Ramadan : The Spring Season of Hearts

 In the name of Allah the most Merciful Beneficent

Ramadan : The Spring Season of Hearts

"O you who believe! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard (against evil). "(2:183)

The blessed month of mercy and forgiveness is once again back in our life. The purpose of this great month and fasting which is prescribed in it is to make us guard against evil and receive guidance from Allah. This glorious month is the period when holy Quran was revealed. Fasting makes our hearts pliant and soft which become capable to receive the guidance. As the different seasons have different effects on the fertility of the soil, so is case of our souls. We see that soil become most fertile and most productive in the spring season. The water which falls from the sky revive the earth and make it fertile. The spring time is the best time to sow seeds as due to greater fertility and producing capacity of earth we'll get good results. Likewise our hearts show different moods in different periods of a year. Some times we feel dead from inside, no word of guidance however may be very wise seem to affect us. Our hearts simply do not incline to listening truth. Sometimes we perceive a little softness and we response to guidance. But the period of holy month of Ramadan in the spring time of our hearts, we incline more towards Our Creator, and response best to guidance. The holy Quran compares the condition of hearts to that of rocks: "Then your hearts hardened after that, so that they were like rocks, rather worse in hardness; and surely there are some rocks from which streams burst forth, and surely there are some of them which split asunder so water issues out of them, and surely there are some of them which fall down for fear of Allah, and Allah is not at all heedless of what you do. "(Holy Quran, 2:74) The human heart which is capable of receiving divine guidance sometimes become header than rocks that even rocks shake in the fear of Allah but sometimes human heart become harder. The holy month of Ramadan creates an environment of spirituality in which even the most deviated ones return to remembrance of Allah and their hearts become pliant to listening to few words of guidance.

This great month is one of the roads to Allah. Man the weary traveler when treads on this road finds peace and tranquility and is drawn near to His Creator. The month revives his soul and reconnects him with His Maker Lord. Imam Sajjad beautifully recites in Sahifa Sajjadia:

"And praise belongs to God who
showed favour to us through His religion,
singled us out for His creed,
and directed us onto the roads of His beneficence,
in order that through His kindness we might travel upon them
to His good pleasure,
a praise which He will accept from us
and through which He will be pleased with us!

And praise belongs to God who appointed among those roads His month,
the month of Ramadan,
the month of fasting,
the month of submission,
the month of purity,
the month of putting to test,
the month of standing in prayer,
in which the Qur'an was sent down as guidance to the people,
and as clear signs of the Guidance and the Separator! "

The holy Quran says "And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones (2:45)" According to several traditions the patience in this verse refers to fasting. In this way the fasting becomes a medium to receive His assistance. Because fasting purifies from inside and creates piety. The Holy Prophet (s) says "If people understood what good there was in the month of Ramadhan, they would have liked that it last for a year."

The guidance and peity is core of fasting and if we are failing in this then we are deserving for this statement of Imam Ali(AS) :"Many persons get nothing out of their fasts but hunger and thirst, many more get nothing out of their night prayers but exertions and sleepless nights. "

Definitely the blessings of this month exceed our understandings and the utmost of them is revival of souls to receive guidance.

May Allah make us receive the blessings of this great month and guide us on the right path!