Message from Muhammet Rıfat Cinar, Imam of the Tokyo Camii, on the Three Months and Night of Raghaib
The shadow of the three holy months has fallen upon us: our opportunities for mercy, forgiveness, affection, and barakah. Endless thanks and praise be to our Lord Almighty (SWT), who has allowed us to welcome these exceptional days, and salat and salam be to our Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (saw), who taught us how to spend these blessed times.
The three holy months are signs of the infinite mercy of Allah (SWT) on people. It is a season when merits and an abundance of divine blessings pour on us. When our Prophet (saw) reached this very valuable and significant season, he would pray to Allah the Almighty (SWT) as follows: “O Allah, bless us in the month of Rajab and Sha’ban, and make us reach the month of Ramadan.”
The first beam of the season of mercy is the Night of Raghaib. The Night of Raghaib is a wonderful opportunity for us. To submit fully to the Almighty Allah (SWT) by knowing its value and virtues… To review our daily life and to ask ourselves where we are heading… To reflect on where and for what we have spent our lives, and to bring ourselves to account before death… To quit all the things that do not benefit our life in this world and our Afterlife and to be kneaded with the yeast righteousness and truth… To purify ourselves of unpleasant and bad habits, and gird ourselves with good morals… To express regret for our wrongs and sins and seek refuge through sincere repentance in the boundless mercy of our Lord (SWT)… To prepare for that dreadful Day of Resurrection when we will run away even from our brothers/sisters, mothers, fathers, spouses, and children, and when nobody can help anybody…
Without a doubt, what falls upon us is to take advantage of the spiritual climate of the three holy months, which our Lord (SWT) has bestowed upon us as divine times of grace and as an opportunity to respond to our invocations and forgive our sins. We know, however, that being a servant of Allah (SWT) is not limited to certain periods. Regardless of any specific month, day, or hour, every moment of ours spent with the awareness of servitude to Allah (SWT) is valuable. In this sense, our Prophet (saw) informed us in a hadith Qudsi that Allah the Almighty (SWT) stated as follows: “O children of Adam! Devote yourselves in servitude to Me at all times, and I fill your heart with pleasure and cover your needs.”
With these feelings and thoughts, I congratulate the blessed three months of the Islamic world. I pray to our Almighty Lord that these three months will conduce to the unity and harmony of Muslims and the peace and tranquility of humanity.
Muhammet Rıfat Çınar
Imam of Tokyo Camii