The best of times

Praise and gratitude to the Almighty, the Lord of the worlds for the opportunity to once again celebrate the respected month of Ramadan, as well as to immerse oneself in the bottomless ocean of His mercy and bounty prepared for His beloved and obedient slaves.

Ramadan is the month of revelation of the Koran the speech of the Almighty, the last message of the Lord, perfect and completing the entire chain of previous messages, which is a guide and mercy for believers. The Koran was sent down in its entirety to the nearest heaven and then, for twenty three years, it was sent down to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding particular situations.

The Koran says (meaning), “Ramadan is the month in which the Koran was revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and the standard (to distinguish between right and wrong) ...” (Sura Al Baqara, ayah 185)

Almighty Allah has dignified the month of Ramadan by the night it contains called Laylat ul-Qadr (the night of power and predestination). The Honourable Koran contains a whole sura “Al-Qadr” dedicated to this night. Its first ayah says (meaning), “Indeed, (it is) We (Who) sent this (Koran) down on the Night of Glory.”

Next, referring to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), God the Almighty says, “And what will make you realise what the Night of Glory is?” And He explains, “The Night of Glory is better than a thousand months.”

Worship performed on this night is better than worship performed for a thousand months. And at the end it says that this night lasts until dawn. It means that any time of this night, from dusk to dawn, is highly esteemed.

The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said about this month, “O people, rejoice in this great and blessed month, a month in which there is a night better than a thousand months. The month of Ramadan, in which the Lord assigned us fasting during the day and the performance of additional and voluntary worship at night.

Whoever wishes to draw near to the Almighty in this month through some voluntary deed, will be like the one who performed an obligatory deed (farz) in any other time (i.e. he will receive a similar reward). And whoever fulfills his duty (farz) this month will be like the one who has performed seventy similar duties at any other time. This is a month of patience, and the reward for patience is Paradise.

This is a month of relief, in which the believer’s food increases. Whoever feeds a fasting person deserves the forgiveness of sins and emancipation from the fire of Hell and he receives the same reward as the fasting person, without decreasing his reward.

Regarding this the Companions said, “O Messenger of God, not all of us possess the means whereby we can give a fasting person to break his fast.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, “God grants the same reward to the one who gives a fasting person to break the fast a mere date, or a drink of water, or a sip of milk.”

And whoever gives drink to a fasting person, God the Almighty will grant that giver a drink from His pond (Kavsar), such a drink following which the person will never again feel thirsty until he enters Paradise. It is the month, whose beginning is mercy, whose middle is forgiveness and whose end is emancipation from the fire (of Hell).”

In another hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at the beginning of the month of Ramadan said, “There has come to you the month of Ramadan, a month of blessing, in which God covers you with grace, sending down mercy, forgiving sins and answering supplication. God looks at your competition in the doing of good therein and boasts of you before His angels. So show God goodness from yourselves, for truly the wretched person is the one who is deprived of the Mercy of God during this month.” (Narrated by AtTabarani)

Dear brothers and sisters! Let us try to appreciate every moment of this month, so as not to miss out the great reward that has been promised to us. Let us restrain ourselves from committing sins, as the punishment for bad deeds increases in this month the same way as the reward for good deeds.

Let this month make us learn to forgive and be merciful to each other. Let us fill ourselves with God-fearing and patience, since they are the best burdens in our life.

May the Almighty Lord help us to spend this month, as well as the rest of our life in worshiping Him, in observing all His instructions, and protect us from all evil. Amin!

ADIL IBRAGIMOV Theologian