Ramadan reflections: Day 3

Alhamdulillah today was the 3rd day of Ramadan. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala accept our fasts, ameen! This month is the month of the Qur'an. The Qur'an was revealed to our beloved prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihe wa sallam in this month. It is highly recommended to recite and ponder upon the Qura'n during this month. There are so many people who will be completing the recitation of the whole Qur'an during this month. Some will even do it twice/thrice or more than that. But how many of us will try understand what Allah subhana wa ta'ala is telling us through His Book?

I think, this is the only Book which lots of people recite but don't really understand what its talking about. Even a kid who reads any book wants to find out what the author is talking about in his book. But we are quite pleased with ourselves if we can just manage to recite the Qur'an during this blessed month! Do we really have any excuse in front of our Rabb!?! Most of us are university graduates. MashAllah lots of us are professionals. We are well-versed with politics and various issues in our societies. But when it comes to Qur'an, Allah's Book, we are illiterate. 

Ibn Uthaiymeen (Rahimallah) said that the majority of  Muslims enter Ramadan and exit it, without any true impact. [Buluugh v. 7 p.163] This statement saddens me but can I really deny this bitter truth? 

I hope this Ramadan I can really change myself for the better. I am hoping not to just recite my Rabb's Book but to ponder upon it bi'idnillahi ta'ala. A great way of understanding the Qur'an is to listen and read explanation of the verses. When I listen/read tafseer, and then read the verse , the feeling is completely different. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala mentions in Surah Baqara ( the verse of Ramadan is mentioned only once in the Qur'an) that fasting in Ramadan is prescribed to us so that we can gain taqwa (God consciousness). He also says that He reveled the glorious Qur'an during this month. Let us do our best to study and ponder upon His Book. Let us treat this Ramadan as if its our final one. We may not get this opportunity again to connect to His Book. InshAllah it will motivate us to do our best. Besides, Satan is not here to distract us. Alhamdulillah! To help us to connect to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's Book, let us make this dua during the night prayer:

" Oh Allah, I am Your slave and the daughter of Your male slave and the daughter of Your female slave. My forehead in in Your Hand (i.e You have control over me). Your judgement upon me is assured and Your decree concerning me is just. I ask You by every Name that You have named Yourself with, revealed in Your Book, taught any one of Your creation or kept unto Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen that is with You, to make the Qur'an the spring of my heart and the light of my chest, banisher of my sadness and the reliever of my distress." [Ahmad]