Bismilláhir rahmánir rahîm Message for the People of Tawi-Tawi on the occasion of the Holy Month of Ramadhán and Fasting I praise and glorify Alláh, the Lord of the Worlds. I bear witness to His Oneness; He who said in His Great Book: “Fasting is prescribed upon you as it was prescribed upon those who came before you, so ye may learn self-restraint.” And I bear witness that Muhammad is His Messenger, he who said in the Tradition: “Perform prayers just as you have known me performing prayers.” Bless Muhammad, O Alláh, and bless His Household, His Progeny, and all those who rightly follow Guidance. Now, then, my fellow Tawi-Tawians: Assalámu ‘alaykum wa rahmatulláhi ta’ála wa barakátuhu! I wish to convey my best wishes on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadhán, the month of fasting, the time for forgiveness and the chance for rebirth. The holy month is during which was revealed the Holy Qur’án. It is the Guidance and Criterion, a Mercy for mankind. And I wish to heartily go in with our revered ‘Ulamá’ in their perennial, oft-repeated call: “O ye who believe!Fear and worship Alláh, as He should be feared and worshiped; and die ye not save in willful submission to Him – obeying His Commandments and avoiding His Prohibitions.” For we all know that this world – this life and stay on earth – is just but provisional and brief. Death surely befalls on each and every one of us. There truly is Life after Death. Judgment Day will come. Then and there, we shall be weighed and marked for our good deeds and intentions, or held accountable and blamed for our unrepented, unforgiven sins. We are then either admitted into Paradise, or sent to languish in hell. Fasting – to remind the forgetful and encourage the indolent – is a pillar of the religion. During Ramadhán, from dawn to dusk, every able and of right age Muslim is obliged to fast. Its virtues, we have been told, are manifold. The faithful who fast gains Alláh’s Benevolence, Forgiveness and Satisfaction. He or she will be cleansed of his or her sins. He or she shall become pious – a true Muslim. He or she is then entitled to Hayyán, a paradisaical recreational abode exclusively for those who fast. But know also that establishing the obligatory prayer five times a day is proof of religiosity. It is a gross transgression against Alláh for a fasting person not to pray. It is in the Holy Book and the Traditions. On a personal note, the arrival of Ramadhán has always been a pure joy to me. Even as a child, I fasted during the holy month. And every year that I grew up – praying and fasting, I rose and progressed, spiritually. The pleasure I derived from worshiping Alláhu Subhánahu wa Ta’ála and on doing good deeds is beyond words – priceless as it is very rewarding, enlightening as it is absolutely mystifying. In truth, I traversed life from stage to stage always arriving at a better state of mind, a more cleansed heart. I felt that sensation when circumambulating the Ka’bah in Mecca during Hajj and ‘Umrah not just once, twice or thrice, but many times. I smelt that unmistakable blissful fragrance in Medina while standing – with my eyes cast down – in front of the sacred grave of our Beloved, the Last Messenger of Alláh – Muhammad, sallalláhu ‘alayhi wa álihi. And I feel Alláh’s Presence and Mercy when I stand up for obligatory prayer and when I start or break my fast during Ramadhán. Also, in serving and making happy the people of Tawi-Tawi and in doing and bringing in whatever is good and beneficial for the province, the sense of fulfillment deep within me is seventh heaven. I smile at how fortunate I am in having been created a Muslim believer. True, I veered off once or twice, stumbling inattentively. But I have surmounted and surpassed those tribulations. Now, for all the favors and blessings, I cry in sincere gratitude to Alláh. He truly is Powerful, Wise. He truly is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. “Am I not, after all, a radiance of Alláh’s Supreme Majesty and Beauty?” For sure, I am His vicegerent, His faithful servant. I take for my perfect exemplar Lady Fátimah, daughter of the Holy Prophet and Leader of the Womenfolk in Paradise. How I wish to be also the consummate manifestation of the Wisdom of why Alláh created women. “The sacred feminine is the first divine,” mystics say. I pray to Alláh Almighty for continuous Guidance and Triumph. May He bestow in me the wisdom, courage and perspicacity to understand and appreciate “things as they are”; the faith, certitude and sincerity to entrench and shelter me in His Religion and Domain; and, the ease, resourcefulness and elation in serving my fellowmen – sisters all and brothers in the Islamic faith and sisters all and brothers in humanity. Âmîn. Wa aqûlu qawlî hádha lî wa lakum. Ruby Maquiso Sahali Tawi-Tawi
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 01:22:47 +0000
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