The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur’an was sent down as guidance for mankind, with Clear Signs containing guidance and discrimination. Any of you who are resident for the month should fast it. But any of you who are ill or on a journey should fast a number of other days. God desires ease for you; He does not desire difficulty for you. You should complete the number of days and proclaim God’s greatness for the guidance He has given you so that hopefully you will be thankful. (Surat al-Baqara, 185)
For a Muslim, Ramadan is the time of the year when he feels the need to reconsider his bond with Allah and endeavours to establish a firmer and more profound relation with Him. This is, however, not something that he does with some outer motives. It is in the nature of Ramadan, in the very spirit of this holy month that Allah revealed its importance through the verse above.
Fasting, which is an observation peculiar to Ramadan, is one of the acts of worship through which a believer keeps his soul full of the spiritual blessings that Almighty Allah bestows in Ramadan. A person who fasts feels the joy of discharging an act of worship throughout the day. Aware that he fulfills this observance only to earn Allah’s approval he truly feels his sincerity and probity towards Allah. This is one of greatest spiritual awards that gives peace and tranquility to the heart.
Fasting is an act of worship that entails moral perfection. Through this act of worship and other observations fulfilled in the month of Ramadan, a believer constantly keeps himself occupied with Allah’s remembrance and does not depart from good conduct. The consciousness of Ramadan becomes a constant reminder of deeds and the kind of conduct pleasing to Allah.
Meanwhile there is one attribute of Ramadan from which believers must definetly benefit in the spiritual sense. By his endeavour to think deeply, a believer can make this month be the gate that opens to a profound state of mind in which he feels Allah’s existence at every moment of his life. That is because Ramadan is a time during which a believer can innerly appreciate the blessings surrounding him and develop an even deeper love for Allah.
Allah values His servants in this world and He creates innumerable blessings for them. If one contemplates deeply, whatever he eats, drinks, smells, sees, enjoys, likes in this world is created by Allah. Whatever makes this life beautiful and worthy-of-living is a blessing of Allah to him. That is why, Allah deserves sincere love and His servants’ undivided attention. In return for all these blessings, a believer inherently takes pleasure from contemplating upon them and seeing His Lord’s artistry in all the details. That is why as he goes on with his daily life, devoting his meticulous attention to his Creator becomes an inseperable part of his life. As he contemplates upon the blessings that make life possible for him, he arrives at a true understanding of His Lord’s meticuluous care upon him. This fills his heart with more reverance and love for His Creator. This is a kind of enlightement for a believer and the relief of heart which is incomparable to any other sensation in this world.
Ramadan is such a time of elevation for the soul. It is the time when a person can radically change his outlook on his life and the universe and attach a more divine and profound meaning to it as he draws closer to His Lord.
Adnan Oktar's piece on Indian Muslim Observer:
