An Inspired Poem: 'Ramadan'

 

O Allah! 

Your poor servants have come 

to inquire about Your favours. 

May they inherit Paradise 

by virtue of the blessings of fasting.

That they may have the honour 

of gazing at You in Paradise, 

thus soothing their aching hearts.

May You forgive us all our sins 

through the blessings of Taraawih. 

May You thus keep the Ummah of Muhammad (pbuh) 

under Your protection.

Have mercy on us, 

O the One filled with mercy. 

Soften our hearts 

with the blessings of fasting.

It is certainly the most glorious month 

among all other months, 

the month in which 

Allah revealed the Holy Book (Qur'an).

O Allah! 

By the benefits of the reading of the Qur'an, 

Protect the believers 

against daily misfortunes.

Grant the will to all Muslims 

to observe fasting in the holy month.

‘Mahmud’s Aameen’: Prayers for Children

The power of sublime Prayers

‘It is He who accepts the prayers of those who believe and do good works, and gives them more than their due reward, out of His grace...He sends down in due measure whatever He will, for He is well aware of His servants and watchful over them: it is He who sends relief through rain after they have lost hope, and spreads His mercy far and wide. He is the Protector, Worthy of All Praise.’ [Surah Al Shura, 42:27-29]

In shaping the destiny of man and in guiding his spiritual life, invocations to the Lord Almighty have a significant role to play. The lives of prophets and saints, in all their varied circumstances and unusual settings through history, bear wonderful testimonial to the eternal truth about the fulfillment of sublime prayers. Perhaps the finest example of the enduring vitality of Divine invocations would be the sprouting of the magnificent garden of Islam in the barren land of Arabia. Long ago, in a corner of the world, away from his non-believing people, Hadhrat Ibrahim (as) had made fervent supplications for the righteousness and spiritual progress of the generations to come and for the flourishing of the message of Tawheed, the life-mission of all virtuous souls. And the Qur’an records his soulful prayers for the benefit of spiritual seekers of all times. For instance, the Book of God teaches that while re-building the Ka‘bah with his pious son Hadhrat Isma‘il, Hadhrat Ibrahim (as) offered the following prayer:

"Our Lord, make us submissive to You and make of our offspring a people submissive to You. And show us our ways of worship, and turn to us with mercy; for You are Oft-Returning with compassion and are Merciful.

‘And, our Lord, raise up among them a Messenger from among themselves, who may recite to them Thy Signs and teach them the Book and Wisdom and may purify them; surely, Thou art the Mighty, the Wise.’" (Surah Al Baqarah, 2:129-130)