The instruction
manual is often set by manufacturers, for they know best the nature and limits
of their products. In the case of our existence, Allah, Our Lord and Creator,
sets our practices, goals and limits. He has thus prescribed annual compulsory fast
for us and He knows best the value impact of this act of worship on the human
body, spirit and soul.
Acts of worship for which we expect rewards
must be ordained from above. Therefore, Muslims adhere strictly to the call to
fast in the month of Ramadan, whatever the difficulty of the time. Be it a pandemic,
social interaction restrictions, severe weather condition, come rain, come
shine, be it cold winter or dry summer, whatever is our personal circumstance,
we obey the command of Allah and emulate the practical examples from His Special
Envoy, Muhammad (peace be upon him).
To seek
guidance elsewhere or to dismiss the manufacturer’s instruction is ingratitude
and a path to failure. Our obedience is our mark of gratitude to the Almighty
God who provided us with guidance to help us navigate our world, resolve our disputes,
and lead us to the path of peace and harmony. "Humanity
had once been one community (of believers before they lost faith). Then God raised prophets as
deliverers of good news and as warners; and revealed to them the Scriptures in
truth to judge among people regarding their disputes…". (Qur'an 2 Verse 213)
Whether you see
the benefit of the instruction to fast or you do not, your duty is to harken to
God’s commands, to believe and be submissive to the best of your ability. His
commands may stop us from enjoying our desires or it may require us to do
things we find difficult or undesirable. Our duty is to obey and comply.
Allah is merciful
towards us. He has permitted us the enjoyment of most things on earth; but to
test our obedience, he instructs us on a very little number of things. Our predecessors
Adam and Hawwa (may God be pleased with them) were tested in The Garden to
enjoy all but one tree, one in a million. Ramadan is just 1 in twelve (12)
months. The five daily Salaah/Prayer-Worships take just approximately an hour in
the whole 24 hours. As for Zakaah, its only for those who have savings that
reaches a particular limit (nisab) and its only 2.5% (1 in 40 portions) of
the savings to give as charity for the poor and needy. Hajj (pilgrimage to
Makkah) is for those who can physically and financially afford the journey, but
it is even once in a life time requirement. Life’s all a test; take the test
with your utmost sincerity and effort.
“Blessed is the One in Whose
Hands rests all authority. And He is Most Capable of everything. (He is the One) Who created death and life in
order to
test which of you is best in deeds. And He is the Almighty, All-Forgiving” (Qur’an 67:1-2)
The Prophet
(pbuh) said: “The greatest reward comes with the
greatest trials. When Allah loves a people, He tests them. Whoever accepts that
wins His pleasure, but whoever is discontent with that, earns His wrath.”
(Sunan Ibn Majah)
- Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad, UK. 2021
Email: MuslimMessage@gmail.com
Online: https://ramadanmessage.blogspot.com/
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