It should be borne in mind that just as rewards are multiplied in a holy month, punishment is also increased if a sin is committed in a holy month. Respect the month of Ramazan because it is the month of Allah. In this month, Allah has ordered His servants to emulate His practice by abstaining from food and drink. Allah has given you eleven months in which you can eat, drink, and indulge in other Halal pleasures. He has set aside just one month for Himself in which He has ordered you to abstain from food, drink, and other Halal pleasures.....

If one attends to Ramadan in letter and spirit (fasts as Ghazzali would define its highest degree, goes in seclusion, seeks/accesses Lailat ul Qadr or opens his heart to the saving Word or the Quran) one has virtually completed important stations in Tariqah and one is saved. What a reward! It is a love letter written from a waiting God that few can truly read and respond to. One wishes such letters were written too frequently and not just once in a year....

Nur Rofiah

Ali bin Abi Thalib, a cousin and son-in-law close to the Prophet Muhammad, once said that those who are not your brother/sister in religion are brothers/sisters in humanity. Now we can say that those who are your brothers/sisters in humanity are brothers/sisters in carrying out the core mandate of all religions.  Fasting during Ramadhan has improved our ability to keep a safe distance from various physical pleasures, and sharpen our spiritual eye, so that we can be more critical in carrying out our faith and hold steady onto our values of humanity.....

There are groups of people who fall in the category of the exalted. These groups shall be blessed with Allah (SwT)’s mercy and shall be immensely rewarded. Those who fast fall in this category, as ordained: ‘’Muslim men and Muslim women, believing men and believing women, obedient men and obedient women, truthful men and truthful women, patient men and patient women, humble men and humble women, ....

Moin Qazi, New Age Islam

Religious fasting traditions- from Ramadan to Ekadasi to Yom Kippur and Lent -are meant to relieve believers from many avoidable mundane compulsions, helping them replenish their spirituality, remember the poor, give up bad habits, make amends for moral deficiencies and get closer to their faith. The most prominent among these spiritual fasting customs is Ramadan. Islam does not have a tradition of monasticism. Instead observant Muslims become ascetics during Ramadan every year. For them it is a month of sacred abstemiousness….

Ejaz Naqvi

The importance of good behaviour is not only limited to when dealing among Muslims. The following verse is a guide I keep in mind during my interfaith work with everyone, though this particular passage pertains to dialogue with Jews and Christians.

And do not argue with the People of the Book except in the best manner, save with such of them as do wrong; and say: We believe in that which has been revealed unto us, and revealed unto you; our God and your God is One, and unto Him we (peacefully) submit....

And charity doesn’t have to stop at human beings. We can be charitable to other forms or species of life too. Giving a biscuit to a hungry dog, watering a thirsty plant or picking up an insect on a path so that no one stamps it are some ways for us to be charitable. Deciding to eat a little less for one day a week or consciously reducing our electricity consumption can be an act of charity towards the Earth by consuming less of its bounties....

Ahmad Raza

There is a manifest Mizan (balance) between the heavens and earth. The proportions, dimensions and sizes of physical objects lead us to wonder about the hand of the merciful and compassionate Maker. None of the heavenly objects — be it the sun, moon, planetary system and beyond, the luminous galaxies — can escape this inherent cosmological conformity and order. The prevalence of the cosmic order is nothing but the expression of divine mercy.....

Thus a believer going to work is performing Ibadat when he seeks Halal income to discharge his responsibility as a bread-winner for the family. However a distinction must be made between the two. The first category consists of direct Ibadat, acts that are required for their own sake. The second category consists of indirect Ibadat — worldly acts that become Ibada through proper intention and observation of Shariah....

M Aamer Sarfraz

Islam perceives every Muslim to be a corporal for the cause so that the regular army is small. Quranic scholars consider that the main idea behind fasting and prohibitions was to instil self-discipline along with acquiring and revival of martial skills. Therefore, a refresher time for military exercises was entailed upon them once a year. This was also mandated an Ibadat — the real meaning of which is to go ahead according to the guidebook (Quran). “Fasting men and fasting women, God has prepared forgiveness and a splendid wage for you”....

In Ramzan, man becomes closer to God by controlling his actions in all aspects and takes special care of his intentions. In other words, he focuses more on the latent side of his deeds by linking each of his thought with God. He does not eat because, in fasting, he is not permitted to eat before Iftari. He does not quench his thirst despite having water in front of him. He controls his anger and takes extra caution in his social conduct just for the sake of Allah. Moreover, he reduces his sleep timing and stands in front of his Lord in night....

Muslims need to demonstrate through observance of ‘Roza’ (in its totality), Islam’s relevance in today’s world. Let us make clear once and for all that any type of violence has no place in Islam. One of the greatest advantages of observing the month of fasting is that its true observance inculcates in a person the habit of speaking the truth, remaining patient, practising the concept of hospitality and neighbourhood and give charity to the needy....

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Roza is a way of self-empowerment. It is a saintly method of self-uplift and fasting inculcates the spirit of self-control. Self-control is the other name of spiritual strength. The spirit of self-control is key to all kinds of success and one who can control himself, can control the whole world. Roza is a course of annual re-strengthening of one’s inner personality....

Moin Qazi, New Age Islam

Islam has a beautiful word to describe this war against man’s carnal instincts. It is called jihad. In fact Islam repeatedly emphasizes it and calls it the ‘greater jihad’, The "greater struggle" is the personal one: the struggle to resist temptation, combat one's own evil traits and imperfections, and become a better person in God's sight.  the King James Bible speaks of it as seeking 'The Kingdom of God' and the Hindu spiritual classic Bhagavad Gita represents it in the battle of Kurukshetra....

Ramazan is the month of kindness and charity. With those in distress in the millions in the world today, the need for remembering this message of Ramazan cannot be overstated. Unfortunately, today Ramazan has become the month of celebrations, shopping; fancy Iftars at posh restaurants, entertainment and gossip....

Nikhat Sattar

In the Muslim sense of the term, fasting means practising patience and putting restrictions upon actions that are normally carried out to please our senses. Keeping guard over our thoughts and actions every moment even while our physical energies are depleted during fasting is what strengthens our spirituality and perseverance....

Wajahat Ali

The Arabic root for the word Ramadan means “scorched.” The month deliberately disrupts your routine, your comfort and your mode of thinking. You hunger, you thirst, you long for sex, you engage with family members and community members that you’d otherwise avoid and disown. The disruptions bring pain and annoyance, but they can also create opportunities for growth....

Amin Valliani

The Holy Prophet once said “Al-Kasib, Habibullah” i.e. the worker is Allah’s friend. Islam encourages us to be productive and wants us to disperse throughout the land, seeking the bounty of Allah by working (62:10). All legal and morally permitted fields are open and one should sow the seeds and reap the fruit....

Ahmad Raza

Intuition, intellect and direct observation all corroborate the existence of multiplicity and plurality of creative expression of life in tangible and intangible realms. There exist multiple human cultures, languages, habitats and ecosystems. This multiplicity drives one to appreciate the inherent beauty and creativity of life....

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

God’s might is indeed manifest in a thousand ways, but it is only those who open their minds and hearts to Him who can be truly aware of His blessings. Only those who ponder and reflect over the creation and the numerous phenomena of nature can discover the Creator in such profound and thrilling manner....

Another significant feature of the month of Sha’ban is that it consists of a night which is termed in Shariah as “Laylatul-Bara’ah” (The night of freedom from Fire). This is the night occurring between 14th and 15th day of Sha’ban. There are certain traditions of Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, to prove that it is a meritorious night in which the people of the earth are attended by special Divine mercy....

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

This creation plan of God is mentioned both in the Bible and the Quran. The Bible says: “The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it forever.” (Psalms 37:29) Similarly, the Quran says: “My righteous servants shall inherit the earth. Herein, surely, is a message for true worshippers.” (21:105-06)...

The disease pride and haughtiness is prevalent in all levels of society, and even the seemingly pious people, scholars and intellectuals fall prey to this disease. Pride is usually displayed when people refuse to confess to their errors and argue that only they are right. They may pass a wrong ruling or spread incorrect information, but will adamantly oppose anyone who corrects them.  Allah loves humility in a person. Perfect belief [Iman] will dictate to a person that he should show appreciation for all Allah’s bounties and behave humbly towards all mankind....

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

If one pauses at this stage to take note of what the Quran has to say, one will find that it gives us clear guidance in this matter. The purpose in life has been explained in the Quran in the following words: “I created the jinn and mankind only so that they might worship Me: I seek no sustenance from them, nor do I want them to feed Me—it is God who is the great Sustainer, the Mighty One, the Invincible.”(51:56-57)...

Dr A Q Khan

He said: “O people, perhaps you are afraid of my death”, to which they replied in the affirmative. He then said: “O people, this world is no longer our meeting place. We will meet again at the Hauz-e-Kausar. By Allah, I can see it right now from here. O people, I am not afraid that you will be short of wealth, etc, but of the over-abundance of wealth. I am afraid that you might indulge in a competition of acquiring wealth, just as past generations have done, and that you might be destroyed, as happened to them. O people, be afraid regarding prayer, be afraid of Allah, promise that you will abide by the performance of prayers.”...