Ramadhan, the Month of God (28)

Welcome to the 28th episode of “Ramadhan, the Month of God”.

Let us start with the special supplication for the 28^th of Ramadhan:

“O Allah, grant me this day a plenteous share of supererogatory devotions; favour me therein by carrying out my requests; and bring me near therein to the means of approach to You; O You Who are not held up by the demands of the importunate!”

The blessed month of Ramadhan is nearing its end. Most are reaping a bumper harvest of their good deeds in this month which they will use throughout the year and even in afterlife. Various acts of worship in this glorious month leave permanent impression on the hearts of the fasting people. Among the best opportunities in this month is repentance in the Divine Court, seeking forgiveness and returning to the path of God. Imam Zayn al-Abedin (AS), the 4^th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) says in part of the famous supplication he taught his disciple Abu Hamza Thumali to read before dawn in the month of fasting:

“My Master, expel the love of the world from my heart. Admit me into the company of (Muhammad) al-Mustafa), the best of Your creation and the Seal of the Prophets, and his Progeny, may Allah bless him and his Progeny. Conduct me to the rank of repentance toward You. Help me to weep over my own self!”

As it is obvious, we beseech God to gather us in the company of the Prophet and to instill in us the spirit of repentance in His court, in order to help us seek forgiveness by abstaining from sins.

Imam Zayn al-Abedin (AS) in another of his supplications such as the one bidding farewell to the month of Ramadhan, says: "You are the One who opened a door for Your servants toward Your forgiveness and called it at-Towba".

Towba means repentance from faults, sins and all wrongdoings, which a person had committed in pursuit of carnal desires.

Repentance could be likened to the return home, to the warm embrace of his parents, of an erring son who had fled home because of ignorance and disobedience. Thus repentance in the Court of Allah, means that the All-Merciful, whose Mercy for those who give up sins and return to the straight path, far exceeds the love and affection that parents have, for even a bedridden who had been the cause of much catastrophes for them. In other words, when a person commits sins, he/she flees home, and when this same person repents and seeks forgiveness, he/she has returned to the All-Mercy.

It is narrated that once Prophet Moses (AS) was supplicating to God on Mount Sinai, saying, "Ya Ilah al-Aalameen (O God of the worlds)". God said, "I accepted your call."

Moses said, "Ya Ilah al-Moti'een (O God of the obedient)". Again God accepted his call. Prophet Moses raised his hands and prayed with all sincerity, saying: "Ya Ilah al-Aasin (O God of the sinners)". Three times did Moses utter these words on God’s commandment, and when he asked God the reason for such repetition, came the reply of the Acceptor of all repentance:

"O Moses, the Gnostics are hopeful of the result of their cognizance; the righteous pin their hope (of salvation) on their good deeds; and the obedient rely on their obedience of Me. But the transgressors and sinners have no refuge except My favour. Had they been disappointed of My court, whom would they have taken refuge with?"

Thus, one of the great achievements of the blessed month of Ramadhan is hope in Divine Mercy. Ayah 87 of surah Yusuf reads, "And no one despairs of God's mercy except the faithless lot."

The fact of the matter is that some people, due to setbacks in their material life, or being trapped in material and monetary calamities, become desperate and at times, because of weak faith, they become ungrateful. Thus, it is necessary to develop the spirit of conscientiousness in order to become certain of God's infinite power. God Almighty, the Forgiver, Who delivered Prophet Yunus (Jonah) from the dark stomach of the whale the in deep sea, accepts the prayer of those who turn to Him, and grants their requests.

The month of Ramadhan reminds us that the period of youth and its exuberances will pass very soon.

Imam Ali (AS), once heard from his loyal companion Hareth Hamdani that a group of Muslims were hotly discussing certain hadith in a mosque.

Imam Ali (AS) said, "I heard the Prophet saying that there will always be seditions and ambiguities among the Ummah amd the solution in this regard is the holy Qur’am:

We pray to God Almighty to preserve in our hearts and minds the holy Qur’an, and to give us strengthen to follow and observe whatever He has mentioned in the holy Qur’an.

AS/MG