Welcome to the eight episode of Heavenly Call on the occasion of the blessed fasting month of Ramadhan.

We start with the special supplication of the 8^th day:

“O Allah, grant me this day compassion for the orphans, and enable me to provide food (to the hungry), to greet others in an expressive manner, and to keep the company of the virtuous; with Your bounty; O Refuge of the hopeful!”

Yesterday we talked about obedience to God, the Prophet and the Divinely-Designated Leaders, as the signs of true believers and the factors for unity of the Ummah. The negligence of these articles of faith results in disunity, division, and sectarianism, making the Muslims easy prey for the enemies. God Almighty says in ayah 24 of Surah Anfaal:

“O you who have faith! Answer Allah and the Prophet when he summons you to that which will give you life. Know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that toward Him you will be mustered.”

This ayah explicitly says that the invitation of God and His Prophet is invitation to a morally upright life that is full of spiritual, ideological, cultural, ethical, social and political values. This message of the holy Qur’an is for all time and for all people around the world. Today the world is in serious need of these dynamic concepts. Lack of these values has plunged world communities into despair and confusion, with wars, bloodshed, crimes, violence, use of drugs and other immoral activities on the increase. The moment mankind is ready to contemplate on the ethereal values, it will be saved from disaster, both in this world and in the Hereafter.  

Islam presents the finest code of life for building sound and healthy societies. It is for this reason that the evil elements, fearful of the impact of Islam on humanity, have resorted to all sorts of devilish plots against Muslims, in a bid to destroy the life-inspiring culture of Islam, but they cannot succeed.

Those not inspired by spiritual delights are actually dead persons, although they seem to be alive, and eat and drink. In other words, the spiritually dead elements eat, drink, move, sleep, work and raise livestock, but since there is no sign of moral values in them, they cannot be considered alive. Perhaps this is why God Almighty says to His Prophet whose mission is to save mankind from spiritual death, to convey the divine message to those who have lost the signs of life and live like the dead. In other words, the person and society immersed in the swamp of sins, humiliation and violation of the rights of others are like the dead who neither hear the heavenly call nor the cries of the oppressed. The holy Qur’an illustrates their characteristics in ayah 179 of Surah A’raf, which says:

“They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, they have ears with which they do not hear. They are like cattle; rather they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless.”

It is noteworthy that God likens those who are devoid of humanitarian values and spiritual life to cattle that are deprived of the intellect and thus lack the means to differentiate between good and bad, right and wrong, truth and falsehood. They have no sense and behave like stray animals. For this reason, God says in ayah 22 of Surah Fatir:   

“Nor are the living equal to the dead. Indeed Allah makes whomever He wishes to hear, and you cannot make those who are in the graves hear.”

In conclusion, it could be said that the only way of enjoying the bounties of life in the real sense, is strengthen spiritual aspects and lead a morally upright life, in obedience to the commandments of God, and with adherence to the practical precedents set by Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). Those who do not respond to the heavenly call and reject it, will fall to a level that is even lower than stray animals.

FK/AS/ME