The Koran...

The Koran, like the poetry it resembles in so many ways, is best sampled a little at a time; and that little deserves and needs meditation." Laura Veccia Vaglieri comments: "On the whole we find in it a collection of wisdom which can be adopted by the most intelligent of men, the greatest of philosophers and the most skilful of politicians." If a man recites the Qur'an with meditation and understanding, he would learn morals which would help him acquire spiritual perfection; he would feel encouraged to follow the foot-prints of the men of God; he would be sorry for whatever sins and mistakes he might have committed in his life.

This will make him turn towards God with a soul full of gratitude for all the blessings bestowed upon him by God, and full of remorse for all his misbehaviours. It is for this reason that the month of Ramadhan is described as the month of repentance. The Holy Prophet has said: "There is no intercessor better than repentance." Allah in His grace forgives all sins and transgressions if a sinner repents sincerely.

The operative word is "Sincerely", A repentance without a change of heart is no repentance. It must produce change in habit, honesty in dealing, love and fear of God in actions.

According to Imam Ali, "repentance must have six elements: the repentant must be really sorry for what he had done; he must have firm determination not to do it again; he must make amends for whatever wrongs he might have done to others; he must fulfil all the obligations of religion previously neglected; he should fast long enough to melt away the flesh grown of unclean and unlawful food; and he should feel the taste of obedience to Allah as he was previously enjoying the taste of sin." When a man repents sincerely, Allah makes him as clean as he was the day he was born.

The Holy Prophet has said: "One who repents from sin is like the one who never committed any sin." It is obvious from the above discourse that the month of Ramadhan and its fast purify the soul and bring a man nearer to Allah. "Fast is a shield against Hell", said the Holy Prophet. The fast mentioned in this tradition is not merely abstinence from food and drink. It is an act of self-denial for the love of God.

And this voluntary self-denial imposes a very high discipline , where the external regulations occupy the lowest rung of the ladder.