those of us who live to see it and pick its invaluable fruits. It is a
time of Taqwa )piety(, of Emaan)faith(, and of Ihsaan )excellence(.Its
time for renovation of faith, for renewal of our pledge to Allaah
Almighty, for refueling our soul for the onslaughts the next year
holds for us. Yet, it will pass by many of us without touching them.
How deprived are those who will remain untouched by it! And how lucky
are those whom its nights will bless with tears of love and fear, and
its days with the sweet hunger and thirst of fasting!
Allaah Almighty breaks the monotony of human life by appointing times
and places that He, by His infinite Wisdom and Knowledge, calls
special, or `Mubaarak', one that has the special touch of Allaah's
Barakah)benediction, blessing(. This concept of Barakah is extremely
important for it appears quite frequently in the Noble Quran and the
Prophetic narrations.
The concept of Barakah has a kind of mystery in it. The devotedservant
does not know exactly how, when and in what form willthe promised
increase or acceptance will descend, so he orshe keeps an eye on the
unknown prize and keeps going. It is hidden in some moments of the
night, some morsels of food, some days of the week, some months of the
year, and some cities or places in the world. No one knows but the
All-Knower, Allaah Almighty.
Even a cursory look at the history of various human cultures showsthat
humans have a timeless instinct to separate the special from the
mundane and to distinguish the sacred from the profane. This very
distinction has formed the essence of worship inall human societies,
primitive or modern. In the true religion of Allaah Almighty, all
sanctity and devotion goes finally to Allaah, and Allaah alone. Yet to
break our routine, to grab our attention, to challenge our intellect,
to satiate our spiritual yearning, and finally to fill our instinctive
need of worship, devotion and love, Allaah Almighty has chosen, by His
Wisdom, tangible symbols for us.These symbols of time and space,of
sacred moments and Mubaarak )blessed( places, are anaid to our
worship. Ramadan is perhaps the richest, the largest and the most
loaded of these symbols.
The modern secular society has played havoc with this sense of
sacredness, leaving us without symbols and their spirituality
andmystery. Surrounded by man-made buildings, cars, computers,
highways and gadgets, we forget the Creator ofthe makers of these
trivialities. Emails preempt Prayer, cheap fiction strikes off the
Quran, fashion magazines replace beneficial books, TV sports take care
of any reflective moments you might have otherwise had.
So much so that the month of Ramadan takes many of us by surprise when
our favorite news service announces that the `Muslims are celebrating
Ramadan tomorrow'. Ramadan comes to many of us without arousing and
ecstasy in the heartor anticipation in the mind. All the joys of its
anticipation and memories of its presence are sidelined by the clutter
of this busy life. A provocative email going around these days
understandably spells BUSY out as: 'Being Under Satan's Yoke!'
If you are busy, but not necessarily getting much done in terms of
real responsibilities of your life, that is, there is no Barakah in
your time and efforts, nor have you any `spare' time for pondering
Allaah's Message, thenbe sure, the one keeping you busy is none but
Satan. The solution is easy: seeking Allaah's refuge. But it is being
aware and ready perpetually to seek Allaah'srefuge that makes the
toughest challenge. The times and places of special, barakah help us
do just that.
Don't be too busy for Ramadan. Small things like Masjid announcements
about Ramadan and other sacred days and nights, discussions with
friends and relatives about your plans to read Quran and mutual
encouragement to excel in piety can work wonders. Seek blessings by
keeping track of the Islamic calendar and of the months and days,
fasting on the recommended days, and visiting outdoors to reflect upon
the creation of Allaah Almighty. Learnthe sayings of the Prophetabout
blessed moments like Ramadan, and intensify your worship, devotions
and supplications during these times.Keep you tongue wet by asking for
Allaah's mercy and blessings. Meet the blessed Ramadan fully prepared
to reap its gifts. Pray that Ramadan touches you with its incalculable
blessings.
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