{ The Holy Month }

calendar. As the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) said: "It is Allah's Own month."
It
is the chief of all months and the most glorious one. As we already
know,
'Fasting' is one of the important pillars of Islam and it is the very month
of Ramadan during which fasting has been made obligatory for all adults and
sane Muslims. By fasting during Ramadan, a Muslim besides discharging an
obligation imposed upon him by Allah (SWT), becomes entitled to great
reward in the Hereafter. On the other hand, any lapse in the matter amounts
to a great sin. Fasting is an article of worship, the knowledge about the
performance or otherwise whereof rests only with Allah (SWT) and the person
concerned. Hence, it is Allah alone who will reward that person for it, on
the Day of Judgment.


The blessings of Ramadan are not limited to fasting alone, because the
performance of all sorts of worship and good deeds during this month is
also a source of great Divine favor. The revelation of the Holy Qur'an
commenced during this very month and it is therefore the duty of every
Muslim to read and try to understand the meaning of the Holy Qur'an and
thereby gain an insight into the Divine secrets enshrined therein. It
brings peace and illumination to the mind and imparts purity to the soul.


Ramadan is the month of fasting, intensive prayer, sacrifice and Divine
worship. Throughout this month a devout Muslim fasts during the day in the
true sense of the word, that is, he had merely denies himself food and
water, but as explained by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), exercises strict
control over his tongue, eyes, ears, thoughts and deeds and does everything
possible to seek the pleasure of Allah (SWT).


Devout supplications to Allah (SWT) and repentance of one's sins during
Ramadan are the sources of Divine blessings and mercy. Some nights, among
the last ten nights of Ramadan, are called the 'Nights of Glory' (Laylatul
Qadr). These are the 19th, 21st, and 23rd nights. Muslims keep awake during
these nights and offer special prayers. Even among these nights, the 23rd
enjoys excellence over all the others. It is accompanied by great
blessings, and he usually grants the supplications made to Allah (SWT)
during this night.


The holy month of Ramadan, besides being the month of worship and Divine
blessings, carries a historical importance as well. As already mentioned
above, the revelations of the Holy Qur'an commenced in this month. The
epoch-making 'Battle of Badr' and the 'Conquest of Mecca' also took place
during the holy month of Ramadan.


"Ramadan", according to some traditions is one of Allah's names. This is
why we can not say Ramadan without making it clear that we are talking
about the month, and therefore we should always say the month of Ramadan.
The Commander of the faithful Ali ibn Abi Taleb (A.S.) said: Do not say
Ramadan, but say the month of Ramadan. For you do not know what Ramadan is.
This same meaning was referred to by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) in his
speech during Shaaban: The month of Allah ... Ramadan.







Thanks and Regards,,
Jannat 3adn