Review of the article ‘The Month overflowing with mercy’

Ten years ago Fethullah Gulen wrote an article about the month of Ramadan. This article, the name of which is ‘The month overflowing with mercy’, can be found in the 44th Issue of Fountain, a bi-monthly magazine dedicated to scientific and spiritual topics. This is such a valuable and beautiful article that it can be compared to a piece of pure diamond, and I truly believe that it is worth reading and rereading over and over again, especially these days, when Ramadan has almost knocked our doors.

In this article Gulen focuses on explaining the meaning, beauty, and importance of Ramadan. Reading this article makes you immerse into the holly atmosphere of this amazing month, so you are prepared to meet Ramadan with joy, happiness and thankfulness. In order to understand the beauty of this article, it is necessary to have basic knowledge about Ramadan and I am going to provide brief explanation about what Ramadan is for those who are not very familiar with it before proceeding to summary of the article.

Ramadan is the name of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar during which all Muslims should fast from sunrise to sunset. Ramadan is not only about abstaining from eating and drinking, it is about making as many good deeds as possible such as helping other people, especially those in difficult conditions. The aim of fasting is to teach people patience, tolerance and to purify their hearts and souls.

Let’s proceed to the article itself. First of all, in his article Gulen describes the absolutely unique and special atmosphere of Ramadan. Gulen says, “In no month other than Ramadan the nights and days are differentiated by different illuminations; the nights are luminous, the days are enlightened. Occurring in a totally unconventional manner during the night, and with a special brightness during the day, the days of Ramadan pass, communicating a special aura to the hearts, reuniting those parts of society that have fallen out of touch with one another; opening the way for all those in solitude to congregate, eliminating their severance from society.” In these lines Fethullah Gulen communicates that distinctive feeling that blooms in the heart of every Muslim during Ramadan. Ramadan is also the month which has the unique feature of uniting people through shared iftars (breaking fast dinners), experiences, more sincere communication and common feelings of joy, patience, tolerance and mercy. It is the time when people forget past offences, ask for forgiveness and try to become friendlier and closer to each other.

Ramadan equally influences everyone; as Gulen says “male-female, old-young, rich-poor, learned-illiterate, almost all walks of life are affected by Ramadan during this blessed period of time, as far as the schemes of life are concerned, and they breathe the impressive demeanor that comes within Ramadan…” Every Muslim, regardless of his age, gender, social class, can equally approach God during Ramadan since resources through which he/she can do it are open to everyone.

Gulen also says that Ramadan is the month during which the holy Quran is read the most. Quran is the word of God through which person can “experience the flavor of paradise fruits, the colors and beauty and the panoramic falls of the gardens and bays of Paradise, and become enthusiastic and energized.” During the month of Ramadan people have a desire to become closer to God; therefore “even the ones who have distanced themselves from the Qur’an throughout the year, those who are parched with a burning thirst, find themselves in this light, in this radiating ambience.”

Gulen beautifully summarizes the essence of the month of Ramadan in the following sentence. “Again during Ramadan, each action and behavior that is carried out at the times of sahur, iftar and tarawih (special meals and pra-yers) these periods considered to be the harbor and stairs used to approach and reach God - become so mysterious that the heavens and the lights of the realms beyond the heavens almost seem to be poured down on our heads, and they whisper to us magical poems alongside our praise and gratitude to God; as affectionate and warm as the lullabies composed in the very hearts of our mothers, and as profound and respectful as the glorification of angels..! Therefore, we would never wish for Ramadan to leave us, in spite of this, it goes. It leaves like a guest; it has arrived and spent a pleasant time with us, staying for a while. As with everything, it comes one by one, it goes on in the same way… and then the ’Eid comes to us as the royal heir of the full harvest of this magnificent month.”

To read the entire article please click the following link: https://www.fountainmagazine.com/Issue/detail/The-Month-Overflowing-With-Mercy

Exemplar behavior of students of Mersin College

The students of Nihal Erdem Trade College in Mersin, Turkey, organized a campaign with the help of which many African people suffering from cataract disease would be able to see the world with healthy eyes again. Students collected money around themselves and submitted it to Kimse Yok Mu, which is a charity organization established by the followers of Hizmet movement. Kimse Yok Mu initiated many charity projects in African countries. To note, cataract disease is very widespread in poor African countries; however, it can be cured with relatively simple and inexpensive surgery. To read the entire news please click on the following link. http://www.kimseyokmu.org.tr/?p=content&gl=haberler&cl=yurtici&i=3296