The Holy month of Ramadan has graced us by its presence, thereby giving us the opportunity to experience yet another month of Ramadan, the month of mercy, forgiveness, and emancipation from Hell-Fire. When we reflect upon this holy month, we find that there exists a unique golden triangle that is closely interconnected with each other. This holy triangle consists of the following three:
Ironically each of these corners of the golden triangle has contributed and presented divine gifts to the other corners and we shall review these unique blessings here.
What did Imam Ali (as) give to the Holy month of Ramadan?
He gave his honorable martyrdom after being struck at Fajr time on the 19th night of Ramadan and achieving martyrdom on the 21st night, thereby honoring the holy month by his martyrdom. The 17th day of Ramadan 624 A.D. marks the anniversary of the famous Battle of Badr which marks the exceptional heroic achievements of Ameerul Momineen (as) on the battlefield. Badr was the first encounter on the battle-field, between Islam and polytheism. Imam Ali was the hero and the young lion, his victory was the signal of the triumph of Islam. All other battles of Islam followed the same pattern; Imam Ali was the victor in each and every one of them.
The conquest of Makkah took place on the 20th day of Ramadan, 630 A.D. The city of Makkah, which had been the center of idol worship for a very long time, surrendered before Islam and all the points of the city came under the control of the Muslims. This was only possible by the strength of Imam Ali, his unwavering commitment to Islam and his relentless aid to Prophet Muhammad (sa). As the Prophet (sa) testified, “If it were not for Ali, Islam would not have stood on its feet.” Imam Ali (as) was given the honor of standing on the Prophet’s shoulders and knocking down the idols from the top of the Kaa’ba.
What did the Holy month of Ramadan give to Imam Ali (as)?
The month of Ramadan gifted Imam Ali (as) by granting him the honor of coinciding his martyrdom in a month where its days are the best of days, its hours are the best of hours, and its minutes are the best of minutes. It further granted him the martyrdom in the last ten days of the holy month which are the most unique days of this month. Furthermore, Imam Ali (as) was struck at Fajr time when the adhaan was called, therefore, he achieved martyrdom in the state of fasting in the month of Ramadan.
Imam Ali (as) received the gift of the birth of his first son, Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (as) on the 15th day of Ramadan, 624 A.D.
What did Imam Ali (as) give to the Holy Qur’an?
Imam Ali is known as the “walking Qur’an” who has manifested by actions the content of the Holy Qur’an. He collected and compiled the Holy Qur’an which we have in our hands today. Imam Ali (as) is the interpreter of the Qur’an, as the Prophet (sa) said, “I have come to deliver the message of the Qur’an, and Imam Ali is its interpreter.”
What did the Holy Qur’an give to Imam Ali (as)?
The Qur’an gifted the Imam (as) with countless verses which speak in his praise, in both the apparent and hidden manner. No one can argue or refute the fact that the Qur’an has honored Imam Ali till eternity for all creation to witness.
What did the Holy Qur’an give to the Holy month of Ramadan?
This holy month was honored with the descent and revelation of the Holy Qur’an. The holy Qur’an gifted an entire chapter dedicated to the auspicious night of Qadr, only in the month of Ramadan.
What did the Holy month of Ramadan give to the Holy Qur’an?
Due to the strong emphasis that the month of Ramadan gives to the revelation of the Qur’an on the Night of Qadr, this month has been marked across the globe as the time where Muslims give their special attention to the recitation and reflection on the Holy Qur’an. Out of all months of the year, Ramadan is the most month where the Qur’an is being read and recited. The month of Ramadan is seen as the Spring season of the Holy Qur’an.
Author’s note: the personal reflections in this article are summarized from the Jummah lecture given by Dr. Hatem Abu Shahba during the holy month of Ramadan.
