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Some
people have butterflies in their stomach when
Ramadan draws near. We usually become more
alert and extremely careful as Ramadan gets
closer and closer.
Why
do we have this anxiety? What is it and what
is really happening to us? Is this a positive
feeling? Are we betraying our faithfulness to
Almighty Allah when we experience such strange
feelings? We experience this even though we
know this is Ramadan; a month of mercy and
worship.
There
is a sense of concern and restlessness filling
our minds and hearts whenever we think of the
commencement of Ramadan. This is not because
we are anticipating the moon-sighting, but for
another fundamental reason – the reason why
fasting Ramadan was prescribed to us in the
first place.
We
are probably experiencing the 'Ramadan
syndrome' or the essence of fasting Ramadan,
taqwa (piety and fearing Allah).
We
can say with confidence that this is the main
objective of fasting in general which we are
all required to observe throughout the entire
blessed month of Ramadan.
Allah
the Almighty says:
[O
you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to
you as it was prescribed to those before
you, that you may become righteous]
(achieve Taqwa).
(Al-Baqarah 2:
183)
Taqwa
is also one of the main objectives of the
revelation of the Qur'an. Allah the Almighty
says:
[(It
is) a Qur'an in Arabic, without any
crookedness (therein): in order that they
may become righteous (achieve Taqwa)] (Az-Zumar 39:28)
And
here we see that the Qur'an was revealed in
Ramadan:
[Ramadan
is the (month) in which was sent down the
Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear
(signs) for guidance and a criterion
(between right and wrong...]
(Al-Baqarah 2:185)
The
observation of taqwa is also a method of
acquiring this criterion. Allah the Almighty
says:
[O
you who believe! if you fear Allah, He
will grant you a Criterion (to judge
between right and wrong)...]
(Al-Anfal 8:29)
Fasting
Ramadan, the observation of taqwa (piety and
fear of Allah) in Ramadan, and the revelation
of the Qur'an in Ramadan all together form a
coherent link. They all happen to be in
Ramadan. The three form a triangle of virtue;
and hence the aspiration to obtain one cannot
happen perfectly without the other two.
Ramadan
cannot be successful without fasting, and
fasting cannot be perfect without reciting the
Qur'an. Taqwa is also hard to attain if we set
the Qur'an or fasting aside. It is a very
powerful relationship.
To
clarify this we shall discuss these
relationships independently, starting with the
main objective of fasting the month of
Ramadan, taqwa.
Soundness
of Heart - Soundness of Taqwa
Ramadan
comes every year and everyone knows that.
Ironically, regardless of how much time they
spend preparing for it, it is never enough and
they get the same nervous feeling as if they
are fasting Ramadan for the first time in
their life. Once Ramadan begins, they feel
more relaxed.
Allah
the Almighty says:
[But
remind (them), for indeed the reminder
benefits the believer]
(Adh-Dhariyat 51:55)
Some
people are always alert and fully conscious of
their sense of servitude to Almighty Allah.
Therefore, they regularly maintain the five
daily prayers. Some, however, need a weekly
reminder and therefore feel their sense of
servitude every Friday. Many unfortunately
forget a lot, and an annual reminder is what
is needed to bring them back to their sense of
servitude to Almighty Allah. Other people
however, take this reminder once in their life
time. They only remember when they grow old
enough to start thinking about performing Hajj
as a declaration of repentance.
Ramadan
is the blessed month, the annual reminder, the
time for many people to reconcile with their
Lord, and for people to learn how to act like
Muslims should. They always try their best to
do well and hope to continue in that way. It
is a subtle inner struggle with our
unsatisfactory self-worth in terms of the
status of our faith and the level of our
worship. Therefore, during the month of
Ramadan the feeling of guilt increases, the
spiritual drive heightens, and the need for
commitment and a devotional lifestyle become
more demanding and more appealing than ever.
People
in Ramadan are preoccupied with all aspects of
worship; physical, spiritual, financial, and
social, in a manner that is not like any other
season of the year. Ramadan creates a
festivity of worship, where people enjoy
giving, sacrificing, and devoting their time,
day and night, for the sole purpose of
worship.
This
sudden change in attitude and course of
conduct comes from within. Something affects
the heart that may even make the most
notorious people feel compelled to slow down
on their evil and reflect as if they had been
spiritually touched.
Surely,
this spiritual touch that changed their
hearts, is the compelling feeling of taqwa;
the sincere fear of Almighty Allah and the
desire to humble themselves to their Lord,
which comes with this blessed month of
fasting.
When
the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be
upon him) located the place of taqwa he
pointed to his heart, and said:
"Taqwa is
over here" thrice, as in the hadith of
Abu Hurairah that is reported in Sahih Muslim.
He
(peace and blessings be upon him) further
clarified in a Hadith from Al-Nu`man ibn
Bashir: "Indeed there is in the body a
piece of flesh which if it is sound then the
whole body is sound and if it is corrupt then
the whole body is corrupt. Indeed it is the
heart" (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
From
this we understand that soundness of the heart
means the soundness of taqwa; the true
experience of fearing Allah the Almighty. As a
result of this there is soundness of deeds
that should be reflected on the actions and
conduct of the individual.
When
people start feeling humble during the month
of Ramadan it is because the elements of taqwa
are creeping into their hearts secretly. That
is why Ramadan was named the month of taqwa,
and that is why achieving taqwa was made one
of the main objectives of the fasting Ramadan.
In another verse within the context of fasting
the month of Ramadan we read:
[Thus
doth Allah make clear His Signs to men:
that they may learn Taqwa (become
righteous]. (Al-Baqarah 2:187)
What
do we need taqwa for? We all need taqwa to
guarantee that our deeds will be accepted.
Allah the Almighty says:
[Allah
doth only accept from those who are
righteous (Muttaqeen)]
(Al-Ma'idah 5:27)
We
need taqwa because the good end in the
Hereafter is again for those who humble
themselves in this world and those who are
righteous. Allah the Almighty says:
[That
home of the Hereafter we shall give to
those who intend not high- handedness or
mischief on earth: and the end is (best)
for the Righteous (Muttaqeen).]
(
(Al-Qasas 28:83)
We
need Taqwa because we are all travelers, on
our way to the Hereafter and we need the
provision to help us reach our destination
safely. The best provision a person can carry
on this journey to the Hereafter is Taqwa.
[…and
take a provision (with you) for the
journey, but the best of provisions is
Taqwa (righteousness). So fear me, O ye
that are wise.] (Al-Baqarah 2:197)
If
you have taqwa you will never feel lonely,
because Almighty Allah is with you. Ibn `Awn
(may Allah be pleased with him) escorted a man
on a long journey and told him: “Adhere to
taqwa (fearing) of Allah. For the person who
has taqwa (the righteous one) is never alone.)
The
definition of taqwa is: When Ali bin Abi Talib
(may Allah be pleased with him) was asked to
define taqwa, he said: “Taqwa is to fear the
Most Exalted One, work upon His revelation,
become content and ascetic and always prepare
for the departure from this life.”
`Umar
ibn Al-Khattab once asked `Ubay ibn Ka`b: How
would you describe taqwa? In reply `Ubay
asked, “Have you ever had to traverse a
thorny path?” `Umar replied in the
affirmative and `Ubay then continued, “How
do you do so?” `Umar said that he would walk
carefully through after first having collected
his loose and flowing clothing in his hands so
nothing gets caught in the thorns. `Ubay said:
“`Umar, this is the taqwa.”
Taqwa
is all about being careful and being conscious
of our actions, to make sure they are sound
and right. Taqwa is about being conscious of
Almighty Allah at all times; the area where
people vary and are distinguished. Allah the
Almighty:
[…Verily
the most honored of you in the sight of
Allah is (he/she who is) the most
righteous of you...] (Al-Hujurat
49:13)
Now,
if Ramadan is all about taqwa, and taqwa is
located in the heart, then indeed the true and
most successful fasting would be that of the
heart; no more, no less.
Fasting
means abstinence, and in the physical realm it
is abstinence from eating, drinking, and
sexual relations from dawn until sunset. The
limit has been set for that, however, true
abstinence is the one that has no limits; the
abstinence of the heart from all that which
might inflict and reflect wrong in our
actions, words and deeds.
Ibn
Al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy upon him)
reflects on this notion saying: “The example
of the heart is the example of the king and
the limbs are the recruited army. Hence they
all go by the orders of their king. If the
king was righteous he would order
righteousness and if he was corrupt he would
order corruption.”
Indeed,
taqwa is a degree of sincerity one cannot
claim easily. It cannot simply be obtained by
the mere presence of Ramadan; a lot needs to
be done on the part of every individual to get
to that degree. Nevertheless, at least Ramadan
provides and facilitates a tremendous
opportunity to arrive at such a level, if the
rules of Ramadan were observed righteously.
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