• Statements
• 1 Ramadhan 1434 AH

Holy month of Ramadhan 1434 - Statement

((The Month of Ramadhan in which the Qur'an was revealed as guidance for mankind))

Imam Ali (a.s.) Foundation in London congratulates all Muslims on the advent of the blessed holy month of Ramadhan, asking the Almighty that the Islamic nation may relive this month with blessings and benediction, unity and rejection of discord. The beginning of this holy month reminds us of the words of the Prophet - peace be upon him and his family: - "the month that you are invited to the hospitality of Allah and [in it] you are among the dignified people of Allah," and who can decline the invitation from the merciful, the compassionate and His abundant offering ?

This divine season has taken care of the development of many aspects of man's spiritual life:

* Supplication because the most important features of the month of Ramadhan is that it is the month of prayer and supplication and link with Allah, especially these days that are overshadowed by materialism and in particular in our Western countries where human beings have neglected the great creator. Humans needs these spiritual treasures abound in the school of Ahlul-Bayt - peace be upon them – as in the various A’mal and supplications such as Dua al-Iftitah, Dua al-Baha and Dua Abi Hamza al-Themali and similar supplications that carry profound meanings and great significance, glorifying and praising God, to remind the human being of the extent of his need for the real sovereign and His kindness to His creation, the one and only giver and taker. In return for this encouragement for Dua, is God’s promise to grant - as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) has said: - “Repent to God for your sins, and raise your hands in supplication during your prayer times, for it is the best of times when God looks upon His servants with mercy, responding to their prayers and calls if they supplicate Him.

* Taming and refining the self is another aspect of this holy month. When the prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was asked about the best A’mal for the month of Ramadhan he said:- "piety and abstention from what is forbidden by God ."

If God has commanded humans [during this month] to refrain from permissible sensual desires that are allowed in other months, He has directed them towards taming and refining the self to refrain from forbidden acts and to increase acts of worship. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said:- “wicked is he who is deprived from God’s forgiveness in this great month, and with your hunger and thirst do remember the hunger and thirst of Qiyamah (judgment day), reserve your tongue and do not look at the impermissible for you to see and hear the impermissible for you to hear.”

* Link to Ahlul-Bayt (peace be upon them). The memory of this great month cannot be separated from the unique tragedy of Ahlul-Bayt (peace be upon them) namely, the martyrdom of the Commander of the Faithful - Ali (peace be upon him) - in the night of destiny. It is not a coincidence that on the same night, Lailatul-Qadr (night of destiny), the silent Quran was revealed the martyrdom of the talking Quran occurred. While we remember the Messenger of Allah’s grief when he said:- “I cry for the crime against you in this month.”

We cry for the Ummah’s self-inflicting crime and their waste of the blessing of the Wilaya as the Messenger of Allah said that he will not be separated from the talking Quran. As the Ummah killed the second one [the talking Quran] it abandoned the first. Therefore the Messenger of Allah will complain this on Qiyamah:- “O Lord my people have abandoned this Quran.”

And what sort of abandonment and denial of the holy Quran and its tenets is this when ignorant groups issue fatwas blaspheming [Takfir] two-thirds of Muslims and in doing so innocent people are killed, the pious are persecuted, blood is shed, women are widowed children are slaughtered, houses burnt, graves of righteous men exhumed and shrines of prophets destroyed..? Is this what the Quran commanded? Or is this what the head of the prophets (peace be upon him and his family) called for?

By God this is an overwhelming calamity and a mighty crime to breach the tenets of Allah overtly and publicly.

((Surely (as for) those who persecute the believing men and the believing women then do not repent, they shall have the chastisement of hell, and they shall have the chastisement of burning)) Holy Quran 85:10

Where are we from the verses of mercy, sympathy, harmony and interaction - especially during this blessed month when Allah has opened the gates of Tawba [repentance] for his disobedient servants.

((..and turn to Allah all of you O believers so that you may prosper)) Holy Quran 24:31

We ask the Lord Almighty by the greatness of this holy month to awaken us from the sleep of negligence and grant us His mercy for He the Most Merciful.

Imam Ali Foundation - London
1 Ramadhan 1434 AH