RAMADAN AND THE QURAN
The Quran makes special mention of its revelation in the month of Ramadan, while making it obligatory upon the followers. This indicates that there is a close link between Ramadan and the Quran. In the words of the Quran:
“The month of Ramadan is the month when the Quran was sent down as guidance for mankind with clear proofs of guidance and the criterion by which to distinguish right from wrong. Therefore, whoever of you is present in that month, let him fast; but he who is ill or on a journey shall fast a similar number of days later on.” (The Quran, 2:185)
The revelation of the Quran started in 610 A.H. in the month of Ramadan according to the lunar calendar. The first revelation was made to the Prophet of Islam when he was in the cave of Hira, near Makkah and it continued for the next twenty-three years, finally reaching completion in Madinah.
The guidance given in the Quran is the best blessing to mankind from God, because it shows man the path to ultimate success. It tells man how to conduct himself so that in his eternal life he can gain entry into paradise. Paradise is the goal of man. Fasting is the path to it.
The month of Ramadan is the annual reminder of this blessing. The celebration of the revelation of the Quran is not observed in the usual way but by abstinence and being thankful to the Almighty. Fasting in this month is acknowledgment of the divine blessings. It is like saying, ‘O Lord I have heard, and I accept it.’
Also, this is a month during which the Quran should be read and understood. The Quran is specially recited in this month. This reading is not only meant as recitation of the words of the Quran but is aimed at delving into the deeper meaning of the Quran and understanding its message. During this time, one finds time to reflect on one’s life, one’s past and present, and what course to follow in the future. In the night the Quran is also recited during tarawih. This means he must undertake introspection and read the Quran more deeply.
In this way fasting inclines one to become a student of the Quran and, by seriously studying the Quran, one discovers those principles by which one may develop one’s personality and become a positive thinker in the full sense. The study and contemplation on the Quran is like taking a spiritual bath by making oneself a more awakened person.
This month has been made special so that the blessings of God may be counted even more. When the Quran is read during the month of its revelation, it reminds us of the time when the divine light from heaven fell upon the earth. Man remembers this and cries out, ‘O Lord, fill my heart with your divine light!’ He cries out, ‘Make me among those who are near you!’ When he reads about Hell and Paradise, his inner self cries out, ‘O Lord, save me from Hell, and let me enter Paradise.’
In this way the Quran becomes a guiding force in man’s life. He earns his livelihood according to its dictates. He bathes in the ocean of its life to cleanse his soul.
The Quran is a reward to His servants from God. And fasting is an acknowledgment of the reward. Through fasting man makes himself worthy of being thankful to God. He obeys the command of God and thus revels in the supremacy of God. Having gone through a month’s fasting, he creates an ability in himself to lead a life of piety as ordained in the Quran.
