President's Ramadhan Message - The Gift of Fasting: Certitude

“ …. in Me’raj, the Prophet (saw) asked: O Allah, what is the gift of fasting?” 

Allah (s.w.t.) said: “Fasting leads to wisdom, and wisdom enables you to understand My signs and ways; that will elevate you to the stage of certitude. And when a person has reached the stage of certitude, he or she cares not whether the days pass in plenty or scarcity”. [Bihar-ul-Anwar V 77].

This is the promise of Allah for this great gift to mankind – the gift of wisdom to understand his signs in order to reach a stage of certitude. And it is only with certitude that one may raise above the multitude of worldly vexations and confusions that plague the Ummah even after generations and generations of fasting. In this holy month an important dimension of such understanding is offered to us in the words of the dua that we will all recite numerous times each day: 

Allahumma Aghni Kulla Faqeer - "O Allah, Enrich every indigent (poor)"

As supplicants we invariably believe that we are praying for all those who are needy and who are suffering under the yoke of poverty. However, the Holy Qur’an [35:15] clearly reminds us that: 

Yaa Ayyuhannaas, antumul fuqaraa’u ilallaah, wallahu huwal Ghaniyyul Hameed.
O human beings, you are needy to Allah, and it is Allah Who is Affluent, the praised one:

Thus this concept of the indigent and needy becomes relative; that each one of us is needy and indigent, no matter what our station in life may be. Therefore, when we pray to Allah to enrich the poor, we are also amongst the needy. It is this gift of understanding that will enable us to be more in empathy with those who appear more ‘needy’ than ourselves, as we rightly take a step towards alleviating their neediness and seek Allah’s mercy for our own neediness in this world and more importantly in the hereafter. To be assured of Allah’s mercy, the holy Prophet (saw) has taught us to endeavor to spread a little ‘kindness, especially in this month. In his sermon at the approach of the holy month of Ramadhan the Prophet (saw) said: 

And for the one who spreads his kindness,
Allah will spread His mercy over him on the day of Judgment….

As we welcome this blessed month in our hearts and homes, let us optimize the attainment of the gift of fasting by spreading kindness amongst all his creatures, to be hopeful of his mercy on the day of Judgment. With reference to spreading kindness, I ask you to actively participate in the efforts of the World Federation, to attend to its annual duty of assisting numerous needy families, all over the world during the forthcoming holy month. Nazar, Sadqa, poor fund, Imam Zamin and general donations received specifically for Ramadhan Relief, help finance the Ramadhan Relief program. Last year with your assistance a sum of over $70,0000 was distributed. This year the World Federation has already distributed $90,000 for distribution as our Ramadan Relief programme in anticipation of the support form the Community. 

As our Community joins believers all over the world in welcoming the blessed month of Ramadhan 1423, let us resolve to make the most of this opportunity to benefit from the multiple gifts of fasting and pray for the safety of all Muslims in this time of strife and tribulations. 

I wish you all Ramadhan Mubarak and pray that May Allah accept our efforts during this blessed month.

Hasnain Walji 
President of The World Federation

Nov 5 2002/Shabaan 29 1423