التاريخ : الاثنين 30 نوفمبر -0001 . القسم : Weekly Letter
A message from the Muslim Brotherhood on the reception of the Holy month of Ramadan
In the name of Allah, and praise him, peace and blessings be upon prophet Mohamed and those who have followed
“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran”
Dear Muslim Brothers and sisters,
The Muslim Ummah,
In reception of Ramadan holy month, we call upon all Muslims around the world to celebrate this blessing with them. We ask Allah Almighty to accept us and to make it a month of forgiveness and grace, and a month of pride and victory and notability for the Muslim ummah. We ask Allah to guide us through this month, and to lead humanity to its grace.
“Oh Allah, we are longing for Ramadan!” A prayer all tongues repeat looking forward to the month when Quran has reached us and missing its blessings and grace that shield us from the ugliness of life and the roughness of its materiality. It is the month where heavens doors open and good deeds double. It is the generous guest that we long for year after year, one that heals the wounded and raises hopes and restores faith. It is the month of repenting and returning to God. The month of prayers and fasting. It is as well the space for love, connection, affection, sympathy, and charity. It is the month of will and faith, the month of studies and science, and the month of prayers that are to be answered, the month of forgiveness and acceptance. It the month where families gather, and the beloved reconnect. And above all, we long for Ramadan the month of piety (at-taqua).
“O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun"
Each form of worship has a soul of its own. And if prayer’s (as-salah) soul is reverence and zakat soul is purification, and AlHa’s soul is submission; fasting’s soul is indeed piety. It is a form of worship that is only for God, in its entirety; no one might have a say in it and only Allah can reward it. 'Every act of the son of Adam is for him, except As-Siyam (the fasting) which is (exclusively) for Me, and I will reward him for it.'
And piety can’t be in appearances or deception. But it is indeed in abstaining from the prohibited (al-harram), the establishing of the obligations (al-fara;ed), and the addressing of grievances. It is in the commitment to honesty, speaking up for the oppressed, standing with the righteous, and calling upon people for the good. All of this requires a strong will, and this month allows it. Ramadan is for experiencing patience, endurance, and victory.
It is the piety that protects the ummah and preserves its youth and stands between it and the straying paths whether influenced by a devilish human or jinn. It is with piety that each of us gets to know their calling and their mission in life, our role in making our ummah better and our strengths that will help us do that. Ramadan is the energy station for such; so, one shouldn’t let it pass without getting energized "And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa (piety)” It is this time that we should invest in getting to know ourselves better, nourishing it with piety and honesty and the sincerity and grace; so, we’d all be accepted at God’s will.
Ramadan is the Muslim ummah’s month, it reminds us of our connection and unity, where we stop eating and drinking at a set time and break our fast praying at the same time. Further longing on these days for a time when we were all united on one word with love and care.
My brothers and sister,
Ramadan brings back the Islamic history to life, where a small group has won the Badr battle in the 17th and Mecca was conquest on the 20th and through a thousand years the Muslim ummah was united and proud. Our Ummah was once united by God Almight’s word, it was invincible and content with its submission to God and the following of his path, it was just, civilized, and honorable that other nations were eager to cooperate with it. Ramadan restores the ancestors’ sense of glory, and brings back the hope that we could be as such once more and they key is just: “that you may become Al-Muttaqun”
As families gather to break their fast around the Iftar table, we remember our honored martyrs, those who are absent from their place on the table. Fathers, sons, sisters, daughters, or mothers. We remember them praying for them and their families for acceptance, patience, and endurance, and that they find justice. A fasting person does have an answered prayer as they break their fast, and likewise, a person with grievances’ prayers is answered. (Nothing veils it from Allah)
Hopes is to renew in Ramadan, despite all obstacles and atrocities our nations have faced, the endurance our people have shown can be the key to more brighter days as answers to their prayers. We must be optimistic for better days to come and anticipate their signs too. "Verily, Allah gives respite to the oppressor. But when He seizes him, He does not let him escape."
During Ramadan we realize the hadith "The relationship of the believer with another believer is like (the bricks of) a building, each strengthens the other.". We call upon Muslims east and west to support Muslim ummah’s causes, stand up for them rightfully, with all efforts even if limited or besieged. One of the 5 countries controlling the destiny of the world, Russia, has invaded its neighboring country as we enter these holly times. War crimes are taking place and force displacements of the Ukrainian people. Double standards magnified as investigations begun at the international criminal court regarding Russia’s crimes in Ukraine. A decade long of Russian war crimes in Syria, are yet to be considered or reviewed. A European parliament member with conscience publicly acknowledged this truth, stating that nobody contested crimes against the people of Palestine, or that of Russians and Americans against Afghanistan and Kashmir, or that of the Serbs in Kosovo!
We are living, o dear Muslims, in a world exhausted by conflict, materialism and negligence. We, among all people, are in need to realize Prophet’s Mohamed vision in his hadith: “He who is well-pleased with God as Lord, with Islam as religion, and with Muhammad as messenger will experience the savour of faith,”
And as God almighty has described you in his Quran:
"You [true believers in Islamic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad SAW and his Sunnah (legal ways, etc.)] are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind"
Let us be the face of the best brand there is, and let’s purify such a blessing by rising to its responsibility and becoming an example to others. Let us have faith that the rewards of good deeds whether they are in this life, or the afterlife will indeed reveal themselves when we follow God’s word and that of his prophet.
May Allah guide us to the best investments in these holy times and may he grant the Islamic Ummah security, blessings, victory, and honor.
Peace be upon you,
Your brother,
Ibrahim Munir
Deputy General Guide
March 31, 2022