Ramadhan, the Month of God (2)

Welcome to the special programme for the 2nd of the blessed month of Ramadhan, titled “Ramadhan, the Month of God”.

We start with the special supplication for the second of Ramadhan:

“O Allah, bring me this day nearer to Your good pleasure, and keep me away in it fromYour displeasure and vengeance. Favour me with the opportunity to recite the verses of Your Scripture, with Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful.”

The blessed month of Ramadhan is the manifestation of the holy Qur'an and the period to be in communion with the Almighty’s Final and Universal Revelation for all mankind. God says in ayah 23 of surah Zumar:

"Allah has sent down the best of discourses, a scripture of similar motifs, whereat quiver the skins of those who fear their Lord, then their skins and hearts soften to Allah's remembrance. That is Allah's guidance, by which He guides whomever he wishes; and whomever Allah leads astray, has no guide."

It can be said that a great part of the blessings of Ramadhan is related to the holy Qur'an. There is a special relationship between the luminous ayahs of the noble Qur'an and the blessed month of Ramadhan. Just as spring is the time of revival for nature and grants freshness to human societies, the blessed month of Ramadhan is the spring of the holy Qur'an. Imam Ali (AS), the First Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), has said in this regard: "Learn the Book of God because it is the spring of hearts."

The most important merit of Ramadhan is that the heart of the Prophet was enlightened with the holy Qur'an in this month, as has been stressed in ayah 185 of surah Baqarah. In the beginning of surah Dukhan, too, it is mentioned that the noble Qur'an was sent down on a blessed night. In view of this, the first ayah of surah Qadr clearly says that this blessed month is in the month of Ramadhan.

The noble Qur'an was sent down in two ways. The first was its complete revelation in one instance in the blessed month of Ramadhan, that is, the heart of the Prophet was enlightened with the radiant contents of this heavenly scripture. The second way is the gradual revelation of the ayahs of this Book that took place during 23 years of the Prophet's mission according to the requirements of time and place. The teachings of the holy Qur'an are thus universal and transcend the boundaries of time and space. The noble Qur'an is able to meet the needs of modern man just as it ably fulfilled the needs of Muslims at the advent of Islam. The Prophet of Islam has said: "Whenever seditions cast shadow over you like the patches of dark night, hold tight to the Qur'an as it is the best guide."

In the month of Ramadhan, the atmosphere is so spiritual in society that it leads to the growth and thriving of human virtues and characteristics. This results in self-purification and in self-reform. Attending the congregational prayers, participation in special educational classes, listening to religious discourses, and holding sessions for recitation of the holy Qur'an are some of the common features during the blessed month of Ramadan.

The Messenger of Mercy has said: "Indeed, your Lord has caused breezes to blow in your time; hasten to waft in these breezes. Perhaps, a breeze will touch you whereby no misery will ever befall you thereafter."

God stresses that the blessed month of Ramadhan strengthens Godwariness in our soul. Ayah 183 of surah Baqarah reads, "O you who have faith! Prescribed for you is fasting as it was prescribed for those who were before you, so that you may be Godwary."

Furthermore, the holy Qur'an calls on the faithful to strive to assist the needy and the poor. Thus, it is evident that during the month of Ramadhan, people vie with each other in helping the poor and spending in the way of God. As a matter of fact, the faithful try to assimilate themselves with the commandments of God. Ayah 174 of surah Nisa' states: "O mankind! Certainly a proof has come to you from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a manifest light."

The blessed month of Ramadhan sets the ground for the spiritual expurgation of the individual and prepares him/her for enjoying divine mercy. As it was said earlier, the holy Qur'an is not limited to a specific time or geographical place. It is the blueprint for guidance of the entire mankind till the Day of Judgment. It is the only Heavenly Scripture that has remained immune from distortion and interpolation. For the past 14 centuries, numerous mysteries of this Book have been gradually revealed to mankind, as human sciences progress after trial and error.

The blessed month of Ramadhan is an opportunity for recitation of the holy Qur’an and reflection on its timeless wisdom. Interestingly, this month also saw the revelation of some other divine books to the previous prophets. Imam Ja’far Sadeq (AS), the Sixth Infallible Heir of the Prophet of Islam, said, "The Torah was revealed (to Moses) on the 6th of Ramadhan; the Evangel was revealed (to Jesus) on the 12th of Ramadhan; the Psalms were revealed (to David) on the 18th of Ramadhan and the Qur'an was revealed on the Night of Qadr."

Goodbye and God bless you until we meet again tomorrow for another interesting edition of Ramadhan, the Month of God.