The Second Section which is the Second Risale

On the noble Ramadhan

[Since the shaâ’er of Islam has been discussed a little bit at the end of the First Section, in this Second Section on the noble Ramadhan, which is the most brilliant and splendid amongst the shaâ’er, some of its hikmahs will be mentioned.

This Second Section consists of Nine Subtle Points that declare nine of the many hikmahs of the noble Ramadhan.]

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِى اُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ وَ بَيِّنَاتٍ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَ الْفُرْقَانِ1

First Subtle Point: The sawm in the noble Ramadhan is one of the foremost of the five pillars of Islam. It is also one of the greatest of the shaâ’er of Islam.

There are many hikmahs of the sawm in the noble Ramadhan that look to Janâb-i Haqq's rubûbiyyah, man's social life and personal life, the tarbiyyah of the nafs and the shukr for the ni’mahs of Allah.

One of the many hikmahs of the sawm, in point of Janâb-i Haqq's rubûbiyyah, is as follows:

Janâb-i Haqq created the face of the earth in the form of a table of ni’mah and set up every sort of ni’mah on that table in a manner مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَحْتَسِبُ2 . Through such a state, He expresses the perfection of His rubûbiyyah, rahmâniyyah and rahîmiyyah. Under the veil of ghaflah and in the sphere of causes, mankind cannot entirely see the haqiqah that such a state expresses, and sometimes they forget. However, in the noble Ramadhan, the people of îmân suddenly become a well-arranged army, which was invited to the banquet of Azalî Sultân; close to sunset, they display a demeanour of ‘ubûdiyyah as though waiting for the command "Help yourselves!"; before that compassionate, majestic and universal rahmâniyyah, they respond with an extensive, glorious and orderly ‘ubûdiyyah. I wonder: are those people, who do not participate in such exalted ‘ubûdiyyah and the honour of such bestowal, worthy of being called human beings?

Second Subtle Point: One of the many hikmahs of the sawm of the Blessed Ramadhan regarding the shukr of the ni’mahs of Janâb-i Haqq is as follows:

As is said in the First Word, the foods a tray-bearer brings from the kitchen of a sultân require a price. Despite being given a tip to the tray-bearer, supposing those extremely precious ni’mahs to be worthless and not recognising the one who bestowed them is the greatest foolishness.

In the same way, Janâb-i Haqq has spread His infinite varieties of ni’mahs over the face of the earth for mankind. In return, He wants shukr as the price of those ni’mahs. The apparent causes and possessors of those ni’mahs are the tray-bearers. We pay a price to those tray-bearers. We become grateful to them; we even show extreme respect and thank them, although they do not deserve it. Whereas, by means of those ni’mahs, True Mun’im is infinitely more worthy of shukr than those causes. Thus, to thank Him is to know that the ni’mahs are directly from Him, to appreciate the value of those ni’mahs and to perceive one's own need for those ni’mahs.

Thus, the sawm in the noble Ramadhan is the key to a true and sincere, immense and universal shukr, because, at other times, most people, who are not under the condition of constrained necessity, cannot understand the value of many ni’mahs when they do not experience real hunger. The degree of ni’mah within a piece of dry bread is not understood by people who are full, especially if they are rich. But at the time of iftâr, the sense of taste of a mu’min testifies that dry bread is an extremely precious ni’mah of Allah for him. Everyone from the sultân to the poorest man, through understanding the value of those ni’mahs, offers a ma’nawî shukr during the noble Ramadhan. Furthermore, since he is prohibited from eating during the day, he says, "Those ni’mahs are not my possession. I am not free to eat them; it means that they are someone else’s property and bestowal. I await His command." He recognises the ni’mah to be ni’mah and offers a ma’nawî shukr. Thus, in many aspects, sawm in this way is a key to shukr, which is the true duty of man.

Third Subtle Point: One of the many hikmahs of the sawm concerning man's social life is as follows:

Concerning livelihood, mankind has been created differently. As a consequence of those differences, Janâb-i Haqq invites the rich to assist the poor. Whereas the rich can only understand completely the hunger of the poor and their conditions worthy of being pitied through the hunger experienced in sawm. If there was no sawm, many rich, who perform ‘ibâdah to their nafs, would be unable to understand how grievous hunger and poverty are and how needy of compassion those who suffer them are.

As for the compassion present in humanity for one's fellow man in this aspect, it is a fundamental principle of true shukr. No matter who a person is, he can find someone poorer than himself in one respect. He is responsible for being compassionate towards that person. If there is no compulsion to cause the nafs to suffer hunger, he cannot render the bestowal and assistance for which he is responsible because of compassion; even if he does, it will be deficient because he does not truly experience that state in his nafs.

Fourth Subtle Point: One of the many hikmahs of the sawm in the noble Ramadhan concerning the tarbiyyah of the nafs is as follows:

Nafs wants itself to be free and independent and considers itself to be so. By fitrah, it even desires an imaginary rubûbiyyah and to act as it pleases. It does not want to think that it is being given tarbiyyah through boundless ni’mahs. Especially if he possesses wealth and power in this world, and if ghaflah also assists, he usurpingly and thievingly devours the ni’mah of Allah like an animal.

Thus, in the noble Ramadhan, from the richest to the poorest, everyone’s nafs understands that it is not the owner but is owned as an absolute property; it is not free but is an ‘abd. Since he cannot do the simplest and easiest thing, even stretch out his hand to the water if he is not commanded, its imaginary rubûbiyyah is shattered; it assumes ‘ubûdiyyah and begins to shukr, which is its true duty.

Fifth Subtle Point: One of the many hikmahs of the sawm in the noble Ramadhan from the point of view of correcting the morals of one's nafs and giving up its rebellious habits is as follows:

The nafs of man forgets itself through ghaflah. It cannot see the boundless impotence, infinite poverty and utmost deficiency within its essence, and it does not wish to see them. It also does not think of how weak it is and that it is subjected to transience, targeted by calamities and consists of flesh and bones, which quickly decay and disperse. Imagining itself to be undying and eternal, it pounces on the world as if it has a body made of steel. It plunges into the world with severe ambition and covetousness, and intense attachment and love. It is attached to every pleasurable and beneficial thing. It also forgets its Khâliq, Who gives tarbiyyah to it with perfect compassion. It also does not think of the results of its life and its life in the âkhirah; it wallows in bad morals.

Thus, the sawm in the noble Ramadhan causes even the most ghâfil and rebellious people to perceive their weakness, impotence and poverty. By means of hunger, one thinks of his stomach, understands the need therein, and remembers how flimsy his weak body is. He understands how needy for mercy and compassion he is. By abandoning the pharaoh state of the nafs, he feels a desire to take refuge at the court of Allah with complete impotence and poverty, and he becomes ready to knock at the door of rahmah with the hand of a ma’nawî shukr. If ghaflah has not destroyed his heart...

Sixth Subtle Point: One of the many hikmahs of the sawm of the noble Ramadhan concerning Al-Qur’an Al-Hakîm being sent and the noble Ramadhan being the most important time of its being sent down is as follows:

Since Al-Qur’an Al-Hakîm was sent down in the month of Ramadhan, by waiting for the time of the Qur’an being sent down and abandoning eating and drinking and divesting of useless states and low needs of the nafs in the noble Ramadhan in order to greet well that samâwî address, one is honoured with a sacred state, such as resembling the state of malâikah, reciting and listening to the Qur’an as if it has just been sent down, listening to the address of Allah within the Qur’an as though at the moment of its being sent down, listening to that address like hearing it from Ar-Rasûl Al-Akram ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm, rather from Hazrat Jabrâil or from the Azalî Mutakallim, and being an interpreter and causing others to listen to it and displaying the hikmah of the Qur'an being sent down to an extent.

Yes, it is as though, in the noble Ramadhan, the world of Islam becomes a masjîd. It is such a masjîd that, in every corner of that mighty masjîd, millions of hâfidhes cause the inhabitants of the earth to hear the Qur’an, that samâwî address.

Every Ramadhan demonstrates the âyah شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِى اُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ3 in a luminous and shining manner. It proves that Ramadhan is the month of the Qur'an. Some members of that vast jamâ’ah, some of them listen to those hâfidhes by assuming a humble manner before the grandeur and glory of Allah (khushû’), while others recite it themselves.

How ugly it is to abandon that luminous state and be the target of the ma’nawî aversion of the jamâ’ah in that masjîd, by following the desires of the low nafs and eating and drinking in a sacred masjîd in such a state. In the same way, people who oppose those holding sawm during the noble Ramadhan are the target of the ma’nawî aversion and insult of the whole world of Islam to the same extent.

Seventh Subtle Point: One of the many hikmahs of the sawm of Ramadhan concerning the gain and profit of mankind, who came to this world to cultivate and trade for the âkhirah, is as follows:

The sawâb for deeds during the noble Ramadhan is thousandfold. According to nass4 of hadith, each letter of Al-Qur’an Al-Hakîm has ten sawâbs; each is counted as ten good deeds and yields ten Jannah fruits. In the noble Ramadhan, each letter is not ten but a thousand, and each letter of âyahs like Âyah al-Kursi are thousands, and it is even more on Jum’as of the noble Ramadhan, and on the night of Qadr, they are counted as thirty thousand good deeds. Yes, Al-Qur’an Al-Hakîm, each of whose letters yields thirty thousand eternal fruits, becomes such a luminous Tree of Tûbâ that it causes mu’mins to gain millions of those eternal fruits in the noble Ramadhan. Thus, come and look to this sacred, eternal and profitable trade; behold and think that those who do not appreciate the value of those letters lose to what extent.

Thus, the noble Ramadhan is, in fact, an extremely profitable exhibition and a market for the trade of the âkhirah, and it is an extremely fertile land for the crops of the âkhirah, and it is the month of April in the spring for growing and flourishing deeds. For the parade of mankind's ‘ubûdiyyah before the sovereignty of the rubûbiyyah of Allah, it is the most brilliant sacred festival. Since it is thus, one has been charged with sawm in order not to plunge into the animal needs of the nafs, like eating and drinking with ghaflah and useless appetites in a manner of worshipping the desires of the nafs. Since it is as though he temporarily divests from animality and enters into the state of malâikah, or the trade of the âkhirah, it is to be a mirror reflecting Samadiyyah through his sawm, by abandoning his worldly needs and entering into the state of the man of the âkhirah and of a rûh appearing in bodily form. Yes, within this transient world and a short, transient life, the noble Ramadhan comprises a long, eternal life, and it causes one to gain it. Yes, a single Ramadhan can cause one to gain the fruits of eighty years of life. With the nass of the Qur'an, the night of Qadr having more khayr than a thousand months is a decisive proof for this mystery.

Just as a sultân declares certain days to be festivals during his sovereignty, or on each year, with the name of the ascending throne, or on some other days that reflect a glittering manifestation of his sovereignty. On that day, not within the general sphere of the law, he rather honours his subjects with his special bestowals, his presence without veil, his private compliments, his wondrous works and his private regard and attention towards his loyal and worthy nation without intermediaries. In the same way, the Zuljalâl Sultân of azal and eternity and twenty-eight thousand ‘âlam sent down His illustrious decree, Al-Qur’an Al-Hakîm, which favourably turns towards those twenty-eight thousand ‘âlam, in the noble Ramadhan. Indeed, hikmah requires that such a Ramadhan be a special festival of Allah, an exhibition of Ar-Rabb and a gathering for rûhs. Since Ramadhan is that festival, indeed, sawm will be commanded in order to withdraw man to a degree from the base and animal occupations. And as for the perfect sawm, it is to make the senses and faculties of man, like his eyes, ears, heart, imagination and thoughts, hold a sort of sawm like the stomach. That is, it is to withdraw them from haram and useless things and urge them to perform ‘ubûdiyyah that is specified for each of them.

For example, to make the tongue hold the sawm by detaching it from lies, ghiybah and rude expressions. And to occupy the tongue with things such as reciting the Qur'an, dhikr, tasbîh, salawât and istighfâr.

For example, it is to make other faculties, too, hold the sawm, like preventing one’s eyes from looking at non-mahrams and the ears from hearing evil things, and to use the eyes to take lessons and the ears to listen to the haqq words and the Qur'an. As a matter of fact, since the stomach is the largest factory, if it is suspended from its occupation through sawm, the other small workshops can easily be made to follow it.

Eighth Subtle Point: One of the many hikmahs of the noble Ramadhan concerning man's personal life is as follows:

It is a physical and ma’nawî abstinence that is the most important medicine for man, and it is medically a diet. As long as man's nafs eats and drinks just as it pleases, it medically harms his physical life, and devouring everything he encounters without considering whether it is halal or haram poisons his ma’nawî life as well. Henceforth, to obey the heart and the rûh becomes hard for such a nafs. It rebelliously takes its reins into its own hands. Man cannot ride it anymore, but it rides man. In the noble Ramadhan, by means of sawm, it becomes accustomed to a sort of abstinence, works on riyâzah and learns to listen to commands. He also does not attract illnesses to that unfortunate and weak stomach by filling it with food over food before digestion. Since it abandons halal by means of command, it also acquires the ability to listen to the commands that come from the Sharî’ah and the mind in order to abstain from haram. It works not to destroy the ma’nawî life.

Furthermore, the great majority of mankind is often subject to hunger. They are in need of hunger and riyâzah, which are training for patience and endurance. Sawm in the noble Ramadhan is to be patient and endure a period of hunger that continues for fifteen hours —if it is without the sahûr twenty-four hours — and it is a riyâzah and a training. It means that one of the medicines for impatience and intolerance that double the calamity of mankind is sawm.

Moreover, the factory of the stomach has many servants. Also, there are many human faculties that are connected to it. If the nafs is not temporarily suspended from its occupation during the daytime of a month, it makes the factory's servants and those faculties forget their particular ‘ibâdah, makes them busy with itself and makes them remain under its tyranny. It also makes the other faculties of man confused with the noise and smoke of the ma’nawî wheels of that factory. It continuously attracts their attention to itself and makes them temporarily forget their exalted duties. For this reason, from old, many people of walâyah have accustomed themselves to riyâzah and to eating and drinking little in order to be perfected.

However, through the sawm in the noble Ramadhan, the servants of that factory understand that they were not created solely for that factory. And in the noble Ramadhan, other faculties, instead of the inferior amusements of the factory, take pleasure in amusements of the rûh like malâikah and fix their gazes on them; therefore, in the noble Ramadhan, mu’mins become the place of manifestation for various nûrs, faydh and ma’nawî joys according to their degrees. By means of sawm, there is a great progress of the subtle faculties, such as the heart, rûh, mind and sirr, and they receive great faydh in that blessed month. They innocently laugh despite the stomach's weeping.

Ninth Subtle Point: One of the hikmahs of the sawm of the noble Ramadhan concerning shattering directly the imaginary rubûbiyyah of the nafs and causing it to know its ‘ubûdiyyah through showing its impotence is as follows:

Nafs does not want to recognise its Rabb; it wants rubûbiyyah like Pharaoh. However much torment is caused to be suffered, that vein remains in it. However, that vein is shattered by hunger.

Thus, the sawm in the noble Ramadhan strikes directly at the pharaoh-front line of the nafs and shatters it. It shows its impotence, weakness and poverty. It makes it realise that it is an ‘abd.

In the riwâyât, it was mentioned that Janâb-i Haqq said to the nafs:

-“What am I, and what are you?”

The nafs said:

- “I am myself, and You are Yourself.”

He punished by torment and cast it into Jahannam, then asked again. Again, it said:

-"Ana ana, anta anta."5

Whatever torment He caused, it did not abandon the ananiyyah. Then, He punished it with the torment of hunger. That is, He left it hungry. Then again, He asked:

-"Man ana? Wa mâ anta?"6

The nafs replied:

- اَنْتَ رَبِّى الرَّحِيمُ وَاَنَا عَبْدُكَ الْعَاجِزُ That is, “You are my Rabb, Who is Rahîm, and I am an impotent ‘abd of Yours.”

اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ صَلاَةً تَكُونُ لَكَ رِضَاءً وَ لِحَقِّهِ اَدَاءً بِعَدَدِ ثَوَابِ قِرَائَةِ حُرُوفِ الْقُرْآنِ فِى شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ وَ عَلَى آلِهِ وَ صَحْبِهِ وَ سَلِّمْ

سُبْحَانَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ وَسَلاَمٌ عَلَى الْمُرْسَلِينَ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ آمِينَ

Apology: Since this Second Section was written at speed in forty minutes and both myself and the rough-copy scribe were ill, there would certainly be complexity and defects in it. We hope that our brothers will look with tolerance at them. They can revise the parts that they deem suitable.