"A Good Wife Is Worth More Than Gold"

Today's walk of hope ... 

"Ramadan is the month in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear signs for guidance and judgement between right and wrong. So every one of you who is present at his home during that month should spend it in fasting...and glorify him in that he has guided you perchance ye shall be grateful."  Holy Qur'an 2:185

Ramadan has an effect on my life like no other experience.  It is in this month the I feel empowered to take back control of my desires, thoughts and deeds.  It is in this month that clarity pierces the fog of worldly distractions and our total focus is placed on service to Allah.  

One of the traditions which we practice is the  reading of  the entire Qur'an.  While it seems like a rather large book it is in fact smaller than the New Testament of the Christian Bible, and no matter how many times I have read the Qur'an, each time I gets something  new and timely which stands out  reaching me in very deep and personal ways.  Allah talks to us all as individuals, whether we are Muslim or non-Muslim, and while each Ramadan yields unexpected blessings, for me this year the blessings came early!

This Ramadan which began in my area on August the 11th, began with a wonderful occurrence: my wife took her Shahadda (testament of faith) and took it upon herself to fast with me!  Saying I was impressed would be an understatement.  

Now, this wasn't her first experience of the Ramadan fast.  Over the last couple of years she has observed my fasting, learning the purpose of why Muslims fast, what we go through in relation to the challenges of hunger and restraint, as well as the peace and tranquility which fasting brings upon the fasting person.

This year however was different.  Without suggestions from myself or anyone else Allah put it upon her heart to take part in the fast, and  even more importantly: to take her Shahadda, which for Muslims is an open declaration of faith that marks ones entry into the deen (religion) of Islam.  Praise be to Allah!  

As faith in Islam is totally a personal choice Muslims do not generally evangelize or seek to convert people in the traditional sense.  In other words we don't walk around with our religion on our shoulder.  Instead  we seek to spread the message of Islam through our character, actions and way of life, as the Qur'an says: 

"Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy handhold, that never breaks."     

 Holy Qur'an 2:256

Therefore I never took it upon myself to ever try and "convert" my wife, as I consider "faith" and "religion" to be personal choices.  Evidently however she's been watching me.  More significantly she took time to sit listen and read the book itself and this truly impressed me, as most people today prefer to have their religious beliefs regurgitated by preachers, rather than do their on research.  

Through her own study of the Qur'an and religion of Islam she came to the point of embracing the faith without suggestions from myself other than my personal practice of living as a Muslim (which isn't a model example).  So when  I asked her 'why' she simply responded: "I believe the Qur'an is the truth".

Hence the first step toward Allah.  As the Qur'an stands as the final and ultimate example of God's guidance to humanity its verses range from "basic and fundamental" to symbolic and even mystical, but one thing that stands out is the veracity and purity of its most urgent message.  The Qur'an speaks to the heart and soul of any who take time to listen with an open mind.

So on the first morning we awoke together took our morning meal, and for the first time in 21/2 years made our prayers,  bowing down before Allah together making this a truly  blessed month.  As the old saying goes, "a family that prays together, stays together" and it is rare to find someone willing to walk the same path.  Someone that stands beside you as a help, not a hindrance and in this I am thankful for a good woman in my life.  

The Prophet (pbuh) once said: "A good wife is worth more than gold", and in this case I have received a gift that is priceless.

So each morning we awake in the for the Suhur meal, prayers and reading of the Qur'an.  As we read the Qur'an we discuss various aspect of Islam and the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as we have done over the past couple of years, and each day as our understanding of each other grows, so does the love and respect.   

As the days of  Ramadan progress the Qur'an  provides new insights  to each of us.  Insights  which help us  to be better individuals,  spouses and servants to Allah.  As the struggle becomes more intense and difficult  Allah instills in us a deeper appreciation for one another, and the unique experience of taking pleasure in finding a path to peace in this life and the hereafter.  For this I am grateful.

Reading through the Qur'an together with Nancy was probably the most valuable experience that I have ever shared with any woman I have ever known in my life.  Each reading  provides us with unique opportunities to discuss not only the reasons behind our fasting but behind many of the things Muslims do.  

Last year my wife described to me how impressed she was about the clear and concise way that the Qur'an relates to us in clear and vivid language the message of Tawhid: Oneness of God.  As well as the responsibilities of the believer to pray, feed the poor, restrain from shameful deeds, and exhibit the goodness which is inherent in us all.  

While I will not attempt to guess at what the decisive point was I will simply say that more people need to read this book as it contains answers to many of the spiritual, emotional and social ailments to which our best doctors, philosophers and politicians haven't a clue.  No one can present a more beautiful and convincing argument than the Qur'an itself.  As Allah says:

 "With Allah is the argument that wins through", and in Nancy's case it was very words of the Qur'an did eventually win her over.   I find it an amazing phenomena that if one sits and listens to the recital of the Qur'an they find that it is a message very difficult to reject.  It is a sober message that declares the oneness of God in  clear concise and beautiful language.  It is a message which reaches to the depths of the very soul challenging our preconceptions of what Islam is, and who Muslims are.  

Too many people attempt to define Islam by watching the 9 o'clock news or listening to religious leaders who have never bothered to look into the book for themselves and make a living feeding their congregations regurgitated false messages of hate and intolerance carelessly gleaned from the internet or anti-Islamic propaganda.  To her credit she sought out the truth on her own as "one day in the life of Islam is better than an entire lifetime of unbelief".