Ramadhan and the Quran

The month of Ramadhan has a particularity in the Islamic calendar. It was chosen for the revelation of the Quran, the last and final scripture sent for the guidance of mankind. All the creatures live entirely on the benevolence of Allah, the Most Gracious and most Beneficent and man is in no way out of indigence. More than their destitution for sustenance they have an intense need of guidance in their lives. Allah, the Most Exalted made both the provisions.

“Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High,
“Who created and proportioned, 
“And Who destined and guided.” (Al-A’la: 1-3)

Almost all of the animals follow their inborn drive, so they need little more than their inbred nature. But man’s case is different. He has a uniqueness in all the living entities. To gain he has to venture and for accomplishment of the ventures he has got the best physical stature. His physique is suitable for all the activities and above all he has been gifted with an inner light of wisdom. But still his vulnerability is an open fact. He is neither able to protect himself from his perpetual and open enemy Iblees, nor is he safe from powerful allures and temptations.

Since the very moment of man’s eviction from the Paradise and coming down on the earth,  in addition to his wisdom an external light of guidance became his utmost requisite. With Adam’s (A S) descent from the Heavens, he was told  that a chain of successive revelations to guide him how to fulfill the duties assigned to him as a faithful and obedient servant of his Lord would continue to come.

“We said: “Go down from it (Paradise) all of you. And when Guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My Guidance, there shall be no fear on them, nor shall they grieve.” (Al-Baqarah: 38)

The guidance starting from Adam (A S) ended on Muhammad, (be peace and blessings upon him) the last and final Prophet of Allah. The Quran, revealed to Muhammad, SAW, is a perfect code of life for whole of the mankind for all times till the Day of Resurrection. Showering of this blessing, the Quran, started in the month of Ramadhan.

“The month of Ramadan (is that) in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent of the month of Ramadhan), he must observe fasting that month, and whoever is ill or on a journey, (should complete) the equal number of the other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and (wants) for you to complete the period and glorify Allah for having guided you; so that you may be grateful." (Al-Baqarah: 185)

The Quran, as mentioned in the verse referred above, is the guidance for whole of the mankind. The earth is cultivated but all parts of it are not equally fertile and fruitful. Some parts of land are rocky, some others are barren and some where we find salinity. Only fertile lands are suitable for tilling to grow crops. Same is the case of ‘land’ of the hearts. Guidance does not take root in all hearts equally. For obtainment of the guidance, some particular qualities are indispensable to develop in the hearts. Taqwa (God-fearing, piety) is the utmost need to procure guidance. The Messenger of Allah, be peace and blessings upon him, is reported to have said:

“The most worthier and entrusted men among you, whosoever and wherever they may be, are Muttaqun (pious).” (Ahmed)

Taqwa is actually a state of high sensitivity. It is as if one takes every step with care not to get entangled in a messy situation of a thorny or muddy path while walking. He saves his clothes from getting spoilt in mud or torn with the thorns.

In our usual lives we come across the situations with serious prospects of going against the Commands of our Lord and getting tainted with sinfulness disregarding the line drawn between Haram (forbidden) and Halal (lawful). Only sentiency developed through Taqwa is probable to save us from falling prey to the evil tricks of Iblees and act exactly in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Quran. Our Holy Prophet, be peace and blessings upon him, has defined Taqwa as follows:

“A servant of Allah is not supposed to reach the level of Muttaqun unless he gives up unobjectionable and  harmless things fearing that they may religiously be forbidden and harmful.” (Tirmidhi)

“This is the Book (the Quran), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Muttaqun (pious, God-fearing).” (Al-Baqarah: 2)

The hearts are necessary to be ploughed with Taqwa to make them befitting for the seeds of guidance. Though all the acts of Ibadah (worship) have profound impacts on the minds and hearts and strengthen the relation between the humble servants and their All-Mighty Lord but the act of fasting has an incomparability in this case. This is why fasting has especially been imposed on us to elevate the quality of Taqwa and qualify ourselves for leading our lives in the light of the Quranic indoctrinations.

“O you who believe! Observing fast is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (pious).” (Al-Baqarah: 183)

Function of fasting heightens the degree of sensitivity in the minds. It works exactly alike the most sensitive devices fitted in the buildings and offices in this modern age. Sensing only a slight hint the sirens start their wailing noise as warning of flaring the fire or rising any other danger. As soon as a sincere believer, observing the fast, opens the mouth to utter an abominable word or takes a step for doing a bad deed just warning bells start ringing from his inside. He gets alarmed and avoids the evils. In spite of  being overcome with unrelenting hunger or thirst, he dares not pass some drops of water or a little food down from his throat.

We see most of the Muslims in almost whole of the Muslim world and even in the non-Muslim countries turn to the Quran in the moth of Ramadhan. Recitation of the Holy Quran individually or listening it in the congregational Tarawih prayer gets too much increased in this holy month. Both the acts done earnestly bring the most required fruit of forgiveness  for the believers in addition to the blessings in their worldly life. Multiplicity in the weight of every noble deed in the month of Ramadhan grows and the act of fasting has its individuality in this especial growth. The Messenger of Allah, be peace and blessings upon him, used to revise the Holy Quran in the company of Jibril (A S) in every month of Ramadhan and in the last Ramadhan of his life the same was done twice.