THE COMPLETION OF THE RAMADAN FAST:

A VICTORY FOR ALL SACRED INDIVIDUALS!

BY IMAM SIDDEEQ JIHAD - DETROIT, MICHIGAN

Surely those who complete the fast of Ramadan will feel a sense of
great victory, achievement, sheer spiritual joy and a state of
"complete rest and satisfaction!" To appreciate and experience the
feelings alluded to; one has to complete the Fast of Ramadan in
such a way that you indeed feel pleasing to yourself and pleasing
to your Lord! Allah says in the Qur'aan 89:27-30.

To the righteous soul will be said " O thou soul, In complete rest
and satisfaction. Come back to thy Lord - Well pleased (thyself)
And well pleasing Unto Him! Yea enter thou My Heaven!

Surely the establishment of a disciplined life coupled with high

morals and obedience to Allah, puts the human being in a state of
heaven, while we live on this physical earth. Those who complete
the fast as ordained by Allah will feel an ecstasy that can only be
felt by the individual. Further, this ecstasy varies from person to
person.

So many times people and even leaders will emphasize that the
individual should take a back seat to the collective group. I recall
the statement of John F. Kennedy. "Ask not what your country can
do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." This did not sit
too well with me, as I grew up in what I saw to be a country that I
felt owed African Americans a payment for the labor of our
forefathers in making America great. In keeping it real I agree
with Imam W. Deen Mohammed who has stated words to the effect
that, no money can ever repay us for the catastrophic losses our
people incurred.
Many African Americans and other people of many countries still
ask - what will the country do for me! Nevertheless, in many
instances the collective group or even a country should sometimes
take precedence over the individual. But, in terms of really
establishing a strong collective group, family, neighborhood,
nation, country or even a global community, it commences with a
focus on growing strong individuals who come together and
perpetuate a system that will in-Shaa Allah repeatedly produce
strong individuals.

A case in point relative to the focus on growing strong individuals

is the incident reported in the history of Prophet Muhommed
(pbuh). Muhommed pbuh, was on his way to a meeting with some
of the influential chieftains of pagan Mecca, hoping to convince
them of the truth of Al-Islam. He was excited about the meeting in
that he was hopeful that the meetings with the chiefs would yield
great dividends in terms of increasing the ranks of Muslims. En
route to the meeting, he reportedly was interrupted by a literally,
blind Muslim, Abd Allah ibn Shurayh - known after his
grandmother's name, Ibn Umm Makuum who was inquiring about
a verse revealed from The Qur'aan. Annoyed by his interruption,
Muhommed (pbuh) "frowned and turned away" from the blind
man. At that moment Allah revealed the first ten verses of Chapter
80, Abasa, advising him that the question of the blind individual
was more important then talking to the pagan chieftains. In
subsequent contact with the blind man, Prophet Muhommed,
(pbuh) would reportedly greet the blind man with these words of
humility, "Welcome unto him on whose account my Sustainer has
rebuked me." From this we clearly see that Allah commands that
we strengthen individuals first to assist us in the call to the faith
and the practice of the faith.

Mere reflection on the creation of humanity from one soul, tells us

that the strong individual comes forth first as a model. Allah so
beautifully states in The Qur'aan 16:120 "Surely Abraham was
indeed a community (ummah) devoutly obedient to Allah true in
faith and he joined not gods with the one and only God."

This is worth a special note and reflection in that Allah calls one
individual, Abraham a community. The word, "ummah" in this
verse, is often translated as a "model". Perhaps, the message is -
that this strong individual, our Father Abraham, indeed had within
his mind, lifestyle and behavior the model for an ideal community.
Allah had repeatedly sent the prophets, as well as other virtuous
men and women, as models to evolve the morals, intellect and
spirit of the human family.

Allah says, "And your creation and your resurrection is like an

individual soul. For Allah is He who hears and sees all things."
(Holy Qur'aan, 31:28)

O' Humanity, reverence your Guardian Evolver who created you

all from one soul. And He created from it, it's mate. And then
spread countless men women……." (Holy Qur'aan 4:1) If we truly
believe this verse, we are cognizant of the sacredness of all
individuals and would recognize that if we wrong any individual,
we are wronging ourselves, because we all came from the same
essence. Think about it, if we really believed Allah, when he tells
us we are all are one essence, we would have a better world and
better associations.

Allah says, "Surely this community of yours is one community and

I (Allah) am your Guardian Evolver, so worship/obey me! (Holy
Qur'aan, 21:92)

The Ramadan fast aids the individual in becoming strong in

devotion to Allah, morals, intellect and spirit. Then and only then
can we become a part of a strong family group and assist in the
establishment of one strong global community following the
dictates of Allah. In Al-Islam, the individual is as sacred and
important as the collective group. We do not believe in sacrificing
the life of one individual person unjustly to benefit the collective
group. The Qur'aan says, "If you slay one person, it is as though
you slayed all of the people." So many times in the affairs of
humanity, individuals become jealous and envious of Allah's
messengers as well as another individual's development that is
really the favor and blessings of Allah. Prophet after prophet and
sign after sign have come to the collective group, but it is usually a
small number of individuals who take heed and follow the
guidance/discipline. For the most part, the majority/collective
group have attempted to thwart, persecute and annoy the Prophets
and the strong individuals who grasped the message of Allah
received directly from him or through his prophets.

The fast of Ramadan is the individual's agreement with Allah to

obey the command to fast and to attain the personal victory and
then come to the Eid to celebrate with the other individuals that
attained the victory.

Below, I believe are verses that inform the believers in Allah to

respect that Allah missions and exalts some individuals (prophets
and other devotees) over others and affords them the wherewithal
to develop their reverence/obedience (taqwa) on higher levels and
they should be emulated and supported. When guidance comes
higher standards of conduct are expected and required. As the Holy
bible relates, "To whom much is given, much is required."

The Qur'aan, 5:112, says, Behold the Disciples said "O Jesus Son
of Mary! Is your Lord agreeable to sending down to us a Table
spread with long lasting food from heaven?" The Verses seem to
indicate that the Table (revelation) sent to Jesus, the son Of Mary
was sufficient for them. Jesus told them this, by initially
responding in the same verse, "Have reverence/submission to
Allah, if you are believers." They responded, The Qur'aan, 5:113
"We only desire to eat thereof and satisfy our own hearts and to
know that you have indeed told us the truth and that we ourselves
may be witnesses to the miracle." The Qur'aan 5:114 says, "So
Jesus prayed, "O Allah, Our Lord, Send us a Table spread with
long lasting food from heaven that there be for us the first and the
last of us a recurring holiday/festival (Eid) and a sign from you and
provide for our sustenance, for You are the best Sustainer of our
needs."

The Qur'aan, 5:115 says, "Allah said: Surely I am always sending

it (the Table) So who ever among you all that rejects faith after
this, then surely I will punish him with a punishment that I have
not inflicted on anyone among all of the peoples.

"It is the way of Allah that he raises models (prophets/devotees) for

the collective group to obey and emulate. It is righteousness for an
individual to obey the dictates of Allah in spite of the neglect of a
collective group or even other individuals in responsible roles as
Chairman of the Board, Imams, pastors, rabbis, etc. Further, we
cannot blame corrupt leadership and people whom refuse to work
in their places for our devotion and lack of individual progress,
though they often times hold back the collective progress by the
permission of Allah and are blameworthy. When this occurs, it is
the duty of the strong individuals to free their own necks remove
the corruption/incompetence or make an exodus from corrupt
leadership in the home, masjid, church, synagogue, workplace, etc.

Let us remember that, "Every tub sits on it on bottom" Allah says

in the Qur'aan, 5:105 "O You all who believe on you all, are your
own souls…"

The Qur'aan 99;6, "On that day (judgment day) with all of the
human family come forward, cut off from one another (ash-taa-tan)
to be shown their past deeds."
Just think of it! If we as individuals tend to our individual
development and accountability before Allah and insist on
leadership that endeavors to strengthen the individual, how
wonderfully we will evolve naturally into a strong global
community and see each other in paradise with the same sense of
victory we feel after the successful completion of the Ramadan
fast! Allah is Great! Allah is Great! And surely to Allah is the
Praise!