Tonight the blessed month of Ramadan begins and once again
we warmly welcome it in order to fulfil our duty towards one of the five
pillars of Islam. This year Ramadan arrives at a time that finds all of us in
the particularly stressful situation described as ‘lockdown and social
distancing’. How will this affect our spiritual commitments in this blessed
month of social and community engagement? Our mosques are closed and religious
congregations are not allowed, while the pilgrimage journey to the centre of
Islam not possible. How will that impact the intensity and quality of our
spiritual journey throughout this month?
Every single pillar of Islam is designed to have an impact
on our spiritual wellbeing. They purify the inner soul, then lift it and
connect it with the Most High, Allah. They are perfectly designed to achieve
their purpose under all circumstances. As the Quran puts it beautifully: ‘So
fear Allah as much as you can, and listen and obey, and be charitable. This is
for your own good. And whoever remains safe from his own greediness, it is such
that will prosper.’ Surah 64 Verse 16
The preceding verse means we must practice our religion to
the best of our ability, despite the inconvenience of the time and place. Islam
is gentle and kind to the personal circumstances of people, indeed, it
encourages people to strive to get the best out of their efforts. It never
seeks to diminish the quality of any of our actions or dampen people’s
enthusiasm when we face adversity.
Ramadan comes to assist in the recuperation of human souls
and reconnect them with each other and put them in the service of all humanity.
It gives people, rich and poor, one of the greatest experiences in human life:
the appreciation of Allah’s favour upon mankind, and the opportunity to connect
with each other through the acts of kindness, compassion and charitable work.
I would like to mention two of the guiding sayings (hadith)
of our beloved Prophet Mohammad, Peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, which
highlight some of the sublime purposes of the blessed month of Ramadan.
In the first, the Prophet said: ‘Ramadan has come to you, it
is a blessed month, its fasting has been prescribed upon you, the gates of
Heavens are opened in it, and gates of Hell are closed therein, all the
rebellious satans are chained in this month. Allah has made a night in it which
is better than the nights of a thousand months; if anyone was deprived of its
goodness, they would be deprived of all goodness’.
In the further extended version of this hadith, it is
narrated: ‘ the gates of the heavens are opened and none of them are closed and
a caller calls: O seeker of goodness come forth and O seeker of evil deeds
stop. In the month, Allah frees people from the Hellfire, in every night of the
month.’ (narrated by Ahmad, Nasai and Timidhi
In the second hadith, the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah
be upon him said: ‘Ramadan has come to you, a month of blessings in which Allah
covers you through them. He sends down His mercy, removes (forgives) sins and
grants acceptance to people’s calls and supplications to Him. Allah looks to
your competitions in this month and takes pride with His angels in you. So show
Allah goodness from you (in your deeds).
These two hadith highlight some important points for people
to understand. There is a ‘lockdown’ mentioned in the hadith: that is for
satanic forces and its instigators. There is never a lockdown for the forces of
goodness. The doors of opportunity, for making a difference and changing to a
better situation, are always open and available. In the lockdown situation that
we are in now, perhaps the isolation will help many of us into becoming more
focussed on the more serious purposes for our being. Social distancing could be
regarded as a step towards a spiritual closeness to Allah and employed as an
act of introspection or retrospection, by which to reflect and correct much of
what is wrong in our lives.
The double effect of both lockdowns, one that we are in at
the moment and the other that is the satan’s lockdown in the month, should be
far reaching and doubly effective in changing our outlook on life and on the
purpose for our lives, granted by Allah the Creator.
What both hadith do seem to be impressing upon us is, that
if we are deprived of the benefits of these blessed times in this month, then
indeed we are deprived of all goodness. This needs to be reflected upon and
looked into seriously. A moment of reflection could save us from a hard time
for a long time.
According to the hadith, Allah wants to see us in
competition in all our acts of goodness. This is no time for depression or
giving up, so a lockdown situation should not be a barrier to making difference
to our own lives or indeed to the lives of others. That is the beautiful
message of Ramadan, the month of fasting and restraints, but also the month
that develops, in believers, new disciplines and fresh ideas.
A person who pauses for reflection in this month, may hear a
voice calling to him in his innermost being. If this person has carried out
acts of goodness, they will be encouraged to keep walking the path of goodness
and do more. If the person is someone who commits evil deeds, it reminds them
of the time and opportunity to desist and cease from their evil actions and
think about the consequences.
Ramadan quenches the spiritual thirst of those who want to
enlighten themselves through the guidance and teachings of Allah. The manner in
which it’s days and nights should be spent are both excellently designed as
peaceful and reclusive connections with Allah. It is a journey that catapults
us spiritually into the realm of pious people.
We may miss the glitter of outside life in Ramadan, but
surely, that may be a blessing in disguise. We all need time without
distractions when reflecting on our own spiritual commitments. Ramadan is often
showcased, by outsiders and indeed by many Muslims, as the month of excessive
food preparation, with too much focus on the end of fasting meals. This may be
the opportunity we needed to cleanse this impression and be the opportunity for
all of us to understand the true meaning of its purpose and what a spiritual
connection with Allah means in our lives.
Ramadan is a habit breaker and helps us in rethinking and
re-evaluating our habits, good or bad.
We enter into error and divert from the path of wisdom too often, sometimes
unwittingly, but continue on blindly without further thought, walking a
different path to that which leads us to the right destination. Ramadan gives
us a chance to break this cycle and grants us the opportunity to examine
ourselves. Let this Ramadan be one of those times that becomes ever blessed in
our memories. The once in a lifetime opportunity, resulting in a successful
outcome, beyond our wildest dreams. May Allah grant us that opportunity and
accept from us this Ramadan all the acts of worships and goodness that we may
do in the month and grant acceptance to our dua. Aameen.
