Ramadan: The Historic Legacy of Moral Consciousness & Spiritual Elevation
| Khatib : | Sadullah Khan |
| Khutbah No: | 247 |
| Khutbah Date: | 09/14/07 |
"Whoever keeps his duty to Allah, Allah ordains a solution and provides sustenance from unexpected sources. So, whoever has trust in Allah, Allah is sufficient. Surely, Allah attains His purpose. Allah has appointed a measure for everything." [Qur’an 65:2]
Allah has made the human being a combination of body and soul, of elements of animality and spirituality. In his nature are present all the physical and carnal propensities that are peculiar to animals yet there also dwells within him the luminous element of spirituality which is the characteristic quality of the celestial beings of the world. The Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said that that the person who subdues his carnal self from wrongful desires is higher than the angels, while the one who lets his carnal appetites supercede his moral values could be worse than a beast.
Fasting ~ The Historic Legacy of Moral Consciousness & Spiritual Elevation
Among the main aims of fasting is to make the carnal urges and inclinations subservient to the Divine commandments and the higher spiritual ideals. Since fasting is could be an effective tool most for the disciplining of the self and a special means for the promotion of the strength and ability to subordinate the carnal appetites to the Divine injunctions and spiritual values, it had also been enjoined by Allah throughout history, though to different degrees. We thus find that while giving the command of fasting, the Qur’an declares: “O ye who believe ! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may attain unto piety..” [Q 2: 183]. Fasting therefore is one of the fundamental pillars of Faith and has always been integral part of religious traditions throughout history ... Prophets Musa (Moses), 'Isa (Jesus), Dawood (David), Ilyaas (Elijah) peace be upon them, all fasted according to the Bible.(See Exodus 34:28, Deutronomy 9:9, Psalm 35:13, Sam 12:16-23, Mathew 4:2, Deutronomy 9:15-18, Luke 4:2.) The very fact that yesterday, both Jewish and Muslim communities commenced fasting; the Muslims for the beginning of Ramadaan and the Jews for Rosh Hashanah, bears testimony to this shared legacy.
Much More Than Just Abstaining from Food
Fasting is not merely abstention from food and drink, but rather a commitment to improve the self through this blessed month of high-intensity spiritual training and moral conditioning; to ensure that we end the month a better person than we entered it; and therein lies the challenge.
- Of all the injunctions of Islam, fasting is the one with the most obvious physical benefits. The Messenger of Allah stated that every act has a charity and the charity of our health is the fast. Those believers who recognize that sadaqah (charity) of their wealth does not diminish it in the least also recognize that fasting, when practiced properly, rather than diminishing our health actually promotes it. The primary physical purpose of fasting is the inculcation of discipline and self-restraint, especially in appetite. Gluttony (overeating) and its natural consequence of obesity are a major cause of disease and illness in this country.
- The profound effect of fasting in Ramadan in generating inner peace. contentment and tranquillity, the refraining from quarreling and abuse as well as the genuine feelings of brotherhood and good-will in this month are bound to have their physical and psychological effects on the body
- Many Muslims today have a misconception about fasting and the activities of a fasting person. They go into a state of semi-hibernation, spending most of their daylight hours in bed. Ramadan is actually a time of increased activity wherein the believer, now lightened of the burdens of constant eating and drinking, should be more willing to strive and struggle for Allah. Remember, this was the month of the Battle of Badr for the earliest Muslims.
~ Iraq is living through a terrible tragedy. Freed from the grip of a tyrant, it has ended up in the embrace of anarchy where no life is safe, no home is safe and no street is safe.
~ Palestinians are still denied the minimum decency and dignity which are due to human beings. We commemorate this week the 25th anniversary of the brutal massacre of innocent Palestinians at the hand sof the IDF (under Sharon) and LF (commanded by Elie Hobeika) at Sabra & Shatila The slaughter then began in earnest. For the next 36 hours, the LF raped, tortured and slaughtered, wiping out nearly the entire population of more than 2,000 Palestinians and Lebanese living in Sabra and Shatila. Israeli officers and cabinet ministers, including Ariel Sharon--who as defense minister bore overall responsibility for the occupation of Lebanon--were repeatedly informed of what was going on. When the Israelis finally instructed Hobeika to pull the LF forces out on Sept. 17, the LF asked for, and received, a one-day extension to "finish their work." Once the hideous images of the Sabra and Shatila massacre were flashed around the world, the anger and revulsion were so great that even Israel had to set up an official commission of inquiry the following year. The Kahan Commission found Sharon "indirectly responsible" for the massacre. He was forced to resign as defense minister, although not from the Israeli cabinet. Two decades later, Sharon ascended to Israel’s highest office, prime minister.
~The tragedy in Kashmir at the hands of the Indian forces have led to over half a million deaths; and the carnage continues.
Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali made reference to 3 Levels of Fasting:
- OrdinaryFasting/sawm-ul-‘umoom = means abstaining from food, drink and sexual satisfaction.
- Special Fasting/sawm-ul-khusoos = means keeping one's ears, eyes, tongue, hands and feet -- and all other organs -- free from sin.
- Extra-special Fasting/sawm-ul-khusoos al-khusoos = means fasting of the heart by abstaining completely from unworthy concerns and unnecessary matters; focusing more on one’s relationship with the creator and one’s duties to the creation, then on personal desires and selfish indulgence.