Ramadan In History
by Sheikh Abdullah Hakim Quick. Ph.D.
The Message - Canada / January 1997
All praises to Allah (SWT), Lord of the worlds. He who revealed in His
Glorious Quran, "Oh you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you
as it was prescribed for those who came before you that you may keep your
duty to your Lord (having taqwa)," 2:185. And may blessings and-peace
of Allah (SWT) be upon His last Messenger Muhammad ibn Abdullah, forever.
Oh you who believe, Ramadan is a sacred month wherein Almighty Allah (SWT)
is constantly testing His creation and giving humanity the opportunity
to achieve infinite, endless Bliss. Fasting is a complete purification
and a means to developing the consciousness of Allah's (SWT) presence.
The consciousness of Allah (SWT), Taqwa, is a protection against the schemes
of Shaitan, and the suffering of this world. Allah (SWT) has informed
us that, "Whoever keeps his duty to Allah (has taqwa), He ordains
a way out for him and gives him sustenance from where he imagines not.
And whoever trusts in Allah, He is sufficient for him. Surely Allah attains
His purpose. Allah has appointed a measure for everything." (65:2)
Many Muslims today have a misconception about fasting and the activities
of a fasting person. They go into a state of semi-hibernation, spending
most of their daylight hours in bed. If they fear Allah (SWT) , they wake
up for prayer, but then return to sleep immediately. This unnatural sleep
makes them become lazy, dull witted and often cranky.
Ramadan is actually a time of increased activity wherein the believer,
now lightened of the burdens of constant eating and drinking, should be
more willing to strive and struggle for Allah (SWT). The Prophet (sallallahu
alaiyhi wassallam) passes through approximately nine Ramadans after the
Hijrah. They were filled with decisive events and left us a shining example
of sacrifice and submission to Allah (SWT).
In the first year after the Hijrah, the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam)
sent Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib with thirty Muslim riders to Saif al Bahr
to investigate three hundred riders from Quraish who had camped auspiciously
in that area. The Muslims were about to engage the disbelievers, but they
were separated by Majdy ibn Umar al-Juhany. The Hypocrites of Al-Madinah,
hoping to oppose the unity of the Muslims, built their own masjid (called
Masjid al-Direr). The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) ordered this
masjid to be destroyed in Ramadan.
On the seventeenth of Ramadan, 3 A.H., Almighty Allah (SWT) separated
truth from falsehood at the Great Battle of Badr. The Prophet (sallallahu
alaiyhi wassallam) and 313 of his companions set out to intercept a caravan
of their own goods that had been left in Makkah. It was led by Abu Sufyan,
himself, and estimated at 60,000 dinars. They were met, instead, by a
well equipped army of the nobility of Quraish, intent on putting out the
light of Islam. Despite being outnumbered three to one and appearing weak
and unseasoned, the Muslims defended their faith with a burning desire
to protected the Prophet and meet their Lord through martyrdom. Allah
(SWT) gave them a decisive victory on this day of Ramadan, that would
never to be forgotten.
In 6 A.H., Zaid ibn Haritha was sent to Wadi al-Qura at the head of a
detachment to confront Fatimah bint Rabiah, the queen of that area. Fatimah
had previously attacked a caravan led by Zaid and had succeeded in plundering
its wealth. She was known to be the most protected woman in Arabia, as
she hung fifty swords of her close relatives in her home. Fatimah was
equally renowned for showing open hostility to Islam. She was killed in
a battle against these Muslims in the month of Ramadan.
By Ramadan of 8 A H., the treaty of Hudaibiyya had been broken and the
Muslim armies had engaged the Byzantines in the North. Muhammad (sallallahu
alaiyhi wassallam) felt the need to strike a fatal blow to disbelief in
the Arabian Peninsula and conquer the city of Mecca. Allah (SWT) had declared
His Sanctuary a place of peace, security and religious sanctity. Now the
time had come to purify the Kaabah of nakedness and abomination. The Prophet
(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) set out with an army having more armed
men than Al-Madinah had ever seen before. People were swelling the army's
ranks as it moved toward Makkah. The determination of the believers, guided
by the Will of Allah (SWT), became so awesome that the city of Makkah
was conquered without a battle, on - 20 Ramadan. This was one of the most
important dates in Islamic history for after it, Islam was firmly entrenched
in the Arabian Peninsula. During the same month and year, after smashing
the idols of Makkah, detachments were sent to the major centers of polytheism
and al-Lat, Manat and Suwa, some of the greatest idols of Arabia, were
destroyed.
Such was the month of Ramadan in the time of the Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi
wassallam). It was a time of purification, enjoining the good, forbidding
evil, and striving hard with one's life and wealth. After the death of
the Prophet (pbuh), Muslims carried on this tradition and Allah used the
true believers to affect the course of history. Ramadan continued to be
a time of great trials and crucial events.
Ninety-two years after the Hujrah, Islam had spread across North Africa,
Iran, Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria. Spain was under the tyrannical rule
of King Roderic of the Visigoths. Roderic had forced his six million serfs
and persecuted Jews to seek the aid of the Muslims of North Africa in
order to be delivered. Musa ibn Husair, the Umayyad governor of North
Africa, responded by sending his courageous general Tariq ibn Ziyad at
the head of 12,000 Berber and Arab troops In Ramadan of that year, they
were confronted with a combined Visigoth army of 90,000 Christians led
by Roderic, himself, who was seated on a throne of ivory silver, and precious
gems and drawn by white mules. After burning his boats, Tariq preached
to the Muslims warning them that and Paradise lay ahead of them and defeat
and the sea to the rear. They burst with great enthusiasm and Allah (SWT)
manifested a clear victory over the forces of disbelief. Not only was
Roderic and his forces completely annihilated, but Tariq and Musa succeeded
in liberating whole of Spain, Sicily and of France. This was the begining
of the Golden Age of Al-Andalus where Muslims ruled for over 700 years.
In the year 682 A.H., Salahuddin al-Ayyubi, after battling with the Crusaders
for years, finally drove them out of Syria and the whole of their occupied
lands in the month of Ramadan. The Muslim world was then destined to meet
one of its most frightening challenges.
In the seventh century A.H. the Mongols were sweeping across Asia destroying
everything that lay in their path Genghis Khan called himself "the
scourge of God sent to punish humanity for their sins. "In 617 A.H.
Samarkand, Ray, And Hamdan were put to the sword causing more than 700,000
people to be killed or made captive. In 656 A.H. Hulagu, the grandson
of Genghis Khan, continued this destruction. Even Baghdad, the leading
city of the Muslim world, was sacked. Some estimates say that as many
as 1,800,000 Muslims were killed in this awesome carnage. The Christians
were asked to eat pork and drink wine openly while the surviving Muslims
were forced to participate in drinking bouts. Wine was sprinkled in the
masjids and no Azan (call to prayer) was allowed. In the wake of such
a horrible disaster and with the threat of the whole Muslim world. and
then Europe being subjected to the same fate, Allah (SWT) raised up from
the Mamluks of Egypt, Saifuddin Qutz, who, united the Muslim army and
met the Mongols at Ain Jalut on 26th Ramadan, 468 A.H. Although they were
under great pressure, the Muslims with the help of Allah (SWT), cunning
strategy and unflinching bravery, crushed the Mongol army and reversed
this tidal wave of horror. The whole of the civilized world sighed in
relief and stood in awe at the remarkable achievement of these noble sons
of Islam.
This was the spirit of Ramadan that enabled our righteous forefathers
to face seemingly impossible challenges. It was a time of intense activity,
spending the day in the saddle and the night in prayer while calling upon
Allah (SWT) for His mercy and forgiveness.
Today, the Muslim world is faced with drought, military aggression, widespread
corruption and tempting materialism. Surely we are in need of believers
who can walk in the footsteps of our beloved Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi
wassallam),the illustrious Sahabah, Tariq ibn Ziyad, Qutuz, Salahuddin
and the countless heroes of Islam. Surely we are in need of believers
who are unafraid of the threats of the disbelievers, yet kind and humble
to the believing people; Muslims whose fast is complete and not just a
source of hunger and thirst.
May Allah (SWT) raise up a generation of Muslims who can carry Islam to
all corners of the globe in a manner that befits our age, and may He give
us the strength and the success to lay the proper foundations for them.
May Allah (SWT) make us of those who carry out our Islam during Ramadan
and after it, and may He not make us of those who say what they do not
do. Surely Allah (SWT) and His Angels invoke blessings and peace upon
our Prophet Muhammad. Oh you who believe send blessings and peace to him
forever.
by Sheikh Abdullah Hakim Quick. Ph.D.
The Message - Canada / January 1997
Courtesy: www.everymuslim.com
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