By Shofi Ahmed

Alhamdulillah, we were fortunate to have completed 29 days of the blessed month of Ramadan. It’s worth cannot be compared to anything except for the next set of Ramadan due in a year’s time. May Allah SWT lead us to that. I was very fortunate to have written an article on the Qur’an each day spanning the entire month of Ramadan in 2003. It was published on Bangla Post, and I also shared the links on many chat groups. Many of you may have read it. I have a small question for you: did you read and reflect or just turn the page? I seem to have the answer. Let me explain.

Recently, people were clamouring for rain in Bangladesh due to the intense heat. All they could ask for was a downpour, which eventually came showering down on the land. It seemed as though even the birds and animals indulged in the cool downpour. But where did it come from? We know that rain is not a cool waterfall that streams down from high mountains. The truth is quite the opposite. Clouds climb high towards the sky before showering down on Earth. We know that rain on Earth doesn’t stream from the peak of a mountain; it comes deep down from the ocean. However, this fact doesn’t immediately pop up in our minds. It’s an example of how truth cannot be known effortlessly. It requires study and effort.

Now, pause for a moment or so. If the knowledge of the things surrounding us that benefit us in various ways, such as the source of rain, requires effort to be known, then what about the purpose of life and the Qur’an, which are much more important and substantial? Obviously, they demand a lot of effort. But do we make that effort? Very unlikely.

Often we are more focused on the virtues and rewards that Islam offers rather than delving into the vast wisdom, sciences, and arts of our religion. However, it is crucial that we make the effort to enrich ourselves by studying our religion in depth. Through this, we can better understand the natural events and phenomena that occur around us, and how they reflect the commands of Allah SWT designed for the benefit of all creatures, including humans. It is only through studying in depth that we can truly appreciate the beauty and significance of the Qur’an and the teachings of Islam.

Allah SWT says in the Qur’an “Say, ‘Are those who know equal to those who do not know?’ Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding.” – Qur’an 39:9

“The seeking of knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim.” – Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 1, Book 1, Hadith 224

This hadith highlights the importance of seeking knowledge for every Muslim, which includes in-depth study of the Qur’an. It is not enough to simply read or memorise the Qur’an, but one should also make an effort to understand its meaning and apply its teachings in their daily life.

Therefore, I can say that we, including myself, have hardly learned much from any of the 29 articles written in 29 days of Ramadan. But had we curiously dived deep into any of these articles, we could have found a likely scoop that we could have raised to our palate.

For example, the article written on fifteen Ramadan on Tawheed https://banglapost.co.uk/2023/04/69342/ discusses the interconnectedness and uniformity of the universe, and how this reflects the concept of Tawheed or the oneness of Allah SWT. It highlights how everything in the universe, from the smallest subatomic particle to the largest celestial bodies, are interconnected and follow a uniform set of laws and principles. The article then draws a parallel between this interconnectedness and the concept of Tawheed, which states that everything in the universe is connected to Allah SWT and subject to His will. The article concludes by emphasising the importance of recognizing this interconnectedness and how it can help us better understand the universe and our place within it, as well as strengthen our faith in Allah SWT.