Bismi’Llāhi ir-Raḥmān ir-Raḥīm
In the Name of God, the Universally Merciful, the Singularly Compassionate
Ramaḍān is a blessed opportunity to surrender our selves, to give up self-direction…to let go and let God ﷻ. This is the essence of Islām, of what it means to be muslim. How many of us are holding back and playing it safe in life, not living up to the potential we have recognized, not being entirely honest with ourselves about what really matters? How many face death with a mountain of regrets? You have the opportunity to relinquish everything that is inconsistent with who you really are, so all that remains is your true self.
Your tale, however, does not end once the cobwebs in your soul are cleared away. Once you step out of your own way, the great possibility is for you to realize what it means to be a real human being. If you do, you will advance to the spiritual stage of fulfilling your divinely-ordained purpose, which is essentially to be of service through the particular divine qualities that Allāh ﷻ has written for you. These qualities together comprise the music of your soul. Your destiny is to sing your unique song as an emissary of the One ﷻ, with humility and nobility, without pride or shame. Your soul’s song conveys something of the Infinite, Majestic, Sublime, and Beautiful ﷻ. You are the instrument through which the Divine Reality ﷻ sings His Song ﷻ, awakening hearts and calling souls to return to Him ﷻ, satisfied and satisfying. Whether you realize your destiny or not is the question. Everything in creation is effortlessly itself, except human beings —we are capable of acting against our essential nature. Do not let life pass you by with your music still inside of you. Do not let your story be a tragic tale of suffering and complaint. Live seeking His Pleasure ﷻ alone, so that your life will be recorded as an epic of virtue, beauty, and spiritual victory.
An ancient Chinese proverb says, “The journey of a thousand steps begins with one first step.” This Ramaḍān is a step on the stairwell of your story. Continue to ascend and realize your destiny. And Allāh ﷻ knows best.
© Ḥakīm Ilyās Kāshānī
