Fasting by Mohammad Amin Sheikho - HTML preview

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Verse no. 1

“We have revealed It on the Night of Valuation.”

That is, revealing the facts folded under the Holy Qur’an was but on the Night of Valuation, i.e. the night when you witnessed the Might of your Provider and esteemed your Creator.

The Almighty addressed His Envoy by such words so as to inform us of that: man can not become aware of the Qur’an’s facts or get right knowledge about the verses contained in it and which lead to happiness and welfare and call to right and charity except on the “Night of Valuation”.

So, this noble verse shows us that the real science should be only about Al’lah and it can not be acquired except by Him (glory to Him).

All humankind, individually and in nations, throughout the ages and generations are unable to bring the guidance brought by the Envoy (cpth) and such indication and science which he elucidated to people, even if they help each other.

How then could the noble Envoy (cpth) who never studied a book before or took lessons by any of people, bring such guidance, alone?! Indeed he (cpth) challenged all generations in all ages and showed their failure to bring an indication equal to it.

So, this verse refutes what Quraish claimed and what the owners of narrow minds claim of that the Qur’an was composed by the Envoy (cpth). It acquaints us with that supreme source from which the Messenger (cpth) got this guidance and indication which lead to the right path, humanity and perfect bliss, as it declares that the perfect guidance brought by the Envoy (cpth) is a revelation descended from Al’lah on His noble Envoy’s heart on the “Night of Valuation”, when he (cpth) esteemed his Provider’s perfection and glorified his Creator.

Also, this noble verse disproves what was fabricated by some people who said that if you want to understand the Qur’an, you need to learn sixteen kinds of several sciences and engage in studying those lengthy books!

In fact, the detailed studies do not help in knowing the truth for man does not get the true knowledge unless he be honored with gifs of God (glory to Him) and gains that blessed night.

But, is this witnessing available for any person?

And when can the “Night of Valuation” be obtained?

I say, the Godly Justice necessitates not to let the divine gift restricted to one missing another. So each person who prepares himself properly to attain such viewing, that is to say, anyone that obeys his Provider perfectly so that he does not neglect any of God’s Orders or commit any sin, certainly he will be honored with this witnessing and get that night.

The harmful disobedient spirit cannot witness it because when it stands to perform its communication it feels ashamed of its Provider. It is unable to turn toward God or to enter into His Presence, so its performance of the communication is formal not real as its sins create a veil and a cover between it and the Almighty Al’lah.

As for the obedient spirit, when it stands before its Provider, it positively stands directed towards Him and drawing near to Him, because the charity it holds in its hands makes it proud of its deed, feeling with confidence and assurance of God’s satisfaction with it.

Thus, straightening upon God’s command and drawing near to Him by rendering good actions: both of them are the two main conditions, that is to say the two wings which make the spirit fly up to that Supreme heavens where it witnesses a part of God’s perfection and acquires virtue and knowledge.

As regard the proper time at which spirit becomes ready for reaching this state of viewing and enjoying that blessed Night, it is the month of Ramadan, and exactly during the last ten days of it as told by the truthful and trustworthy Prophet (cpth). That is because those two main conditions are available for the faster at that time. The hunger and thirst in Ramadan help in causing rupture of relations between man and and Satan, and man’s spirit will be drilled on such favorable separation all during its day of which he feels no shame before his Provider at all.

Besides, his obedience to God by fasting gives him a great motive and a strong drive that move him to come nearer to his Provider.

Therefore, when he stands to perform the communication with God during the evening prayer after having a little of food and drink, he will be wholly directed to God and wholly present in His presence, and then his spirit will fly soaring in that supreme heaven with no obstacle that may block it and no screen that may stand between it and its Creator.

So, as soon as the faster starts his communication he will see himself immersed in a flood of God’s light, staring at Al’lah by his heart-vision, and truly worshiping Him for he views Him.

He keeps on his worshiping day after day and night after night until the coming of the last ten days of this blessed month when his spirit will have grawn stranger and will become more firm for receiving that divine light and qualified for witnessing the Godly perfection. Then, the veil will be uncovered to show the spirit a proportion of God’s Beauty, Majesty and supreme Attributes that it can bear.

It views the subsistence of the universe entirely based upon His sustain and steering, sinking in His Beauty and Favor and plunged in His Compassion and Tenderness.

By watching that Godly Loftiness and Beauty and Perceiving the perfection of the most high Provider, and because of seeing the comprehensive Mercy, Sympathy and Tenderness, man shall wholeheartedly love God the source of Majesty, Glory, Sympathy and Benefaction. That is because spirit is naturally predisposed on loving beauty and perfection and appreciating the owner of charity.

By this magnific love for the Possessor of Perfection (glory to Him), the spirit will be colored with a stain of perfection; and only such kind of love corrects man’s morals and changes the state of spirit from one to another.

So, when the communication with God finishes, the communicant will return from that auspicious travel having got the best supplies. The virtue will be his intimate friend, the perfection his confederate companion, the piety his provision, and doing the good for creatures absorbing his enterests and wishes.

That is the “Night of Valuation”. It is the night when the obedient follower witnesses the Grandeur of his Provider and His supreme Attributes and when the facts of the Qur’an are revealed in his heart.

That is the “Night of Valuation” which the Almighty Al’lah has ennobled Ramadan with.

That is the night which every man should get in order to leave the rank of the animal and join to the humanists who are characterized by mercy, charity and tenderness, and that who dies without witnessing it has failed to make use of his life and has lost his age in vain. God says: “...the worldly life is but a preparation for the hereafter”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 13, Ar-Ra’d (The Thunder), verse 26

In another verse He says: “The life of this world is but amusement and play. It is the Home in the Hereafter that is the true life: if they but knew.”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 29, Al-’Ankabut (The Spider), verse 64

God wanted to show us the great importance of this Night, so He says: