Ramadan has been a month of blessing from God as He inspired the Quran all at once into Prophet Muhammad’s soul (53:10) in a night of it, which God has called a night of blessing (44:3) as well as a night of the Power (97:1-3), even letting us know it better than a thousand months (97:3). While He has decreed fasting in the entire month for those who have witnessed the month to appreciate Him for giving Quran as a guidance and the statute book (2:185). In fact, Ramadan is a month in which God has blessed mankind with guidance to bring them out of the darkness into the light. Thus, we may call it the blessed month but it is neither a sacred nor an honorable month that many of us confuse or are in doubt about it. And if we can reflect to that then we would be careful when we say something about God or any events concerning Him or His acts that we may avoid committing sins not being ignorant. However, when we are in the midst of Coronavirus pandemic, we may turn to God whole heartedly to save us and our families from the eternal suffering in the Hereafter by knowing and following with what He has blessed us in the month when we are preparing ourselves for the month one more time. However, if we can use this momentum reflecting upon the truth witnessing the factual that the greatest and the most powerful country of the world having the highest death toll may help us to avoid the eternal suffering in the Hereafter being it a warning for what we have deserted (25:30, 27:82).
Inspiration of Quran all at once
There are 26 verses across 5 suras in the Quran covering aspects of the event of inspiration of the Quran all at once into prophet’s soul in 13 B.H (609 A.D), and if the relevant sura and verse numbers are added, the total is a multiple of 19 => 589 = 19x31 is a fact-based evidence as shown in the table below:
Since the event of inspiration occurred in another dimension, the journey of the prophet including the entire process of inspiring the Quran all at once involving the angels found in the verses as mentioned in the table above are detailed out below:- The prophet was taken to another dimension where inspiration took place as indicated in the following verse:
[17:1] Glory to the One who took of His servant (Muhammad) by night from the Sacred Masjid (of Mecca) to the farthest place of worship which we had blessed its surroundings that we may show him of our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearer, the Seer.
Note: This verse states the prophet’s journey to another dimension specifying origination and destination.
- What was inspired to the prophet and what he saw in the utmost boundary described in the following verses of the Quran. It was divine inspiration by the Most Powerful who revealed what was to be revealed to him. The prophet was so close to God as He made it. The whole environment was awesome at the ultimate point where he saw great signs of God, located near the eternal Paradise:
[53:4] It is not but an inspiration, was inspired.
[53:5] The Most Powerful has taught him (Muhammad).
[53:6] Possessor of all power so He has been in the highest Height.
[53:7] And he was in the highest horizon.
[53:8] Then He moved nearer that He came down.
[53:9] So He had been at a closer distance or nearer.
[53:10] Then He had inspired to His servant (Muhammad) what He inspired.
[53:11] The mind had not made mistake what it saw.
[53:12] Will you then dispute with him about what he saw?
[53:13] And Certainly, he had seen him in another descent.
[53:14] Near Lote Tree of the utmost boundary (sidrat al-muntahaa).
[53:15] Near it, is a Garden of the eternal abode.
[53:16] When it covered the Lote Tree what covers.
[53:17] The eye had not wavered, nor had it gone wrong.
[53:18] Certainly, he had seen the greatest of his Lord’s signs.
Note: The above verses exclusively confirm that the divine inspiration took place at the utmost boundary by God Himself allegorically describing the location and surrounding, and the event was made possible as the prophet (the soul not the person) was brought physically close to Him by moving down Himself to another descent while He spoke to Musa directly at Mount Sinai and gave him tablets of ten commandments.
- God has described His great work indicating the night to be awesome for completing the process of revealing the Quran involving the Gabriel and the angels in a single night calling it to be “A Night of the Power”. Thus, He has made the night better than a thousand months while the angels and the Spirit descend with His commands to complete the process before the dawn:
[97:1] Indeed, we revealed it (Quran) in a Night of the Power.
[97:2] And have you known what a Night of the Power is?
[97:3] A Night of the Power is better than a thousand months.
[97:4] Descends the angels and the Spirit (Gabriel) in it (a Night of the Power) by permission of their Lord with every command.
[97:5] Peace it (a Night of the Power) is until an advent of the dawn.
Note: The process of completion of inspiring the entire Quran is described to pay our proper attention to use it as our guidance while the ritual around the inspiration of the Quran is decreed in 2:185, which is fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. The completion of the process before the dawn indicates that the event took place between the night prayer and the dawn prayer so that the prophet did not miss any prayer, and we may also reflect on the importance of the salat prayer to establish it in a timely manner for developing our soul:
- The Quran was inspired in a night of blessing clarifying every matter of wisdom in it followed by an oath of God consisting of two statements: (a) a set of Quranic initials, Ha. Meem. and (b) the scripture, the clear:
[44:1] (By) Ha. Meem
[44:2] And the scripture, the clear.
[44:3] Indeed, we have sent it (the scripture) down in a night of blessing, indeed, we have been warners.
[44:4] In it (the blessed night), every wise matter is clarified.
Note: The masculine object pronoun (hu) in 44:3 refers to the scripture (Quran) while the female object pronoun (haa) in 44:4 refers to the blessed night. This gender difference helps us to eliminate any confusion from our heart to avoid any misinterpretation between the scripture and the blessed night while God has used the royal first-person plural in 44:3 as well as throughout the Quran including His angels or system.
- God has sent down the Quran in the month of Ramadan as a guidance for the people and the statute book with clear proofs the guidance, and has ordered them to fast in it who have witnessed the month and to glorify Him with it to appreciate Him for giving them the guidance:
[2:185] Ramadan which is a month, has been revealed in it the Quran as a guidance for the people, clear proofs of the guidance and the statute book. So whoever among you has witnessed the month, then he should fast in it, and whoever has been ill or on a journey then the prescribed number from other days. God wishes ease for you and He does not wish hardship for you, and that you may complete the prescribed number, and that you may glorify God through which He has guided you and that you may appreciate.
Note: This verse has a reference to the month being Ramadan in which the whole Quran was revealed, more specifically inspired to the prophet’s soul for its participation with the set of verses logically separated and mathematically confirmed connected to the event of sending down of the Quran all at once through inspiration, while the night is specifically mentioned in the feminine form in the other 7 participating verses of the set including a night in the masculine form in another verse.
Fasting in Ramadan
The commandment of Ramadan fasting is found in 4 verses of sura Al-Baqarah and if the relevant sura and verse numbers are added, the total is a multiple of 19 => 741 = 19x39 as shown in the table below:
Note: This mathematical confirmation is an explicit proof of the very precise commandment of Ramadan fasting to avoid all misconceptions around this practice while 2:185 is a bridge between the mathematical confirmation of the event of inspiration of Quran all at once, which is an one-night event and that of the commandment of Ramadan fasting.
The commandment of fasting in Ramadan is very straightforward in the Quran but with appropriate details on how to fast including options and objective so that we can fulfill this obligation to be righteous being aware that Quran is a blessing from God in the month. But if we reflect that why God has made this obligation so simple, we may avoid all innovations and misconceptions around the practice:
- Fasting is decreed as an essential practice for us to achieve righteousness, and its practice as a key component of seeking righteousness, has been part of Islam since the time of Abraham:
[2:183] O you who have believed, has been decreed for you the fasting, as it had been decreed for those before yourselves that you may become righteous.
- Fasting is prescribed for us for a number of days each year accommodating necessary alternatives. If a person is unable to fast for some reason, God gives him or her other options to supplement it. Therefore, those who are sick, pregnant, elderly, or traveling, can make up an equal number of days later in the year. If they are physically unable to do this, they can feed a needy person for breaking every fast but fasting is good for us if we can fulfill this obligation being an opportunity for us to grow our souls through remembering Him:
[2:184] Specified days. So whoever among you has been ill or on a journey, then the prescribed number from other days. And for those who can afford it, a ransom of feeding a poor. While whoever has volunteered good, then it is better for him. And that you can fast, is better for you, if you have been knowing.
- Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar in which the Quran was revealed as our guidance, the clear the guidance and the statute book. God has decreed for us fasting during the entire blessed month to glorify Him for guiding us as well as to express our appreciation:
[2:185] Ramadan which is a month, has been revealed in it the Quran as a guidance for the people, clear proofs of the guidance and the statute book. So whoever among you has witnessed the month, then he should fast in it, and whoever has been ill or on a journey then the prescribed number from other days. God wishes ease for you and He does not wish hardship for you, and that you may complete the prescribed number, and that you may glorify God through which He has guided you and that you may appreciate.
Note: Here is the commandment of God for fasting during the entire month of Ramadan to appreciate Him to guide us with the Quran revealed in the month.
- In the month of Ramadan, the Muslims (Submitters) are to fast from dawn to sunset, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations to attain righteousness. However, sexual relation is allowed with their wives during the nights of fasting but it is prohibited if someone has secluded in the masjids. Thus, God has made His revelations clear for the people that they may be righteous:
[2:187] Permitted for you is the approach to your wives at nights of the fasting. They are garments for you and you are garments for them. God knows that you had done to deceive yourselves, so, He has turned to you and has pardoned from you. So, now you shall have relation with them and shall seek what God has prescribed for you. You shall eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread at the dawn. Then, you shall complete the fasting till the night. And do not have relation with them, while you are secluded ones in the masjids. That is of God’s limits, so, do not approach it. Thus that God makes clear His revelations for the people so that they may be righteous.
Note: This verse is an update in the ritual of fasting permitting sexual relation between the fasting spouses during the nights of fasting if someone does not stay in the masjids for commemoration of God including details on how to fast. Even though there is a hint to stay in the masjids, but it has not been made clear for us from God to stay awake in the masjids during the last 10 nights of Ramadan or on the night 27th of Ramadan that we have derived from the surah al Qadr. While we know from the Quran that God’s command or law about any matter is very specific and precise to have no doubt in hearts of the believers that they can obey His command not being deviated by the Satan and its allies.
Misinterpretation and violations of God’s command
The event of inspiration of Quran all at once in the month of Ramadan and the commandment of fasting in the month of Ramadan in persuasion of what are our obligations to appreciate God. He has given us the Quran all at once as a guidance and the statute book through a method of inspiration as instituted by Him (42:51) and has given us a ritual of fasting in the entire month of Ramadan. But it is unfortunate that still we see many innovations and misconceptions around the Ramadan fasting because of misinterpretation of the straightforward verses in the Quran or disregarding the significance of the event of inspiration just because of hear sayings or just to stay with the majority. Thus, it is not such that God has kept hidden a ritual but yet He wants us to observe it nor is it such that He has authorized anyone, even he has been a prophet or a messenger to introduce any ritual on behalf of Him except for them that they obey His teachings and order:
Recurring observance of a Night of the Power
God has commanded us to fast every year in the month of Ramadan while He has not associated with it any order from Him of staying wake up all nights during the last 10 days of it or on the night of 27th Ramadan as derived from the Quran to observe a night of the Power (laylat al-qadr) to earn extra reward equivalent to worshiping of one thousand months except misconception or misinterpretation. What has been stated in 97:1-5 is we have no idea (ma-adraka) how awesome the night that belongs to the month of Ramadan is better than thousand months to indicate the significance of the event that occurred in a night in the past. The process that initiated with the journey of prophet while the inspiration occurred in another dimension and the process completed before the advent of the dawn involving the angels and the Spirit (Gabriel). Thus, God is exclusively referring to a specific night with a specific objective of revealing Quran for mankind that took place over 1400 years ago. Moreover, we may also reflect to God’s wisdom in the commandment of fasting centering the month not centering the night as the inspiration took place in another dimension and the night will not be the same on the earth in its all parts but the month will be.
Tarawih and Eid prayer
There are many unauthorized Salat prayers year-round besides 5 times 17 units Salat prayers that tradition has innovated over the period of time have no basis according to the Quran. God has not categorized the Salat prayer into sunnat, wajib or nafl except an order for us that Salat has been a decree for the believers specifying times at Fajr, Zahur, Asr, Maghrib and Isha-a, and its units came down to us from the past being Salat is an old practice. Thus, a salat prayer called ‘Tarawih’ which makes a special appearance during Ramadan consisting of various ways to go about it depending upon the preference of Hadiths by the different sects around the world is an innovation. In addition, there is an “Eid” prayer in the morning of the first day of Shawaal upon completing the Ramadan fasting, even a people who do not observe 5 times Salat prayer make their appearance in the Eid prayer being a celebration. But if we can reflect that the Salat prayer has been decreed on the believers based on time (4:103) that may help us understand and avoid the corruptions around 5 times 17 units Salat prayer including Tarawih and Eid prayer or any other prayers except the funeral prayer, what has been introduced by name.
Conclusion
God has inspired the Quran all at once into prophet’s soul in a night of Ramadan as a guidance and the statute book clarifying every matter in it calling the night a blessed night as well as a night of the Power, which is better than thousand months. While He has associated with this awesome event a ritual of fasting in the entire month of Ramadan to appreciate Him for giving us the guidance. Thus, He has focused on what He has sent down in a night of Ramadan that we are to know being our guidance and the statute book to perfect our belief and to do the righteous deeds as well as to fast in Ramadan who witnesses it being the event of month and night a historical event for us.
Even the description of inspiration event and the commandment of fasting in Ramadan are straightforward but still there are misinterpretation and violations around the month and night of the event. The annual observance of a Night of the Power (laylat al-qadr) staying awake in mosques in the last 10 nights of Ramadan or on the night of 27th of Ramadan to experience it to receive reward equivalent to more than thousand months becomes a practice among the Muslim community while the night does not come back every year being the historical event. Tarawih in Ramadan and Eid prayer on the morning of the first day of Shawaal are unauthorized practices as God has confirmed us in the Quran that Salat prayers have been for the believers a decree based on time not by name. Thus, the corruptors have made themselves ignorant by introducing unauthorized Salat prayers by name for lack of their knowledge to see the truth through which God has prescribed Salat prayers (4:103).
Religion belongs to God and He has prescribed for us what we need to appreciate Him, and thus, it is not a luxury for us that we can shape it as we want. Ramadan fasting is associated with the inspiration event of Quran, so is the Quran a blessing from God for us in the month. Now if we want to earn extra reward, we must observe with the Quran and study it as much as we can while Ramadan may be an appropriate time and God’s Masjids may be appropriate places to learn it individually or in a group that we may do the righteous deeds and avoid all corrupt beliefs and practices around us to stay with Him.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (4/24/2020).