Salaam to Ramadhan

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ (2:183)

“O you who have attained to faith! Fasting is ordained for you as it was ordained for those before you, so that you might attain Taqwa” (Al-baqarah 2:183)

Allah (subhana Hu wa ta’ala ) reminds us in this ayat that the raison d'être of fasting is to achieve taqwa (piety/God-consciousness).  The discipline of Ramadhan enables us to exercise a systematic restraint on the base carnal soul, the nafsul ammarah, and in the process trains the human soul to achieve a desired sense of disconnect with this world.  Fasting with pure intention and complete faith enables us to understand that we have a higher purpose beyond this ephemeral material existence, as we deliberately choose to side with God instead of choosing to give in to our carnal desires. If done right, this is thus one of the core elements pertaining to the attainment of taqwa. It is no surprise therefore that according to several traditions, the Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wasallam) loved fasting very much. 

As we welcome this month, we must keep this objective foremost in our minds so that we can protect ourselves from unfortunate Ramadan solecisms that habitually crop up in our societies like binge eating, edacity, luxurious and elaborate meals, reduced performance of our duties, excessive sleeping, general malaise, lethargy and the like, which are in direct contravention of the principles laid down for this month.  Let us also resist with tenacity the desire to offer our patronage to the shopping centers and malls, and instead frequent our place of ibadah, be it in the masjid or be it in the corner of our house/office. Let us refuse to waste our time with frivolous activities and instead engage with the Qur’an.  

Just imagine that we struggle 8 to 10 hours to restrain a wild and dangerous beast, and then after iftar we let it run amok, not only risking losing everything that we achieved during the fasting period but also endangering both our physical and spiritual well-being.

Moving on from restraining the nafsul ammarah, to a more collective and social objective, this month should also enable Muslims to be harbingers of kindness and mercy to others. There is a narration in which the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wasallam) has reportedly said:

“O Muslims! A noble and generous month has come to you. A month in which a night is better than one thousand months, and this month is the month of charity, patience, and mercy. In this month the gates of Paradise become wide open and the gates of Hell are shut, and the devils are chained” (Sunan Al Nasai, Classified as Sahih by Albani). 

Let us resolve, in the spirit of charity and kindness mentioned above, to show solidarity with the underprivileged, the orphans and the needy.  Let us reject filling the coffers of restaurateurs with over-the-top Ramadan buffets (even if such iftar parties are in vogue), and let us focus instead on diverting as much of our wealth and time to charitable efforts as possible. 

Let us take great care that we do not waste this opportunity, for like some of our loved ones who have departed from us, we may not live to see Ramadhan the next year.

 

As-Sahifa Al-Kamilah Al-Sajjadiyya of Ali ibn Husayn al-Sajjad Zayn al-Abidin ( عَلِيّ ٱبْن ٱلْحُسَيْن ٱلسَّجَّاد‎) (may Allah bless him) contains many wonderful and eloquent supplications.  Part of the one Supplication in Bidding Farewell to the Month of Ramadan contains this wonderful extract of saying salaam to the month of Ramadan: 

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا شَهْرَ اللَّهِ الْأَكْبَرَ ، وَ يَا عِيدَ أَوْلِيَائِهِ

 

Peace be upon you, O greatest month of God! O Eid of His friends!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أَكْرَمَ مَصْحُوبٍ مِنَ الْأَوْقَاتِ ، وَ يَا خَيْرَ شَهْرٍ فِي الْأَيَّامِ وَ السَّاعَاتِ

Peace be upon you, O most noble of accompanying times! O best of months in days and hours!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ شَهْرٍ قَرُبَتْ فِيهِ الْآمَالُ ، وَ نُشِرَتْ فِيهِ الْأَعْمَالُ

Peace be upon you, month in which expectations come near and good works are everywhere!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ قَرِينٍ جَلَّ قَدْرُهُ مَوْجُوداً ، وَ أَفْجَعَ فَقْدُهُ مَفْقُوداً ، وَ مَرْجُوٍّ آلَمَ فِرَاقُهُ

Peace be upon you, Comrade who is great in worth when found and who torments through  absence when lost, anticipated friend whose parting gives pain!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَلِيفٍ آنَسَ مُقْبِلًا فَسَرَّ ، وَ أَوْحَشَ مُنْقَضِياً فَمَضَّ

Peace be upon you, familiar who brought comfort in coming, thus making happy, who left loneliness in going, thus giving anguish!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ مُجَاوِرٍ رَقَّتْ فِيهِ الْقُلُوبُ ، وَ قَلَّتْ فِيهِ الذُّنُوبُ

Peace be upon you, neighbour in whom hearts became tender and sins became few!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ نَاصِرٍ أَعَانَ عَلَى الشَّيْطَانِ ، وَ صَاحِبٍ سَهَّلَ سُبُلَ الْإِحْسَانِ

Peace be upon you, helper who aided against Satan, O companion who made easy the paths of good-doing!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مَا أَكْثَرَ عُتَقَاءَ اللَّهِ فِيكَ ، وَ مَا أَسْعَدَ مَنْ رَعَى حُرْمَتَكَ بِكَ

Peace be upon you - How many became freedmen of God within you! How happy those who observed the respect due to you!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مَا كَانَ أَمْحَاكَ لِلذُّنُوبِ ، وَ أَسْتَرَكَ لِأَنْوَاعِ الْعُيُوبِ

Peace be upon you - How many are the sins you helped get erased! How many are the kinds of faults you helped cover over!

 

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مَا كَانَ أَطْوَلَكَ عَلَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ ، وَ أَهْيَبَكَ فِي صُدُورِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Peace be upon you - How drawn out were you for the sinners! How awesome were you in the hearts of the faithful!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ شَهْرٍ لَا تُنَافِسُهُ الْأَيَّامُ

Peace be upon you, month with which no days compete!

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ شَهْرٍ هُوَ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ سَلَامٌ

Peace be upon you, month which is peace in all affairs!

 

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ غَيْرَ كَرِيهِ الْمُصَاحَبَةِ ، وَ لَا ذَمِيمِ الْمُلَابَسَةِ

Peace be upon you, you whose companionship is not disliked, you whose friendly mixing is not blamed!

 

االسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ كَمَا وَفَدْتَ عَلَيْنَا بِالْبَرَكَاتِ ، وَ غَسَلْتَ عَنَّا دَنَسَ الْخَطِيئَاتِ

Peace be upon you, just as you have entered upon us with blessings and cleansed us of the defilement of offenses!

 

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ غَيْرَ مُوَدَّعٍ بَرَماً وَ لَا مَتْرُوكٍ صِيَامُهُ سَأَماً

Peace be upon you - You art not bid farewell in annoyance nor is your fasting left in weariness!

 

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ مَطْلُوبٍ قَبْلَ وَقْتِهِ ، وَ مَحْزُونٍ عَلَيْهِ قَبْلَ فَوْتِهِ

Peace be upon you, object of seeking before your time, object of sorrow before your passing!

 

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ كَمْ مِنْ سُوءٍ صُرِفَ بِكَ عَنَّا ، وَ كَمْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ أُفِيضَ بِكَ عَلَيْنَا

Peace be upon you - How much evil was turned away from us through you! How much good flowed upon us because of you!

 

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ وَ عَلَى لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ الَّتِي هِيَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ

Peace be upon you and upon the Night of Decree which is better than a thousand months!

 

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مَا كَانَ أَحْرَصَنَا بِالْأَمْسِ عَلَيْكَ ، وَ أَشَدَّ شَوْقَنَا غَداً إِلَيْكَ

Peace be upon you - How much we craved you yesterday! How intensely we shall yearn for you tomorrow!

 

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ وَ عَلَى فَضْلِكَ الَّذِي حُرِمْنَاهُ ، وَ عَلَى مَاضٍ مِنْ بَرَكَاتِكَ سُلِبْنَاهُ

Peace be upon you and upon your bounty which has now been made unlawful to us and upon your blessings gone by which have now been stripped away from us!