Ramadan

Cont'd from page 3

Jonah 3:5-10 “the people ... proclaimed a fast ... from the greatest of them even to the least”

From the New Testament:

Acts 27:33 “... This is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.”

Matthew 6: 16-18 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

After this month ends, we should bow and prostrate our heads in gratitude to our Creator in His having given us the strength to fulfill His commandment and our religious obligations. Real happiness arises from nourishing the soul. We should eagerly fulfill our duty and make sacrifices of the body to prioritize the soul, knowing that it leads to happiness in this world and the next.

While it’s appropriate to congratulate our brothers and sisters upon completion of this great gift from God for our soul, we shouldn’t get complacent about this gift.

We should continue to do good works, whether it’s giving to charity and feeding the poor, or working towards helping those in need. These are but a few ways to grow our souls, and there is always room for doing better. For example, how about using this month as a springboard towards greater implementation of God’s commands, spending more time in dedication and devotion to Him, and doing more Quranic study?

The month of Ramadan brings with it innumerable blessings. We have to perform our sacred duty to follow the Final Testament and to behave towards others in the manner that God wants us to behave with His creations. We follow the laws in Quran in being steadfast, reverent and working incessantly and selflessly to do righteous works to please God.

May God make us worthy to receive His Grace, Mercy and innumerable blessings. Let us praise, exalt, extol and magnify God this Ramadan and always.

Alim

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Alcoholics Anonymous & Submission

I have struggled with compulsive overeating all my life.  In the 1980’s I found my way into the rooms of Overeater’s Anonymous.  That opened the doors to a revival of my spirituality.  I found God again through the inspired writing of the “Big Book”.

Penned in 1932 by the first 100 founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, the “Big Book” contains concepts about God and being a “Submitter” that rang true for me even before 1989 when I read Rashad Khalifa’s translation of the Quran.  The book contains concepts about making conscious contact with God throughout the day.  It says we should pray for knowledge of God’s will and the power to carry it out.  It says whatever occupies the majority of our thoughts is our god.

Idol worship is the basis for all addictions.  I was idol worshipping food.  I am a food addict.  I must humbly but constantly rely on God to redirect my thinking to ways which will please Him.  I must maintain contact with Him throughout my day.   My contact prayers are my lifeline to God.

I have considered myself an aspiring submitter since then.  I say “aspiring” because, as we all know, submission is a verb as well as a noun.  Submission to God’s will is my aspiration.  Unfortunately, I am not always a “Submitter.”

This article has been a long time in the making.  What finally spurred me to put fingers to keyboard is the article in the February 2018 Submitters Perspective entitled “Quran and the 12 Steps”.

Thank you so much for the article.

Victoria

[Editorial note: the 12 step articles continue. See February and March 2018, with more to follow, God willing]