Spiritual delights of fasting Ramadhan (24)

Today on the 24th day of the blessed month of Ramadhan, we start our daily programme titled “Spiritual delights of fasting Ramadhan” with the special supplication for the day:

 “O Allah, I beseech You to grant me this day what You approve, and I invoke Your refuge from what You regard as offensive! I beseech You to grant me success in obeying You and refraining from disobeying You, O You who are generous to the petitioners!

Supplication is one of the greatest aspects of servitude and displays sincere submission to none other except Allah the Creator Who fashioned us from nothing, gives us our daily bread and affords us the chance to live this beautiful life, however short, but with promises of an eternal abode. It is an expression of one's recognition of God the Omniscient's Majesty and acknowledgement of the fact that He hears our invocations and responds to them. Are there not moments in our life when only divine grace has saved us or solved our anxieties? Allah's mercy is so all-embracing that He even responds to the call of the disbelievers in their hour of need if the invocation is sincerely directed. In ayah 186 of Surah Baqarah of the holy Qur'an, God says:

“When My servants question you about Me, surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant, whet, he calls Me; so respond to Me, and believe in Me; so that they may be led aright.”

Supplication is thus a psychological state arising from one's inner depths. It is the feeling of being in need of the Almighty. It is a feeling which educates one to have true faith in Allah, to love Him, to rid oneself of self-conceit and arrogance, and to accept the principle of brotherhood and equality among all people. The elated feeling makes the suppliant realize that all are equal in their need of the Creator, and it is only He Who is above all needs and wants, and to Whom all creatures turn. Did not Allah give us the wonderful thing called intellect and made the human race the most excellent form of life on this Planet? Invoking Allah the Exalted for help, seeking forgiveness for our errors and thanking the Almighty for His bounties is especially encouraged during blessed Ramadhan, so as to deepen our love and gratitude to Him. A sincere supplication serves as a wonderful tonic for our fasting body and soul. It purifies our souls, enlivens our hearts, awakens our conscience and reforms our outward behaviour which all help to contribute towards a progressive and peaceful society.

Yesterday, we presented to you some passages from the famous supplication for the Nights of Grandeur known as Jowshan al-Kabir, or the Strong Armour. Today we will recite some more passages from this supplication:

“O He before Whose greatness everything bows, O He before Whose power everything submits,  O He before Whose might overshadows everything, O He before Whose awesomeness everything is humbled, O He before Whose fearsomeness everything yields, O He before Whose terribleness mountains shake, O He before Whose command the heavens are raised, O He through Whose permission the earths are secured,  O He Whose glory the thunder proclaims, O He Who is never cruel to his subjects. Glory unto You, there is no god but You! Mercy, mercy, deliver us from Hell-fire!”

Thus, as is clear, supplicating to Allah does have a subliming effect on our souls and conscience. Divine grace not only inspires us towards good and creativity but also guards us against sin, error and all things preserve in this short life span. Let us present you two more passages from Du’a Jowshan al-Kabeer for pondering on the bounties of the All-Merciful Creator:

 “O Forgiver of sins, O Dispeller of tribulations, O Aim of hopes, O Giver of abundant gifts, O Bestower of bounties, O Provider of creatures, O Judge of destinies, O Hearer of complaints, O Resurrector of creatures, O Freer of captives. Glory unto You, there is no god but You! Mercy, mercy, deliver us from Hell-fire!

O He, to Whom is due all praise and adoration, O He, Who holds all pride and eminence, O He, Who holds all honour and rank, O He, Who makes promises and honours them, O He, Who pardons and is content, O He, Who holds all abundance and provides, O He, Who is glorious and eternal, O He, Who is liberal and munificent, O He, Who holds all blessings and bounties, Glory unto You, there is no god but You! Mercy, mercy, deliver us from Hell-fire!”

We are on the threshold of World Qods Day, marked every year on the Last Friday of Fasting Ramadhan in order to mobilize world Muslims and all conscientious people throughout the globe concerning the plight of the Palestinian people and the crimes against humanity of the illegal Zionist entity. It was indeed a dynamic step by the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (God bless him) to designate in 1979 Jom’at-al-Weda of Blessed Ramadhan as World Qods Day in order to instill hope in the Ummah that Bayt al-Moqaddas, the third holiest Islamic city and the former qibla or direction of the ritual prayer, should be liberated by ending the illegal existence of the Zionist entity. We should be aware of the fact that Ramadhan revives the spirit of unity and brotherhood among Muslims.

We should join our hands for this most noble purpose of campaigning for the liberation of Qods, no matter what school of thought we belong to or what country we come from. When the Muslim world has tasted an example of what the poor and needy suffer by fasting from food and water throughout this month, we naturally become more sympathized and united for the cause of the oppressed.

Hence, the peak of spiritual recognition in this aspect becomes more apparent towards the latter part of Ramadhan, which makes the timing of the Qods Day all the more appropriate. We all share the same concern for Qods and Bayt al-Moqaddas, and therefore, our collective protest on this specified day, leads to a louder voice against oppression. It is imperative for us to bear in mind that when we raise our voices on Qods Day, it is to stand up against oppression not just in Palestine but all over the world, including Bahrain, Yemen, Egypt, and Tunisia. It is the day for the weak and oppressed to confront the arrogant powers of Zionism and the Takfiris.

As usual, Tehran and other cities of Iran will be witnessing millions’-strong rallies on the Last Friday of Ramadhan tomorrow, with similar gatherings and seminars in many countries around the world, especially Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, Pakistan, and Syria.

AS/ME