I know ramadan is over...but this article a dear friend has written is still just as applicable!...it should be taken as amessage about unity even outside ramadan.
Brotherhood and unity in Ramadhan
As the beautiful month of Ramadan has graced us with it’s arrival, Muslim’s near and afar have begun celebrating this month of heightened devotion for Allah (swt).
A month where the gate of mercy are wide open, the gates of hell are shut and the shaytaan is chained up. it is a month favoured over all other months where millions of muslims all over the world are in contemplation and in complete devotion in their one lord.
"Oh, you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may gain Taqwa"(2:183)
Just as the verse of the Quran say’s, we fast to attain "God-consciousness" thus meaning bringing us closer to Allah(swt).
So Allah(swt) has allowed each and everyone of us to witness once again the month of Ramadan, that we may benefit from it, by making sincere repentance, seeking Allah’s mercy and forgiveness, praise Allah(swt) who gave us life and all that we have in this life. It is a period of intense reflection, devotion and seeking guidance.
It is a time where shops and restaurants stop selling alcohol. Hijabs and jubas are worn, students are xtra careful to avoid the opposite sex.
We try to avoid backbiting telling lies. But why do we do these actions strictly in the month of Ramadan? Let us ask ourselves is islam for just one month of the year? And are we relieved of our duties to allah swt for the rest of the year?
"Fasting is a shield with which a servant protects himself from the fire"
(Ahmad)
Ramadan is an opportunity to develop qualities of endurance and self-restraint, to control anger and a fiery malicious tongue. It is a time to awaken compassion and solidarity with others, rich, poor, near or far.
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) addressed his companions on the last day of Sha`ban, saying, "Oh people! A great month has come over you; a blessed month; a month in which is a night better than a thousand months; month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night. Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Heaven. It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer's sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast, shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Fire of Hell, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all." [Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah
Abu Umamah reported: "I came to the Messenger of Allah and said: 'Order me to do a deed that will allow me to enter Paradise.' He said: 'Stick to fasting, as there is no equivalent to it.' Then I came to him again and he said: 'Stick to fasting."' [Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, and al-Hakim]
In another hadith, the Messenger of Allah (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) says, "Ramadhan has come to you. (It is) a month of blessing, in which Allah covers you with blessing, for He sends down Mercy, decreases sins and answers prayers. In it, Allah looks at your competition (in good deeds), and boasts about you to His angels. So show Allah goodness from yourselves, for the unfortunate one is he who is deprived in (this month) of the mercy of Allah, the Mighty, the Exalted." [Tabarani]
So let us take this saying of our beloved prophet(saw) and work harder to attain Allah’s (swt) pleasure and gain more reward by partaking in Suhur, inviting your Muslim brothers and sisters to break fast with you and your families. Let us maintain strong bonds of Brotherhood, give favour over their needs before our own thus allowing us to abandon the act of possessiveness and selfishness, so being generous and sharing becomes more favourable to do. Show compassion and caring. Your guests, they too have fasted, no food no water has passed their lips also.
To maintain our brotherhood and unity we must abstain from mentioning faults of another whether in their absence or on their presence. Let us be kind in our words and promote the goodness of an other Muslim, for Allah (swt) knows all. Praise where you can give pleasure of a compliment especially when your sister or brother has made extra effort with love your favourite dish for iftar. Be a source of honour, affection and respect. Ramadan gives us a chance to forgive, ask forgiveness of our mistakes and failings. It is better to be humble.
It is also a time for us to reflect on not only on issues that will inshallah save ourselves from hellfire but to contemplate on our responsibilities towards our dear brothers and sisters around the world.
There was a city where bad people and evil actions were taking place. Allah said to the angels, "go destroy that city". The angels went to obey their orders, but just as they were about to start they saw a man praying. They went back to allah and explained that there is man in the city that stays in his house all day and night praying to Allah, and so they didn’t destroy the city. Allah swt said" did the mans face not even turn red with anger at what is happening around him". So he ordered the angels to kill him first.. Hadith Qudsi
This hadith shows us how dangerous it is for us to be content with perfecting ourselves and not being concerned about what is going on around us .
Rammadan’s not about just increasing our ibadat it is also about brotherhood. In this month allah swt brings us closer together as an ummah as one unit.
" Believers are but brothers, so set things right between your brothers and observe your duty to Allah(swat) so that you may obtain mercy"(49:10)
The Quran is our guidance. It is ours to learn, from each other, to understand and implement in our lives not only in Ramadan but also for the months that follow.
stand side by side at Taraweeh, on the night of Al-Qadr. Pray for each other, pray for the living near to you and in far away lands. Pray for those who have passed away, pray for them and their families as you would for your own. Prayers for the deceased are on the same footing as a gift for the living, the dead delights and rejoices in such a gift.
Be loyal and sincere, be steadfast in your love for one another just as your fast in Ramadan.
Finally as we pay our zakat, give Sadaqa in this wonderful month and we try to relieve the discomforts and inconveniences not only for our neighbours but for our fellow Muslims in far away lands. Let us work hard to gain Allah’s (swt) pleasure so we can remove the wrongs that have been afflicted on them.
Salahuddin Ayyubbi who took his army to battle during the month of Rammadan in 1187 AD so as to free the muslims from the crusaders. Why ? because he understood these were his brothers and sisters who were need of help.
let us make this month of Ramadhan, the month of prayer, the month of worship, the month of recitation of Qur’an, the month of giving Zakat, the month of strengthening the relations between our relatives, the month of generosity and goodness to the needy, the month of being aware of our speech and actions, the month of re-invigorating our Iman and purifying our hearts and the month of engaging in the da’wa to bring the implementation of the Quran on the earth.
Remember Islam is our guidance, our light in our lives. Let us maintain the acts of Brotherhood, unity and virtues of Ramadhan daily even in the months that follow.
The Prophet( saw) said that ‘the ummah is one body, if one part of the body aches then the rest of the body shakes in pain and fever.’
Let this sensational month never end so we may always be gaining Allah’s (swt) pleasures and rewards.
DUA
Oh Allah! Make the Qur’an al-Kareem, a pleasure for our hearts, the light of our sight and the banishment of our sorrows and a lifting away of our worries.
Oh Allah! Teach us from it what we were ignorant of, and remind us of it what we have forgotten, and provide us with the ability to recite it throughout the day and the night.
Oh Allah! Make us from this who maintain the Halal as the Halal and the Haram as the Haram, and recite it as it truly is.
Oh Allah! Make it a guide for us in our lives, and accompany us in our graves, which become a veil for us from the fire, and a guide for us to the path of Jannah.
And may peace be upon our Master, the Messenger (saw), and upon his family and companions, and those who follow him with the best of blessings until the day of Judgement.
Sister Raheela Mir
