Spring is a unique season among other seasons of the year. The nature is fresh in this season and everywhere is green with dazzling beauties. Spring is the emissary of love and regeneration. It heralds kindness and affection. In spring, we remind the divine love more than ever.

According to the Islamic narrations, the blessed month of Ramazan is called the spring of hearts and souls. In the same way that the sun revives the dark and dead nature, the noble Qur'an, also, blows new breath to the dead and dormant spirits. The Qur'an is the spring of hearts and Ramazan is the spring of the Qur'an. Imam Mohammad Baqer (AS) said, "Everything has a spring and the spring of the Qur'an is the month of Ramazan." As we have been invited to the divine banquet in this month, we can benefit from the noble Qur'an and get familiar with its beauties more than ever.

Lovers of the noble Qur'an get closer to this divine Book in Ramazan and try to know more mysteries of this heavenly scripture and further benefit from its guidelines. The recitation of and reflection upon the ayahs of the Qur'an refreshes the thought and heart because the human nature is in conformity with the Qur'an and receptive of its teachings. Part of ayah 23 of surah Zumar of the Qur'an touches upon this point, "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."

The noble Qur'an is the great miracle of God and the document of perpetuity of Islam. This divine Book has remained intact and immune despite various conspiracies to distort and twist it. It guarantees to guide mankind. The Qur'an has absorbed pure and sincere hearts for nearly one millennium and a half. With its constructive creed, this book succeeded in turning a savage a decadent community into a civilized society with fully-cultured and scholarly people. Sending down the Qur'an, God the Exalted brought last argument for the whole mankind as this book is the comprehensive scripture and able to cater for whatever man needs till the Day of Judgment.

In spite of the lapse of over 14 centuries, the lively presence of Islam in the world indicates the fact that the noble Qur'an is the most logical and rational book for the life of mankind. The guidelines of this book have been shining ceaselessly so that the seekers of truth have been able to find their way in the abysses of world. The Qur'an introduces itself in ayahs 41 and 42 of surah Fussilat, "And indeed it is an august Book: falsehood cannot approach it nor from behind it, a gradually sent down revelation from the Wise, the Laudable."

The message of Qur'an is clear and transparent for every human being: Turning toward every good and purity and shunning every evil, wrongdoing and avarice. The Messenger of Mercy and the Seal of the Prophets, Mohammad (SAWA), said, "Whenever the seditions engulfed you like the parts of dark night, take refuge in the Qur'an and seek help from the Qur'an."

Reading the Qur'an is highly recommended in the blessed month of Ramazan. This month has a special privilege for reading Qur'an as it is the month when this heavenly Book was revealed to the heart of the Prophet. In his famous sermon on the last Friday of the month of Sha'ban, the Prophet of Islam stressed that reciting of ayah in Ramazan has the reward of reciting the entire Qur'an in other months.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, usually advises the people, especially the youths, to benefit more from the Qur'an particularly in the blessed month of Ramazan. He says, "The month of Ramazan is itself a ground for spirituality and brightness for the fasting person and prepares him for acquiring the divine bounties. The month of Ramazan, in its entirety, with ritual prayer, ordained obligations, fasting, supplications- which if you pay attention to these and add the recitation of the Qur'an to it- it is a period of reconstruction and restoration and saving oneself from putrefactions and corruptions and so on. It is a very great opportunity. The main issue is to enable us to do the journey toward God and that is feasible."

The month of Ramazan is the month of revelation of Qur'an. God says in ayah 185 of surah Baqara, "The month of Ramazan is one in which the Qur'an was sent down as guidance to mankind, with manifest proofs of guidance and Criterion."

 The revelation of Qur'an in Ramazan shows that this month enjoys a unique status.

As a matter of fact, other heavenly books were also revealed in the blessed month of Ramazan. Imam Sadeq (AS), the 6^th infallible heir of the Prophet, says, "The Torah was revealed on the night of 6^th of Ramazan, the Evangel was revealed on the night of 12^th of Ramazan, the Psalms were revealed on the night of 18^th of Ramazan, and the Qur'an was revealed on the night of Qadr."

This point is clarified in sermon 110 of Nahj al-Balagha of Imam Ali (AS), "And learn the Qur'an for it is truly the best discourse; and understand it deeply as it is truly the spring of hearts."

A major part of the blessings of Ramazan is related to the greatness and splendor of the noble Qur'an. The voices of the fasting who recite the ayahs of this heavenly Book can be heard in mosques, houses and elsewhere.

Our Lord! Send your greetings and blessings to Prophet and his immaculate progeny; and place us among those who hold fast to the unbreakable rope of the Qur'an and the Ahl al-Bayt. Amen!

RM/MG