Until 1 Hijri, the Islamic government of Madinah Munawwarah was limited to just a few neighborhoods. Once the conquests began, within a short span of ten years, Islamic victories expanded by 276 miles per day. In 11 Hijri, the foundation of the teachings of the Pride of Existence, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and the Islamic program for the Ummah was laid.
When we study the system of Islam and the code of life for the Muslim Ummah, the Qur’an guides us that Islam is the name of collective values and living a communal life. Even in the obligatory acts of worship, Islam maintains a collective identity. To preserve this collective aspect, Islam has ordained five daily prayers, thirty fasts in a year, and Hajj upon those who are able. To perform worship in a communal manner, the institution of the mosque was established.
The mosque is, in fact, a meeting place for the Muslims living in the neighborhood. There, people gather to worship collectively and simultaneously become aware of each other’s circumstances, share each other’s pain and sorrow. When these righteous men and women say “Assalamu Alaikum” twice in congregational prayer, this act stirs feelings of love, compassion, and brotherhood in the heart.
Within the large Friday congregation lies the hidden wisdom that the intellectuals of the Muslim nation, alongside the people, may discuss the pressing matters of the state and formulate a plan of action for its welfare. They may improve the economic condition of the nation, contemplate ways to eliminate social evils, and safeguard from a sinful life.
In light of the importance of Friday prayer, when we reflect on the Eid congregational prayers, it becomes evident that Muslims from every corner of the city, suburban settlements, and rural villages gather at one place, one field, one platform, to shake hands in love and brotherhood, to embrace, to congratulate each other, and to express feelings of joy through affection.
The thirty fasts of the blessed month of Ramadan invite us to reflect that a direct relationship between the servant and Allah is established. Allah Himself has declared:
“I am the reward for fasting.”
The command of Allah the Exalted is:
“O Prophet ﷺ, when My servants ask you about Me, tell them I am near. I answer the call of the one who calls upon Me.”
Fasting is a worship for which there is no substitute. If one were to describe the tremendous benefits and endless effects of fasting, even thousands of pages would be insufficient. In short, fasting is a complete remedy for physical illnesses. It is an effective practice to enhance spiritual values. It is a shield against evil. Those who fast will enter Paradise through a special gate. On the Day of Judgment, the fast will intercede for the servant who welcomed it with utmost respect and reverence. Fasting removes physical impurities and increases the flow of subtle lights within a person. With the intensified flow of light, the speed of a person’s mind increases, and with the grace granted by Allah, he begins to see the angels.
Fasting is an act of worship that was made obligatory upon the nations of all the previous prophets. Allah the Exalted says:
“O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous and God-fearing.”
In defining the righteous, Allah says that they are those who believe in the unseen. In spirituality, believing in the unseen means becoming acquainted with the unseen.
On the last day of Sha’ban, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said:
“O people, a month of great majesty and blessings is about to overshadow you. It is the month in which one night is better than a thousand months.”
In this month, Allah has made fasting obligatory for His servants. The Holy Qur’an was revealed in this month. Other divine scriptures were also revealed in this month. The scriptures were given to Prophet Ibrahim (AS) on the first or third of Ramadan. Prophet Dawud (AS) was given the Zabur on the 12th or 18th of Ramadan. On the 16th of this month, Prophet Musa (AS) was given the Torah, and Prophet Isa (AS) was given the Injil on the 12th or 13th of Ramadan. In short, Ramadan is the month in which the Qur’an was revealed, a month full of greatness, excellence, and wisdom. By remaining hungry and thirsty solely for Allah, the human soul soars into the vastness of the heavens and touches the heights of the Throne. It is this blessed month in which Jibreel (AS) would recite the Qur’an to the Noble Prophet ﷺ, and the Prophet ﷺ would listen and recite it back to him.
Dear readers, recite the Qur’an slowly, with understanding and reflection. Through this practice, the servant’s bond with Allah becomes stronger. Open your hearts in generosity towards the poor, widows, orphans, and the needy. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ embodied generosity and would show even greater generosity during Ramadan.
When the friends of Allah sit in I’tikaf during Ramadan, it is in fact a program of entering into the otherworldly realm. If the fasts of Ramadan are observed sincerely for twenty days and the fasting person sits in I’tikaf, then after achieving mental focus, a person attains the station of Ihsan. The Seal of the Prophets, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The believer attains the station of Ihsan. The station of Ihsan has two levels. One is that the servant feels that Allah is watching him. The higher level is that the servant sees Allah.” (Sahih Muslim)
As a result of sincerely striving and struggling in Ramadan, the believer attains the station of Ihsan according to the saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is the observation of the friends of Allah, the Awliya Allah (may Allah have mercy on them), that through frequent recitation of Durood Sharif, the third Kalimah, and the Holy Qur’an, and by reflecting on the meanings and message of the Qur’an, this perception is formed through the mercy of Allah and the connection to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that the servant begins to feel that Allah is watching him.
Allah the Exalted declares:
“I am closer to you than your jugular vein.”
Reflection and contemplation are referred to as Muraqaba. Muraqaba means to sit with eyes closed for fifteen or twenty minutes and imagine that Allah is watching me. Allah is watching me. And when, by the mercy of Allah, this perception is firmly established that Allah is watching me, the station of Ihsan is attained. Through the connection to the Prophet ﷺ and the mercy of Allah, this state overcomes the servant where he feels, “I am seeing Allah.”
The Seal of the Prophets, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Seek Laylatul Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadan.”
Through the blessings of the Prophet ﷺ, we supplicate in the court of Allah, Lord of Glory, that He grants all of us the vision of His divine illumination on Laylatul Qadr. Ameen, Ya Rabb al-Alameen.