Hazrat Ameer’s Eid ul Fitr Message

Those to whom We have given the Book follow it as it ought to be followed. These believe in it. And whoever disbelieves in it, these it is that are the losers. (2:121)

Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Assalaam-o-Alaikum Wa Rakhmatullahi Wa Barakaato Hoo.

A very Happy Eid Mubarak to you all!

We have just achieved the goal we set before us to observe the sacred month of Ramadan by fasting, maintaining the mandatory prayers as well as the additional ones in the form of nawafil and tahajjad. We praised Allah through the day and forsook our sleep for observing the sehr and praying in the quiet of the night. We were able to repent for our sins and plead to God to save us from His displeasure and wrath. Many of us joined the taraveeh prayer and listened to the Qur’an being recited, thus fulfilling another command of Allah:

And when the Qur’an is recited, listen to it and remain silent, that mercy may be shown to you.’ (7:204)

As we observed the fast, the foremost thought in our minds was that this was the month of revelation of the Holy Qur’an. By fasting we were expressing our gratitude to Allah for having revealed this Book for our guidance.
The verse I have cited above states that:

Those to whom We have given the Book follow it as it ought to be followed. These believe in it.

Being Muslims we are the lucky ones who have been given this Book, that is, the Holy Qur’an. So it is imperative for us to ‘follow it as it ought to be followed’.

It is important to note that the word yatloona in Arabic is derived from the root ta la wa which means ‘he followed it’ or ‘did according to it’, and this is the point of reflection in today’s message. Does mere reciting of the Qur’an suffice? Does the mere listening to it in taraveeh prayers suffice?

If we listen or read without appreciating the contents, how can we be able to follow or do according to it? If we do not make an effort to understand the Qur’an or bother to know what commands it contains, how will we be able to mould our lives according to its guidelines? This is a Book sent ‘as guide to those who keep their duty’, that is, ‘who want to become mutaqeen’; those who want to act upon and not just profess the faith.

Let us take this Eid ul Fitr as the day of further strengthening the ties we have developed with Allah by having observed in true spirit the Holy Month of Ramadan. Let this be a day when we resolve to understand the Qur’an and obey every command in it. Let this be a day when we show our sincere determination to continue to maintain and improve on the advancement we have made in the month of Ramadan and thus become of those who follow the Book as it ought to be followed.

I pray that we succeed in continuing to progress towards nearness to Allah and become true mutaqeen, the God-fearing people whose every act is to please Allah. This will fulfil in true spirit the aim of our fasting.

Aameen