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THE BLESSED MONTH OF RAMADAN
It is a frosty morning today,
More than half the world is asleep,
Lost in slumber,
While some people just turn and toil,
In their bed mattresses,
Because rest and sleep elude them.
I am sitting quietly in the verandah,
Watching nature rise up slowly,
To start its ventures of the day,
It is cloudy and overcast,
Who knows it may rain,
A small downpour or a thunderstorm,
Only The Creator is aware,
I can see the signs but cannot say,
Anything exactly about what may happen,
The very next moment,
Life is so unpredictable and despite,
Our best of efforts it is still beyond,
Our control as we are only underlings,
Cast on this planet from a higher place,
Our life here is a trial and a test,
To return to Him and our true home,
Once given to Adam and Eve.
I wonder how the day of fasting will be,
Will it be tough and hard as the day grows,
And increases its heat and summer's intensity?
Or will it be cool and pleasant,
Making it easier for those who are fasting:
This month of Ramadan wherein,
All believing Muslims have to keep away,
From food and drink, sin and vice,
As well as all quarrels, lies and in short,
All the evil and abominable ways of life.
It is not just a month to remain hungry and thirsty,
One has to believe in piety and remember always,
That The God Almighty is watching him and her,
With full knowledge of all the intentions, the deeds.
This fasting was also prescribed,
For the People of the Book:
The children of Abraham and Israel,
And the followers and disciples of Christ.
It is a whole month of cleansing the soul,
Of the sins, within and without.
And seeking forgiveness and mercy from The Almighty,
Who has blessed us with His favours and bounty.
O, this holiest of all the 12 months, in Islam,
The month in which the Qur'an was revealed,
As Light and Mercy and a Book of Guidance,
For all those who wholeheartedly believe,
In the Oneness of the Almighty Lord God.
A month on which comes a night,
Which is better than a thousand months,
It is called the "Night of Power": "Night of Decrees"
As the angels descend as soon as dusk sets in,
Along with the Atchangel Gabriel,
With all that is good for the believers in the One God,
The Unique, The Incomparable, the One without equal,
The Holiest, the Most High and the Greatest of all,
The One and Only Lord of all worlds,
Defined in Arabic as Allah.
And yet, I also reflect on all the unrest,
wars and fighting going on in the world,
Even Muslims fighting against Muslims,
Not for Allah The True God Almighty,
But for land, power and wealth.
Ah, what a tragedy!
How the blessings of this best of months,
Are being missed by so many out there,
Caught up in their selfish lust and greed,
For power, land, wealth, affluence, fame.
They ---these misguided Muslims want --
The life of this world and its temporal joys,
Not the eternal Heavenly Kingdom of Allah.
Ah, what a tragedy!
Makkah is thronged by pilgrims to the Kaaba,
And so is Madinah, the Prophet's city*;
Yet the conflicts for the gains of this world,
Are also going on in full swing,
With mankind killing its own,
Innocent old men, women and children.
Just for the sake of land, wealth and power.
Ah, what a tragedy!
The angels must be shedding tears,
At the abomination they are witnessing,
As the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve,
Have become worldly and do not believe,
In the eternal life thaT has been promised to them,
By The God Almighty via His blessed Messenger,
The Prophet Muhammad and the Qur'an,
Along with the righteous way of living,
As practised by the Last of God's Messengers.
"The Light of this world", "The Paraclete",
"The Prince of Faran", "The Praised One",
"The beloved of all the prophets of Allah:
Prophet Muhammad of Arabia,
May Allah's salutations, blessings and peace,
Be upon him and his righteous progeny.
The Children of Abraham and the followers of Moses,
And even the wise ones who follow the Christ,
Recognize the fact that Prophet Muhammad is indeed,
The Last Messenger of The God Almighty,
Sent nothing but as a "Mercy to all the worlds",
And all the people of all nations.
It is almost the end of Ramadan as today,
Heppens to be the 26th day of the month,
And the night is to be the "Night of Power",
Defined in Arabic as "Lailatal Qadr".
Come, my heart, let us meditate and pray,
Repent of our sins in front of our Lord God,
Allah -- the One, the Only, the Eternal.
Let us not wander off or go astray,
And worry about the affairs of the world.
A world which has gone Satanic,
And has forgotten the Commandments,
Revealed to Abraham, Moses and Jacob,
Isaiah, Joseph and Ezekiel the prophets,
All of whom believed in God The One and Only,
The Lord of all worlds, without any equal,
Without any wife, consort, son or daughter,
Without any associate or partner in His Oneness,
Allah; The Incomparable and the Lord of the Throne,
Of Sovereignty from where He rules,
And angels all over the universe execute His commands.
Come, o my heart, come let us go and pray,
Seek forgiveness and thank our Lord God,
And praise Him and hymn His glory.
Let the evil people of this wretched world,
Remain lost in their unbridled lust for more,
Of power, authority, wealth, women and fame.
They have fallen prey to Satan's game.
So, O my heart, let us get up and in a quiet place,
Recite the Qur'an, prostrate and bow,
And praise our Lord God Allah the Almighty.
For there is no other god but He.
Let us bless ourselves with His mercy,
More and more let us seek His bounty,
His favours on us are beyond the count,
Let us seek more for the Garden Heavenly,
For we must realize that we came from Him,
And to Him is our final return....
So tarry not or be lazy....
Come, O my heart, let us turn to Him.
And let us fulfil our fasting successfully,
And on the "Night of Power" be more blessed,
By the angels and the Archangel Gabriel,
Why miss the blessings of a night,
Which is better than a thousand months?
Do we really know how long we will be here?
Or what our age of dwelling here be?
So, let us turn to Him O my heart,
Let us turn to Allah, The God Almighty,
The One, the Only and the Lord of all glory.
Come, let us seek more of His mercy,
His forgiveness and His generosity.
Who knows we will live for the next Ramadan,
So, O my heart, let us bow before Him.
