Welcome to the 11th episode of Heavenly Call on the occasion of the blessed fasting month of Ramadhan.

We start with the special supplication of the 11^th day.

“O Allah, incline me this day toward good-doing, and make vice and disobedience hateful to me; save me in it from Your displeasure and hellfire; with Your help, O Succour of those who appeal for help!”

The blessed month of Ramadhan is the month of self-purification and piety. If it had not such a role, in the words of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (AS), it would have no benefit for us except hunger and thirst.

As a reminder, it was said that all acts of worship are aimed at expressing the fact that we are servants of the One and Only God and He is our Creator. The servitude of God, however, is different from other kinds of obedience and servitude to others. Servitude of worldly people and obedience to their dictates, have no result except slavery, humiliation, repression of talents and capabilities, and annihilation of natural and human resources. In contrast, servitude of God grants freedom to the believer in the true sense of the word and bestows dignity, greatness, peace of mind, and solace of the heart.

The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (AS) has said in this regard: God the Exalted, ordained the Messenger with the mission of prophethood to free His servants from the servitude and worship of others and lead them to the servitude of God; to deliver them from polytheism and make them committed to the divine covenants; to release them from obedience to the manifestations of wealth, deceit, and tyranny and to guide them to the domain of obedience of God; and to emancipate them from bondage to the possessors of power and bring them under the divine authority.”

This divine strategy is fully manifest in the mission of all Prophet, as God Almighty emphasizes in the first part of ayah 36 of surah Nahl:

“Certainly, We raised a Prophet in every nation to preach: ‘Worship Allah and keep away from the rebels;”

Throughout history, there has been a group of people who would answer the call of the divine messengers positively and struggled against the illegitimate rule of dictators, kings and emperors. Another group, which unfortunately included many people, because of their immersion in sins and worship of idols, refused to accept the invitation of the messengers of God and preferred to lead a wayward life under illegitimate rulers, oppressors and tyrants, in pursuit of wealth, worldly positions, and transient pleasures. The next part of ayah 36 of surah Nahl describes these two groups of people, “then, among them were some whom Allah guided, and among them were some who deserved to be in error; so travel over the land and then observe how the fate of deniers was.”

The only path of dignity and greatness is the unity of the Islamic Ummah through proper servitude to God and obedience to His commandments, as promulgated by the Prophet and practically demonstrated by the Infallible Imams. God himself has promised to grant victory to the true believers. We should remember that every day we recite in our daily ritual prayers, “iyyaka na’budu wa iyyaka nasta’een”, which means, “You alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help.”

We should thus practically demonstrate what we believe in and what we regularly recite every day, instead of unconscious uttering of this divine phrase. Perhaps, getting rid of the attractions and trappings of power, wealth and carnal desire may appear difficult, but for when we sincerely beseech God He will definitely pave the way for us.

AS/ME