Welcome the month of Ramadan

Any prescription belonging to the corpus of Muslim praxis meets standards and is conditioned by rules. But normative and jurisprudential productions tend to ignore the spirit and purpose of the object of their studies.

How many treatises address the meaning of acts of worship? How many works stop on their spiritual aims, their secrets? The question leads to the answer!

We are going to welcome a blessed month whose God (may He be glorified) prescribed fasting. Books of jurisprudence are full of details on the modalities of its validity, its prohibitions, its recommendations. But what about its spirit, its spiritual dimension?

The fast of this month is not a one-off adoration, requiring submission and rigor for the time of a few rites which, once finished, allow a return to more contingent, more immediate occupations. Its role does not stop once the strict conditions of daytime fasting have been met, so that, when night comes, we indulge in excess after deprivation, in negligence after effort, in 'forgetting after the reminder.

The true meaning of fasting is to curb one's negative impulses, to bring one's ego to break with its habits, to attenuate the ardor of one's desires to prepare one for what will bring one happiness and felicity, to make one accept what will help purify his heart.

Indeed, behind fasting lies the whole logic of rapprochement with God. There is a reality which is not secret to anyone, but which habit tends to obscure. This reality lies in the presence of a direct link between the condition of the body and the life of the heart. The first brings it back to its material origin, lowers it towards the earth, the other sends it back to its spiritual source, elevates it with the Primordial breath.

The Infinite Wisdom of God wanted Man to be the combination of spirit and matter. We cannot part with one or the other. But finding balance between the two is not easy, because there is no symmetry in the management of these two entities. Indeed, we live right in the sensory universe, it is imposed on us, we cannot escape it.

Whereas spiritual life requires a voluntary act, a requirement, a rigor on our part. It depends on our ability to educate our heart. An education that accompanies us throughout our earthly journey. A situated and dated journey, which takes place over time.

Time management is decisive in the journey towards God. Although the time of a lifetime is insufficient to worship God as befits His Majesty. Also, He gives us exceptional moments which accelerate our movement towards Him.

The Prophet (may God give him thanks and peace) said: “There are in the days of your life, beneficial breaths (nafahâte) from your Lord. Be mindful of exposing yourself to it.”

These words which enjoin us not to miss our privileged meetings with God are precious and salutary. Valuable in that they inform us that not all moments are equal! That we should therefore give exceptional moments all the importance that befits them. And beneficial in that they offer a way out to those who are aware that they will not have enough time to finish purifying themselves, if indeed we can purify ourselves through our actions or if the purification has an end.

There are moments propitious to invocation, others where the reward for action is increased tenfold, still others where the candidate for the spiritual journey is drawn by divine grace which will lead him to cover distances and to to overcome obstacles that his actions would not allow him to do.

Ramadan has the merit of encompassing all of this. It occupies a very special place because of the multiplicity of blessed opportunities which punctuate it such as the night of destiny, the last ten days, the period of breaking the fast, etc.

The month of Ramadan is an opportunity not to be missed. It is a healing station that focuses on two dimensions. The first concerns material life by attenuating its hold on sensitive perceptions. The second relates to the world of the imperceptible by offering a moment conducive to spiritual elevation, particularly through the chaining of demons.

It is an asceticism which, for a month, the person is required to accustom all his members to break with all habits. His stomach of course is the first concerned. But his tongue, his eyes, his hearing too. The whole body is invited to fast. Each organ has an abstinence that characterizes it.

Ramadan is a month-long training space to face the rest of the year. It's a month of effort to rediscover the meaning of effort. It is a month of pious meditation to raise the perspective of one's aspiration beyond its limited horizon. It is a month of solidarity and sharing, for God and with men.

The merits of this month and what is related to it are plethora. We will be enough of this hadith To support all of the above:

The companion Salman the Persian (may God be pleased with him) reports that on the last day of the month of Sha'baane, the Messenger of God gave this speech:

“ O people! A great blessed month is coming to you, a month with a night better than a thousand months. Fasting during the day is obligatory, staying up all night is recommended. The supererogatory acts which will be accomplished there will have the value of obligatory acts outside this month and the obligatory act will be worth seventy. It is a month of patience and there is no other reward for patience than Paradise.

It's a month of solidarity. It is also a month when God blesses and increases the portion of what He has intended for him. Whoever offers the fast-breaking meal will obtain forgiveness of sins, protection from hell and receivehas the same reward as the fasting person without that of the latter being diminished in any way.”

The Companions said: “ O Messenger of God, not all of us are capable of offering this meal to the fasting person “. He answered : “God grants the same reward to the one who gives at the time of breaking the fast a simple date, a little water or a little milk. It is a month whose beginning is mercy, the middle is forgiveness and the end is freedom from Hell.”

Whoever lightens the burden of his subordinates in this month, God will forgive him and free him from hell.

During this month, multiply four virtues: two to gain the approval of your Lord and two which you cannot do without. The first two are: the mention of “Lâ ilâha ilallâh” and asking for God’s forgiveness. And the last two are: implore God for His Paradise and ask Him for protection against Hell. Whoever gives a drink to a fasting person, God will give him a sip from my basin that will quench his thirst until he enters Paradise. (Reported by Khuzaïmah in his Sahih)