Ramadhan is more than a fasting month..

Nice article from http://ihyaramadhan.ppimi.org (redirect to http://www.ppimi.org/wordpress). I can't wait to read on the historic events that occurred during Ramadhan because I'm not the person who going to dig up for historical facts therefore many thanks to everyone that will upload these ready-to-read articles in Ihyaramadhan.

Ramadan: Historic month

Ramadan is more than just the month of fasting or personal piety. It recalls the past, taking one to the very foundations of Islam, and prods one to mull over the significance of historic occasions such as the battle of Badr Al-Kubra and the conquest of Makkah. It is the month, therefore, of celebration, thanksgiving and reflection for every Muslim.

If there is one month that can be designated the Islamic history month, it has to be Ramadan. Traditionally known as the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan is rooted in Islamic history. It is the month for striving against oneself and conquering one’s will, but it is also the month marked by the most significant external struggles and triumphs in the history of Islam, namely the battle of Badr Al-Kubra and the conquest of Makkah (Mecca). It also marked the divide between Jahiliyyah (not to refer to an historical era but to a state of mind that caused violence and terror in jazirah Arab) period and Islamic civilisation. It is also the month in which Ummul Mukminin Khadijah binti Khuwailid passed away (Al-Fatihah to Ummul Mukminin r.a.).

Al-Quran

Ramadan’s significance derives primarily from the fact that it is the month when the Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad . The Quran records the event in Al-Baqarah verse 185: “The month of Ramadan is when the Quran was sent down as a guidance for mankind, with explanations for guidance and as a standard(between right and wrong) “. Muslims recall how Prophet Muhammad received the very first revelation of the Quran- “Read in the name of your Lord…” - while meditating alone high up in the mountains of Makkah.

Ramadan is therefore more than just the month of fasting or personal piety. The month recalls the past, taking one to the very foundations of Islam, and prods one to mull over the significance of historic events.

Insya Allah Ihya’ Ramadhan will go through historic events that occurred during Ramadhan of Prophet’s life so that we can take lessons from all those events. We cannot understand his achievement unless we appreciate what he up against. And it is befitting for everyone who loves Prophet Muhammad pbuh to know about him and his struggles for Islam. Now, let us enter the world that made him the last Messenger of Allah nearly fourteen hundred years ago, on a lonely mountain top just outside the holy city of Makkah.

To be continued

I've started reading this recommended-by-everyone book entitled The Islamic Movement Dynamic of Values, Power and Change by Sayyid Abul A'la Mawdudi. It's well translated but a bit factual which is kinda boring but so far so good and I don't want to end up reading other people's blog:D