Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Alhassanain (p) Network for Islamic Heritage and Thought

Fast

Author (s):Allamah Sayyid Sa'eed Akhtar Rizvi

Publisher(s):Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania

www.alhassanain.org/english

Table of Contents

Preface 3

Extract from the Preface to The First Edition 3

Preface to the Second Edition 3

The Fruits of Fasting for the Servants of Allah 4

The Significance of Ramadhan 7

Eid-Ul-Fitr; a Unique Festival Time of Joy for Muslims 10

The Ideal of Islamic Charity 13

Eid-ul-Fitr Serves Three Purposes 15

Important Rules of Shariah Concern Fast And Prayer Of Eidain 17

Sawm 17

Wajib Sawms 17

Conditions of Sawm 17

Persons Exempted From Sawm 17

Muftirat 18

Note 1: 18

Note 2: 18

Note 3: 18

Note 4: 19

Kaffara 19

Note 1: 19

Note 2: 19

Note 3: 19

Note 4: 19

Salat ul-‘Eidayn 19

Du'a Qunuut 20

Appendix I: Fast Questions 21

Appendix II: Fasting Swift, Sure Way to Lose Weight 22

Preface

Extract from the Preface toThe First Edition

"Sawm " or Fast is the 2nd most important "Ibadat " of Islam (afterSalat ). This Unit is a collection of my five articles, dealing with various aspects of the month ofRamadhan andEid-ul-Fitr . Also, some extracts from an article "Fasting" (fromReaders'Digest ) have been given as Appendix.

I could have divided these articles into various lessons subject-wise. But it was felt that it would lessen the impact of the articles.

Dares Salaam 6/12/1971

S. S.Akhtar Rizvi

Preface to the Second Edition

The first edition contained noMasail (Rules ofShariat ) of fast. In this edition, important and necessaryMasael have been added; theseMasael are according to the Fatwa ofAgha Sayyid Abul -Qasim Al-Khu’i .

If the reader wants more details about any rule, he may contact any religious scholar or write to the Mission.

Dares Salaam

27th Rajab 1394 16th August 1974

S.S.Akhtar Rizvi

The Fruits of Fasting for the Servants of Allah

Ramadhan has come. Muslims all over the world are fasting from dawn until sunset.

The philosophy of the fast is well-known: It gives the servants of Allaha training in discipline, self-control, unquestioned obedience to God. It cultivates self-denial in Man so that he may be able to understand the problems facing the community and society.

Islam is a religion, compact and well-balanced. It is not just a collection of some unrelated ideologies and traditions. There is good reason behind every enjoinment, every tenet and every precept.

So compact is the whole Islamic system, in fact, that you cannot believe in it piece-meal; you have either to take it in its entirety or leave it in total; you cannot select from it.

Take, for example, the lunar system of the Islamic calendar. Though Islamrecognises the solar year for the purpose ofZakat andKhums (agricultural taxes etc.), it insists on following the lunar system, in other matters, like fast and pilgrimage.

Why this double standard? The reason is simple enough. Islam isan universal religion; and the fast and pilgrimage are intended for the whole mankind, wherever they may be living.

And, the fact is one cannot pinpoint a single minute in a whole year which is equally convenient for the whole world.

Season and climate in the northern hemisphere are poles apart, literally, from those of the southern hemisphere.

Distance from the equator creates great differences between the climates of the lands situated in the same hemisphere.

Altitude belies all the theoretical calculations of geographers (the people of Europe did not believe, at first, that there was a snow-capped mountain - Kilimanjaro - near the Equator).

Directions of the mountains make two nearby lands radically opposed to each other in climate (had the Himalayas been created North-South, instead of East West, the cold winds of North would have made the Indo-Pakistan sub-continent a second Tibet). The distance from the sea; the path of the sea-currents; direction of seasonal winds ----all these things have profound effect upon the climate and seasons of a given land.

For example, the Gulf Street, being a hot current, makes countries warm even in Arctic Circle; and Dares Salaam, being on the sea shore, experiences less temperature changes than the interior regions.

I have described some of the factors which have effect upon the climates and seasons of a particular land. These factors have made the world a museum in which every conceivable kind of climate can be found in one or another corner at every given moment of the year.

Thus, it is just impossible to select a time of the year which can be equally suitable and acceptable to the whole world, for such rules as fasting and pilgrimage.

Had Islam accepted solar calendar for such religious functions it would have done a great injustice to a greater part of the world.

What would have been suitable, for instance, to India, could have been most inconvenient for Africa and/or America.

So, Allah selected a lunar calendar.about ten days than the solar calendar, cycle becomes complete in about 33 years.

As this system is shorter by the seasons rotate in it, and the Thus a man of about 48 years of age, anywhere in the world, experiences every facility-and every hardship which the climate of his land can offer duringRamadhan .

Thus, nobody isfavoured ; and nobody is discriminated against.

Likewise, in pilgrimage: If a certain period of solar year would have been fixed, majority of the Muslims would have found themselves unable to go to Mecca. A farmer, in whose region it would have been cultivating or harvesting time, could never go to Hajj. Neither could a civil servant whose holidays did not coincide with the pilgrimage period. But, in a lunar system, the farmer can wait until the rotation of the seasons brings the Hajj in his off-season; and the civil servant can wait until it falls in his holiday time.

It is just one example of what I had said earlier - Islam is a compact unit in which every part has the utmost significance for other parts.

Pilgrimage, fast, lunar calendar, universality of Islam, equality of its followers in every respect in the eyes of God- these things may seem unrelated to each other to a layman. But, in fact, they are closely knit together and none of them can be neglected or torn without destroying the whole fabric.

DuringRamadhan , Muslims abstain from eating and drinking, sexual relations and such things. AShia Ithna-Asheri has to abstain, in addition, from putting his head in water and from speaking a lie, however immaterial, about God, prophets, Imams andBibi Fatima, the daughter of the Holy Prophet.

But it is only the external part of the fast. The soul and spirit of fast is something deeper. This aspect of the fast can very easily be explained in the words of our sixth Imam,Ja´far as-Sadiq (a. s.).

He said: "Your fast day should not be like ordinary days.When you fast, all your senses -. eyes , ears, tongue, hands and feet - must fast with you." How can these organs fast?

Eyes: Keep your eyes off unlawful things and objects; spend this most precious gift of God in good causes and pious acts; read the Qur'an,Duas , and books of knowledge.

Ears: Abstain from hearing unlawful gossip, lies, false statements, music and obscene topics; pay attention towards sermons and topics of learning.

Tongue: Do not tell lies or useless tales, do not spreadrumours , and do not indulge in damaging gossip about other persons; keep aloof from falsity. Use the power of speech in spreading the word of God, in creating good will in the society.

Hands: Do not inflict injury upon others by your actions; instead strive to help them as far as possible.

Feet: Do not go towards, forbidden places, like bars and cinemas. Do not run between people creating strife. Go towards those places where God is remembered; and where you can find the means to purify your soul. And, above all, your heart and your mind must be with you in fasting. Because fast, in its real sense, will remain incomplete unlessyour thoughts, your emotions, your actions - in short, all aspects of your life - become pure, clean and free from blemish.

Thus, the fast should create in us an instinctive obedience to the Law of God.

I have heard about some people thinking that the fast ofRamadhan was not meant for the 20th century; or that the factory workers should be exempted from this obligation.

I think such big-headed persons are really in need of fasting more than anybody else. I mean, if a Muslim is unruly enough to disobey the commands of God, he should be made to fast so that he can acquire the habit of unquestioned obedience to God.

Such persons are the fittest candidates for fasting. They must read the commandments of Qur'an,

"O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you. . . .that ye may (learn) self-restraint ..." (Qur'an, 2:183).

Self-restraint, piety, sympathy and purity of soul; these are the fruits of fasting. Let us strive to achieve as much benefit as we can from this Holy Month of God.

The Significance ofRamadhan

The Month ofRamadhan is the holiest one in the Islamic calendar and begins with all its social, moral and spiritual blessings. The following sentences of an invocation point to some of these blessings:-

"O Allah, this is the month ofRamadhan , in which Thou didst sent the Quran as a guide for people and as a clear sign to differentiate between right and wrong; and it is the month of fasting, month of prayers, month of returning (to Thee) and month of repentance; it is the month of forgiveness and mercy . ; the month in which is the 'Night ofQadr ' which is better than thousand months

. . ; O Allah Bless Muhammad and hisprogeny . and keep me free for Thy worship and for reciting Thy Book. "

It appears from the above sentences that some amongst the blessings of this month are the Qur'an, the Night ofQadr , the repentance from sins and mutual understanding and forgiveness.

According to Islamic belief, every action, whether good or bad, carries more weight in this month. Thus, charity is a virtue at all times, but is more virtuous in this month; and injustice is an evil at all times, but is more evil in these days. Reciting Qur'an is a commendable deed whole year around, but during the fast it assumes a far greater significance. The Holy Prophet has said: "Everything has its own spring season, and the spring of the Qur'an is the month ofRamadhan . "

It was in this month that the Qur'an was revealed to the Holy Prophet. According to his words, the Qur'an is "the deliverer from wilderness, eyesight for the blind, pardon for the sinner, light in blackness, safety from disaster, rescue for the castaway, clarity in the chaos, and the means to reach safely from this world to the life hereafter; and herein is the perfection of your religion; and the path away from the Qur'an goes to Hell only."

One of the miracles of the Qur'an is its everlasting freshness even after such long crushing centuries. The Holy Prophet said that everything becomes old by usage and passage of time except the Qur'an, because its treasure would never exhaust and its wonders would never cease.

Mr. James A. Michener refers to this aspect of the Book in "Islam --- the Misunderstood Religion" (Readers' Digest, May, 1955) in these words: "The Koran is probably the most often read book in the world, surely the most oftenmemorised , and possibly the most influential in the daily life of the people who believe in it.... It is neither poetry nor ordinary prose, yet it possesses the ability to arouse its hearers to ecstasies of faith."

LauraVeccia Vaglieri writes in "Apologie deI'lslamisme " a translation of which runs as follows: "But there is another proof of the Divinity of the Qur'an; it is the fact that it has been preserved intact through the ages since the time of its revelation till the present day..... Read and re-read by the Muslim world, this book does not rouse in the faithful any weariness; it rather, through repetition, is more loved every day. It gives rise to a profound feeling of awe and respect in the one who reads it or listens to it. "

But we must remember that reciting the Qur'an is just a step towards the ultimate goal: understanding and following. Allah says:

Do they not earnestly seek to understand the Qur'an, or are their hearts locked up by them? (Qur'an, 47:24.).

Reading the Qur'an with proper understanding bears the fruits of spiritual and moralupliftment and material and intellectual advancement. It is better to read a few verses with meditation rather than finishing the whole book in a day like a parrot without knowing what is said.

The Qur'an is the purest and highest of Arabic literature. But those who depend upon the translations forQur'anic knowledge often fail to appreciate its lofty standard. First of all, there is the difficulty of translating this book into any other language; because in the words of A.J.Arbury , it is "a foreign idiom, for the Koran is God's revelation in Arabic, and the emotive and evocative qualities of the original disappear almost totally in theskilfullest translation."(The Holy Koran, an introduction; London, 1953).

But according to the same author, "bad translation is not the whole story by any means . No, the faultlies not so much in the manner of translation as in the manner of reading the translations. The root of the trouble is that the ordinary reader, and for that .matter the extraordinary reader as well, has not been sufficiently advised how to read the Koran . The Koran, like the poetry it resembles in so many ways, is best sampled a little at a time; and that little deserves and needs meditation."

LauraVeccia Vaglieri comments: "On the whole we find in it a collection of wisdom which can be adopted by the most intelligent of men, the greatest of philosophers and the most skilful of politicians."

If a man recites the Qur'an with meditation and understanding, he would learn morals which would help him acquire spiritual perfection; he would feel encouraged to follow the foot-prints of the men of God; he would be sorry for whatever sins and mistakes he might have committed in his life. This will make him turn towards God with a soul full of gratitude for all the blessings bestowed upon him by God, and full of remorse for all hismisbehaviours .

It is for this reason that the month ofRamadhan is described as the month of repentance. The Holy Prophet has said: "There is no intercessor better than repentance." Allah in His grace forgives all sins and transgressions if a sinner repents sincerely. The operative word is "Sincerely",A repentance without a change of heart is no repentance. It must produce change in habit, honesty in dealing, love and fear of God in actions.

According to Imam Ali, "repentance must have six elements: the repentant must be really sorry for what he had done; he must have firm determination not to do it again; he must make amends for whatever wrongs he might have done to others; he mustfulfil all the obligations of religion previously neglected; he should fast long enough to melt away the flesh grown of unclean and unlawful food; and he should feel the taste of obedience to Allah as he was previously enjoying the taste of sin."

When a man repents sincerely, Allah makes him as clean as he was the day he was born. The Holy Prophet has said: "One who repents from sin is like the one who never committed any sin."

It is obvious from the above discourse that the month ofRamadhan and its fast purify the soul and bring a man nearer to Allah. "Fast is a shield against Hell", said the Holy Prophet. The fast mentioned in this tradition is not merely abstinence from food and drink. It is an act of self-denial for the love of God. And this voluntary self-denial imposes a very highdiscipline , where the external regulations occupy the lowest rung of the ladder. Imam Ali said: "Many are the people whose only share in the fast is the hunger and thirst."

The measure of a man's nobility is his love of, and obedience to, God. When for a whole month he follows the words of Allah unquestioningly, without regret and without complaint, and when he spends his time in prayer, charity, humility and noble works, should one wonder if he gets fully disciplined to obey each and every command of God unhesitatingly and spontaneously without any thought of avoiding or dodging any order.

A fast which produces such results is surely a shield against Hell, and is worthy of the pronouncement of Allah: "Fast is for me and I will reward itMyself ."

Eid-Ul-Fitr ; a Unique Festival Time of Joy for Muslims

Eid -ul -Fitr is a unique festival. It has no connection with any historical event nor is it related to the changes of seasons or cycles of agriculture. It is not a festival related in any way to worldly affairs.

Its significance is purely spiritual. It is the day when the Muslims thank Allah for having given them the will, the strength and the endurance to observe fast and obey His commandment during the holy month ofRamadhan .

This day, in Muslim world, brings rejoicing and happiness. The rejoicing is not, however, at the departure of the month ofRamadhan ; it is the happiness which man feels after successfully completing an important task.

So far as the passing away of the month ofRamadhan is concerned, Muslim religious leaders of the early days of Islam always felt profound sorrow when it came to an end, as they felt that they were being deprived of the spiritual blessings which were associated with the month of fasting.

To show the original Islamic feeling at the end ofRamadhan , I am quoting some of the sentences from an invocation by ImamZainul-Abedeen . He says:-

"O Lord, Thou hast ordainedRamadhan to be one of the most chosen

.. ; and Thou hast distinguished it from all other months, and chosen it out of all other seasons and periods; and given it preference to all the times of the year, by having sent the Qur'an and the light of guidance in it, and by having increased the faith, and by having enjoined the observance of fast in it, and by encouraging us to stand up for prayer at night, and by placing in it the glorious 'Night ofQadr ' which is better than a thousand months.

"Therefore, in accordance with Thy command, we kept fast in its days, and with Thy help, we stood up for prayers in its nights; presenting ourselves, by means of its fasts and prayers, for Thy Mercy which Thou dist offer to us.

"And, verily, this month ofRamadhan stayed amongst us a welcome stay; and gave us a righteous company; bestowing upon us the most excellent benefits in the universe. Now, it departs from us at the completion of its time.

"Therefore, we bid it farewell as we did good-bye to one whose departure is hard upon us and makes us sad; and whose parting away makes us feel lonely."

Then he turns towards the month ofRamadhan , speaking in an endearing tone:-

"How much didwe long for thee yesterday; and how intense will be our eagerness for thee tomorrow. Peacebe on thee and thy excellence of which we have been deprived, and thy blessings which will no longer be with us."

These few words are themirror which show the true Islamic feeling towards the month ofRamadhan and its blessings and spiritual benefits.

Eid -ul -Fitr is related to such a month of blessings, because it is on this day that the strict restrictions of the preceding month are lifted. Unfortunately, in some places, this resumption of the normal activities is misinterpreted as alicence to indulge in activities prohibited in Islam, like gambling, etc.

Fortunately, such trends are not common yet; but such people should be made to understand the significance ofEid -ul-Fitr . Religious observances of theEid-ul-Fitr are designed to offer thanks to Allah that He helped us in accomplishing the aim ofRamadhan .

Surely, it would be an affront to Allah if anybody, after thanking Him for completing that spiritual training, goes right away sinning against Him!

Had such person known the meaning and purpose ofEid -ul -Fitr , he could not have indulged in such un-Islamic activities.Eid-ul-Fitr can be interpreted as a three-fold blessing:

First it provides one more occasion for the Muslims to thank God and remember His blessings.

Secondly, it affords an opportunity of spiritual stock-taking, after the month ofRamadhan . A Muslim can now ponder over the strength (or weakness) of his will power; he can see, in the mirror ofRamadhan , what were the strong (or weak) points of his character, because under the stress of fasting, the hidden qualities (or evils) of human character come to surface in such clear way which is, perhaps, not possible otherwise.

Thus a man gets a chance of self-diagnosis of the traits of his character, which probably no one else may ever detect.

Thirdly, it enjoins the well-to -do persons to share a portion of what they have with their poor brethren. On the eve ofEid-ul-Fitr , a Muslim is obliged to give to the needy food-stuff at the rate of a prescribed weight, on behalf of himself and of every member of his family, including servants and guests who were sheltered under his roof on that night. It would certainly be pleasing to God if we did not forget these lessons afterEid-ul-Fitr .

Incidentally, here the difference between religious and materialistic outlooks becomes sharper. Religion exhorts a man to give, by his own free will, a share of his wealth to those who are less fortunate, and to give it for obtaining the blessings of God. Materialism teaches him to snatch from others whatever they have got without any regard to the moral or ethical questions involved.

Thus, the religion tries to strengthen the highest qualities of the human character; materialism strives to make him the slave of the lowest animal instincts degrading him to the level of the beasts.

On this day, special prayers are held the world over, between sunrise and noon, when the Muslims assemble, in large congregations, wearing their best dresses standing shoulder to shoulder, demonstrating for everyone the universal brotherhood which is another distinguishing feature of Islam --- the religion of God.

In East Africa, specialEid barazas . are held in which the Muslims, as well as the non-Muslims, participate whole-heartedly. Thus, it provides the country-men with a chance to strengthen the ties of brotherly love and a national unity.

Let us re-dedicate our life to the cause of humanity, which is the best way to demonstrate our love of God. Let us resolve that our energies, in the coming year, will be directed towards strengthening a society based on mutual respect, brotherly love, and universal understanding.

Let us decide that, in the coming year, we will build a social order which would bring not only the material benefits, but also the spiritual satisfaction.

And, in the end, let us pray to God in these words:

"O Lord,make us clean from our errors by the close of the month ofRamadhan , and take us out of our sins when our fast comes to end. And bless us on thisEid day, the day of our festival and our break-fast; and let it be the best day, which passed over us, and forgive us our sins known and unknown."

The Ideal of Islamic Charity

Happy is the man who makes others happy.Eid-ul-Fitr is the practical demonstration of this lesson.

ImamJa´far as-Sadiq said that Muslims have been asked to fast "so that rich may feel the pangs of hunger and thusrealise the plight of his poor and needy brethren". Looking at fast from this angle, we can easily understand the philosophy ofZakat-ul-Fitrah , which every Muslim is obliged to pay on the eve ofEid-ul.Fitr . A Muslim must give to the needy food-stuff at the rate of a prescribed weight, on behalf of himself and of every member of his family, including servants and guests who were sheltered under his roof at sunset.

ThatZakat must be paid beforeEid prayer; and it is preferable to pay the price in cash (instead of the foodstuff), so that the recipient may purchase some necessary items, like clothes etc., for his children before taking them out for prayers.

According to Islamic ethics, our joy and happiness are not complete unless we make our less fortunate brethren happy. It is a lesson worth remembering, especially in this era of materialism, when scant regard is paid to the moral and ethical values which are so muchemphasised by religion.

Our children are taught nowadays that only the fittest has a right to survive, and weaklings are bound to perish. In this educational back-ground, why should they care if a poor man dies of hunger? He is a misfit, and he must perish.

But the teaching of religions is quite different. Religion teaches us to care; it enjoins the strong and wealthy to help their weak and poor brethren.

Islam has set a very high standard for charity. Charity must be in the way of God; it should expect no reward or return in this world; it should not be marred by subsequent references or reminders and never should any annoyance or injury be caused to the recipient. In the present-day jargon, the aid must be without any strings. God says in the Qur'an:

"Kind words and covering of faults are better than charity followed by injury (to the self-respect of the recipient)".

Admonishing the believers not to nullify their charity by reminders and by causing injury to the recipients, God condemns false charity which is done so that others may see how generous the donor is. God compares such so-called charity to "a hard barren rock, on which is a little soil. On itfalls heavy rain which leaves it a bare rock." So a false charity will be washed away on the Day of Judgment, leaving the selfish and egotistic motives naked for everyone to see and despise.

In contrast to it is the true charity, done for the sake of Allah and with conviction of faith. Such a charity is likened to "a garden, high and fertile. Heavy rain falls on it and makes it yield a double increase of harvest; and if it receives no heavy rain, light moisture is enough for it."

True charity is also likened to "a grain of corn; itgroweth sevenears , and each ear has a hundred grains; and God gives manifold increase to whom He pleases. "

And how will fare the false charity? It is wasted and will not do the donor any good when it would be needed most. Allah has explained it in this way: "Does any of you wish that he should have a garden with date-palms and vines, and streams flowing underneath, and all kinds of fruits, while he is stricken with old age and his children are not strong enough (to look after themselves), that it should be caught in a whirlwind with fire therein and be burnt up? Thus does God make clear to you His signs so that you mayponder. "

According to Islamic ethics, a donor should remain obliged to the poor brother who accepted his charity. It may seem strange to worldly people like us. But look at it from Islamic point of view and you will understand.

A donor helps the recipient in this world by giving him certain aid or some material benefit which is bound to perish in due course. But that charity brings the donor nearer to the Grace of Allah, which is ever-lasting, and which will benefit him on the Day of Judgment. Thus the recipient of charity helps the donor in a far better way than the aid which he receives from the donor.

It has been declared in Islam that poor are the family of Allah and the rich persons are the agents of Allah. An agent has no right to despise the children of his principal when he is required to pay some of the principal's money to his children.

This is the ideal of Islamic charity. On this auspicious day ofEid-ul-Fitr , we are reminded of this sacred duty by the rules relating toZakat-ul-Fitrah . Shallow would be our joy if we shut our eyes from the plight of our poor brethren.

The fast ofRamadhan has shown us how it feels to be hungry;Eid-ul-Fitr is showing us the real meaning of happiness. Let us remember these two important lessons in our daily life.

Eid-ul-Fitr Serves Three Purposes

Eid-ul-Fitr is the most important festival in the Islamic calendar. The day does not mark any historical event or episode; but its existence provides the Muslim for an occasion to offer thanks to Allah for having given him the strength and the will to observe fast during the holy month ofRamadhan .

It is also an occasion for prayers when the Muslims gather in large congregations, standing shoulder to shoulder, to demonstrate the equality and equity which is the inherent feature of Islamic society all over the world.

But the greatest significance of this day of rejoicing lies in the fact that on this day every Muslim is enjoined to give the needy food at the rate of the prescribed weight per every member of his household, including servants and guests who were sheltered under his roof the preceding evening.

Eid-ul-Fitr then serves a three-fold purpose: It places upon every Muslim the obligation to remember Allah and offer Him thanks; it affords him an opportunity of spiritual stock-taking in that he can now ponder over the strength of his will or the weakness of his character, as the case may be, which manifested itself during the preceding month; it also is the day for the haves to share a portion of what they have with the have-nots.

And, for those persons who disobeyed this command of Allah this is the day of an end to the month-long pangs of conscience, inner struggle and continuousrealisation of the feebleness of their character. No more will they have to argue, without much conviction, against fasting'. No more will they have to think up an excuse every morning for not fasting'. No more will they have to say "Oh, but fasting is old-fashioned; it was not meant for the modern world."

It is not my object here to explain the philosophy of fasting. Almost everyonerealises the spiritual, social, scientific and medical benefits which are derived from fasting. But so far as a Muslim, a true believer, is concerned, it should be sufficient that fasting is prescribed in the Holy Book, and as such is the command of Allah. Should one seek to justify Allah's commands?

The measure of a man's love for his Creator is his unquestioned obedience to the commands of the Creator. When for whole month a Muslim has obeyed Allah, unquestioningly, without complaint, without regret,and , when he has spent his time in prayers, in humility and in charity, should one wonder, if at the end of this period, the Creator may Himself turn to such creature of His and say: "It is now for thee to ask for Me to give."

Ramadhan , the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, is the period when man is subjected to a supreme test. Without compulsion, without coercion, the Muslims throughout the world obey God; and every day from dawn to sunsetabstain not only from sensual pleasures but even from the necessities of life like food and drink. Some do this in shivering cold, some in burning heat, some do it where days are short and others where days are interminably long. The rich fast as well as the poor, the master as well as the servant; the parents as well as the child; the ruler as well as the subject. They all fast, regardless of thecolour or their social position.

Having done this, for one whole month, today on this auspicious day ofEid-ul-Fitr , every Muslim should be ready to face the year that lies ahead with renewed strength, greater understanding and universal goodwill. He has fasted to acquire piety, discipline and self-control. Now the habit of unquestioning obedience to God is cultivated in his heart and mind. He is now trained to accept the commands of Allah, in the remaining eleven months of the year, with the same unwavering loyalty. He has emerged from the month ofRamadhan with a new personality and a stronger character, confident of his ability to subordinate his desire to his will, his emotion to his intellect.

No longer will it be difficult for him to refrain from intoxicating drinks; no longer will he turn away from his less fortunate brethren; no longer will he fail to understand and appreciate the pain of hunger, the pangs of thirst.

So the training period ofRamadhan has come to an end. Now we are entering the era of normal activities of life. If the lessons learnt inRamadhan have left their marks upon our character, we are entitled to enjoyEid-ul-Fitr .