assimilating

Assimilating Ramadan

To embrace the spirit of the month of Ramadan, to live the full meaning of Ramadan.

“Ramadan imbues our twenty-four hours with its own paint, with different colors, different patterns and different lights, which it takes from our customs and traditions (we should also remember its heavenly essence), and makes us practice its own accent. It presents a different heavenly invitation to those who enter its sanctuary every hour of the day, and especially for those who fully assimilate Ramadan, it takes on such a magical mood and becomes so otherworldly that, in its enchanted maturity, some souls think that they are among the heavenly beings, whom we can describe as ‘those who do not eat or drink, do not oppose the Creator even in the blink of an eye.’”¹⁾

“An exceptional mildness and warmth embraces our conscience as we comprehend Ramadan in its original profundity and become one with Ramadan in all ways of life, A sweet breeze of emotions blows here and there, and it, like a familiar breath, reveals numerous occasions of love and reunion!”²⁾

“When Ramadan comes, it arrives with immense glory and vibrant thoughts. Whether day or night, it overflows with God’s mercy. And when the time comes, it leaves, spreading its spirituality. However, to prevent the spirits who have assimilated Ramadan from experiencing the sorrow of its departure, Ramadan entrusts this spirituality to a time of celebration where the joy, prosperity, and beneficence are condensed into a day we call Eid.”³⁾

“Those unique breezes of Ramadan always go on, at any time of the day, without completely waning. In our hearts, which assimilate Ramadan, in addition to the eternal courtesies, the special and extra compliments, many pictures, from the common excitement we feel at home, on the street, in the temple, in the school, and in the barracks, to the landscapes that deepen and become supernatural in our dreams, from our feelings shaped by our belief and confirmation to the cautious interpretations of our logic and reasoning, gleam before us and envelop our spirits.Then it makes our feelings and desires attain a different pleasure every moment, and it becomes a unique pleasure and pours into our hearts. The souls encompassed by the spirit of Ramadan occasionally experience these Divine inspirations directly, and sometimes through the emotions or figures of others; occasionally due to their own abstinence, some individuals are unable to experience or enjoy those sacred hours.”⁴⁾

“… as Eid al-Fitr contains the essence of an entire month of Ramadan, feeling Eid in all its beauty depends on one’s resonance with Ramadan; only those people can become truly resonant with Eid.”⁵⁾

Footnotes

¹⁾

M. Fethullah Gülen, Örnekleri Kendinden Bir Hareket (Çağ ve Nesil-8), İstanbul: Nil Yayınları, 2011, p. 50.

²⁾

Ibid., p. 51.

³⁾

Ibid., p. 55.

⁴⁾

M. Fethullah Gülen, Işığın Göründüğü Ufuk (Çağ ve Nesil-7), İstanbul: Nil Yayınları, 2011, pp. 191–192.

⁵⁾

M. Fethullah Gülen, Journey to Noble Ideals, New Jersey: Tughra Books, 2014, p. 250.

Assimilating Ramadan