The Holy month of Ramadan is approaching fast and with it, it brings hope and inspiration. The need to change within one comes from this hope and this inspiration. The importance of this month should not be underestimated as in it lies the cure for freedom against the shackles of this world and against the attachments of the rebellious self. The cure which many seek yet only few are blessed with it. Yes it is a blessing to receive this cure for the one who realises the importance of this blessed and holy month will surely take the initiative to change from within and Allah (swt) in return will bestow His infinite blessings on him.
Man is a complex yet a supreme creation of the Almighty. It has the characteristics above all even the best angels of Allah (swt). The son of Adam holds the capacity to surpass all creations by making use of its wisdom, intellect and knowledge yet this great creation is bogged down by the desires of this materialistic world and the desires of its inner self. Desires are not wrong, they were embedded within the creation of humans. They are bad when one abuses these desires and acts in an unlawful manner to fulfil these desires. If only this man could realise the heights of perfection it can achieve it would humble itself in front of the Almighty and realise the existence of his Creator. Unfortunately that is not the case, today this man is deep asleep in ignorance and arrogance, his purpose of existence has been compromised to merely following the order of his inner self, Inner self represents that inner struggle within each and every one of us. Remember the slogan from the day of Ashura 'Every day is Ashura, every land is Karbala'. This struggle is a part of our existence as Allah (swt) states in the Quran that Every soul must taste of death and We try you by evil and good by way of probation; and to Us you shall be brought back. [21.35]. The struggle between good and evil continues in our hearts every day. We are fighting against our unlawful desires and ambitions to make sure we try and do the righteous deed, but sadly the reality is that not all of us succeed in doing that. Some of us have given in to this monster. Yes if the inner self is not tamed then it turns into a monster and it destroys everything, the faculties of wisdom and intellect are blocked out and the unleashed desires take over the creation.
Islam is an Arabic word which means submission and as a religion Islam means complete submission to Allah and His laws. In the Quran the word ‘Islam’ is used in three ways. In general sense, the whole universe is considered to be Muslims because it follows the law that God has made for it. An example of this is that the sun, moon, earth, and all physical and biological entities follow the unalterable laws of God and do not make the slight deviation from their course. A person who takes up the path of submission to God and follows His laws brings himself into harmony with the whole universe, but even if he denies God, biologically his own body follows the laws made by his Lord. That is why unbelief in Islam is called kufr (concealment), because by his kufr the unbeliever tries to conceal what is inherent in his nature. In a more specific sense, Islam implies the true revealed religion of God, which entails belief in God, in the prophets, and in the Hereafter. In its particular sense, Islam means the last and most perfect religion and law of God revealed through the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W). Islam is a universally attributable name. Whoever takes on this attribute is a Muslim, irrespective of race, colour, region or country.
Sadly people have left the Islam in mosques and on shelves and started following their desires. Man who is known as the best of all creations has left its purpose of existence and has let his inner self rule upon him. Once this takes place the man becomes a slave, a slave of his inner self. The inner self is a persistent entity, it keeps pushing us to do evil. If a person is weak and gives in to the constant whisperings then he has opened the door to all evils and the only hope for him lies in the act of repentence. The inner soul makes the man believe that he is the centre of everything and that all that is in this world revolves around him. The man, in his ignorance starts to worship this world and forgets his Creator. He befriends this world and works to acquire wealth, fame and power. Corruption overtakes him, greed becames his best friend and immorality is his way of living. A man who once was once the supreme being even greater than angels now lies lower than animals. His inner self blinds him from the light of Almighty and drives him into darkness, the number of veils between him and his Creator increase with every sin he commits, with every fulfilment of his unlawful desires and ambitions, with every act of lust. The man only lives in this life materialistically and does not care about the hereafter, the real life. The life which is eternity, a life where there is bliss, peace, perfection and prosperity.
Allah (swt) is so merciful that He has blessed his creation with a supreme act of turning towards Him, to return to Him and that is the act of repentence. Repentence is the key to unlocking the treasures of paradise and it is the deed which is the means of salvation from the fires of Hell. Allah (swt) is so merciful and so compassionate that when His servants commits an act of injustice or a sin, He orders the angels to wait before recording the deed in case the servant repents and on the other hand when His servant only makes the intention of doing a good act it is recorded by angels in the book of deeds. His mercy is endless, boundless and it encompasses all of His Creation. When the son of Adam realises the injustices of himself, he turns to his Lord complaining and conversing to Him, asking for his forgiveness. He puts all his hope in his Creator for at that moment the shackles are broken and the heart is unlocked and it evolves to realise the existence of the Creator and the importance of the Creator. A beautfil narration or munajaat from Bihar al Anwar mentions: 'Oh Lord! I do complain to you, against the dryness of the eyes, which do not cry, are not afraid of you, and instead take pleasure in looking whatever makes them pleased.'
The month of Ramadan is around the corner, the month of mercy is upon us so let us turn to our Lord and ask for His infinite forgiveness. Remember the Quran bears testament that Allah says: 'Call upon Me, I shall answer' so why the need to delay the repentence, to delay this oppurtunity to move closer to Him and to His loved ones the Ahl ul Bayt [as]. The Quran puts it so eloquently in one verse from the Chapter of Al Hadid:
أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَلَا يَكُونُوا
كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ
Has not the time yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be submissive for the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And [that] they should not be like those who were given the book before, but the time became prolonged to them, so their hearts hardened, and most of them are transgressors
يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ارْجِعِي إِلَى رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّة فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي وَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِيً
O Soul! That art at rest. Return to your Lord, well pleased with Him, so enter amony My servants and enter into My garden. [Ch 89. Verses 27-30]
May Allah hasten the reappearence of the Imam of our time Al Mahdi [ajtf]...
