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Sunday 31 July 2011

GE-13: Only one chance to vote out BN

GE-13: Only one chance to vote out BN


Despite the popularity of Pakatan Rakyat the 13th general election is still a David vs. Goliah contest on an unlevel playing field where the incumbent has colossal advantages in media, money and machinery.  BN controls all the levers of power including the most crucial one, the Election Commission and is not ashamed to use whatever means - fair or foul - to beat off the PR challenge, mostly foul.
Given the unevenness of the contest I venture to say that the 13th G.E. will be more of a contest on whether BN can regain its two-thirds majority rather than a frenzied fight for Putrajaya. The two most crucial states to the campaign, namely Sarawak and Sabah which together contribute 25% of the parliamentary seats still remain BN’s fixed deposit to a large degree. In Sabah the illegal immigrants absorbed into the electoral rolls have undermined the right to self-determination of native Sabahans.
However all is not doom and gloom and there still remains a thin wedge of chance that PR can overcome the odds to unseat the juggernaut BN. It all hinges on that ever recurring political event in Umno – a power struggle – coupled with a serious underestimation of civil society by the corridors of power.
Pakatan’s Last Stand
But first of all, let us consider what happens if PR fails to unseat BN from Federal power. The signs are already clear that BN will take certain steps to ensure it will never have to face the threat of losing power again. This will be achieved not by increasing BN’s popularity but by underhanded methods to compromise the electoral process so that BN can rule without fear of losing power, short of a street revolution.
Already the Election Commission is in collusion with an enthusiastic BN to implement an opaque biometric verification system which will allow BN greater scope to cheat using phantom voters and illegal immigrants issued with MyKads. Co-incidentally or maybe not, the biometric data of 2 million foreign workers are being collected. This expensive system which is largely useless for preventing multiple voting is favoured instead of the much cheaper and simpler indelible ink which would put the brakes on phantom voters.
Even more ominous, the government is establishing Territorial Army companies in all 222 parliamentary constituencies and there are rumblings that they will eventually be given postal votes. When army companies are established by parliamentary constituencies instead of more appropriate criteria one can infer that their main purpose is not the defence of the country.
Both the biometric system and the Territorial army companies are not expected to be implemented in time for the 13th G.E. but will be firmly in place for the 14th G.E. We should also not forget that gerrymandering will be another BN weapon in the 14th G.E. as the present delineation of electoral boundaries is not expected to be completed in time for the 13th G.E.
What this means is that the 13th G.E. may well be the last window of opportunity left for the people to choose their government before the regime entrench itself through a severely compromised electoral system. The 13th G.E. will be Pakatan's last stand before Malaysia becomes a full-fledged dictatorship with false trappings of democracy.
Najib’s Last Stand
But if the 13th GE is Pakatan’s last stand it is also Najib’s last stand. The writing on the wall is clear. Get back BN’s two-third majority or be pulled down.
Throughout most of Najib’s troubled premiership he has been dogged with odd acts of sabotage by his subordinates especially with regards to his 1Malaysia concept. Things have come to a head now and it is no longer possible to ignore the rumblings of a power struggle in Umno.
Recent events point to this tumult in the corridors of power. The police’s heavy oppression of the Bersih rally bordering on the ludicrous as if to enrage civil society, the flip-flop by Najib on the stadium offer to Bersih (probably forced by hardliners), the leakage to the media of Rosmah’s RM24 million diamond ring, the formation of Amanah and Najib’s cutting short his family holiday to rush back to Malaysia are symptoms of this struggle.
The unjust and illogical detention of the PSM-6 for frivolous reasons can only be intended to weaken Najib politically. Although they have released the damage has already been done. When a deputy Minister starts criticizing the handling of the Bersih rally the fight has shifted to the public arena.
The anti-Najib faction cannot allow him to win two-thirds majority in the next general election or his job will be safe. The conspirators have to weaken him politically and limit the extent of cheating in the polls to give PR a chance.
But they walk a fine line as there is a danger of overdoing things. The 13th G.E. is a David vs. Goliath battle but when two giants battle David may sneak in and run away with the crown.
Civil Society Strikes Back
On his first day as Prime Minister, Najib Razak said:
“Economic progress and better education have directly resulted in the birth of a class of voters who are better informed, very demanding and highly critical. If we do not heed this message, their seething anger will become hatred and in the end this may cause them to abandon us altogether.”
Unfortunately Najib did not follow his own advice nor did he impose this on his subordinates or the instruments of government. The intelligence of Malaysians are being insulted on an almost daily basis as if our society exists in the time warp of the 1970s when access to information was limited and the word of the government was trusted. Whether it is the imaginative reasons manufactured to demonize the Bersih rally, Anwar’s shaky sodomy trial held together by a compliant judge or the speculative suicide verdict of the Teoh RCI, Malaysians are being treated as gullible simpletons.
Civil society is frustrated and infuriated at the government’s lack of respect for them. The government is behaving like a dictatorship and not a democracy. They have taken their frustration to cyberspace and the social media and will find an outlet in the next general election. BN has completely lost the urban middle class. They have also lost the Chinese, the Indians, Christian, the fence sitters and the young voters.
But the people who talk down to others are themselves not smart enough to realize the effect they are causing. There is a sharp disconnect between state and society fostered no doubt by a sycophantic press which deprives the government of valuable feedback.  The stage is set for a swing of anti-BN votes to PR by those who want an alternative to an abusive and corrupt government, any alternative as long as it is not BN.
Pakatan’s Strategies
However PR should not celebrate yet because it takes a lot to displace BN. It is not enough to be a little more popular than BN, it takes overwhelming support to overwhelm BN’s cheating.
To level the playing field a little PR should push for implementation of at least three essential election reforms, namely proper conduct of postal votes, use of indelible ink and allowing all overseas Malaysians to vote.
There should not be any more public dissent within the group. PR must present a united front and a cohesive group. All arguments should be behind closed doors and no party or individual should go to the press to settle any argument.
For the first time ever the opposition front can claim to be able to displace BN with a high degree of credibility. This changes the dynamics completely from merely trying to be a strong opposition to being a government in waiting. PR is now able to make wide sweeping promises of what it intends to do it if it wins the election.
Promises such as reducing the price of oil and electricity to relieve the burden of the people can be made with good effect. Even BN traditional strongholds like Felda can be breached by promising a better deal for them. However populist measures such as distributing cash should not be made. The intelligence of Malaysians should be respected and the public knows what is sustainable and what is not.
The later the election is held the more favourable for PR with more young voters joining the rolls, more BN scandals emerging and the economy biting deeper. If it is to be held this year it will probably be November and we should know by October when Najib presents the budget. If an election budget is presented and should the Election Commission be as stubborn as it is now, Bersih 3.0 should be called and this time it should be held in every major town. The EC may still not act but it will deal BN a few body blows or even buy more time for PR if the election is postponed to next year.
The People’s Last Stand
The 13th G.E. may be the one and only time that Malaysians have any chance of replacing BN with another government. Such a chance may never come again as the goalposts will be moved after the 13th G.E. It should be noted that the present level of cheating will not work if Malaysians come out in large numbers and vote against BN.
We should not waste any votes on so-called third force parties like MCLM, HRM and KITA. Such split voting will only help to BN retain its power. There is no such thing as a third force unless there is a two party system in place. Although the level of support for PR is high enough to be considered a two party system in theory this is only true if both parties respect the rules of democracy. If the ruling party continues to oppress the opposition, abuse its power and corrupts all the institutions of democracy to perpetuate its rule while depending on a compromised election system to win, it is still a one party totalitarian rule in practice. A two party a system will only be in place if BN loses power at least once.
There are some who do not like BN but think that PR is not good enough to get their votes. They are missing the point because it is not about voting angels to parliament but creating a two party system. What can angels do in Parliament if BN is still the Federal power? MCLM which prides itself on selecting sterling candidates should answer this question. If PR does not perform we can easily vote them out but the same cannot be said of BN.
Another type of voters fear change and prefer to maintain the status quo. “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t” is their adage. But they fail to understand that the status quo cannot be maintained if BN continues to rule. There is only so much economic plunder and uncompetitive racial policies that one country can take. Economic decline has a way of accelerating exponentially. When we become a maid exporting country everybody will suffer except the Umnoputras.
The 13th general election represents a nexus of conducive factors which may just work together to push out BN. A united opposition, a power struggle in Umno, an alienated civil society and most important of all, an election system which isn’t totally corrupted yet. This is not only Pakatan’s last stand but also the People’s last stand against tyranny and economic mismanagement. The chance may never come again.
-  Malaysia Chronicle

Malott dares "never cheated" Najib to implement 4 key election reforms

Malott dares "never cheated" Najib to implement 4 key election reforms


Former US ambassador to Malaysia John Malott has dared Prime Minister Najib Razak to put his money where his mouth is and prove that UMNO "has never cheated in any election" by implementing 4 key reforms, including allowing foreign observers and the use of indelible ink.
In a hard-hitting open letter to Najib and sent to Malaysiakini, Malott - who is believed to have been barred from entering the country due his outspokeness - urged Najib not to keep reneging on his word.
"You say that Malaysia's elections are free and fair. Now you have a chance to prove it to the outside world and remove all doubts. And if your party wins, then the Malaysian people - and the world - might finally be convinced," wrote Malott.
"As a result of the developments on July 9, the world is now paying increased attention to Malaysia.  In particular, we now wonder how free and fair your nation's elections are. We have learned that some of your country's citizens believe that Malaysia needs electoral reform. On July 9, they marched with a coalition called Bersih 2.0, and they called for free and fair elections."
"You responded by declaring Bersih illegal and suppressing the 'Walk for Democracy' with overwhelming police force. The world noticed your heavy-handed reaction, and it wondered why a peaceful demonstration calling for fair elections bothered you so much - so much so that you were willing to risk Malaysia's international reputation - and give your country and yourself a major black eye."
No reason not to implement
Malott called on the Malaysian leader to push through 4 easy to implement and effective electoral reforms. Outlawed polls pressure group Bersih 2.0 had asked for 8.
The concessions that Malott advised are:
1) Allow international groups to observe your elections. Based on your assertions, they will find nothing amiss, and their reports will give credibility to Malaysia's election results.
2) Allow observers from all political parties to witness the postal balloting that takes place on military bases. For years, the opposition has said that something is amiss. But since you say that Umno never cheats, I am sure that they will find nothing wrong, and you will be vindicated.
3) Let's put an end to all the accusations about phantom voters by using a simple, effective and cheap solution - indelible ink. 
Your Elections Commission wants a super-sophisticated biometric system, but there is no way it can be in place by then - and many people worry that it can be manipulated. Indelible ink works - just ask the world's largest democracy, India. I don't think anyone has ever disputed the results of India's elections in over 60 years.
4) Finally, let RTM be truly independent, like the BBC and NHK and the public broadcasting systems in Australia, France, Germany, and elsewhere in the world. RTM does not belong to Umno. It belongs to the people. As long as RTM - funded by all the people of Malaysia - acts as the propaganda arm of the 25 percent of Malaysians who voted for Umno, no one can believe that Malaysia's elections are fair and free.
Reason for over-reaction - refusal to give up power
Indeed, Najib has disgusted a lot of Malaysians, both at home and abroad with his over-reaction to the rally. He and his UMNO party had feared it could trigger a wave of consciousness for social reform, and blaze a trail for Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and his Pakatan Rakyat coalition to win. The next national polls is not due to be called until March 2013, but local experts say the latest Najib will delay is early next year.
In the runup to the rally, the greater Najib's paranoia and the more brutal the police crackdowns, the more fiercely the people rejected his leadership. On D-Day, July 9, some 50,000 filled the streets of Kuala Lumpur. They locked arms, chanted, and sang the national anthem. By then it was clear, Najib had mishandled the rally. A slew of global rebukes followed, and to save his dignity, Najib is insisting that Bersih had ulterior motives, and wanted to topple his government. The UMNO-owned Utusannewspaper even suggested that Bersih was the work of 'Jews'.
By now, all of the nearly 2,000 people detained in the runup to and during the July march, have been released. Six socialist leaders remanded under the draconian Emergency Ordinance for rekindling communism and waging war against the King were freed just a day ago.
Time is running out
Bersih chairwoman Ambiga Sreenevasan has begun a public debate with the Election Commission deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar. So far he has agreed to extend the 7-day campaigning period but refused to raise it all the way to 21 as Bersih had requested.
Sad to say, this is about all that the EC is willing to concede. Wan Ahmad has even insisted that he was powerless to implement changes and only the Najib administration could do so. Legal experts have said that this was a lie as the federal consititution clearly empowered the EC.
Hence, there is growing nervousness now. Some believe that Najib would declare a police state rather than to agree to reforms as there is a strong chance that he might lose in a free and fair competition. Hence, a recent round of calls both from within and outside Malaysia for him to pursue a wiser and fairer course of action.
"Governments that manipulate elections have lots to cover up. But you say that your elections are free and fair, so that means you have nothing to be afraid of showing to all of us in the outside world, not to mention your own people," said Malott.   - Malaysia Chronicle
Malaysia Chronicle appends below the full-text of his rather hard-hitting statrment
An open letter to PM Najib
You say that Malaysia's elections are free and fair. Now you have a chance to prove it to the outside world and remove all doubts. And if your party wins, then the Malaysian people - and the world - might finally be convinced.
As a result of the developments on July 9, the world is now paying increased attention to Malaysia.
In particular, we now wonder how free and fair your nation's elections are. We have learned that some of your country's citizens believe that Malaysia needs electoral reform. On July 9, they marched with a coalition called Bersih 2.0, and they called for free and fair elections.
You responded by declaring Bersih illegal and suppressing the 'Walk for Democracy' with overwhelming police force. The world noticed your heavy-handed reaction, and it wondered why a peaceful demonstration calling for fair elections bothered you so much - so much so that you were willing to risk Malaysia's international reputation - and give your country and yourself a major black eye.
When you returned from your visit to Europe, you declared that Malaysia's elections truly are free and fair, and that Umno has never cheated in any election.
I am glad to hear that.
Because it means that in Malaysia's next general elections, you have nothing to hide. 
Governments that manipulate elections have lots to cover up. But you say that your elections are free and fair, so that means you have nothing to be afraid of showing to all of us in the outside world, not to mention your own people. 
Therefore, I am sure that you are willing to readily agree to the following proposals:
1) Allow international groups to observe your elections. Based on your assertions, they will find nothing amiss, and their reports will give credibility to Malaysia's election results.
2) Allow observers from all political parties to witness the postal balloting that takes place on military bases. For years, the opposition has said that something is amiss. But since you say that Umno never cheats, I am sure that they will find nothing wrong, and you will be vindicated.
3) Let's put an end to all the accusations about phantom voters by using a simple, effective and cheap solution - indelible ink. 

Your Elections Commission wants a super-sophisticated biometric system, but there is no way it can be in place by then - and many people worry that it can be manipulated. Indelible ink works - just ask the world's largest democracy, India. I don't think anyone has ever disputed the results of India's elections in over 60 years.
4) Finally, let RTM be truly independent, like the BBC and NHK and the public broadcasting systems in Australia, France, Germany, and elsewhere in the world. RTM does not belong to Umno. It belongs to the people. As long as RTM - funded by all the people of Malaysia - acts as the propaganda arm of the 25 percent of Malaysians who voted for Umno, no one can believe that Malaysia's elections are fair and free.

So, my dear Prime Minister, it's all very simple. You say that Malaysia's elections are free and fair. Now you have a chance to prove it to the outside world and remove all doubts. And if your party wins, then the Malaysian people - and the world - might finally be convinced. 

If you refuse these suggestions, then the doubts will linger, and your assertions about the honesty of Malaysia's election will continue to be questioned. 

Sincerely,
John Malott
Taken from Malaysian Chronicle

No time like Ramadan time


RAMADAN MUBARAK Soon, once again, the blessed month of Ramadan will be with us; once again, like ‘golden hours on angel wings’, will descend upon us its blessed moments.
Like every other year since Hijrah (the Migration of the Prophet from Makkah to Madinah), it will summon Muslims, as individuals and as a corporate body, to an intense and sustained life of Fasting and Prayer, of worship and obedience, of devotion and discipline — all centered on the Quran which, too, was sent down in these very moments in the custody of ‘noble and trustworthy’ angels. Call will go forth to every believer to take to prolonged companionship with the Book of God. To a life of redoubled endeavor to become what God desires Muslims to be. Ramadan bids our hearts and minds, our society and polity, to come to.

Joyfully and dutifully the Muslims will respond. Every day will be spent in Fasting: from dawn to sunset, for one whole month, not a morsel of food, nor a drop of water, indeed nothing shall pass down the throat; nor will sex be indulged in.

Each night, hours will be devoted to standing in Prayers before Allah, reciting and reading His words as sent down in the Quran. During the day, too, reading the holy text will be a cherished business.

Fasting, in one form or another, has always been an important and often necessary part of religious life, discipline and experience in every faith.

As a means par excellence to come nearer to God, to discipline the self, to develop the strength to overcome the temptations of flesh, it needs no emphasis. Yet Islam turns Fasting, as it does every other act of worship and devotion, into something different and unique, the life-giving centre of life.

How does it impart new meaning and force to Fasting?

Put simply: by prescribing for it the time of Ramadan. This may sound like making things too simplistic, or trivializing the important. But Ramadan is no trivial event. For it is the month ‘in which was sent down the Quran: the Guidance for mankind, with manifest truths of guidance and the Criterion [by which to judge the true and the false’ (Al-Baqarah 2:185). It was on a night in Ramadan that the last Divine message began to come down: ‘Read in the name of your Lord...’ (Al-Alaq 96:1). That is why you must fast in Ramadan, says the Quran.

Ramadan therefore centers the entire discipline of Fasting on the Quran. The sole purpose is to prepare us for receiving the Divine guidance, for living the Quran, for witnessing the Truth and Justice that it perfects, for striving to make the word of God supreme.

How is this purpose achieved?

The fruit of Fasting ought to be that rich inner and moral quality which the Quran calls taqwa: ‘Ordained for you is Fasting . . . so that you might develop taqwa’ (2:183).

The most basic condition for being guided by the God, too, istaqwa. The significance is plain to see. Fasting, linked to Ramadan in which Allah’s guidance came down, generates ataqwa which becomes directed on the supreme goal of entering the world of the Quran and of living therein, instead of being a spiritual ecstasy to be frittered away in the delights of soul.

It becomes the key with which can be unlocked all the doors leading to the blessings which the Quran has to offer; honour, prosperity and freedom from fear and anxiety in this-world; success, Paradise and God’s good pleasure in the life-to-come. No time for Fasting other than Ramadan could have made taqwa such a potent force.

More importantly, the fulfillment of being guided by the Quran comes about when we strive to discharge the mission it entrusts to us. For, having the Book of God — a weighty word — places on our shoulders a heavy responsibility: to hear is to make it heard, to know is to act, to have is to share, to say shahadah is to do shahadah. This means an unflinching pursuit to create a new self within us, and to create a new world of Quranic ideals outside us.

This is the sole purpose for which a new Ummah was created and charged with the mission of bringing man to God by witnessing to His guidance, ‘so that you be witnesses unto mankind, and the Messenger be witness unto you’ (Al-Baqarah 2: 143). Otherwise, when the Quran came, the world was not devoid of godly men who fasted, and stood in prayers before God, and wept.

Discharging that mission requires immense inner and moral resources like knowledge of and devotion to the Quran, strong faith (Iman), resolve and steadfastness (sabr). For it is no light task. Few have a full and clear understanding of what it means. Let us pause here and reflect why, otherwise we shall never grasp what the Ramadan Fasting is for and what it achieves.

When in Ramadan the first ray of Divine revelation reached the Prophet, blessings and peace be on him, in Cave Hira (left), its message of "Iqra" was impregnated with world-shaking forces; he, therefore. trembled.
The second revelation made things clear: ‘arise and warn; make the greatness of your Lord the greatest’ (Al-Muddaththir 74:2-3); he, then, took up his task with a single-minded dedication, and encountered stiff opposition. For, the call to ‘let God be the Greatest’ (fakabbir) implied that all false claiments — and every claimant is false — to greatness, to unlimited power, authority and lordship over men and things, to obedience, loyalty and servitude from God’s creatures be challenged, and dethroned.

This, it is not difficult to see, requires supreme sacrifices in ‘giving up’ (hijrah) everything one loves and fighting with all that one possesses for the sake of that love of Allah which must be greater than all else (Al-Baqarah 2:165). A
life of Jihad therefore necessarily requires important qualities: knowledge of and devotion to the Quran, deep and strong faith (Iman), resolve and steadfastness (sabr), total trust (tawakkul) and, of course, taqwa.
Read the Quran and you will find every promise of success here and in the Hereafter conditional upon these qualities. Fasting, combined with the Quran recital in night-prayers, generates these rich resources which Ramadan harnesses to the fulfilment of the Quranic mission.

First, look at taqwa. What is it? Literally it means saving ourselves from harm. In moral life, therefore, taqwa must primarily mean. firstly, accepting that some actions and beliefs are harmful, that is to say, right and wrong do exist, and secondly, having the resolve and will to avoid the wrong and do the right. As a consequence, thirdly, his conduct should reflect this consciousness and resolve, if he is not a hypocrite.

To have the Quranic taqwa, which will entitle us to its guidance, we must know that there are realities and values beyond matter, beyond what we are incapable of perceiving by our physical senses, beyond this world, that man needs to be guided to what is right and what is wrong, (yu'minuna bil- ghayb). We should also be prepared to submit, willingly, all that we possess — mind, body, wealth — to the truth that we know and believe (yuqimunas salata wa mimma razaqnahum yunfiqun).

Every moment in Ramadan engraves these lessons on our hearts. Integrates them in our practice. The most elementary physical needs — food and water and sleep — are readily and joyfully sacrificed. Hunger and thirst are no more harmful; God’s displeasure is. Physical pleasures no more hold any lure; God's rewards do. The scale of values is turned upside down. The measure of comfort and pain, success and failure is radically changed. Without this change, none is entitled to take up Allah’s cause.

To the uninitiated, or an outsider, the devotional regimen of Ramadan may appear harsh and austere, but, in fact, it is eagerly awaited by believers. The sighting of new moon, the crescent that signals the beginning of Ramadan is met with celebrations and jubilation. Even children — who are not required to fast — look forward to their first experience of Ramadan fasting. The sick, too, remain restless for having been deprived of this blessing. Such jubilation and eagerness, to sacrifice time, wealth, and life in submitting to whatever God asks of us, and a regret and sorrow if prevented from doing so for reasons beyond our control, is highly desirable in the way of Allah.

These qualities spring from genuine faith in heart. For a Muslim the fast is primarily a commandment to his person, though its collective aspect is no less important. Little wonder, then, that individuals gladly take on the tribulations of Ramadan as an expression of their faith. Just as Fast is something special between man and his God which only He can reward, so should we take Jihad to be.

Whatever the physical discomfort, the mortification of flesh is certainly not a desired object in Islam. The gifts of God are there to be enjoyed, but the limits by Him must also be strictly observed — that is another lesson of taqwa in Ramadan. As the sun sets, the fast must be broken, and sooner the better. All that became forbidden at His command, becomes permissible, again at His command.

Similarly eating before dawn is strongly urged, even though the hour is unearthly. For it provides the necessary strength for the rigors of the day ahead. Fasting and praying are obvious acts of worship, but eating, drinking and sleeping, too, constitute forms of worship. So in the way of Allah: what matters is His command, the whole life must witness to Him.

The month-long regimen of dawn-to-sunset abstinence from food, drink and sex, for the sake of Allah alone, internalizes the lesson that one must never touch, acquire or enter that which does not belong to one under the law of God. A man can no more remain a slave to his own self-indulgence as he prepares for the arduous journey on the road to his Lord.

For many it is difficult to see the value of long hours of hunger, thirst and sleeplessness. Productivity losses are difficult to accept in an age that has tried to make gods of gross national product and economic growth.
According to Islam, however, man is created to live a life of total submission to the One and Only God, and this purpose must be paramount in all scales of values. Ramadan fasting is crucial to this understanding. It shows that its purpose, like God’s guidance through His Prophets and Books and all other rituals of worship, is to train the believer in how he must live totally and unreservedly, at all costs, in submission to God.

Obedience, let there be no misunderstanding, is not limited to mere outward conformity with the letter of law. The law must be observed, but evil, in all its forms, must be eschewed.
lbn Majah the great Hadith scholar, reports that the Prophet said: When the month of Ramadan arrives, the gates of Paradise are flung open while those of Hell are closed. All the shayatin (satans) are put in chains and a herald cries out: 'O you who seek good come here and those who desire evil desist'.

Imam Bukhari, the most renowned Hadith scholar narrates: Eyes should refrain from seeing evil, ears from hearing evil, heart from reflecting evil, tongue from speaking evil. The Prophet said: ‘One who does not give up speaking false words and acting by them is not required by God that he give up only his food and drink.’ On another occasion he said: ‘Many are the observers of fast who gain nothing from their fast but hunger and thirst’ (Sunan Darimi).

As a collective experience Ramadan suffuses the entire life of communities with the spirit of taqwa; even the air, it seems, is changed with a new fervor. In Ramadan we can see a beautiful example of how Islam unites the individual and the society under the sovereignty of One Lord alone.

In Ramadan, therefore, the demands of Allah take precedence over all other demands; no part of personality, no aspect of our life remains outside His writ, even aspects as mundane as timings for eating and going to bed. Thus, will is strengthened, determination is reinforced, spirit of sacrifice is intensified, self-control is heightened.

But, above all, the life in Ramadan revolves, as it must, round the Quran which, as the Word of God, must become the core of all devotional activities. At least one reading of Quran is a required duty during nightly Prayers, after the 'Isha.' But it ought to be extensively recited both within and without ritual prayers.
Ramadan is not only the annual celebration of the coming down of the Quran by disciplining every moment of life into surrender of God, it is also the occasion for heart and mind to get absorbed in its words and teachings.

Closely linked to fasting is the nightly prayer. Sleep is deliberately avoided to enter into communion with God’s words, to prostrate before Him, and thus to move nearer to Him. It is during the quiet and calm of the night that we can dwell upon God’s words, and the truths which might otherwise elude us can be grasped.

No time is like the Ramadan time. For in it lies that night which is ‘better than a thousand months’, the ‘Night of Destiny ... in it the angels and the Spirit descend’ (Al­-Qadr 97:1-4). It is ‘that blessed night in which was made distinct everything wise’ and ‘a warning’ and a ‘mercy’ was sent down which God has always sent for mankind (Al­-Dukhan 44:3-6).

That is why the Fasting is placed in Ramadan. In this technological age, when clock has become the only measure of time and every concept of sacredness of time has been erased from human memory, some may find it difficult to visualize how every moment of Ramadan encompasses centuries in it, how it allows us to draw nearer to God at a much faster pace.
Acts of virtue during the month are especially rewarded; an obligatory act (fard) increases seventy times; a voluntary one (nafl) is rewarded like the obligatory. Each of its moments offers immense possibility of great spiritual journeys. As the poet Iqbal said:

Far though the valley of love may be,
a long and terrible way,
The path of a hundred years may be
traveled at times in a sigh.


If Ramadan is blessed because the Quran began to come down in this month; it is blessed, too, because the Quran triumphed in this month. The Quran is the al-­Furqan (criterion by which to judge the truth and the falsehood); in Ramadan falls that day which the Quran calls the Yawmul Furqan, Day of Criterion, on which the truth and the falsehood were judged, and the Truth triumphed. That was the Day of Badr, when the Prophet, blessings and peace be on him, beseeched God for help and victory thus: 'O God if this group perishes today, You will not be worshipped any more’ (Ibn Ishaq). This was both a petition and a pledge; an expression of the final goal of all of his strivings, and of what our lives ought to be devoted to. Only an inattentive mind can ignore the significant link between al-Furqan descending in Ramadan and Yawmul Furqan falling in Ramadan.

Thus, to come back to the center: Ramadan reminds us of our mission, the only purpose of our existence as Muslims. It prepares us to discharge that mission; it deepens our consciousness, brings us closer to Quran and the Prophet, blessings and peace be on him, strengthens our resolve, schools us to taqwa and patience.

The end of Ramadan brings Eid al-Fitr, the feast of the breaking of the fast, which celebrates the revelation of the Quran. The Quran makes it clear: ‘that you complete the number, and proclaim the greatness of God for His having guided you, and that you render your thanks’ (2:185). Man’s response to the Divine initiative of guidance must be gratitude and extolling Him as the Greatest. That is why constantly on lip is the tasbih: "Allahuakbar. . . walillahil-Hamd".

Even so, the heart still remembers wistfully the trying days and the silent, busy nights when the soul was engulfed in a dawn of light and cries out:

Stand still, you ever moving
sphere of heaven,
That time may cease, and
midnight never come.
Taken from Harakah

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