Ramadan Celebrates The Qur’an

                             “The Month of Ramadan, wherein the                 

                              Qur’an was revealed, a guidance for the

                              people and as clear proofs of the Guidance

                              and the Criterion; so let those of you who

                              are present at the month, fast it …”

                                                    (Qur’an, 2:185).

“Ramadan” is a lunar month, which is known by Muslims, and wherein they fast during daytime. This year, the year 1436 Hijri/2015, Ramadan occurred simultaneously with the most bloody and catastrophic time for people in so many countries. Millions of people turned into refugees, hundreds of casualties happen everyday, hundreds of thousand of houses have been destroyed, persecutions are taking place in over populated prisons in most of the so called Muslim countries, sanitary conditions are unhygienic and famine ravages many regions. Paradoxically we see in the media beside those awful and catastrophic realities, a panorama of exaggerated festivities for what they call “Ramadan Meals”, as if this Great Month had been reduced to choosing delicious meals for the evening breakfast.

I would like to emphasize here, that the purpose of this month is for Muslims to celebrate the great event of the Revelation of the Qur’an, as it contains the last and the seal of God’s revelation for Mankind: “Alif , Laam, Mim, this Divine Writ – let there be no doubt about it – is (meant to be) a guidance for all the God-conscious” (2:1-2). “Verily this Qur’an shows the way to all that is most upright, and gives the believers who do good deeds the glad tiding that theirs will be a great reward” (17:9).

The conduct of most Muslims today shows as if this were the month of extra meals festival. Beside that, there is another strange phenomena in today’s “Muslim” media: there are a lot of entertainment programs and TV shows, which attract people very much and make them waste a lot of time, while time is so valuable for people to raise their devotion to God by praying, reciting the Qur’an, or doing whatever good deeds they can do.

The Qur’an was revealed to be respected, to be pondered over, and to be taken as guidance in all Muslim conducts: “Will they not, then, ponder over this Qur’an?” (47:24).  

The prescription of fasting during the month of Ramadan every year is an order for Muslims to celebrate and practice a discipline, and to incite them to ponder over the Glorious Revelation (Qur’an), which contains:

1.    Introduction of the cognition of God, His attributes and actions.

2.    Preliminary information about the creation of the universe.

3.    The creation of human beings: the beginning and the continuation of the human race, the characteristics of the human self, and all about mankind.

4.    Explanation of how God distributes His bounties (intellectual, physical, and wealth) in different degrees for the benefit of the society.

5.    The honor and the “trust” that have been given and burdened fairly to mankind.

6.    Emphasis on the principle of the causation in the creation, notably in human life’s actions.

7.    Many recounts on historic events and personalities of earlier times, but also other events and personalities, without exact dates and places, just for the readers to take teachings.

8.    Many influential admonitions to remind the readers (or the reciters) of God and of life after death.

9.    Ordinances for the believers to perform (certain rituals) and conduct, in different domains of life: individual, family life, social, economic and politic.

10.         Information that life will end at the coming of an indubitable Day of Resurrection, wherein every human being will be questioned about what s/he has done about the trust, which s/he was responsible for.

11.         The fact that the Qur’an was revealed portion by portion, over a 23 years period in Makkah and in Madinah, makes one understand and imagine how Qur’anic verses could gradually help grow the faith and raise it in the hearts and minds of people individually and collectively. And it is indispensable for students of Islam to study the history of the descending events of certain revelations, through which one can better understand how the Islamic law could gradually change and build a better society, and create a valuable civilization for humanity by following God’s guidance step by step, directly through every part of the revealed Qur’an.

Jundub bin Abdullah recounted: “We were with the Messenger of God (God’s blessings be upon him) when we were strong youths, so we learned faith before we learned the Qur’an; then we learned the Qur’an thus our faith increased thereby”  (Recorded by Abu Dawud in his Collection of Hadith).

Honored and Fair Burdened

                                  “And indeed We have conferred dignity

                                   on the children of Adam and borne them

                                   over land and sea, and provided them

                                   with good things and We have

                                   preferred them above many of those

                                  whom We created with marked           

                                  preferment” (17:70).

The Trust

The favor and the dignity conferred by God (the Creator) on human beings in this worldly life, are inseparable with the fact that they are being burdened with the great responsibility of managing all what is in the earth and in the heavens, and mastering them in order to develop human civilization, on the base of God’s guidance and ordinances given to them through His messengers (see: Qur’an, 2:29; 45:13 and 57:25).

This “burden” is what the Qur’an calls the “Trust”, over which human beings obtain power of disposition. They are expected to use this power as directed, but in the same time they have the power to use it otherwise. Other creatures refused to carry the Trust, they are afraid lest they should betray it, but human beings accepted it, as they are so ambitious to manage the Trust fairly (see Qur’an, 33:72). But the reality proves that most people behave with hypocrisy and many of them ascribe divinity to other than God by giving loyalty and obeisance to other than God’s ordinances. Indeed this type of man accumulates wickedness and foolishness.

Let us ponder on this verse of the Qur’an, which indicates that the task burdened on human beings is a trust on them: “Indeed We offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to bear it, but man undertook it. Truly he has always been prone to be most wicked, most foolish ” (33:72).

This Trust has been undertaken in fact by human beings since the beginning of his creation, as God has instilled it into every born child. Abu Hurairah narrated the saying of the Prophet (God’s blessings be upon him): “Every child is born in the natural disposition; it is only his parents that later turn him into a Jew, or a Christian, or a Magian”  (Recorded by Al-Bukhari in his Collection of Hadith).

This information given by the messenger of God points out what the Qur’an already mentioned (30:30) that the Pure Faith in God (as the only Lord to be worshiped and obeyed) is already instilled into every human being. And in another verse, the Qur’an even says: “And when your Lord drew forth their offspring from the loins of the children of Adam, and He (thus) made them testify against themselves: Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes, indeed we testify; lest they should say on the Day of Resurrection: Truly, of this we were unaware. Or lest you should say: It is merely that our fathers were idolaters before and we were descendants of theirs. Will You then destroy us for that which those who follow falsehood did?” (7:172-173). So any swerve from this line is the influence of the wrong surroundings.

The Fair “Burden”

Can this Trust be considered as a heavy and unbearable burden for human beings? God (Who knows perfectly everything about His creation) said: “God does not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear: in his favor shall be whatever good he does, and against him whatever evil he does” (2:286). God’s guidance (His ordinances) is perfectly adequate to eliminate those two bad traits: wickedness and foolishness.

Then for those who follow God’s guidance, the burden is fair, because they are well conscious of God, and apprehensive whether their performance of worshiping God is acceptable by their Lord (see: Qur’an, 23:60): “Those are the ones who hasten to perform good works, and they are the ones who shall outrun (all others) in attaining to them; and We do not task anyone beyond his/her capacity, and with Us is a Record that speaks the truth, and they will not be wronged” (23:61.62).

Those who attained faith in God exercise their required prayer properly, and perform their duty nicely towards all concerned in the society: they produce and give; they develop their creativity sincerely; and yet, while doing all that, they are apprehensive, fearing that they did not do enough. That is why they always pray to God saying: “O my God! Help me in remembering You, in thanking You, and help me in performing all my duties nicely towards You”  (this prayer is recommended by the Prophet, narrated by Mu’adh and recorded by Annasai and Abu Dawud).

How to avoid wickedness and foolishness

Now let us ponder upon how this active devotion to God can avoid the two bad characteristics (wickedness and foolishness) mentioned above. That is because the human self is imbued with moral failings as well as with consciousness of God; so those persons with their sincere devotion to God, they are in fact purifying their self from any moral failing which may push them towards wickedness or foolishness, while those who deny God’s guidance are in fact eclipsing their self from the light of God (see Qur’an, 91:7-10).

That is why if you read again verse (33:72), and the next, you will find the explanation: “The result (of all this) is that God will punish the hypocrites, men and women, and (will punish) men and women who ascribe divinity to other than Him; and that God will turn in His mercy to the believing men and believing women; and God is indeed Much-forgiving, a Dispenser of grace” (33:73).

Then it is clear to us that if God would punish someone, that is quite fair as a consequence of Man’s generic covenant which came from his exercising the option given to him/her. It is also true that if God should give good reward to a person, it is absolutely fair, as a consequence of fulfilling that covenant. And that is the distinction between the two parties: the one who believes in God’s guidance, and the other who disbelieves:

“Is he who knows that what is revealed to you from your Lord is the truth, like him who is blind? But only they who have insight keep this in mind: such as fulfill God’s covenant, and do not break the pact; and such as cement what God has commanded should be cemented, and fear their Lord, and dread an awful reckoning; such as are patient, desiring their Lord’s countenance; and maintain the prayer and expend of that which We have provided them, secretly and openly, and repel evil with good; those, theirs shall be the sequel of the (heavenly) Abode” (13:19-22).

What “The Provider” Is Asking Us To Give

The Provider is the Lord

When Prophet Musa (Moses) and his brother Aaron went to the Pharaoh of Egypt, conveying God’s message, Moses told Pharaoh: We are your Lord’s messenger to ask you to free the people of Israel, so that they may come with us (20:49). Pharaoh asked Moses: “So who is your Lord, O Moses? He said: Our Lord is He Who gave to everything its (peculiar) nature, and then guided it” (20:49-50).

The egoism and the arrogance of many rulers or responsible often make them forget the real Lord of the worlds. The Pharaoh of Egypt was a pattern of that: “And Pharaoh said: O (members of the) Council, I do not know of any god for you other than me..” (28:38). Pharaoh proudly pointed to the rivers, saying that all those rivers were of his dominion, and did not think that the whole country was a bounty of God: “And Pharaoh proclaimed among his people: O my people, does not the dominion over Egypt belong to me, and these rivers flowing beneath me? Do you not perceive?” (43:51).

The real Lord is the Almighty, Who created the whole universe, and takes care of everything. The real Lord is He who gave every creation its peculiar nature, then guided it and has created all that is in the universe for the use of mankind. He then has forbidden mankind to claim that there is any power that could rival God: “.. So whoever hopes to encounter his Lord, let him do righteous work and not ascribe unto anyone or anything a share in the worship of his Lord” (18:110).

God has guided every creation to act, or to produce something for the benefit of the other. This is how God governs the universe. Each being will do that naturally, except human being and Jinn, who are under trial. They are given the option to do the job properly or not, and then they will be repaid for their actions.

The Act we are demanded to do

What is expected from human being is THE ACT OF GIVING. God has given him/her the faculty of doing, earning, producing and giving: if they do their duty properly with the intention of doing it for the cause of God alone, they will be victorious. However, if they do it for any other cause, it means they have ascribed a share in the worship of God to someone or something aside God.

God has stated in the Qur’an that in confronting this worldly trial, human beings can be very different: those who have good intention to do the job properly, to give and to produce nice things for the society will succeed, and there are others who are egoists, niggardly and neglect God’s guidance: “Assuredly your efforts are diverse: as for him who gives (to others) and is conscious of God, and affirms the ultimate good, We shall make easy the path towards ultimate ease. But as for him who is niggardly, and thinks that he is self-sufficient, and denies the ultimate good, We shall surely ease his way to hardship, and his wealth (in this world) shall not avail him when he perished” (92:4-11).

So it is for each person to choose his destiny; he who wants God to ease his way to the best destiny should make the effort of following the right guidance. And he who does not care about God’s guidance is worth to be neglected by Him:

“.. then whoever follows My guidance shall not go astray, neither shall he be miserable; but whoever disregards My remembrance, his shall be a straitened life, and on the Day of Resurrection We shall bring him to the assembly, blind. He shall say: My Lord, why you raised me up blind, whereas (on earth) I was endowed with sight? God will say: Thus it is: there came to you Our messages, but you went oblivious of them, and so you shall be today consigned to oblivion!” (20:123-126).

God is the Creator, the Provider of sustenance for all creation. He is completely independent, and all creation depends on Him, He is the Lord of all might, and His Power is eternal: “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except that they may worship Me (= taking My guidance as their way of life). I do not want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me. Indeed it is God who is the Provider, the Lord of all Might, the steadfast forever” (51:36-38).

The Provider’s Plan

Now, let us ponder on how God, the Provider distributes the provision to human beings. In fact God does not provide his bounty as the recipients wish, but according to a definite Plan of His: “Whoever desires the hasty world, We hasten for him therein whatever We will, for whom We please. Then We appoint for him Hell, to which he will be exposed, condemned, and rejected. And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it with the necessary efforts being a believer – for such their effort will find favour. Each We supply to these and to those from your Lord’s bounty.  And your Lord’s bounty is not confined” (17:18-20).

We could grasp the Provider’s Plan for human being as follows:

For those who deny God’s guidance, and follow only their own whims and desire the hasty world, the Provider will give each a portion, depending on his effort but also according to what God pleases, so to be in accordance with His whole Plan. And for those who follow God’s guidance and desire good life in the Hereafter, the Provider will give each of them a portion, depending on his effort, but also depending on his enterprise in giving and providing for the needy, because indeed, this is one of the most important parts of the test that was given to him during this worldly life. Then he will get multiple rewards in the Hereafter:

“The parable of those who expend their wealth in the way of God is that of a grain out of which grow seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains: for God grants manifold increase unto whom He wills; and God is Embracing, Knowing. Those who expend their wealth for the sake of God and do not mar their spending by stressing their own benevolence and hurting (the feelings of the needy) shall have their reward with their Lord, and no fear shall befall them, neither shall they grieve!” (2:261-262).

The act of giving, which is demanded by God (the Provider) is ultimately not for His benefit, but from human beings to their fellow men and for other creatures too, in certain circumstances. And what is to be given is not only material, but can also be embodied in good action or behaviour.  Prophet Muhammad (peace and God’s blessings be upon him) said: “Every good action is a charity; and among the good action is when you meet your fellow-man with a smiling face; also when you pour water from your bucket into the bowl of your fellow-man”  (Narrated by Jabir and recorded by Tirmidhi in his Collection of Hadith).

The Rights of the Needy

In the time of the Prophet, some people asked him: what should they expend? The answer came directly from God in a revelation, saying: “And they asked you what they should expend, say: Whatever you can spare. So God makes clear His signs to you that you might reflect” (2:219).

In general we can say that the surplus on the possession of the wealthy people is a due share for the needy. The Qur’an indicates that the faithful Muslims are those in whose wealth (in case they are wealthy of course) there is a specified right for the needy: “and in whose possessions there is a due share, acknowledged (by them) for such as ask (for help) and such as are deprived” (70:24-25).

So whatever we spend to relieve the needy should be for those who are really in need whether they are good or bad, on the right path or not, Muslims or otherwise: “It is not for you to make people follow the right path since it is God (alone) who guides whom He wills. And whatever good you expend is for your own good, provided that you spend only out of longing for God’s countenance for whatever you may spend will be repaid unto you in full, and you shall not be wronged” (2:272).

However, the closest to you, such as relatives or neighbours in need of help, are the ones who have the priority to receive it. Furthermore, the Qur’an indicates that restraining oneself in his rage, forgiving a person who insults him/her and doing virtuous deeds are among the demanded acts of giving (see: Qur’an, 3:133-134).

Joseph & Moses’ Virtue Confronting Situations Of Seduction (2)

Before we move on to the story of Moses, let us think back on Joseph’s attitude in dealing with the intense passion of his master’s wife. How could Joseph constantly reject her several advances? Was it because she was not alluring enough? Or was it because he might not be a normal man and has no desire or passion towards women? The Qur’an clearly explained this point, telling us that in fact Joseph, as a young man, had also a strong desire towards her, because apparently she was quite an attractive woman too. However, the reason of the constant rejection was his sincerity in his devotion to God. As a devout, he has a covenant with God to be honest and not to follow his passion: he would be steadfast in keeping his virtue.

All this is clearly stated in the following verse of the Qur’an: “And indeed, she desired him, and he desired her, had he not understood the evidence of his Lord’s truth: thus We (= God) willed it to be in order that We might avert him all evil and all deeds of abomination – for, behold, he was truly one of Our devoted servants” (12:24).

Abu Hurairah (one of the Prophet’s companions) narrated that the Prophet (peace and God’s blessings be upon him) said: “Seven kinds of people will be shaded by God under His shade on the Day when there will be no shade except His. They are: (1) a just Ruler; (2) a young person who has been brought up in an environment of God’s devotion and is sincere; (3) a person whose heart is constantly attached to the mosque; (4) two persons who like each other only for God’s cause; (5) a man who refuses the call of a charming woman, from a well known family, for an illegal sexual intercourse with her, yet he refuses and says to her: I do fear of God (and cannot do illegal action); (6) a person who practices charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given; (7) a person who remembers God in seclusion and his eyes flood with tears”

Now we will trace a fragment of the story of Moses.

The Qur’an has narrated several stories about Moses, more than about any other character in history. And only Almighty God, the Creator, knows and decides to whom He bestows some wisdom and the ability to judge (between right and wrong), and to whom He bestows the innate knowledge.

And as God has given Joseph the wisdom and the innate knowledge, as soon as he reached full manhood and became mature, the same God has given Moses a strong virtue and wisdom after he was so anxious and repented to God, for he made a considerable mistake in striking an Egyptian with his fist and thus causing his death.

Then “he said (to himself): This is of Satan’s doing. Verily, he is an open foe, leading (man) astray!” (28:15) and “he prayed: O my Lord, verily, I have sinned against myself; grant me, then, Your forgiveness! And (God) forgave him – for, verily, He alone is truly-Forgiving, a Dispenser of grace” (28:16). Moses continued his prayer: “O my Lord, I vow by all the blessings which You had bestowed on me: Never more shall I aid such as are lost in sin!” (28:17).

It was undoubtedly the oppression and the cruelty against the Israelites in Egypt at that time, which agitated Moses and motivated him to act in order to change the situation and to free them from slavery. But now how could he do this, when he became the most wanted by the authority, for killing that Egyptian. He was then advised by a sympathiser to flee Egypt.

So he did and headed to Madyan (*), supplicant to God: “O my Lord, save me from all evildoing folk!” (28:21).

And as Moses turned his face towards Madyan, for never having travelled in that direction, he prayed to God, and said to himself: “I hope my Lord will show me the right way” (28:22).

It was no easy experience, especially as he left abruptly and did not take anything for the travel, passing through a desert with its scorching sun, and probably rarely coming across anyone on his way. As he finally reached the land of Madyan, he came to a watering place where he found shepherds watering their flocks. He first went, however, to the shade of a tree.

There he noticed two young women waiting with their flock, to water them. He felt sympathy and concern for these two women. He went towards them and said: What is the matter with you? They answered briefly: We cannot water our flocks until the herdsmen drive their flocks home – for we are weak, and our father is a very old man. Here, Moses’ compassion towards them rose. He took upon himself to water their flocks for them. He did, and let them go with their flocks, without saying anything. He went back to the shade murmuring a prayer saying: “O my Lord, indeed I am in utter need of whatever good You send down to me!” (28:24).

A little later came one of the two girls towards Moses “walking shyly” and told him that her father invites him to reward him for the service he had done for them. The Qur’an stresses here, that both the girl and Moses were modest in their behavior, because in such circumstances it is important for youth of different sexes to keep their modesty.

The indication that the young girl came to Moses “walking shyly”, is to point out the importance of shyness, as Prophet Muhammad once said: “Modesty is a branch of Faith”  (Narrated by Abu Hurairah, and recorded by Nasai).

Arrived at the house of the two girls, Moses was welcomed by their father. After listening to the story of Moses, which was so impressive, the old man said to him: Do not worry young man, you have now escaped from the evildoing people.

While hosting the new comer, there was a discussion within the family: one of the two girls said to her father that this man is strong and seems trustworthy. Moses would be a qualified man for the services they need in this period, as he had both qualities needed for such an employment.  So she suggested to her father to employ him. The father, having the same good impression about Moses, thought thoroughly and told the girl he intended to propose to marry her to him, with the condition that he gives eight or ten years of service to them. When the old man saw his daughter’s silence, he understood her accord.

“(The old man) said (to Moses): I desire to marry you to one of these two daughters of mine, on condition that you hire yourself to me for eight years. And if you complete ten, that shall be of your own accord. I do not want to be hard on you. God willing you shall find me to be one of the righteous. Moses said: That is (settled then) between me and you; whichever of the two terms I complete, there shall be no injustice (done) to me, and God is Guardian over what we say” (28:27-28).

I think, among others, the Qur’an recounts this specific story to give lesson to young people in every time and in any country, not to get married on the basis of temptation. The important thing in marriage is the understanding and the support between the spouses.

This conduct of Moses, which has shown his virtue, was before he even became a messenger of God, who received revelation from on high. He was bestowed with his duty as a Prophet and a messenger of God only ten years after his marriage to that woman of Madyan, just as he finished and fulfilled the terms of his contract.

(*) Madyan is an area extended from the present-day Gulf of Aqabah westwards deep into Sinai and to the mountains of Moab east of the Dead Sea.