The Jeddah chapter of the Pakistan Writers Club organized a function on the 15th day of the holy month of Ramadan. The club invited me to deliver the keynote speech at the event. There were several scholars, writers and authors among the audience. My speech was focused on the great benefits and rewards believers can achieve by observing the fasting month, in addition to shedding light on the traditions and rituals related to the month. The function started, after breaking the fast (iftar) and offering evening (Maghreb) prayers, with the recitation of a few verses from the Holy Qur'an. Then, a poem in praise of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was recited by one of the poets from the Pakistani community. At the outset of my speech, I thanked the organizers for giving me an opportunity to speak about Ramadan fasting, which is one of the five pillars of Islam. The word "Ramadan" originated from Al-Ramdaa or Al-Ramad which literally means intense heat. The meaning of many popular Arabic terms has originated from the circumstances or the occasions related to them. As for Muharram, it is so called because it was not permissible to fight during this month, and the word is derived from the word "haram" meaning forbidden. The literal meaning of Safar, the month which comes after Muharram, is "empty" as it denotes emptying or vacating the house or leaving family behind to engage in fighting after three months when fighting was not permissible in the pre-Islamic era. The name "Ramadan" was reportedly given to the fasting month during a season of hot weather when fasting was made obligatory. Ramadan fasting was made obligatory (farz) for Muslims during the second year of the Migration (Hijrah) of the Prophet (pbuh) to Madinah. The Holy Qur'an says: “O you who believe! Observing the fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become the pious.” This Qur'anic verse shows that fasting was obligatory for Muslim societies before the arrival of the Prophet (pbuh). The main purpose of fasting is to instill piety and a fear of God into the hearts of believers. The Prophet (pbuh) reportedly said: “Allah said: ‘Every action of the son of Adam is for him except fasting, for that is solely for Me. I give the reward for it. The fast is a shield.'" Ramadan is the month in which the Holy Qur'an was revealed as a guide to mankind. This means that the revelation of the Holy Qur'an to the Prophet (pbuh) started during this month or that most of it was revealed in Ramadan. Another great merit of Ramadan is the Laylat Al-Qadr or the Night of Power. It is believed that this is the night when the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet (pbuh). The significance of Laylat Al-Qadr is worth more than a thousand months and praying during the night brings many rewards. While the exact date of the night remains uncertain, it is widely believed that it is one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, and according to authentic reports, it is most likely the 27th night of Ramadan. There is a close link between Zakat, another pillar of Islam, and Ramadan. Most Muslims who are required to pay Zakat prefer to distribute their obligatory alms during this month. Poor people are happy with the advent of Ramadan as they will be beneficiaries of Zakat, which is their rightful part of the wealth of the affluent. Even rich people are happy to pay Zakat because it purifies not only their soul but also their wealth. Voluntary prayers are prayed on special nights of Ramadan. I have been accustomed to performing these prayers in Saudi Arabia and during my work as a diplomat in various countries. I recall that the melodious recitation of the Holy Qur'an by some imams amazed me while I was in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey and Japan. When I worked in Japan, there was only one mosque in Tokyo. However, there are now several mosques in the Japanese capital city. There were great military victories won by Muslims during Ramadan, the first and foremost of which was the Battle of Badr, in which the Muslim army led by the Prophet (pbuh) won a decisive victory over the pagan army of the Quraish of Makkah. The battle took place at Badr, a region close to Madinah, and the Muslim army won the battle even though it was greatly outnumbered by the Quraish. Another historic event during Ramadan was the Conquest of Makkah during the eighth year after the Hijrah. During the occasion, the Prophet (pbuh) proclaimed the historic general amnesty for the people of Makkah, saying: "This day there is no reproof against you; Go your way, for you are free.” Other major victories of Muslims during the holy month include the Battle of Ain Jalut in which the Mongols suffered defeat and the Battle of Hattin in which the Muslim armies under Sultan Saladin defeated the Crusader forces. Perhaps, the last major victory for Muslims in Ramadan was the war fought between Egypt and Israel in October 1973 in which Egypt defeated the Israeli army.
— Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi is a former Saudi diplomat who specializes in Southeast Asian affairs. He can be reached at [email protected]
