What is the importance of RAMADAN?

Almighty God says in the Qur’an thus:

O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous - The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it…. (The Qur’an 2:183,185). 

As the Qur’anic verse says, it is the month in which the Qur’an was revealed. To express our gratitude to God we celebrate the whole month by way of observing fasting. This, in turn, makes us patient and pious. The end of Ramadan is marked by celebration known as Eid-ul-Fitr or the festival of fast-breaking. We thank the Merciful God for having given us the opportunity to experience the blessed month of Ramadan. The day is accompanied by celebration, socializing, festive meals etc. But before the festivities begin, every person, adult and child, must have already contributed towards Zakat-ul-Fitr. This is the giving of a meal, or cash equivalent, to a needy person to make sure that none are excluded from this happy occasion. 

What is the importance of QUR’AN?

The Qur’an is the holy book which Muslims recite and turn to for guidance in all aspects of their life. It is the last testament in a series of divine revelations from God. It comprises the unaltered and direct words of God, revealed, to the final Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) through the angel Jibreel (Gabriel) some 1400 years ago. It is sent to us as ‘The Criterion’ to distinguish between right and wrong in our life on the basis of which we will be judged on the Day of Judgment.

Is the QUR’AN restricted to Muslims only?

No, it is a misconception prevailing among many Muslims as well as non-Muslims. It is an undeniable fact that our Creator is only One, Who has created us from a single pair of male and female. He had sent His Messengers at different points of time in the past to different nations with the same message.

 What was the message? It was this: ‘O people, be obedient to your Creator. If you lead a life of obedience to Him you will be rewarded with eternal bliss and if you disobey you will enter Hell’. (Arabic word for obedience is ‘Islam’. ‘Muslim’ is a person who is obedient to the Creator). In the long chain of Messengers, the Last and Final Messenger of God is Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who revived the same message (of obedience to the Creator). The Holy Qur’an is the collection of revelations sent to him from God. How can it be restricted to a group of people? The above verse itself is a proof that it is addressed to the whole of mankind!

What is the message of the Qur’an?

 The important message of the Qur’an can be briefed as:

1.      Oneness of mankind:

 People are created equal in front of the Law of God. There is no superiority for one race over another. God made us of different colors, nationalities, languages and beliefs so as to test who is going to be better than others. No one can claim that he is better than others. It is only God Who knows who is better. It depends on piety and righteousness.

O' mankind! We have created you from male and female and have made you nations and tribes that you may know each other.  The noblest of you in the sight of God is the most righteous (Qur’an 49:13)

2.     Oneness of God

Only Almighty God Who is the Creator and Cherisher of this world deserves worship and not His creations. We are asked to worship Him directly without any intercessors. Worshipping any of His creations, making figures for Him, associating anything or anybody in worship with Him etc. are false and are considered major sins as it contaminates the real belief in God and causes spread of evils in the world.

‘Say (O Prophet): Allah is one and the only. He is absolute. He neither begets nor was He begotten. There is none comparable to Him.’ (The Qur’an 112:1-4)

(Allah is an Arabic word that means “The one who is worthy of worship”. In simple term Allah means in Arabic ‘The God’ In Hindi we say Ishwar, in Kannada we say Devaru, and in Arabic we say Allah.)

3.     Accountability of deeds and life after death:

The present world is a temporary one and we are answerable for our deeds. One day, the whole world will be destroyed. Again God will resurrect us in order to judge our performance here. That is called the Day of Judgment. Depending upon the weight of our good and bad deeds we will be sent to Paradise or Hell. That will be our eternal abode.

4.     Prophethood:

To convey the above message, God selects good souls among men and appoints them as His messengers. They preach the message they receive from God and live as role models for their people. The last one in this chain of messengers is Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Earlier prophets were sent to specific regions, but Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is sent for the whole world.

5.     Innocence of Man at Birth:

People are born free of sin. It is only after they reach the age of puberty and it is only after they commit sins that are to be charged for their mistakes. No one is responsible for or can take the responsibility for the sins of others. However, the door to forgiveness through true repentance is always open.

The distinctive approach of the Qur’an is that its spiritual message includes practical injunctions aimed at the general welfare of human beings, society and the environment in which we live. The Qur’an’s message is eternal and universal, transcending our differences in race, color, ethnicity and nationality. It provides guidance on every aspect of human life – from economics and the ethics of trade to marriage, divorce, gender issues, inheritance and parenting. It neither condemns nor tortures the flesh nor does it neglect the soul. It does not humanize God, nor does it deify man. The Qur’an describes signs of God’s existence in the universe and how everything is carefully placed in the total scheme of creation.

 Dear brothers and sisters! Thus, the Holy Qur’an has come as a mercy from God for the whole of mankind. Irrespective of the religion in which we are born, we are all cherished by our Merciful Lord. The bounties we enjoy every second in our body and around are boundless. Is it not our duty to show our gratitude to Him? How do we express this gratitude? Yes, The Qur’an shows the way… It calls all of us to lead a life of obedience to our Lord and thus achieve peace here and in the hereafter. In this very month, while celebrating the receipt of His Gift, let us commit ourselves to sincerely serving Him.