A Spiritual Month Begins At Sundown

Ramadan, the spiritual month, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar sets as the new moon is seen at sunset on the western horizon. The month begin when the crescent moon is sighted or when the previous month reaches thirty days. Fasting begins at dawn next morning.

Why Ramadan is called a spiritual month. To understand the reason we need to see the real challenge of the modern age. Man is faced with a bewildering situation today. On one hand he has achieved tremendous material progress created a technological and industrial society, but on the other hand, he has failed to control his own passion and build a human relationship on the foundations of love, sacrifice, trust, piety and service.

There are family problems, social relation problems, economic problem, political problem, international enmity, cultural problem, social injustice and etc.

Man is proud that he has made a new world, but man is ashamed for this new world has failed to make him satisfy or his soul happy. Whatever man has invented he finds his very existence is threatened by the forces of his own creation. He has learned to control his environment but not himself.

Islam has nothing wrong with man’s progress in technology and industrial progress but it shows this material progress cuts off man from his moral progress.

Allah’s (swt) guidance lead to the path of balance, the straight path as in the prayer:

“Rabbana Ataina Fid Dunya Hasana Wa Fil Akirati Hasana”

“Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in hereafter”

And this Ramadan is the month where Allah (swt) give man a chance to rectify his faults (moral faults), a chance to uplift our humanity which is inside us and to grow our love, sacrifice, trust, piety and service for our brothers and sisters for human beings of any religion & culture.

Now what do we understand by “chance” for instance:

Lets take a look at the business world. In summer time we see lots of advertisements of cold drinks, air coolers, freeze, fan, sun block creams, summer collection dresses & etc

In Rainy season we see advertisements of umbrella, rain coats& etc. In winter we see advertisements of room heater, water heater, moisturizing cream & etc.

For what reason they give advertisement 1) a chance to sell the product 2) an opportunity or right time to sell and make profit.

So Ramadan is one kind of chance given by Allah (swt) to us to do something good so that Allah (swt) gives us good in this life and also in hereafter.

But one most important thing, unlike business world where season, time or opportunity changes the business policy; the spirit of Ramadan should not change it should be same through out all the 12 months. What good works we do in Ramadan we should keep on doing it till next Ramadan so that it becomes our habit.