أمل المسلمة
المديرة
عدد المساهمات : 924
تاريخ التسجيل : 28/10/2011
 |  موضوع: Living the Quran  الثلاثاء أغسطس 14, 2012 6:47 pm | |
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Allaah The Exalted Says (what means): [b]{It
was the month of Ramadhaan in which the Quran was [first] sent down as
guidance for all people, having [in it] clear proofs of [Divine]
guidance and the criterion.} [Quran 2]
Since
that first Ramadhaan revelation, believers the world over and across
history have drawn nearer to Allaah Almighty, rejuvenated their faith,
found their purpose in life, saved their souls from hellfire, and found
the key to eternal happiness in Paradise with their Beloved Lord through
the Quran.
Almost exactly 1,433 years ago, the Beloved Messenger of Allaah 
commenced his journey form Makkah to Madeenah and laid the foundations
of the greatest community of believers ever to have lived. Among the
foundations of that Community of men and women was a radiant and vibrant
faith in Allaah Almighty, unflinching love for His Prophet and brotherhood and sacrifice for each other. These virtues were implanted in their souls by the Prophet
through the guidance of the Quran. The foundation of that Community
was the Quran. The Word of God was what that blessed Community stood
for.
Allaah's speeches, delivered and explained to them by His impeccable Messenger
had created and nurtured that community in Makkah for the previous 13
years. In the second year of Hijrah or shortly afterward, the verses
about fasting were revealed that eventually made the fasting of the
month of Ramadhaan an obligation. Just like all other foundational
markers and rituals of that blessed Community, the month of fasting was
connected to the Quran.
The pillar of Islam prior to fasting, that of Prayer, was also built around the Quran. The Prophet
and his followers prayed from the very beginning of his blessed call,
and read Quran in it. The five regular prayers had been revealed toward
the end of Makkan life (in the year 10 or 12 of prophethood) at the
occasion of the Prophet's Ascension (Mi`raaj) to Heaven. The Quran had
already alluded to the number of obligatory prayers, their times, and
content, and the Prophet had given them their final form by way of instruction from the Archangel Gabriel.
The
month of fasting was designed, in the wisdom of Allaah, to celebrate
the Quran in a different way, but one which complemented the prayer.
While the regular prayers set the tone and the rhythm of the daily life
of the believers, Ramadhaan would challenge them and all their spiritual
descendants to soar even higher in their worship and remembrance of
their Creator, and specifically to rejuvenate that daily routine of
prayer.
Allaah,
Most High, is, of course, all aware of His servants, whose habitual
practices inevitably become monotonous. Thus the heart rusts. Feelings
mellow. Intellectual acuity in the form of spiritual understanding
clouds over. Hence, perspectives blur. The journey of faith begins to
seem long and uneventful from day to day. Impulsive and short-sighted—"Man has been created from haste" [Quran
21]—the human being is nonetheless capable of rising to great
heights, provided he is prompted with proper reminders that hold his
attention to his task and path. For no matter how great the reward, how
high the stakes, when the human heart loses sight of its purpose and
road, it gives up the struggle. It needs peaks from where to see the end
clearly, oases wherefrom to fill up on hope in order to gain the
stamina required to cross the many difficult vales along the way.
The
Month of Ramadhaan provides that climax, that summit, that viewpoint.
It comes with intense physical training. But its soul is the Quran. It
is only as good as the closeness to the Quran—both spiritual and
intellectual—that one attains in it.
Without
exemplifying the meanings of the Quran, without pondering its signs,
and rethinking the whole life in a coherent way through it, Ramadhaan
becomes empty. That is why the Prophet has tied fasting and the Quran together as the two intercessors on the Day of Judgment: The Prophet said: "Fasting
and the Quran will intercede on behalf of the servant on the Day of
Resurrection. Fasting will say: `O Lord! I prevented him from food and
satisfying his desires during the day. Therefore, do Thou make mean
intercessor for him.' The Quran will say: `I prohibited him from
sleeping at night, therefore, do Thou make me an intercessor for him.'
Thus shall they intercede'” [Ahmad]
An
intervening plea, then: Let us both strive, then, you and I, to make
this Ramadhaan truly the month of the Quran, a month in which we
transcend the monotony of life and reach a new level of faith and bliss.
For we know not how many Ramadhaan peaks we have left before our way
ends.
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