We have entered the Blessed Month of Ramadan and indeed it is one of the most joyous occasions for every Muslim every year. A month in which the gates of Allah’s (swt) mercy are open for us, and we, as one Ummah from all over the world, engage in the ibad’ah of Fasting, offering additional prayers, and reading the Qur’an more frequently.

One cannot help but notice the sense of togetherness on such an unimaginable scale. The world’s Muslim population of over 1.8 billion – roughly a quarter of the human population – engaging in their daily practice of religious rituals together for a month is unlike anything the world has ever witnessed.

The month of Ramadan is being observed without extensive government enforcement, or expensive media campaigns; but rather, it emanates from a deep spiritual connection with the Creator of the universe, Allah (swt) and from the need of fulfilling what He has commended His servants in His miraculous book, the Qur’an.

While the rotten fruit of division caused by nationalism, regionalism, tribal loyalties persist due to the plots of the Capitalist colonialist powers, the month of Ramadan has proven the capacity to mold, shape and define the public opinion within the Ummah and its actions.

Truly, the month of Ramadan can be a true catalyst in unifying the Ummah in all its affairs and fulfilling its purpose given by Allah SWT.

Continuous War on Islam

The continuous “War on Islam” by the Capitalist colonialist powers since the fall of the Uthmani Khilafah in 1924 is a war that has been ongoing to prevent its return.

Fundamentally, understanding the ideology of Islam, its core beliefs (Aqeedah) and the Systems that emanate from it (Shariah and Khilafah) and the Ummah’s return to its pure understanding is a key threat to the continuation of the Capitalist colonialist powers’ dominance of the affairs of the Ummah.

Henceforth, a long-protracted campaign by the disbelieving powers and their agent rulers in the Muslim lands is becoming more obvious.

However, alhamdulillah, the Muslim Ummah has continued its resistance despite the loss of life and property.

The power of the Islamic thoughts and emotions to define the path forward for the Ummah becomes more apparent as each day passes. The month of Ramadan, being one of the great symbols of Islam, does magnify this implicit capacity and capability of the Muslim Ummah to put a permanent end to the dominance to the Capitalist colonialist powers.

Ramadan is an opportunity to take the first steps to re-shape the reality of the Ummah by creating the public opinion that is aware of the symbols of Islam, starting with Ramadan itself and ending with the Khilafah.

Public Opinion and Ramadan

Fasting and honouring the month of Ramadan is integral to the identity of the Muslim Ummah. Those who deny the obligation of fasting, disregard it or belittle it are shunned, hated, and cursed by the Ummah and must hide themselves to escape its wrath. Hence, we see the treacherous rulers who have no regard for the Deen of Allah (swt) being compelled to honour the month of Ramadan though lip-service and for show.

Indeed, it is clear that in order for the rulers in the Muslim Lands to maintain their authority they need to acknowledge the sanctity of this month.

In contrast, in the 1960s, enemies of Islam, like Habib Bourguiba, the former president of Tunisia, were bold enough to publicly flaunt the obligation of fasting and drank orange juice during a televised program during Ramadan, urging non-observance for the sake of productivity! Stating, “I can be more useful to my country if I am not sitting in a corner yawning and hungry because of Ramadan.” He also said, “For those who want to deny themselves, I suggest an extra hour of work rather than fasting.”

Such actions today would create an immediate upheaval in the public opinion in the Muslim lands and such actors would be viewed as open declarers of war on Islam. Today, we see public praiseworthiness in the observance of fasting as was witnessed during a soccer game in Ankara in which players took a 10-minute break to observe breaking Iftar, and the dedication to Allah (swt) that these players displayed became a newsworthy event around the world.

This shift in public opinion in the Muslim Ummah regarding Ramadan and its observance indicates a shift in the concepts, ideas and emotions that dominate in society. Public opinion is based and generated on the general awareness by the society on the concepts, ideas and emotions it ought to adopt. Once there is a strong general awareness, a strong public opinion can be created around an important issue for that society.

What we see in regard to the month of Ramadan is that. Indeed, the ritual aspects of Islam, which the Capitalist colonialist powers and its agents like Mustafa Kamal and others tried so hard to extinguish, has had a great resurgence in the Ummah today. We notice this about the month of Ramadan where a sense of communal shared purpose is demonstrated and from which a common good is defined and striven for.

All things considered; the question remains how can we utilize the month of Ramadan to be a catalyst for an enduring change with regard to the vital issues of the Muslim Ummah today?

Ramadan: Shai’ra (Symbol) of Islam

Allah mentions in Surah al-Hajj:

” That is so. And whoever honours the Shai’ra of Allah, it is certainly out of the piety of the heart.” [TMQ 22:32]

Imam al-Qurtubi (rh) explains that the word Shai’ra means in the linguistic sense, what is made apparent.

So, for example, the phrase “Shai’ra of a tribe” in the context of war would refer to what distinguishes them such as their flags, and their uniforms. The word Shai’ra (symbol) in the ayat refers to the manifest defining features of His Deen, especially those pertaining to the rituals. Imam al-Qurtubi also stated, “Shai’ra is every command that Allah (swt) commands that has an outward manifestation”.

Additionally, Allah (swt) has declared that honouring the symbols of Allah (swt) is a proof of Taqwa in the hearts, as the Prophet (saw) pointed to his chest “Indeed Taqwa is here.” [Sahih Muslim] So, we see the manifestation of the Taqwa of the Muslim Ummah by its honouring and ascribing sanctity to the month of Ramadan and the other symbols that are part of it such as Laylat ul-Qadr, and the last 10 nights.

However, this symbol of Islam which the Ummah has ascertained as a defining feature of a common good in the public opinion of the Muslims should not remain disconnected from the other symbols of the Muslim Ummah such as maintaining the Masjids, making the Hajj pilgrimage, but also should be connected to the re-establishing of the Khilafah which commands and protects the Shaa’ir of Islam.

In conclusion, as a Muslim Ummah, whilst observing the month of Ramadan, we must connect our personal struggle and sacrifice to the struggle of the Ummah against the treacherous rulers backed by the Capitalist colonialist powers who actively work to prevent the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) from resuming their role as the only legislative sources for the Ummah.

We must engage, according to the Prophetic method, in the struggle against the capitalist nation-state model imposed by our enemies who continue to divide us and make bold attempts to disunite the Ummah even in its devotion to Allah (swt).

We must inject in the public opinion the conviction that it is only the Khilafah state that can protect the weak in the Muslim Ummah such as the Uyghurs of East Turkistan who are being prevented from observing the month of Ramadan by the kafir enemies of Islam. Indeed, the month of Ramadan has the hidden capability to act as a true catalyst for the Muslim Ummah to revive itself and unite upon a common mission, as it has united in its meticulous and pious observance of the month of Ramadan, as commanded by Allah (swt):

“O you who believe Fasting has been prescribed on you as it has been prescribed on those before you, in order that you may gain Taqwa.” [TMQ 2:183]

Hence, we should utilize this month as a catalyst to unify the Ummah not just in the honouring of Ramadan; rather in every aspect which Allah (swt) commands including the establishment of Dar al-Islam via the Khilafah in the Muslim lands; which will truly protect the symbols and sanctities that Allah (swt) has set for us.