spiritual and family values and to
do a lot of prayers and never forget that the month of Ramadan is first of all
the month of the descent of the Noble Book of Islam, i.e. the Holy Quran.
You
have to get closer to this book if you want to get closer to God. Even if you
don’t understand Arabic, or if you can’t read it, you should listen to it in
Arabic for its melody and the beauty of its recitation and read in your local
language (the translation and also the commentary) to understand the
interpretation that has been made of the meaning of his verses.
In
a Hadith Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) said: “Islam
is built on five (main duties/pillars); the testimony that there is no god but
Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, the fulfillment of prayer
[Salat], the discharge of Zakat, the pilgrimage to the [Sacred] House and the
fasting of Ramadan.” (Bukhari)
Finally,
make the most of this month of Ramadan; this month of Ramadan can be seen as a
blessing from God. God commands us to follow it and indicates to us that we
have beautiful examples in our prophets (pbuh) - the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and
the other prophets of Allah. But being human beings, we need to be guided and
reminded on the right path. In a sense, the month of Ramadan could be viewed as
a period of training for the believer to learn to draw near to God.
May
Allah grant us a good Ramadan and shower on Muslims and humanity His mercy and
His favours and the ability to recognize and follow the right path. Insha-Allah, Ameen Summa Ameen.
---Friday Sermon of 23 April 2021~ 10 Ramadan 1442 AH delivered by Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius.