Islam and the World around

In a well-known sermon delivered by the Holy Prophet of Islam (S) in the last Friday of the month of Sha'ban, he emphasized: ایها الناس انه قد اقبل الیکم شهر الله بالبرکه و الرحمه و المغفره Oh people! Month of Allah has come toward you bringing divine blessing, mercy and forgiveness. The subtle point in this phrase is the fact that these three divine offerings are not granted to the people at the end of this month; rather, these are the special gifts of the month of Ramadan from the very day it begins. The Holy prophet continued: شهر دعیتم فیه الی ضیافه الله This is the month in which you have been invited to the banquet of Allah.  According to the wording of the above phrase, people are " invited " to this banquet. Therefore, in order for one to enter such an auspicious banquet, he should accept this invitation and act upon it. Generally speaking, while "banquet" is understood as requiring something to eat, drink and may also include some kin...

Once, Imam Kadhim (a.s.) was passing by the house of  Bishr Haafi , when he heard the sound of dance and music coming from inside. At that very moment a slave-girl came out of the house to throw some garbage. “Is the owner of this house a free person or a slave?” the Imam (a.s.) asked her. The slave-girl replied, “He is a free man.” Hearing this, the Imam (a.s.) remarked, “You speak the truth, for had he been a slave, he would have feared his Master.” When the slave-girl came back inside the house, Bishr, who had been consuming wine, asked her what took her so long. As soon as the slave-girl related what had happened, Bishr immediately got up and ran bare-footed after the Imam (a.s.). Once he had caught up with the Imam, he expressed shame and repentance over his acts, sought forgiveness and amended his wrongful ways.

The blessed month of Ramadan is a time for inner reflection, self-discipline and self-improvement. If put into proper practice, these self-checks lead to purification of the inner-self. The fasting performed in Ramadan is one of the most successful ways to formulate good habits. When conducted for the worship of God, fasting gives one control over personal desires and drives. Based on research conducted by philosophers and psychologists, and as described in “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens”, it takes two to four weeks to develop a habit or to change one. This is exactly what happens in Ramadan, even though one may not realize it. One’s inner-self gives birth to good habits and there is an overall self-improvement. This includes a heightened sense of patience, generosity, helping others, utilizing time more effectively and developing healthy eating habits. The most significant change of all is that, through practicing self-restraint in Ramadan, Muslims become spiritually closer t...