Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
broken clouds
weather
OMAN
23°C / 23°C
EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

STORY of FAITH - The values of the 2nd phase of Ramadhan

minus
plus

KABEER YOUSUF -


Muslims across the world are in jovial mood having welcomed the second important phase of the holy month of Ramadhan, which is the phase of ‘Seeking forgiveness from Allah’.


According to the Islamic belief, the first 10 days are the days of “Mercy of Allah” while the following ten days are “Forgiveness from Allah” and the last, “Salvation from hellfire”.


The days and nights in the second phase are the days of forgiveness and a Muslim must seek for the forgiveness from Almighty Allah and repent for all his sins by engaging himself in more prayers and other supplications and plea to Allah almighty saying “I ask forgiveness of my sins from Allah who is my Lord and I turn towards Him.”


“It is also the time where the forgiveness of Almighty Allah is at its peak, and this is the best time for asking about forgiveness for all the sins from Almighty Allah. Do make sure to not repeat the sins after you have done Tauba. Do Tauba as many times as possible, because Allah Almighty loves Tauba during this period and forgives the one who seeks for his forgiveness. Forgive all your beloved in these days as Allah Almighty loves Maghfirah”, Islamic scholars say.


Allah has said, “Fasting is for Me and I reward it.” (Al Bukhari). God singles out fasting from all other types of worship saying: “Fasting is for Me”, because no one knows whether you are fasting or not, except God.


Ramadhan indeed teaches lessons of a life time and more insights of life during the second 10 days of the holy month with chapters in Taqwa, getting closer to Almighty, and acquiring patience and strong will to lead the rest of the life.


1) Gaining Taqwa (Piety)


Almighty has said in Sura al Baqrah, “O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed upon you as it has been prescribed upon those before you, so that you may attain Taqwa.” (Al-Baqarah 2:183).


Taqwa in this case means to make a shield between oneself and God’s anger and Hellfire. So we should ask ourselves, when we break our fast, has this fasting day made us fear God more? Has it resulted that we want to protect ourselves from the hellfire or not?


2) Drawing Closer to Allah


One gets literally closer to Almighty by increased recitation and reflecting on the Holy Quran during night and day, attending the Taraweeh prayers, remembering God, sitting in circles of knowledge and, for those who can, making `umrah.


Also for those who can, making I`tikaf (seclusion) in the last ten nights of Ramadan, so as to leave all worldly pursuits and seclude oneself in a mosque just thinking of God, so as to bring oneself closer to God.


When one sins, one feels distant from God. That is why one might find it hard to read the Quran and come to the mosque. However, the obedient worshipper feels closer to God and wants to worship Him more, because he is not shy from his sins.


3) Acquiring Patience and Strong Will


Ramadhan is a training period for human beings to the life for the next 11 months before another training session would be held. The term ‘Ihsan’ means to worship God as if one sees Him, and even though one does not see Him, He sees all. Allah has mentioned patience more than seventy times in the Quran and has commanded patience in more than sixteen ways in His Book. So when one fasts, and gives up one’s food and drink, and his/her sexual relations with the spouse for those hours, one learns restraint and patience.


SHARE ARTICLE
arrow up
home icon