Divine Banquet of Fasting

Date: 13 April 2021 - 22:22

News ID: ۸۹۱۴۷

Salaam dear young friends, and heartiest felicitations to you all on the advent of the blessed month of Ramadhan. It is the month of the Divine Banquet of fasting spread out for the guests of God with all its spiritual and even material delights.
We know, you youngsters have been eagerly preparing for the obligatory fasts of Ramadhan by sincerely observing the devotions of the preceding months of Rajab and Sha’ban.
Indeed, it is the exuberance of youth that manifests itself in acts of worship and devotion, infusing freshness into the family atmosphere laying the foundation for the building of a sound, healthy and virtuous society that is free of the depravities in which Godless communities are miserably trapped.
Here is an interesting anecdote. A pious person recalls that in his youth he visited the famous Iranian Gnostic, Shaikh Hassan Ali Nokhodki, in the holy city of Mashhad in Khorasan Province, and told him about his wish to obtain three important things while he was still youthful.
His first wish, he said was to perform the Hajj pilgrimage to the holy Ka’ba in Mecca. The Gnostic said: Punctually perform your ritual prayers on time in congregation.
His second wish, said the youth, was to have a virtuous and God-wary lady for his wife. The Gnostic repeated the same thing, saying: Punctually perform your ritual prayers on time in congregation – rather than individually.
His third wish, said youth, was to find a good job. Shaikh Hassan Ali Nokhodki repeated for the third time, the same answer: Punctually perform your prayers on time in congregation – and not individually.
As instructed by the sage, the sage punctually performed the ritual prayers in congregation, and within three years he was able to perform the Hajj pilgrimage to God’s Symbolic House in Mecca; marry a virtuous lady; and obtain a good job.
Yes dear youngsters, there are hidden wonders in obeying God and performing on time whatever He has made obligatory. Ramadhan is the month that provides us the opportunity to build discipline in ourselves and to perform the ritual prayers on time, and of course, in congregation.
Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) has said: As long as a believer performs the five-times-a-day obligatory prayers, the Satan will fear him, but if the prayers are neglected, the Satan will increase its temptations and goad that person into committing cardinal sins.
The Prophet has also said the gates of heavens are flung open on the first night of Ramadhan and are not closed till the end of this blessed month.
Unfortunately, in our modern era when mankind had made astounding progress, the fasting Muslims are being bombarded and slaughtered; not by pagans, but by those who claim to be Muslims, and shamelessly call themselves Jihadis, while their hearts are empty of any iota of belief in God, the Prophet, the holy Qur’an, the month of Ramadhan, and humanitarian values.
As of a reminder, at the end of our weekly chat, we would like to advice our young readers to stay at home as you all know that the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has been spread across Iran, and unfortunately the daily casualties are rising day by day.
Please stay at home, avoid crowded places and gatherings, follow the health protocols and maintain the social distance with others.
Goodbye and God bless you all until our next meeting on next Wednesday.