Ramadan Day 21

Bismillah ir-rahman, ir-rahhim (In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful)

It's much harder to blog daily then I realized! lol!!!

Only 8 more fasting days left of Ramadan! We are entering the final week-an extra spiritual time for fasting Muslims as we intend to open our hearts and become closer to God. This last week is our last chance to perfect our fast, a time for soul searching and great spiritual awakening. It is a time of great forgiveness and supplications (extra prayers). It was on the 27th day of Ramadan that our prophet Muhammad *(pbuh) received his first verses of the Koran. This night is called the 'night of power'. The night of power is believed to be better than a thousand months and during the night we pray extra prayers for everything and everyone. It is reported that the best time to do our extra prayers on the night of power is in the last part of the night. Abu Hurayrah reported that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “When the last one third of the night remains, our Lord, the Glorious One, descends towards the lower heaven and proclaims: Is there anyone supplicating to Me, so that I grant his supplication? Is there anyone begging of Me for anything, so that I grant him his wish? Is there anyone who seeks My forgiveness, so I forgive him?” (reported by Al-Bukhari)

During this night of power, I strive to be in a state to sincerely and wholly give everything to God; to accept that I am his blessed servant and to open my mind and my heart to His will-whatever that may be. This prayer isn't a prayer that one does and then forgets. I suppose it could be compared to making a New Years Resolution in a sense (although much deeper, more sincere and more intense). In previous years I have both taken this night very seriously and also not so seriously. The years I have sincerely opened my mind, heart, and soul to this prayer in the darkest hours of the night I have noticed life in the following months was gentler, kinder and my mind was more at ease. The years I slept through and didn't make the supplication, life was as complicated as ever and I was filled with an unexplainable heaviness.


So, with this last week, I am striving extra hard to not miss a prayer, to be charitable, kind and generous with my thoughts, my words, my actions and my giving of myself, time and money. Essentially, in this last week Muslims strive extra hard to live a life as perfect as they pray life to be and to be as charitable and forgiving (of others and themselves) as God is of all of his children.


*pbuh="peace and blessings upon him". This form of respect is said after mentioning any of God's prophets (Muhammad, Moses, Jesus, Abraham etc...).


Peace be upon all of you tonight and always.

p.s. for anyone interested in learning more about Islam, Muslims, Ramadan etc... the "teach yourself" series of books has an accurate Intro to Islam and the book "Muhammad" by Karen Armstrong is the best biographies on our prophet (pbuh).