Every year, we are invited to a 30-day banquet. This banquet is an appropriate opportunity to gain piety and divine virtues. Everyone makes effort to benefit from this divine banquet. God provides us with a period of one month to experience positive change in the way of virtues and divine merits.

Everybody is prone to be corrupted at any position. Those who are engaged in financial affairs are susceptible to economic corruption. Those who work in political climates are subject to political deviations and those who are exposed to carnal desires are more liable to be corrupted sexually. If an individual is polluted by a sin and sinning becomes ordinary for him, he will be separated gradually from the divine mercy and will march in the wrong way. What hinders him from this is Taqwa (translated as piety or Godwariness). Ayatollah Khamenei says, “To get close to God, the main issue is quitting sins. Performing recommended (non-obligatory) deeds, intercession, praying and the like are subsidiary. The main thing is that human being prevents from committing sin and wrong deed. This requires Godwariness.”

The blessed month of Ramazan is the best opportunity to attain Godwariness as it is stressed in ayah 183 of surah Baqara, “O you who have faith! Prescribed for you is fasting as it was prescribed for those before you; so that you may be Godwary.”

According to the ayahs of the noble Qur’an, Godwariness is gained step by step. Human being gains it through exercise and self-restraint. The period of Ramazan is a good opportunity for this purpose. The most important matter in this regard is self-cognizance. Self-cognizance will help the person to become aware of the weaknesses of his disposition and repel them. The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei says on this, “My dear ones! Let us see our flaws and put them in a list before us. With the provision that we take from Ramazan, let us omit part of this list. If we are jealous, omit jealousy; if we are obstinate, omit obstinacy; if we are lazy and inactive in life, omit laziness; if we are ill-wisher, omit ill-wish; if we are flimsy in promise, omit flimsiness in promise; if we are perfidious, omit perfidy. We shouldn’t be narcissistic about ourselves. Every moral flaw that exists in us, let’s cleanse it from the list of our deeds as much as we can, through the blessing of the month of Ramazan; and then advance on it perseveringly. Know that God, the Exalted, will help those who struggle in this way. God, the Exalted, will not leave you alone in the field of struggle to attain sublimity, and the first benefit will go to the person himself.”

Godwariness and piety means permanent surveillance and quitting sins. After the piety of tongue, the piety of the heart is recommended. It means to purify the heart from vices such as jealousy, haughtiness, spite, suspicion, cruelty, avarice etc. and replacing them with sincerity, honesty, humbleness, kindness, and the like. The Leader of the Islamic Revolution elaborates on this, “Godwariness means permanent surveillance which causes human being not to go astray to be caught by the thorns on the way. Godwariness is in fact armor on the pious person’s body which immunizes him against poisonous arrows and destructive blows to the spirit. Of course, this is not limited to spiritual issues. 'And whoever is wary of Allah, He shall make a way out for him, and provide for him from where he does not reckon.' In the material issues, too, Godwariness has very important impacts.”

As a matter of fact, a Godwary person tries to please God and abstain from sins for the sake of God. Thus, God gives him sustenance from where he doesn’t think. As it was mentioned, the basic stage for Godwariness is to control the tongue. Imam Ali (AS) says, “By God, I haven’t seen a Godwary person to whom Godwariness has been useful unless he controls his tongue. Indeed, the tongue of the faithful is in his heart and the heart of the hypocrite is behind his tongue. Because when the faithful wants to speak he thinks first. If it is good he will speak and if it is bad he will hide it. But the hypocrite utters whatever comes to his tongue and doesn’t know what is to his benefit and what is to his detriment.”

A Muslim should always be watchful of his tongue. According to the Islamic narrations, the tongue is the source of collapse and salvation of human being. Ayah 18 of surah Qaaf reads, "He says no word but there is a ready observer beside him." This is a reference to the angel who is always with us and has the duty to register whatever we utter.

Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) said, “He who controls his tongue from nonsense, I will guarantee paradise for him.”

Let us control our tongues in this month; otherwise our fasting will have no use.

RM/ME