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The holy month of
Ramadan enjoys a special importance in the Islamic calendar. As the
Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) said: "It is Allah's Own month." It is
the chief of all months and the most glorious one. As we already
know, 'Fasting' is one of the important pillars of Islam and it is
the very month of Ramadan during which fasting has been made
obligatory for all adults and sane Muslims. By fasting during
Ramadan, a Muslim besides discharging an obligation imposed upon him
by Allah, becomes entitled to great reward in the Hereafter. On the
other hand, any lapse in the matter amounts to a great sin. Fasting
is an article of worship, the knowledge about the performance or
otherwise whereof rests only with Allah and the person concerned.
Hence, it is Allah alone who will reward that person for it, on the
Day of Judgment.
The blessings of Ramadan are not limited to fasting
alone, because the performance of all sorts of worship and good
deeds during this month is also a source of great Divine favor. The
revelation of the Holy Qur'an commenced during this very month and
it is therefore the duty of every Muslim to read and try to
understand the meaning of the Holy Qur'an and thereby gain an
insight into the Divine secrets enshrined therein. It brings peace
and illumination to the mind and imparts purity to the soul.
Ramadan is the
month of fasting, intensive prayer, sacrifice and Divine worship.
Throughout this month a devout Muslim fasts during the day in the
true sense of the word, that is, he had merely denies himself food
and water, but as explained by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), exercises
strict control over his tongue, eyes, ears, thoughts and deeds and
does everything possible to seek the pleasure of Allah.
Devout
supplications to Allah and repentance of one's sins during Ramadan
are the sources of Divine blessings and mercy. Some nights, among
the last ten nights of Ramadan, are called the
'Nights of Glory' (Laylatul Qadr).
These are the 19th, 21st, and 23rd nights. Muslims keep awake during
these nights and offer special prayers. Even among these nights, the
23rd enjoys excellence over all the others. It is accompanied by
great blessings, and he usually grants the supplications made to
Allah during this night.
The holy month of
Ramadan, besides being the month of worship and Divine blessings,
carries a historical importance as well. As already mentioned above,
the revelations of the Holy Qur'an commenced in this month. The
epoch-making
'Battle of Badr' and the
'Conquest of Mecca' also took place during the holy month of
Ramadan.
"Ramadan",
according to some traditions is one of Allah's names. This is why we
can not say Ramadan without making it clear that we are talking
about the month, and therefore we should always say the month of
Ramadan. The Commander of the faithful Ali ibn Abi Taleb (A.S.)
said: Do not say Ramadan, but say the month of Ramadan. For you do
not know what Ramadan is. This same meaning was referred to by the
Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) in his speech during Shaaban: The month of
Allah coming ....
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