The holy month of Ramadan has arrived. During this time, Muslims fast for the sole purpose of pleasing Allah. We earn great rewards, insha-Allah, for the hardships that we face in giving up items for the sake of Allah.
In one hadith, Abu Hurairah relates that Rasululah (S.A.W.) said, "Many of those who fast obtain nothing through such fasting except hunger, and many a one performs Salaat by night but obtains nothing by it except the discomfort of staying awake." In another, Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (S.A.W.) said, "Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of him leaving his food and drink." This shows us that fasting does not simply involve giving up food and drink during the daylight hours. We should also abstain from any disobedience of Allah.
These hadiths show us that one of the main benefits of Ramadan is to develop more taqwa (God-consciousness). There should be greater awareness of what Allah wants from us and what our role as Muslims should be. We should increase our trips to the masjid, perform more prayers, make dua (both for ourselves and fellow Muslims who are suffering in the world), read Quran, and give more charity. All of this will strengthen our relationship with our Creator. We should try to make the most of this blessed month!
However, we must remember that the practices and lessons that are learned during Ramadan should be instilled into our lives throughout the rest of the year! It would be pointless and unproductive to end the month and return to our old behavior. Instead, at the end of Ramadan, we should take time to evaluate our lives and the recent changes that we may have made. Then, we should continue to practice these in our everyday lives. This is the true spirit of Ramadan!
Another goal of Ramadan is to gain more patience. The staff of the Islamic Bulletin hopes that you will practice this with us because we have recently undergone restructuring, delaying this publication. With the new set up, besides publishing the Bulletin on a regular basis, we expect, insha-Allah, to provide the community with a wide variety of new services.
Again, thank you for your continued interest and support. Please consider volunteering for the Bulletin to assist us in our goals. Also, please remember us in your du'a, insha-Allah. We wish you a happy Ramadan, and may Allah accept our fasting and forgive our sins.
The Islamic Bulletin
P.O. Box 410186, San Francisco, CA 94141-0186
info@islamicbulletin.org