In the Name of God, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate, Salaam and welcome to our special series on the month of God in which the divine banquet is spread out for the faithful. This the first edition of the special series, titled Showers of Mercy.

The blessed month of Ramadhan has come. It is the month of fasting. It is the month in which the Holy Qur'an was descended as the Last and Final Scripture for mankind.

The Almighty's Last Messenger to mankind, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny has termed blessed Ramadhan as the month that opens the gates of heaven for the creatures of God.

Dear listeners we present you in this program some passages from the Prophet's famous sermon on the advent of the blessed month of Ramadhan:

"O People! The month of Allah has come with its mercies, blessings and forgiveness. Allah has decreed this month the best of all months. Its days are the best of the days, its nights are the best of the nights and its hours are the best of the hours. This is the month in which He has invited you (to fast and to pray). Allah has honored you in it. Every breath you take in it has the reward of tasbhih (or praise of Allah); your sleep is worship, your good deeds and our invocations answered. Therefore, you must invoke your Lord in right earnest with hearts that are free from sin and evil, and pray that Allah may help you to keep fasts, and to recite the Qur'an. Indeed miserable is the one who is deprived of Allah's forgiveness in this great month.

While fasting, remember the hunger and thirst on the Day of Judgment. Give alms to the poor and needy. Pay respect to your elders, have sympathy for your youngsters and be kind towards your relatives and kinsmen. O people! Anybody who in this month cultivates good manners will walk over the siraat (i.e. the bridge leading to Paradise via the rim of hell) on the day when feet will tend to slip."

In this chaotic world, mankind needs to have a pause from routine activities in order to ponder on the objectives and purpose of creation. In addition to material needs, mankind has spiritual desires as well. If these lofty needs are ignored mankind will be exposed to irreparable losses. The blessed month of Ramadhan affords us the chance to take stock of our inner selves so as to save our soul from decadence and decline. This month is a wonderful opportunity for us to strive for the proximity of God Almighty, Who is indeed nearer to us than our own jugular vein. In Ramadhan the human soul is purified and refreshed. Once the Prophet was asked what the best deed is in this month. He replied: The best deed is to refrain from what God has forbidden.

The holy Qur'an as the most perfect and comprehensive heavenly scripture ever revealed to mankind, has in its various verses presented the characteristics of the faithful. These characteristics are guarantees for prosperity in life and salvation in afterlife. The most evident characteristic of the pious people is their deep faith in the Merciful Omnipotent God.

As we read in verse 9 of Surah Ankabut:

"And (as for) those who believe and do good, We will most surely cause them to enter among the good."

The true believers are those who have deep faith in God and always refer to Him with glory. Faith is like a deterrent or shield that makes the believers immune from psychological harms. The pious and honest people are psychologically sound and balanced. Experience has shown that belief in the Merciful and Omnipotent God can bring tranquility and self-content for mankind. From the viewpoint of faithful people, the world does not consist of lifeless factors but it is a meaningful system. The one who does not believe ion the presence of God will be exposed to misery in his or her life. On the contrary, the true believer has a positive view of the world of creation and this outlook grants freshness. Such a person believes that God is the source of all good and the beauties of the world. He is the All-Merciful Who is very close to His servants.