The Holy Qur’ān, Our Salvation: Ramadan Reflections
Shaykhah Rukayya reflects on Sūrat al-Shams (91:9) and what it asks of us in Ramadan: clear the ground first, then plant. A piece first published in Muslim Views.
Shaykhah Rukayya Samsodien wrote this reflection ahead of Ramadan 2022 for Muslim Views, as part of the monthly series The Holy Qur’ān, Our Salvation by the Department of Quranic Affairs (DQA) of the Muslim Judicial Council (SA). Each instalment takes one verse and asks what it would look like to live by it for a month. This one takes verse nine of Sūrat al-Shams:
“Successful indeed is the one who purifies their soul.”
Read the original article on Muslim Views
Working on Our Inner State
Purifying the soul is one of the central aims of Ramadan. The scholars’ advice for doing it is summed up in a short Arabic phrase: al-takhallī qabla al-taḥallī. First rid yourself of dishonourable qualities, and only then adorn yourself with praiseworthy ones.
She points to the Mauritanian scholar Muḥammad Mawlūd b. Aḥmad Fāl, who, quoting Imām al-Ghazālī, says that knowing the diseases of the heart, their causes and their cure is obligatory. If simply studying them is a duty, she asks, how much more is the effort to treat them?
The Parable of the Two Farmers
Two farmers have similar land. The first clears it of twigs, rocks, weeds and loose roots, prepares the soil and then sows. The second skips all of that and scatters his seed straight into the weeds and stones.
Both will get something from the land, but the second farmer’s harvest will be limited, while the first farmer’s crops flourish. Our deeds are the same. Dishonesty, malice and backbiting are the weeds. Clear them, and the heart is ready for patience, generosity, kindness and loyalty.
Making It Practical
- Keep it small. Choose one or two qualities to let go of and one or two to build. Consistency is loved by Allah, and Ramadan has a limited number of days.
- Journal. Write down your progress and where you are slipping, so that you hold yourself to account.
- Do it together. Share your goals with your household and help one another towards good, as we are commanded to cooperate in righteousness.
We ask Allah for closeness to Him in this blessed Month of the Qur’ān. Āmīn.
