With the advent of Ramadan a glittering change all around can be witnessed, as if darkness in the ambiance has experienced a precipitous illumination. Ramadan is a spring month that nourishes virtues in the heart as rain helps vegetation grows from the earth.
It’s a month of the Quran, a Book that leads human kind from the depth of darkness (ظلمات) to the light of guidance (نور), beyond that….rejuvenates the human life itself. It’s the month of fasting that helps realize the bounties (نعمہ) of the Creator and overcome the weaknesses. It’s the month of awards and rewards, the fasting, the prayers, the remembrance of Allah, the alms and charity…all have their own multifold rewards as compared to what one gets in normal days. It’s the month of mercy, love, and feeling ones’ pain, as fasting demands abstinence from food, water and sexual desires.
Being conscious of pains and problems, the Muslims form a versatile relationship with the human beings. It becomes moral and religious responsibility of each and every one to fulfill the need of any person who experiences hunger and thirst. If one goes with this spirit of Ramadan, the progress can be seen both at individual and societal planes.
The blessed month Ramadan revolves around the dignity and reverence of the Quran. Just look at the sequence, the Quran was revealed in the month of Ramadan (Surah Al-Baqarah: 183), it’s a month of fastings, the fastings have been prescribed to cultivate piety (تقوی) and piety has been made obligatory to understand and get acquaint with Quranic guidance.
The one, who gets to depth of its spirit, tries for self-purification and understanding of the Quran is truly blessed. Just ponder, is it possible to reach to desired levels of understanding the Quran through prayers, fastings (صیام), standing in the night (قیام اللیل) and recitation of the Quran (تلاوت) ? For a fair understanding of the Book, try and find perfect answers for the following:
(1) How the Quran deals with its subject “man” - and what is its view point about the society?
(2) How the Quran formulates the tenets of faith along with expressing the ideas and views that are essential for a man?
(3) How this Holy Book explains the principles of moral and ethical values for the purpose of social and familial existence?
(4) What is the message for humanity that the Quran conveys?
(5) What is the outlook of the Quran regarding the world, universe, life and death?
(6) How it elaborates the concepts of success and failure?
(7) How it elucidates the conceptual details pertaining to virtues and vices?
(8) What criteria and standards should be used to judge the authenticity and genuineness of the Quran?
(9) What are the Quranic ideas of propagation of virtues and eradication of evils?
(10) How Quran can be a Book of Guidance for the entire humanity?
If given serious thought to these queries and ensure a regular sitting for individual and collective studies of the Quran, a vibrant and lively relation with the Book is bound to happen. Recitation, memorization and application of the verses help understand the distinguished features of the Quran. With its unique style of proclamation, admiration, negation and addressing the human intellect, the Quran stands tall as the only source of guidance for the humanity. Its teachings help understand that the Quran:
• Introduces the Creator through His creatures.
• Describes the Blessings of God.
• Cultivates both fear and love of the Creator in the heart.
• Introduces those whom God loves.
• Introduces those whom God does not like
• Presents the words of God that help understand the forms of worship.
• Provides means to obey the Creator with intense love.
• Refreshes thoughts and keeps the hopes alive.
• Inspires to be good and do good.
• Develops personality with a balanced approach for nourishment of the traits.
• Offers guidance for the business and transactions.
• Tells how to behave with parents, children, and neighbors.
• Unveils the secrets of happy married life.
• Helps society scale heights of peace and progress.
• Inculcates a burning desire for promotion of virtues and eradication of evils from the society.
• Presents solutions for the burning issues.
• Suggests methods for fulfilling the necessities of life.
• Teaches the secrets of success and failure.
• Reveals hard realities of life.
• Carries the readers along with the discussion to be its part.
• Puts analytical discussion to distinguish between true and false god.
• Poses questions.
• Develops a sense of superior being in every individual.
• Invites to think over the self and the entire universe.
• Discusses the lives of the Prophets with emphasis on the behavioral attitudes of their followers.
• Takes on a journey of the past.
• Explains the rise and fall of the nations.
• Prepares for the next life.
• Explains the ways of admission in paradise.
• Suggests ways for protection from hell.
Gear up for an absolute understanding of the Quran this Ramadan. Ensure that the queries and the distinguished features accompany you and become a part of your intellect, should create interest while reading the Book and inspire to be an ardent follower of its teachings, all the way, all the time.
The author is the Director of AJ Academy For Research and Development, Raichur, Karnataka. He can be reached at [email protected]
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