Salamun alaykum,
It's that time of the year again:
The very special moments for one to seek Divine mercy and draw closer to His servitude is with us again. We have once again been blessed with life to be honoured as guests to the Divine banquet laid by Allah SWT.
You are invited:
The most honourable of the months, Ramadhan shahrullah- the month of Allah SWT- has commenced. It is the month in which the gates of mercy are open and the believers have received an invitation to a banquet.
"...It is the month in which Allah invites you as His guests and has appointed you the beneficiaries of His generosity...."(Noble Prophet Muhammad SAWW).
A Banquet with no meals:
Allah SWT has invited us as guests to Divine banquet He has spread in this blessed month. Unlike the invitations by humans, where the hospitalities accorded are rich in ceremonies, pomp and luxurious in food; this Divine invitation is unique. It is a table where, instead of our ways of overfeeding and over pampering ourselves, the host-Allah SWT- has laid out a unique feast. It is a banquet with no meals. This spread is meant to make us rich in Taqwa and poor in the base lusts and desires of the self.
Menu for the Banquet:
The main course being laid out in the menu for this Divine Banquet is to observe Sawm (arabic word meaning restraint). In obedience to the commands of Allah SWT, we undertake to refrain, from the time before Fajr up to maghrib, from the muftiratus sawm( nullifiers of fast).
It's not only about avoiding food and water:
Fasting is not just about avoiding food and water, rather more importantly it is an opportunity for one to focus on developing spirituality, pure thoughts and actions. What else?
Once the Noble Prophet heard a lady, who was fasting, abusing her slave. He requested for some food and asked the lady to eat. She said that she was fasting.
The Noble Prophet responded, "What sort of a fast is that you abuse your slave? Fasting is not merely abstaining from food and drink. Allah has surely made the fast a cover over all evil deeds and words. Those who truly fast are very few and those who remain hungry are so many.."
By undertaking sawm during this month one gets a wonderful opportunity to keep a leash on one's tongue from uttering what should not be spoken, guard the gaze from what is not permissible to be seen, refrain from hearing the forbidden, protect the limbs from carrying out evil and above all to train oneself in improving one's nature.
Take time to reflect on the true meaning of sawm:
Shahru Ramadan is indeed the time of searching your Self and reforming your life to become a better Muslim.
Will you strive to be from those few who enjoy this Divine Banquet by fasting truly? Will you avoid being from those who simply remain hungry and thirsty in this month?
May the abundant blessings of Shahru Ramadhan encompass us all, Sawm Maqbul.
Wa ma tawfiqi illa billah.
With salaams and duas,
Fazle Abbas Datoo
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Resident Alim
Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat