Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
The Blessed month of Ramadaan came
like seasonal rain and passed by. This rain did not water the plants and crops
- it showered upon the hearts of the Believers. …It is sad, but true, that the
hearts of the majority of Muslims were stricken with spiritual drought and
spiritual decadence. It was a drought caused by excessive indulgence in
un-Islamic activities, immoral behaviour, unjust actions, unfair dealings and
so forth. …Drought caused by lack of rain destroys crops - drought
caused by lack of piety, lack of fear of Allah Ta’ala and lack of Allah
Consciousness destroys the SPIRITUALITY of the heart.
Ramadaan's spiritual rains brought to
life the Masaajid and other prayer places. Ramadaan had fanned the dying spark
of charity. Ramadaan had awakened the spirit of tolerance, patience and
sympathy for the less fortunate.
Now that we come to the end of
Ramadaan, the big question is: What to do?
Did we go through all the spiritual
exercises in Ramadaan in order that we may have the freedom to indulge, on Eid
day, in all types of immoral, shameless and indecent entertainment and
amusement?
Did we restrain ourselves from Halaal
food, drinks and other pleasures from dawn to sunset throughout Ramadaan, so
that we may return with renewed vigour to gambling, drinking, adultery and
fornication?
Will the spirit of tolerance, mercy,
patience, charity, sympathy and the nurtured quality of piety and
Allah-Consciousness be still evident or will these noble qualities be shelved
until the dawn of the next Ramadaan?
Will the Masaajid which were filled
on most nights in Ramadaan remain the same or will they become empty, wondering
where the faithful have gone? Our life-styles after Ramadaan will show
whether we used the month to bring about a total reformation within ourselves
or whether we wasted the valuable opportunity.
The National and international
position of the Muslim communities is something we are all acquainted with.
Muslims are lamenting the loss of lives, destruction of property, oppression,
tyranny, injustice and a host of other problems afflicting the Muslims
all over the world. They are questioning as to why the promised help of Allah
Ta’ala, to the Believers, is nowhere in sight. …However, just one glance into
the lifestyles of the overwhelming majority of the Muslims is sufficient to
answer the question. Millions of Muslims do not have much to their credit
besides Muslim names.
Allah Ta’ala's help comes with ‘aml’
(action) and true Islamic qualities; not with names or faces - or whether Arab or non-Arab,
African or European, Chinese or Indian. On the other hand every group,
organization, society or individual who talks Islam, seems to have got its own
brand of Islam. The Islamic teachings which were left behind for us, crystal
clear and pristine pure, have become so adulterated with foreign customs, alien
practices and un-Islamic ideologies, that a new Muslim has to make an effort to
search for the Qur’aan and Sunnah brand of Islam or remain confused and
ignorant.
May Allah Ta’ala give us the guidance
to resolve that we shall make the Qur’aan and Sunnah our guiding lights and
practise Islam as much as possible. If the non-Muslim inhabitants of our
country see Islam in the lives of Muslims, they will not require much
persuasion to accept our beautiful Deen.
by Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb
(Rahmatullah alayh)
