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Ramadan: The Sum of Spiritual Joys

Lead Article
No month of the year can sail along with as much joy that never fades and everlasting pleasure and love, as the month of Ramadan. Presenting the spirit, essence, and true meaning of all the gentle seasons of the year, the days and nights of Ramadan embrace hearts with their exclusive bliss, charm, and love, exciting them with an enthusiasm for life.
| M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 152 (Mar - Apr 2023)

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Ramadan: The Sum of Spiritual Joys

In This Article

  • The days of Ramadan all over the world are the sum of our spiritual joys, the helix of the divine light of progress, and the sphere of opportunity for the growth of all human virtues.
  • Ramadan, above all, is the month of the Qur’an; in this regard even the ones who have distanced themselves from the Qur’an throughout the year, those who are parched with a burning thirst, find themselves in this radiating ambience.
  • The timeless souls who can listen to the Qur’an as if it has been sent just for them can experience the flavor of paradisical fruits, the colors and beauty and the panoramic falls of the gardens and bays of the Heaven, and become enthusiastic and energized.

No month of the year can sail along with as much joy that never fades and everlasting pleasure and love, as the month of Ramadan. Presenting the spirit, essence, and true meaning of all the gentle seasons of the year, the days and nights of Ramadan embrace hearts with their exclusive bliss, charm, and love, exciting them with an enthusiasm for life.

The days of Ramadan all over the world are the sum of our spiritual joys, the helix of the divine light of progress, and the sphere of opportunity for the growth of all human virtues.

Communicating a special aura to the hearts, Ramadan reunites those parts of society that have fallen out of touch with one another; opening the way for all those in solitude to congregate, eliminating feelings of longing away from home. It is a banquet of emotions and ideas for everyone in varying dimensions, and awakes us all, one more time, to life.

Ramadan, above all, is the month of the Qur’an; in this regard even the ones who have distanced themselves from the Qur’an throughout the year, those who are parched with a burning thirst, find themselves in this radiating ambience. These days replenish the valleys of the psyches which have almost dried out with the spirit, meaning and mystery of the Qur’an; it transforms the heart into a flower garden and elates these people with the joy of existence. Then, they sense and receive the entire cosmos by and through the Qur’an, appreciating that the whole creation process is manifested therein, and are meek in astonishment and reverence. Sometimes they breathe with tears, and with tears do they discharge what they keep inside. They feel the veils have been removed, and they are now closer to God and in an abundance of joy.

The divine contents of the Qur’an can be comprehended only by those who can both hear the sound of the entire cosmos, and are also attuned to the human soul’s melody, a melody composed of fear and hope, worry and joy, dolor and cheer, all at the same time. The timeless souls who can listen to the Qur’an as if it has been sent just for them can experience the flavor of paradisical fruits, the colors and beauty and the panoramic falls of the gardens and bays of the Heaven, and become enthusiastic and energized. In the life philosophy of these people, metaphysics completes physics; meaning becomes the true content and gist of the matter, and everything becomes visible with their true value. An imaginary mystery is sensed on the countenances of these people, as if a secret intuition has been inspired by their receptiveness to the infinite sphere of the Divine Names and Attributes; a maturity, a satisfaction, a purity, a sincerity imbued by the piety of days fully engaged with the Qur’an. In no month other than the “Qur’an-oriented” Ramadan are the nights and days differentiated by different illuminations. Indeed, during Ramadan, the originality of the Qur’an shines in every glowing face.

Every single soul becomes purified from all spiritual shortcomings in an unprecedented dimension in Ramadan. This month grants such an abundance and prolificacy that almost everyone that shelters in its shadow can benefit from its wealth and riches and attain a spiritual sultanate.

During the whole of Ramadan, the nights enfold everything in their mysteries – mysteries so intimate and amiable – the days which embrace one’s emotions and thoughts with an unaccustomed pleasure are so warm and soft, the faces in faith are so affectionate and informed, the sounds that summon one to God are so caring, and above all, the total meaning of these are so touching that the ones who can open their hearts to this month of mercy, even temporarily, welcome the happiness of heaven after they have unburdened themselves of their worries and sorrows, one by one.

A heavenly month

Everything we do during Ramadan becomes so mysterious that the lights of the heavens seem to be pouring down on us. Magical poems as affectionate and warm as the lullabies composed in the very hearts of our mothers, and as profound and respectful as the glorification of angels are whispered alongside our praise of and gratitude to God. An exceptional mildness and warmth embrace our conscience as we comprehend Ramadan in its original profundity and become one with it in all dimensions of life... a sweet breeze of emotions blows here and there, revealing numerous occasions of love and reunion!

Throughout Ramadan, an endless sacred excitement can be sensed in the air; every single moment, from the legendary fascination of the nights to the mysterious minutes before dawn, a different flood of emotions prevails every moment. The dawn, with its mysterious and confidential aura, points us to particular bays where our wishes and needs shall be met, and it whispers the paths that we should follow to reach there. Days come with a lively breeze; a breeze that is also benign, polyphonic, and warmhearted. The evenings, on the other hand, loom on the horizon, always with the promise of a splendid feast; they make themselves felt through a series of bustling occasions that are related to  the time, they  appeal to both our bodies and souls. Evenings surround us with the excitement of both iftar meal and tarawih prayers; they hint to us that we are standing at the front door of a secret realm, make our souls appreciate the bliss of living a faithful life, inspiring our hearts with their sparks of love and passion for holy reunion.

In the same way, the nights stand on the horizon enveloped in a mystery of silence; they whisper to us of a private meeting with the Absolute Beloved; they lead us to transcendental ways of life and present compositions of paradisical melodies for those who are capable of hearing them. The nights keep on revealing things, no matter if we can comprehend them or not. Like circles joining one another, these mysterious utterances sometimes turn out to be such impressive orations that all, except the totally blind and deaf, hold their tongues and stand in astonishment while listening to these sermons that consist of neither letters nor words.


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