8/8/2019 Ghulam Nabi Falahi Ramadan and Spiritual
Purification
1/3
Ramadan and Spiritual Purification.?
By
G.N.Falahi,
Human being has been gifted with special qualities. The most
important gift of
Allah (SWT) is the spiritual faculty of human being. He is
required to develop
this side of his personality so that the persons of strong
character can be
developed and social order based on spiritual and moral
principles can be
established. Allah (SWT) has not left human being alone in this
regard. Along
with his inner ability, He has provided external guidance in the
form of His
revealed message and His Messengers. Islam, being the last
divine message,
and the Prophet of Islam (SAW), being the last Prophet in the
chain of
Prophets, provided complete guidance for the spiritual
purification and
refinement. One aspect of this guidance is the fasting in the
month of Ramdan.
This is a methodology for the strengthening of the inner
dimensions of human
personality. The followers of the Prophet of Islam (SAW) have
been specially
commanded to observe fasting to achieve piety and righteousness.
If a person
observes this practice with diligence, sincerity and
determination, he willdefinitely find his reward in this world and
in the life hereafter. The Quran
says; O you who believe, Fasting is prescribed to you as it was
prescribed tothose before you, that ye may (learn
self-restraint.
The month of Ramdan is approaching with His mercy; it is the
month that is
the best of all months in the estimation of Allah. Its days are
the best among thedays; its nights are the best among the nights.
Its hours are the best among the
hours. We have been invited and selected in this month as the
recipients of thehonours and blessings of Allah. (SWT).
It provides an environment of piety and righteousness. It
creates a spiritualenvironment which encourages a Muslim to be a
part of it. If a person fasts for
the sake of Allah (SWT) and observe self-restraint and control,
he is able to
over-haul his personality completely. It is not only to restrain
oneself from
eating and drinking but help a Muslim to refresh himself into a
balanced
personality in which the physical, intellectual and spiritual
aspects of
personality are developed simultaneously and our good deeds are
accepted in
this month. So are our invocations. Therefore, we must invoke
our Lord, in
right earnest, with hearts that are free from sins and evils and
at the end of
Ramadan a spiritual person is born again.
It was narrated by Salman the Persian (may Allah be pleased with
him) that theMessenger of Allah (peace be upon him) delivered a
khutba on the last day oShaban. The Prophet said: O you people! A
great and a blessed month have
arrived for you, therein a Night which is better than one
thousand months. The
fasting during this month is an obligation (fareedh), and the
extra prayers
during its nights are voluntary. Anyone who comes closer to
Allah through a
good deed during this month is as if he performed on obligatory
duty during
times other than Ramdan, and he who fulfils an obligatory duty
in it will be like
8/8/2019 Ghulam Nabi Falahi Ramadan and Spiritual
Purification
2/3
one who fulfils seventy obligatory duties in another month. It
is the month of
patience, and the reward of patience is Paradise. It is the
month of visiting ofthe poor, the sick and the needy so as to share
their sorrows. It is the month
where the nourishment, the sustenance and the income of the
believing Muslim
increase and they are blessed.
Anyone who invites others to break their fast or iftarwill be
provided with
forgiveness of his sins be saved from hell, and will receive
reward equal to the
fasting without reducing his own reward in any respect. Some of
the followers
of the prophet said: Not all of us may find food to share with
one so that he
could break his fast. The Prophet said: Allah will reward you
even if you help
the fasting Muslim to break his fast with a date, a sip of water
or a drink of
milk...
It is a month: its beginning is Mercy, and its last part is
freedom from hellfire.
Anyone who helps a slave to be freed, Allah will forgive him and
free him
from Hell.
Verily! The person who may not receive the mercy and benevolence
of Allah
in this month must be very unfortunate having an end as bad (in
the Hereafter).
While fasting, remember the hunger and thirst of tomorrow. Give
alms to the
poor and the needy.
O People! You have made your conscience the slave of your
desires; make it
free by invoking Him for Istighfar (repentance/forgiveness). Our
backs are breaking under the heavy load of our sins, so prostrate
before Him for long
intervals and make it lighter.
Increase in yourselves four characteristics: two by which you
will please your
Lord, and two others by which you cannot live without. The first
two qualities
to please Allah are to bear witness that there is no one worthy
of worship
except Allah, and to ask forgiveness from Allah However, the
other two
things that you cannot live without are: to ask Allah for
Paradise and to ask
Him to protect you from Hell and fire
Pay respects to your elders. Have pity on those younger than you
and be kind
towards your relatives and kinsmen. Guard your tongues against
unworthy
words, and your eyes from such scenes that are not worth seeing
(forbidden)
and your ears from such sounds that should not be heard by
you.
Be kind to orphans so that when your children become orphans
they also may
be treated with kindness. Do invoke that Allah may forgive our
sins. Do raise
your hands at the time of Salat (Prayers), as it is the best
time for asking His
mercy. When we invoke at such times, we are answered by Him,
when we call
Him, He responds, and when we ask for anything, it is accepted
by Him.
