Ramzan a month of Infinite blessings- Lets take Advantage of it

The holy month of Ramzan is in progress. This is a special month in which Allah shower infinite blessings on Muslims.

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is obligatory and is done solely for Allah. In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah Most High says: “Every action of the son of Adam belongs to him except the fast. It is Mine, and I repay him for it.” (Muslim)

There can be neither false pretension nor showing off on the part of the one who is fasting. If one is offering prayers, giving zakah, making pilgrimage or any other form of worship, others can see one’s worship but fasting is distinguished by the fact that only Allah can see who is fasting and who is not.

Ramzan is a month to teach people how to discipline themselves & also to make the affluent realized the problems faced by their poverty stricken countrymen throughout the year.  

Unfortunately in Pakistan we have forgotten the basic purpose of having this month in Islamic calendar.

Allah in Quran said to believers ‘I don’t need your thirst & hunger, all I need is your piety’

Rather than showing piety, we as nation continue the practice of fasting but did not make an effort to stop violating Allah’s command. Our traders & shopkeepers during this holy month indulge in hoarding & other malpractices and try & sell inferior quality products at exorbitant prices. 

10% population of Pakistan is in control of more than 30% of country’s wealth. It is the responsibility of these wealthy families & individuals to look after their poverty stricken brother & sisters throughout the year & this responsibility increase more in the holy month of Ramzan.

Ramzan should be month in which showoff should be minimized but in our society showoff is strengthening its root. Long queues outside hotels & multinational restaurants are evidence of culture prevailing in society where an individual spend that much amount which is enough to feed one poor family of 5 to 6 members.

Television is another rising phenomenon. All channels are in a race to come up with content to attract viewers but none of the channel makes any effort to maintain sanctity of Ramzan. In good old days when we only have PTV, programs were designed to impart knowledge to viewers who want to learn about religion but now most television channels only busy in entertaining viewers even at the crunch time of Sehar & Iftar.

Eid is a festival which is observed to mark the end of holy month of Ramzan. It is very distressing that people around the country rush to markets to buy stuff for Eid in the last 10 days & nights of Ramzan although these last days are the essence of Ramzan. Last decade of Ramzan contain a night called Laila tul Qadar & according to Quran (Sura-E-Qadar) prayer of this night in better then the prayers of 1,000 years. Rather than searching for Laila tul Qadar majority of people waste their time in shopping & other social rituals.   

Ramzan, is the month in which as an incentive Allah raises reward of good deed. According to a saying of holy prophet (peace be upon him) “Whoever draws near to Allah during it (Ramadaan) with a single characteristic from the characteristics of (voluntary) goodness, he is like whoever performs an obligatory act in other times. And whoever performs an obligatory act during it, he is like whoever performed seventy obligatory acts in other times.” (Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, no. 1887)

Many of us think that “a perfect Muslim” is simply one who is correct in the observance of the salah (ritual Prayer), the fasting, the Zakat (payment of a certain portion of one’s wealth to the poor), and the Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah). This indeed is not the case.

If the ritual observances do not help the person to be humble, virtuous and truly God-fearing, then he or she is not a real Muslim. A Muslim should be good and just in dealing with others, no matter their religion, and take special care to keep away from all the shameful and sinful things Allah has forbidden.

One can never get close to Allah by being arrogant, full of pride and having a bad character and manners. Those who have humility and are humble and have good character and manners are the closest to Allah and Allah raises their ranks in the hereafter. The best person is the one who is best towards others