The month of Ramadan is a special opportunity for refreshing the spirit of faith, sincerity, and spirituality within ourselves. Fasting, reciting the Quran, saying prayers, reading supplications and listening to words of advice: a combination of these abilities creates an opportunity for our hearts to benefit from this spiritual and otherworldly environment, within the scope of our talents and capacities. Perhaps, it can be said that during the 12 months in a year, this month is like the two, three hours before dawn on a 24-hour basis.
Those two, three hours before the morning Adhan [call to prayer] have a particular quality, during which time, one's spirituality and sincerity increases. Quranic ayahs insist on Muslims being awake during those hours, and this has also been mentioned in numerous narrations. This reveals that those two, three hours on a 24-hour basis have a certain quality which does not exist in other hours. Out of the twelve months of the year, the month of Ramadan is like those two, three hours: the month of Ramadan has this particular quality.
Well, this opportunity exists for all the people, but for the outstanding and managerial personalities of the country, this quality involves more privileges: this is because heavy responsibilities fall on our shoulders. Every day people are busy attending to their daily affairs, and they do not carry this heavy load. Their spiritual resource can push them forward, but when it comes to us – who have government responsibilities – if we do not strengthen our spiritual resource, we will not be able to do the necessary tasks and accomplish those heavy responsibilities.
Notice that Allah the Exalted says to the Holy Prophet – He says this to an honorable person like the Holy Prophet {p.b.u.h} – in Sura al-Muzzammil: "In the Name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful. Oh, you folded in garments. Stand to prayer by night, but not all night. Half of it or a little less and recite the Quran in slow, measured rhythmic tones," [The Holy Quran, 73: 1-4]. He says to the Holy Prophet {p.b.u.h.} that he should get up and pray, engage in supplication, and read the Quran throughout half of the night – more or less. Why should he? "Soon shall We send down to you a weighty message," [The Holy Quran, 73: 5]. Your job is difficult. You will encounter a difficult responsibility to undertake; therefore, you should be able to endure it. If you keep a vigil lit at night and engage in supplication [duas], you will be able to carry the load and transfer it to its destination; if you do otherwise, you will not be able to carry out your task. Our present condition is like this as well. My dear ones, if we do not strengthen our spiritual resource, we will fail at accomplishing our responsibilities. Wherever we are – ranging from this humble person, whose responsibility is heavier than everyone elses, to managers at various levels – we are all addressed by this ayah: "Soon shall We send down to you a weighty message." We should prepare ourselves.
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