By Baba F Trawally, Amir of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in The Gambia
All praise belongs to Allah Almighty Who has blessed us with the holy month of Ramadan and has enabled us to come to the end of this year’s Ramadan. We are very much fortunate to witness yet another blessed month of Ramadan as others who observed this holy month with us last year and the previous years are not with us this year to observe this month and also partake in the celebrations of Eid. For that reason, we should always be thankful to Allah Almighty for His continuous and infinite blessings upon us. Allah Almighty has prescribed the fasting that we may reform ourselves and increase our taqwa (righteousness and piety).
Ramadan is indeed a blessed month, a month that helps us increase in our worship of our Creator, Allah Almighty, a month that helps us reform ourselves, a month that helps prevent us from evil, a month that blesses us and gives us the opportunity to be more charitable, a month that helps us to reflect upon the blessings bestowed upon us by Allah Almighty, a month that grants us the opportunity to help the poor and needy and also helps us to share with our neighbours and one another and a month that helps to accrue and experience Allah Almighty’s mercy, forgiveness and salvation.
The blessings of Ramadan help us become more righteous by doing good deeds and trying our best to avoid actions and deeds that are unpleasant and evil. Hence Allah Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an: “O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous.”(Chap 2:184)
Another blessing of Ramadan is that during this month, Muslims intensify their reading and study of the Holy Qur’an and people endeavour to complete the recitation of the whole Qur’an at least once during this blessed month. Regarding the connection between the Holy Qur’an and Ramadan, Allah Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an: ‘The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur’an was sent down as a guidance for mankind with clear proofs of guidance and discrimination…” (Chap 2:186)
During the holy month of Ramadan, Allah Almighty’s mercy and grace upon His servants are at their highest and also Allah Almighty is always there to answer to the call of His servants hence Allah Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an after the verses dealing with Ramadan that: “And when My Servants ask thee about Me, say: I am near. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me. So they should hearken to Me and believe in Me, that they may follow the right way.” (Chap 2:187).
Regarding the holy month of Ramadan, The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) has stated that the first ten days of this month are to attain God Almighty’s mercy, the middle ten days are to seek His forgiveness and the last ten days one seeks to be saved from the hellfire.
Pondering over these verses of the Holy Qur’an and that of the saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw), one can understand the great blessing Allah Almighty bestowed upon us by giving us the month of Ramadan. For that reason, Ramadan should be a source of reformation and a means of attaining righteousness for true believers. Whatever good deeds we practiced and the actions which are bad and evil that we stayed away from during the month of Ramadan, after the month of Ramadan, we should try our utmost best to continue striving to do those good deeds and also strive hard to avoid those bad and evil deeds. We should not say that we will remain righteous only during the month of Ramadan and then afterwards we go back to the evils that we observed. If we cannot gain a lasting reformation and we cannot attain any lessons to continue the good acts after Ramadan, then we cannot say that we have attain the true blessings and spirit of Ramadan.
We should remember that Ramadan is not only about refraining from food and drinks but the spirit of Ramadan is much more than that because what we learn is that if we can stay away from the things that are permitted to us then by all means we should stay away from the things that are evil, sinful and not permitted to us.
In his Friday Sermon of 10th June 2016, the Supreme and Spiritual Head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) said: “Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah does not need to keep you hungry. The real purpose of fasting is that one improves in taqwa (God fearing and piety).”
One month of discipline/educating/ mending ourselves has been provided to us. Thus one should try to improve in piety during this time. Taqwa will improve the standards of your good deeds, it will lead to sustained pious actions, help you attain the proximity of Allah and one will be forgiven for the sins committed in past.
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Who ever fasted during the month of Ramadan in the state of iman (belief) and tried to retrospect and fight his/her soul against sins, all of his/her previous sins will be forgiven.”
He further stated that: “The root to every virtue is righteousness so try achieving it. The meaning of taqwa (righteousness) is to refrain from even the slightest and smallest sin. Righteousness is abstaining from even those actions that you are suspicious of that they will lead to a sin.”
During the holy month of Ramadan, one distinct feature is that we are more charitable and we take care of the poor and the needy in our neighborhood, societies, communities and even people we don’t know. Such acts of kindness, care and goodness towards the poor and needy amongst us should continue even after the holy month of Ramadan.
In his Friday Sermon of 26th June 2015, the Supreme and Spiritual Head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) regarding righteous deeds said: “God commands: ‘And worship Allah and associate naught with Him, and show kindness to parents, and to kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and to the neighbour that is a kinsman and the neighbour that is a stranger, and the companion by your side, and the wayfarer, and those whom your right hands possess. Surely, Allah loves not the proud and the boastful,’ (4:37). Here, after drawing attention to worship and avoiding associating partners with Him, God has drawn attention to other matters. Likewise, Ramadan also draws attention towards rights of society and one may adopt them during this month on a permanent basis. If these rights are not discharged worship alone cannot attain all the objectives of Ramadan. Indeed, worship of God is an objective of this month which should be practiced and made permanent for the rest of the year. Similarly, rights of mankind are also discharged in this month and should be made permanent for the rest of the year.
“During Ramadan the generosity of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) towards the needy, used to increase intensely and has been liken to fierce wind. His generosity during rest of the year was also peerless; therefore, to liken its intensity during Ramadan to fierce wind is because there is could be no other apt analogy…Unless both rights of God and rights of mankind are fulfilled one cannot be a true believer, rather one is arrogant…These are rights of parents, relatives, the needy, neighbours, travellers, other acquaintances and those who are under our care. Thus one verse draws attention to and commands the rights of entire humanity. The Holy Qur’an mentions rights of parents elsewhere as well. It is the duty of children and not a favour.
“There are also rights of relatives; if husband and wife fulfil the dues of their respective in-laws as God commands to fulfil rights of close familial ties many disputes and disagreements would be resolved. Special attention should be given to this matter during these days of Ramadan. Care of orphans and to make them a useful part of society is a most important obligation. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be on him) said one who cares for orphan will be alongside me in Paradise…. Thus is the beautiful teaching of Islam for every section of society.
During Ramadan, God grants to those who fulfil His rights as well as the rights of mankind. We should focus on this most humbly. The special atmosphere of Ramadan draws attention to worship and other pious works and we should garner maximum benefit from them.”
May Allah Almighty bless us to always follow the excellent examples of the Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustapha (saw). May He make this easy upon us. Ameen.
I am hereby extending to you all the warmest salaam, love, prayers and Eid Mubarak of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V(May Allah be his Helper), the Spiritual and Supreme Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad. On behalf of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at the Gambia, I humbly wish you all Eid Mubarak.
May Allah Almighty accept and reward all the humble devotions, prayers and sacrifices that we have made during the holy month of Ramadan. May He continue protecting and blessing our beloved and dear motherland, The Gambia and her people and shower peace, security, prosperity and stability on entire population. Ameen. Wassalam
