Pars Today

Welcome to the 17th episode of the series “Blessed Month of Ramadhan”.

It is an undeniable fact that the human being, through adoption of constructive behaviour can become steadfast on the path to salvation. This has been practically shown by the Almighty’s Last and Greatest Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny).

The Infallible Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt, as the divinely-designated successors of the Prophet, demonstrated to the seekers of truth that appropriate behaviour, in accordance with the commandments of God, coupled with modesty in daily and interaction with others, are passport to the bliss of paradise.

The God-fearing ulema in every age and place, presented to their followers the correct Islamic etiquette to such an extent, that even if derided by the ignorant, they would greet these ignorant elements with courtesy and modesty, thereby manifesting ethical virtues, and transforming foes into friends.

In blessed Ramadhan, we savour the sweet taste of faith in God. During the month of fasting, the heavenly moments are the times of worship and recitation of the holy Qur’an, with contemplation upon its meaning. As Guests of God, the fasting persons experience sheer spiritual joy at the time of Iftar or the fast-breaking after sunset, and also during the late midnight hours before the break of dawn when they take the Sahari meal, and prepare for the ritual morning prayer, with confidence in the mercy and forgiveness of God Almighty. Definitely, those who fast in this blessed month, firm up the spiritual bond with the One and Only Creator of the universe, sensing several changes in their souls, and observing a number of developments in their behaviours.

Ayahs 63 to 66 of Surat al-Furqan refer to the beauty of the good deeds of servants of God.

“The servants of the All-Beneficent are those who walk humbly on the earth, and when the ignorant address them, say, ‘Peace!’

“Those who spend the night for their Lord, prostrating and standing [in worship].

“Those who say, ‘Our Lord! Turn away from us the punishment of hell. Indeed its punishment is enduring.

“Indeed it is an evil abode and place.”

As is clear from the ayah that we recited to you, the devoted servants of God are calm and modest and they greet the ignorant whenever the ignorant address them. If we consider the universe as a manifestation of the Infinite Power of the All-Wise God, we will treat others with kindness and admiration. A believer blessed with such an insight, upon observing a distinguishing trait in himself, considers it a divine blessing. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), has said: There are three factors that lead to others’ kindness toward you, which are faith, modesty, and forgiveness.

As is clear from the Imam’s statement, modest and moderate behaviour toward others paves the way for guidance of the deceived individuals toward righteousness and truthfulness. Naturally, there is a difference between modesty and a sense of inferiority toward others. In the view of the divine religion of Islam and the science of psychology, sense of inferiority reflects weakness of character that is without merit. According to Imam Ali (AS), a faithful person is moderate and kind; and is stronger than a rock and more modest than servitude of God.

Thus, true modesty is rooted in a sense of grandeur and originates from a sense of respect for others. When a person realizes that he is a humble servant of God and that his modesty toward his brethren is in fact humbleness before God, he experiences a sense of honoir and dignity.

In ayah 132 of Surah Ta Ha of the Holy Qur’an, God Almighty states:

“And bid your family to prayer and be steadfast in its maintenance. We do not ask any provision of you. It is We who provide for you, and the outcome will be in favour of Godwariness.”

This ayah commands the believers and their families to seek assistance from prayers, and be steadfast in its maintenance. During the 5-times-a-day daily ritual prayers, we recite Surah al-Hamd, in which is the phrase that reads: “You alone do we worship, and to You alone do we turn for help”.

This is proof of the believers’ faith in God and seeking assistance from Him Alone, as a child seeks refuge in his mother. This certainly grants us peace of mind and tranquility of heart. In other words, if the daily prayers are observed in the proper manner, they firm up the bond with God Almighty. As is clear, in ayah 132 of Surah Ta Ha, the punctual performance of the daily ritual prayers is to the benefit of the believers, and God does not seek anything in return for this favour.

Allah the Omnipotent is needless of His creatures, while we the human beings, as the best of creation, are in need of His blessings. Thus, if God has obligated us to worship Him; fulfill ethical virtues; and avoid misdeeds, it is for the sake of our progress, development, and perfection, so that we would be immune from physical and spiritual harms, upon avoidance of misdeeds.

The other important point in this ayah is to bid our family to prayer, which shows the heavy responsibility of parents toward the spiritual upbringing of their children. Families play a pivotal role in a monotheistic community. If families are sound are virtuous, the community in turn will be sound and healthy. According to a hadith we are all protectors and responsible toward those under our protection. It means the Head of the Islamic ruling system is the protector of people and is responsible toward them. A man is the protector of his family and is responsible toward his family members. A woman is the protector of her family, husband, and children, and is responsible toward them.

In this section of today’s discussion, a number of recommendations are made about what we should eat for Sahari – the late midnight meal before start of the day’s fast. Those, who do not eat Sahari experience a significant fall in mental and physical energy in the afternoon. Those, who fast, should avoid sugary foods in Sahari, given that consumption of this type of food may drain their energy in the middle of the day.

Iranian Nutritionist, Dr. Mazhari, recommends raw and cooked vegetables and avoidance of fizzy drinks. Consumption of vegetables leads to absorption of water by the digestion system, and when they are blended with water, they turn into a gelatin, which in turn maintains body’s water. Thus, the fasting person does not feel thirsty, as such. Those who fast should eat low-fat and low-sugar warm food. In order to prevent hunger, complex carbohydrates such as potatoes, barely bread, barley, rice, and grains should replace simple carbohydrates.

Consumption of cookies and salty and fatty meals causes further hunger throughout the day. Consumption of fresh vegetables, salads, and yogurt are recommended for Sahari. Also, cooked rice, mixed with grains and vegetables, in addition to a small amount of chicken, fish, red meat, and different low-fat stews are appropriate for Sahari. Dr. Mazaheri suggests lessening the amount of salt in the Sahari meal, and eating of yogurt, lime juice, fresh vegetables, and olives. Salad for Sahari, should contain cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, with olive oil and wheat sprouts.Those, who suffer from diabetes, upon consultation with their physicians, can consume honey or dried mulberry in Sahari.

Contemplation on divine blessings and consumption of healthy and Halal food, coupled with prayers at the break of dawn purifies one’s soul. According to a historical account, Mahdi al-Abbasi, the 3^rd self-styled caliph of the usurper Abbasid regime, once summoned Sharik Ibn Abdullah Nakhai and said to him: You must accept to perform one of these three tasks: Become a judge in my judicial setup, educate my children, or eat my food.

Sharik thought that teaching the caliph’s children was a tough proposition; becoming a judge was tougher; however, eating the caliph’s food appeared to be simple and so he accepted the third option. Mahdi al-Abbasi instructed the cook to prepare various kinds of delicacies which were then brought before Sharik, who satiated himself with them.

The kitchen attendant said: This sheikh, after consuming these delicacies, shall never attain salvation. He was true, because the food was procured through unlawful means and was Haraam from the point of view of Islam and the Shari’ah. After consuming that food, not only did Sharik began to increase his association with officials of the usurper Abbasid regime, and agree to educate their children, but also consented to become the judge.

Once, Sharik’s pay-slip, which was used to collect his salary from the treasury, was handed over to him. When he approached the treasurer for his pay he insisted that he be paid immediately in cash. Noting his insistence, the treasurer said to him: You have not sold linen or an expensive garment that you insist so vehemently on receiving immediate cash payment.

Hearing this, Sharik retorted: By God! I have sold something that is more precious than linen – I have sold my religion!

This account is among the finest examples of self-destruction in the world and damnation in afterlife because of eating forbidden food and food procured through unlawful means.

MR/AS/SS