Ramadan: A Gift

 

A Gift in Bliss and Misfortune

Whether a Muslim is happy or sad, in trials or bliss, God Almighty, lovingly called by His personal name: ALLAH (The One without any partner) in Islam, is sure to bring him out of this state, on and off to make him realise that without Him, he is powerless, without Him no true happiness can be reached.

Allah says twice in Chapter Ash-Sharh of the Holy Quran: “So truly where there is hardship there is also ease; truly where there is hardship there is also ease.”

The blessed month of Ramadan is one such gift, one such ease, one such month when the true believer gets to live peace in both his spiritual and worldly lives. This month comes once a year, but the sincere one yearns it so much, that is, that opportunity to have his sins forgiven, to get the pleasure and approbation of Allah, and finally to accede to Allah Himself through his selfless sacrifice. Such a believer is a model among the believers. Such a believer follows in the footsteps of his beloved prophet and mentor, the Honourable Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (pbuh).

This pure month brings about a strange kind of inner strength which enables the believer to go through all kinds of trials so that he may accede to Allah, to His pleasure, and to be considered once again sinless in His sight.

The sacred month of fasting brings about a true pleasure in him to deprive himself of food for His Lord, and in remembrance of the sufferings of the poor who struggle for food and drink in their everyday lives. It is a month of forbearance, a month of steadfastness, a month of yearning for God Almighty’s approval in each and every one of his deeds and intentions. 

The month of Ramadan is for him the key to the door of Paradise. It is a hope beyond expectation which His Lord has given him every year of his life, and within this month has blessed him with the opportunity to strive to seek the blessing of the Night of Decree which is worth one thousand years of divine blessings.

During this month, and most particularly on this special night, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has taught us Muslims through his wife Aisha (ra) to recite this most beautiful prayer for repentance: “Allahumma innaka afuwwun tuhibbul afwa fa’afu anni” [O Allah! You are Forgiving, You like to forgive, so forgive me]

What does a true believer seek? That his Lord is ever pleased with him! To get forgiveness for his countless sins and mistakes! So, this prayer is a great prayer taught to us by our great teacher and prophet, the Seal of all Prophets to guide us to acquire this divine forgiveness and pleasure. When Allah is pleased with us, nothing else really matters for we know that He will always be with us, guiding us all through the way: the path of trials, as well as the path of bliss.

With every bliss there is a trial and vice-versa. In the times we are living, we are witnessing many calamities, many tears of not just our Muslim brothers and sisters, but the tears of all humanity. There are many sufferings that they are undergoing and it is our duty as Servants of God Almighty to help them in any kind of way we can, and if we have nothing, then our prayer is such a boon for them that Allah uses in their favour as well as ours. 

Every deed is based on our intention. Let us be Muslims not just for our own selves, for our own sake, but for the sake of Allah and His creatures who need us, not just to help them financially but to enlighten their lives with hope, with prayer, with love; such love which reflects the divine love within us, a love which Allah cherishes for us, and us for Allah and all His creatures.

Let this Ramadan be in remembrance of Allah and all His servants who are suffering, or who are in too much joy that they have forgotten Allah. Let us pray for them that they return to Allah and that Allah let them accede to His proximity through His mercy.

I wish to all my Muslim brothers, sisters and children: Ramadan Mubarak, Ramadan Kareem. May these days bring about divine light in your lives and may this light stay with you throughout your whole life, that you accede to this perpetual “Laila-tul-Qadr” (Night of Decree). Ameen.

 

Your brother in Islam,

Imam Muhyi-ud-Din Munir A. Azim

Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam

[This Article first appeared in LE MAURICIEN Newspaper published from Mauritius, on 27 March 2023. To access it, click here].