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"Month of Rama'zan in which the Holy
Quran, was revealed, guidance for mankind, with clear signs of guidance."
(Surah Baqara: Verse 185)
The question is why the revelation of the Holy
Quran is in the month of Rama'zan however the revelation of the Holy Quran were
also revealed in other months as well. It is also necessary to search the
difference between the common days and the days of Rama'zan and what type of
change is observed in human beings' thoughts and feeling in Rama'zan?
"And when my servants ask you concerning
me then surely I am near. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when appeals to
me."
(Surah Baqara: Verse 186)
This verse of Allah indicates that there is no
distance between man and Allah.
Life is the name of claims and importunities.
These claims come into existence due to our senses. Many types of interests
such as hunger, thirst, sex and will are to meet others etc. all these are
claims and importunities of our life as they are dependent on our senses. If
these claims and demands are accepted by our senses, they are absorbed in
senses and bless us with the knowledge of natural phenomenon. Except Rama'zan,
we remain engaged much with all such sort of interests. We engage ourselves in
earning and other worldly affairs. Contrary to this, fasting keeps us away from
such activities and interests as stated above. For instance, we distance
ourselves in certain times from external senses and prepare ourselves that
there exist some other senses except external senses. These internal or other
senses illuminate with the world of mystery. Fasting suspends our external
senses strictly we try round the clock to escape from the grasp of worldly
affairs and try to return to the world of mystery by controlling our hunger and
thirst, caring about our talks and lessening our duration of sleep. We are
always overwhelmed by the idea that we are hungry for the sake of Allah (Hadith
Qudsi). Allah says in this Holy saying, "I myself am the reward of
fasting." The senses which work in the mind of fast observer prepare him
to get sight of Allah. All senses which distance us from Allah or the
phenomenon of this world and all senses which draw us near to Allah or the
phenomenon of the world of mystery. One is bound with time and space in
observing worldly phenomenon and in the world of mystery the notion of time and
space is subservient to man. The senses which illuminate and introduce us with
the world of mystery are defined as, "Night of power' by the Holy Quran.
It is stated at another place:
"You make the night grow longer by
shortening the day and You make the day grow longer by shortening the
night."
(Surah Al-Imran: Verse 27)
"We rip up day from the night."
(Surah Hajj: Verse 61)
So senses are the one or same but they have
different ranks and files. Senses of day are bound with time and space and
senses of night are free from them. We can move to the world of mystery through
senses of night and it is because of these senses that we can achieve the
knowledge of Erebus, Purgatory, Angels and Mulai Aala. Hazrat Moosa Says:
"And when we appointed for Moses thirty
nights of 'solitude' and added to them teP, and he completed the whole time
appointed by his Lord of forty nights."
(Surah Araaf: Verse 142)
Allah says that He revealed Torah upon Moses in
forty nights. Allah has not mentioned days in this regard but only nights.
Moses stayed for forty days and forty nights at Kohe Toor. It means during
forty days and nights, only senses of night overwhelmed him. Allah says about
the ascension of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in the following:
"Glorified be He 'Allah' Who carried His
servant for a journey by night from there in violable pace of worship (sacred
mosque) holy Ka'aba to the far distant place of worship (mosque Aksa) the
neighbourhood whereof we have blessed. In order that we might show him our
token surely only He, is the Hearer, the Seer."
(Surah Bani Israel: Verse 1)
During the states of night we neither eat nor
talk intentionally to bring worldly affairs in our mind and along with it we
free ourselves from the limits of natural phenomenon. The programme of fasting
teaches to adopt this type of order. We are nearly overwhelmed by all senses
which symbolize night in fasting.
According to Hadit Qudsi, "Fasting is for
me, and I myself am the reward of it." Fasting is in fact asceticism. The
fast observer devotes most of his time for praying. The fast observer works and
leads a neat and clean life within a certain timetable merely for the sake of
Allah, and Allah Himself leads him to heaven in reward. Allah is with him and
Allah is near to Him. Some people think that the revelation of the mysterious
world is restricted to certain selected persons through such type of
programmes. If such programmes were meant for special people there would not be
any mention of many successful ordinary people in books. Sufi women must have
husbands and they must perform worldly affairs, Sufimen must have wives. They
lead lives like a common man. The only difference is that Sufis know the taste
of asceticism for the sake of Allah and we do not. For every follower of the
Holy Prophet (PBUH) asceticism is possible. A person who remains hungry and
thirsty from dawn to dusk for the sake of Allah, he knows well the taste of
asceticism. That is why if we miss fasting we feel that something precious and
costly has been lost. In the extent of scorching heat we do not drink water and
prohibit ourselves even from the allowed things, no doubt it suggests
asceticism for the sake of Allah.Every fast observer relishes its taste.
In the first twenty days of Rama'zan, the fast
observer rejects the external phenomenon of senses and the devotee of Allah
comes closer to Allah with such a speed as to experience the world of mystery.
"We have indeed revealed this
"Message" in the night of power, Oh, what will convey to you what is
night of power is! The night of power is better then a thousand months. The
angels and spirits descend their in by the permission of their lord with all
decrees. "That night is Peace until the rising of the dawn, "
(Surah Al-Qadar)
The Holy Quran is a modus operandi which leads
human kind to success. The nightor the Lailatul Qadar is better than the one thousand
months and this night happens to occur only in Rama'zan. In one thousand months
there are thirty thousand nights and days. During Rama'zan, fasting till
Lailatul Qadar, the fast observer mind's speed increases sixty thousand times.
With Allah's order a man can get sight of Hazrat Gabriel and other angels with
this speed. According to one hadit, Hazrat Gibraiel shakes hands with such a
person.
KHWAJA SHAMS-UD-DEEN AZEEMI
Many a scholar has written a lot about
spiritualism and pantheism. One school of thought is of the view that as saints
often used to wear wooly dresses therefore people would call them sufis. Wool
is called sauf in Arabic. They used to wear such a dress, for it had been the
habit of many a prophet, saints and pious people. According to some people, as
they have been associated with the Ashaab-e-suffa that is why they are called sufis;
whereas according to yet another school of thought the word sufi is linked with
suf a.... but all these explanations are not satisfactory.
In fact, the terminological meaning of Sufi'ism
(tasawaf) is self cleansing. It is the name of a true spirit that is related
to conscience and the light of conscience is always inherent. A sufi always
thinks in the context of Allah. His talk moves around Allah. He lives with
Allah and dies in the name of Allah. He recites His words and always praises
Him and remains enmeshed in His love. He sacrifices everything in order to see
and meet Allah.
