By Cecep Y Pramana
God’s love of Azza Wajalla to man opened many channels of goodness and avenues for the salvation of His servants. One of them is present through the month of Ramadan, the month where Allah SWT opens the door of His love for humans.
Especially for the believers, “O believers! It is obligatory upon you to fast as is required of the person before you that you may be afraid”. (QS Al Baqarah: 183)
Allah SWT is the owner of love, never conditional, He loves all His servants without expecting anything in return. Allah (SWT) always loved His servant even though the servant did zhalim and continued to disobey His command.
Instead, human love is love “because” of something. Man loves something because it has benefits for him. People are charitable because they want to get rewards and kindness. For his love, Allah (SWT) paved the way for human salvation and happiness.
One of them is by being blessed with the month of Ramadan as a special month, the month of His Majesty. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration if Ramadan is said to be a month of love, the month where Allah SWT opens the doors of His love.
This sign of love from Allah SWT is described by the noble Prophet (SAW), “O man, repent to Allah from your sins. Raise your hands to pray at your prayer time because those are the most important times when Allah Azza Wajalla looks at all His servants lovingly; He answered them when they called Him and granted them when they prayed to Him.”
Ramadan, the month in which Allah (SWT) calls all His servants to return to the true nature of life. In the Qur’an surah Al An’am verse 32 Allah SWT says, “And life in this world, is just a game and a joke. As for the land of the afterlife, it is really better for those who are afraid. Don’t you understand“.
In the month of Ramadan, Allah SWT has prepared food in the form of grace and affection for those who welcome with pleasure and sincerity. Ramadan is a proof of the love of Allah SWT. Happy to meet Ramadan is the same as happily meeting Allah SWT.
If we love Allah SWT, then we must welcome whatever comes and calls for Him, including the month of Ramadan. In the book of Ihya Ulumuddin, Al Ghazali says it is a big lie if a person loves something but he has no love for something related to it.
Al Ghazali also said, “Lie to the one who claims to love Allah SWT but he does not love His Apostle; Lie to the one who claims to love His Apostle but he does not love the poor and poor and lies to the one who claims to love heaven but he does not want to obey Allah SWT”
Therefore, the Prophet and his companions always welcome Ramadan with love. When love has spoken, then there is no longer any reason for us to be unhappy to welcome the month of Ramadan. No more complaints of resisting hunger, thirst and all the fatigue when performing Ramadan.
For it is through love that all that is bitter will be sweet. May we include people who are always happy and in love with the month of Ramadan, always utilizing the values of worship, so that the grace and maghfirah of Allah SWT are always obtained. Wallahua’lam
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