Ramadan, the Holy Quran and the crisis of the Muslim world
Answers to Everyday Issues
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The solar and lunar eclipse 2025: A reaffirmation of Ahmadiyyat
The True Revolution – Part 20
Part 80
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THE WEEKLY
www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 21 March 2025 | Issue CCCLXVI Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL, UK info@alhakam.org | ISSN 2754-7396
Reclaiming Ramadan: Beyond the feasts and aesthetic food pictures “Just found out Ramadan ‘fasting’ is having a massive breakfast before the sun comes up and dinner after the sun goes down… otherwise known as skipping lunch.” This social media comment, circulating on X, is unfortunately what some critics have been peddling about Ramadan – the holiest month for Muslims. As much as these remarks may sting, we must acknowledge that some Muslims have inadvertently contributed to this perception. Over the years, it has become an unspoken tradition – flooding social media with lavish Suhoor and Iftar spreads. The bigger the feast, the better. More food, more views. But let’s be clear: extravagant meals and aesthetic dinner setups were never the essence of fasting. Ramadan was never meant to be a month-long “all-you-can-eat buffet.” Those who have turned it into one sadly reflect the words of the Promised Messiahas, as Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra highlights: “This also refutes the notion held by certain individuals who, according to the Promised Messiahas, treat Ramadan as an opportunity for weight gain. The Promised Messiahas used to say that for some people, Ramadan is akin to the period of [abundant] fodder for a horse. During these days, they indulge in rich foods, ghee, and sweets, emerging from Ramadan physically heavier, much like a horse after a season of abundant fodder. Such practices diminish the true blessings of Ramadan. One should not assume that since they remained hungry all day, they are now entitled to overeat.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 3, pp. 194-195)
Hadith-e-Rasul – Sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
Congregational nawafil during Ramadan ُ
َ َﻋ ْﻦ َ�ﺎ� َﺸ َﺔ أ ّم اﻟ ْ ُﻤ ْﺆ ِ� ِﻨ �� ـ رﺿﻰ ا��� ﻋﻨﻬﺎ ِ َّ ََ ّٰ ّ ّٰ َ أ ّن َر ُﺳﻮل ا�� ِ� ﺻﻠﻰ ا�� ُ� �ﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ َﺻﻠﻰ َ َ َ َ ْ ُ ٌ َ َ َ َّ َ َ ﺛ َّﻢ،ﺎس ذات ﻟ ْﻴﻠ ٍﺔ �ِ� اﻟ َﻤ ْﺴ ِﺠ ِﺪ ﻓﺼﻠﻰ ﺑِﺼ��ﺗِ ِﻪ ﻧ َّ َ ُ َ َ َ َ ْ َ َّ َ ْ ﺛ ُ َّﻢ،ﺎس ُ اﻟﻨ اﺟ َﺘ َﻤ ُﻌﻮا ��ﺻﻠﻰ ِﻣﻦ اﻟﻘﺎﺑِﻠ ِﺔ ﻓﻜ َ َّ َ َ َّ َ َ ْ َ ّ اﻟﺜﺎﻟ َِﺜ ِﺔ أ ِو ِﻣ َﻦ اﻟﻠ ْﻴﻠ ِﺔ ﻓﻠ ْﻢ �� ُﺮ ْج،ا��اﺑِ َﻌ ِﺔ َ ّٰ ّٰ ُ ََ َ ﻓﻠ ّﻤﺎ،ِإﻟ ْﻴ�ِ ْ� َر ُﺳﻮل ا�� ِ� ﺻﻠﻰ ا��� �ﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ َّ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ َ َ َ ُ أ ْﺻ َﺒ� ﻗﺎل� ﻗﺪ َرأﻳْﺖ اﻟ ِﺬي َﺻ َﻨ ْﻌ� ْ� َوﻟ ْﻢ َ ُ ُ َ ُْ َ َ ّ َ َّ ْ َ َْ وج ِإﻟ ْﻴﻜ ْﻢ ِإ�� أ�ِ� ﺧ ِﺸﻴﺖ أ ْن ِ ﻳﻤﻨﻌ ِ�� ِﻣﻦ ا�� ُﺮ َ ﺗ ُ ْ� َ� َض َ�ﻠ َ ْﻴ ُﻜ ْﻢ؛ َو َذﻟ َِﻚ �� َر َﻣ َﻀ �ﺎن ِ
Hazrat Umm-ul-Momineen Aishahra narrated that Allah’s Messengersa prayed one night in the mosque, and people joined him. Then, on a subsequent night, he prayed again, and more people came. On the third or fourth night, the people again gathered, but Allah’s Messengersa did not go out to them. When morning came, he said, “I saw what you were doing. Only my fear that this prayer might become obligatory upon you prevented me from coming out.” This took place during Ramadan.
These words are more relevant than ever. Let’s look at the statistics. By 2050, over half of adults and nearly a third of children worldwide are expected to be overweight or obese, affecting more than 3.8 billion adults and 746 million youths. (“Obesity rates soaring globally in ‘monumental social failure’, study says”, www.reuters.com) In the United States alone, obesity costs state and local governments $2.2 billion in increased spending. It leads to higher absenteeism, disability leave and decreased productivity, which greatly burdens the economy and individuals. (“The Economic Impact of Obesity”, https://stop. publichealth.gwu.edu/) As Muslims who advocate fasting as a spiritual and physical remedy, we must reclaim the true essence of fasting. The Holy
Quran clearly states: “Fasting is good for you, if you only knew.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.185) If fasting is meant to discipline our bodies and souls, then turning it into an unhealthy spectacle of indulgence is a grave injustice. The companions of Prophet Muhammadsa understood this better than anyone. Regarding their Suhoor and Iftar, it is mentioned in Tafsir-e-Kabir: “During the time of the Holy Prophetsa, the Companions did not engage in any formalities for Iftar. Some would break their fast with dates, others with salt, some with water, and some with bread. It is important for us as well to revive this practice and bring back the example set by the Holy Prophetsa and his Companions.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 3, p. 195) Continued on page 3
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words
The Reality of the Station of Prophethood What is prophethood? It is a Godgiven gift. If it were a station that could be earned, everyone would become a Prophet. The very nature of the Prophets is such that they do not fall prey to an inappropriate chain of discourse—they do not engage in this ‘converse with the inner self ’ that I have just mentioned. Other people, however, take on a state where they become so engrossed in these ex- changes that they lose sight of God altogether. Prophets, on the other hand, are free from this and they are so lost in God, and so absorbed in discourse and con- verse with Him, that their hearts and Continued on page 3