The philosophy of Ramadan

[Mohammad Ali Moamen]

The philosophy of Ramadan,

Say, O my servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, for Allah forgives all sins: for He is off-forgiving and most merciful (Quran 39: 53).

Dear all, please take your time read it and think about it!

Allah once again grants us this grand opportunity (Ramadan) to participate in this sacred, blessed and holy process and to reopen a new page in the history of our lives. Definitely we have committed sins, certainly we have transgressed the limits introduced by Allah, and surely we have obeyed our own desire. This is the time to repent and refer to Allah, this is the time to apprehend the essence of life and this is the time to resume a fresh life. All sins will be forgiven; this is the promise of Allah so let’s make a good use of it.

O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that you may (learn) self-restraint (Quran 2: 183).

Mohammad (peace be upon him) divides the month of Ramadan into three parts.

• The first ten days contain mercy, grace and blessing of Allah (Rahma).
• The second ten days contain forgiveness of Allah (Maghfera).
• The last ten days save us from the hellfire.

As observable in the verse, the main aim behind Ramadan is to introduce Taqwa (translated self-restraint) in our daily activities. Taqwa literally means to cover up but in the Islamic context it gains a comprehensive and significant meaning. If I may summarize it, it sounds as following:

Taqwa: Performing all good deeds that are ordered by Allah and encouraging others to do the same. Abstaining from all bad actions that are prohibited by Allah and discouraging others from them.

Ramadan is not limited to thirty days, nor is its aim to let us suffer from thirst and hunger. The essence of Ramadan actually is to train Muslims and to regulate their behavior according to Quran and Sunnah. This training process should have the capacity to abstain Muslims from prohibited deeds in the rest of their lives. This training process must produce long-term effects and not only for thirty days. It must introduce Taqwa, which is the aim of Ramadan in our daily activities. Plainly, the life after Ramadan should not be similar to the life before it.

May Allah grant us all the capacity to repent and begin a new life!

Regards,

Mohammad Ali Moamen

[Ali]

Peace and blessings to all,


It seemed appropriate here, after reading my brothers post about the philosophy of Ramadan for what i am thankful of him, to share with you parts of a prayer and supplication of Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn (as) for the coming of the month of Ramadan.



Praise belongs to God who guided us to His praise
and placed us among the people of praise,
that we might be among the thankful for His beneficence
and that He might recompense us for that
with the recompense of the good-doers!

And praise belongs to God who
showed favour to us through His religion,
singled us out for His creed,
and directed us onto the roads of His beneficence,
in order that through His kindness we might travel upon them
to His good pleasure,
a praise which He will accept from us
and through which He will be pleased with us!

And praise belongs to God who appointed among those roads His month,
the month of Ramadan,
the month of fasting,
the month of submission,
the month of purity,
the month of putting to test,
the month of standing in prayer,
in which the Qur'an was sent down as guidance to the people,
and as clear signs of the Guidance and the Separator!175

.......... Give us success in this month to
tighten our bonds of kin with devotion and gifts,
attend to our neighbours with bestowal and giving,
rid our possessions from claims,
purify them through paying the alms,
go back to him who has gone far from us,
treat justly him who has wronged us,
make peace with him who shows enmity toward us
(except him who is regarded as an enemy
in Thee and for Thee,
for he is the enemy whom we will not befriend,
the party whom we will not hold dear),

............. O God,
I ask Thee by the right of this month
and by the right of him who worships Thee within it
from its beginning to the time of its passing,
whether angel Thou hast brought nigh to Thee,
prophet Thou hast sent,
or righteous servant Thou hast singled out,
that Thou bless Muhammad and his Household,
make us worthy of the generosity Thou hast promised
Thy friends,
make incumbent for us
what Thou hast made incumbent
for those who go to great lengths in obeying Thee,
and place us in the ranks of those
who deserve through Thy mercy the highest elevation!

............O God,
fill this month with our worship of Thee,
adorn its times with our obedience toward Thee,
help us during its daytime with its fast,
and in its night with prayer and pleading toward Thee,
humility toward Thee,
and lowliness before Thee,
so that its daytime may not bear witness
against our heedlessness,
nor its night against our neglect!
O God,
make us like this in the other months and days
as long as Thou givest us life,
and place us among Thy righteous servants,
those who shall inherit Paradise,
therein dwelling forever,178
those who give what they give,
while their hearts quake,
that they are returning to their Lord,179
those who vie in good works,
outracing to them!180

source: AL-SAHIFA AL-KAMILAH AL-SAJJADIYYA, Supplications 44