Ramadan: Month of spiritual pleasures and blessings

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By Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali , Chief Editor , Times of Oman

The Muslim brethren across the world welcome the holy month of Ramadan and observe the occasion with devoutness in an atmosphere surcharged with veneration, righteousness and piety. A marvellous gift from Allah and one of the dearest occasions in ways more than one, the month offers unique opportunity to every single Muslim all over the world to renew and strengthen our relation and ties with the Lord and with our own selves.

It is an opportunity and a providence granted by divinity to every single Muslim brother and sister to open his or her records of deeds, take a re-look and to appeal to the Almighty Allah to bestow on him or her His mercy and forgiveness. The holy month of Ramadan, as majority of us look at it, is an opportunity to shift from wrong to right and tread along the path of rectitude, scrupulousness and morality.

The mosques across the world are therefore justifiably filled with worshippers almost round the clock with worshippers offering their prayers, atoning and vying with each other in their pursuits for doing good deeds — something which ought not to remain restricted within the holy month of Ramadan only and end as the month ends. Ramadan, in fact, ought to be made a turning point in our lives — a milestone in redefining the benchmark of our lives — encouraging us to continue with our good deeds throughout the year and life.

The holy occasion offers opportunities to evil doers and sinners to repent and atone for all the wrongs committed, reinvent the essential purity that we all have within us and re-emerge like the pristine gold never been ravished by impurities for making human ornaments. This is an opportunity offered to the evil doers and sinners by the Almighty to redeem themselves from all their evil deeds and sins and thereby relieve themselves of all the blemishes and triumph over all that is dark.

The spiritually surcharged genus loci of Ramadan is a divine gift to all of us to uplift ourselves from all that is mundane, empower ourselves and improve ourselves both individually and collectively through our prayers, seeking the divine clemency, doing good deeds to the best of our abilities and turning away from sins. For it is the spring time in the ‘Garden of Islam’ when even parched earth and dry leaves of trees come back to life. It is the time when our body, mind and soul are most purified. It is the time when spirituality in the atmosphere motivate us most to do good that heaven bodes us all en route to paradise.

The month of Ramadan, during which Allah showers on Muslims His mercy, forgiveness and blessings, sets the right model for all of us that we ought to follow throughout the year and adhere to His commands through recital of the verses of the holy Quran, dutifully perform our rituals and give Zakat (alms) on time and offer our prayers in time waking up at the right time at nights.

These activities must be practised throughout the year and not just during the 29/30 days of the month of Ramadan to secure His mercy and to escape the torture of Hell.

Are we ready to welcome the blessed month of Ramadan, which is now standing poised at our doorsteps loaded with blessings to redeem us? We pray to all Muslim brothers and sisters welcome warmly the blessed month and to be prepared to receive the benefits of the holy occasion. But preparation for Ramadan does not entail daily shopping at supermarkets and dry fruit outlets. Neither is it the eager wait for the Ramadan entertainment programmes on TV. It is essentially a spiritualistic preparation of our minds, souls and bodies to receive Allah’s forgiveness and mercy that are showered on us in wanton generosity throughout the month.

Dear Muslim brothers and sisters, this is a golden opportunity being offered to you by the merciful to reinvent the treasures of your religion, earn and secure all what you have missed in your pre-Ramadan life — the mercy and forgiveness from the compassionate and merciful Allah and take a step closer to the Almighty. And let not these objectives remain limited only in the month of Ramadan alone. Let these objectives guide your lives for the whole year.

In the concordances of rituals, customs and traditions followed during the month with little differences across the world Ramadan has its own flavour in all Muslim countries. And all these are practised to help ourselves to come a bit more closer to Allah.

On the ensuing advent of the holy month of Ramadan, let us pray to Almighty Allah to protect our beloved nation, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and Muslims all over the world. We pray to Almighty Allah to turn all our aspirations and hopes into realities.

Ramadan has a special place in the hearts of all Muslims. The fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. During the month of Ramadan, the gates for doing good deeds open and favours/advantages shower on all who fast seeking forgiveness.

The first third of this holy month is the days of mercy, the second ten days are the days of forgiveness of Allah and the last one-third, is freedom from Hell for believers. During the month of Ramadan each of us unite and join our families, relatives and friends to spend the days of fasting and enjoy the delicious food and drinks specially prepared for the month.

There are some differences in the traditions followed during the month of Ramadan among the Arabs and Muslims. But each of them has withstood the acid test of time through ages because of their strong religious roots. And each of them, we are convinced will prevail and pass to the next generations.

The family gathering following the Tarawih prayers represents an open forum for adults and elderly people to pass their advice and guidance to the young Muslims and posterity to remind them things they may have missed.

The Imams, preachers at the mosques and parents have their active roles in advising the young Muslims and children on how a Muslim should behave in light of the Islamic teachings. Ramadan is one of the holiest periods in Islam. Allah revealed the Holy Quran to his messenger Muhammad (PBUH) during the month of Ramadan, particularly at the Laylat Al Qadr (The Night of Power) — the holiest of all nights in the entire month, which is probably observed on the night of the 27th of Ramadan providing guidance for the people, clear teachings. Many Muslim scholars, however, say it is on the last ten days of the month of Ramadan, without setting a define date. We have to refrain from activities and thoughts that can ruin the graciousness of the holy month in our efforts to come closer to Allah.

We must realise that, contrary to some popular perceptions, the month is not about watching the so called ‘The Ramadan Drama’ or serials aired by TV channels.

It is the time to focus all our minds, souls, bodies and energies to securing maximum blessings and mercy of the compassionate Allah and collect all other advantages that the holy month so graciously offers and ensures.

We take the opportunity of the blessed month of Ramadan in praying to the Almighty Allah to unite our Arab nation so that we can confront the dangers and challenges that threaten them and to guide us to the right path lest we make mistakes and chide us if we indulge in sins.

Courtesy: Times of Oman