Fasting and Power

This book was formerly published some fifteen years ago with the title 'The Strategic Importance of the Fast of Ramadan and Isra and Miraj.' We have now separated the two topics and are publishing them as two separate books.

We have changed the title of this book to Fasting and Power in an effort to direct greater attention to the central thesis presented, namely that the fast of Ramadan was sent down to deliver power to the Muslims. We have also edited and added to the original text.

Let us take the opportunity to remind those Muslims who do not regularly recite the Qur'an in Arabic from-cover-to- cover, that Angel Gabriel (?alaihi al-Sala?m) came to the Prophet (sallalahu ?alaihi wa sallam) every night during the entire month of Ramadan and he would have to recite for the Angel all that was revealed in the Book up to that time. He completed the whole recitation during the month of Ramadan every year. However in the last year of his life he recited the whole Qur'an (i.e., all that was revealed in the Book up to that time) twice for the Angel.

If the reader has never so far recited the whole Qur'an from cover to cover we urge him or her to start to do so without delay. And when he or she is finished ? to then start again, and when he or she is finished ? to then start again! In particular we urge that the recitation of the Qur'an be commenced at the beginning of every month of Ramadan and be completed once or twice before the end of the month.

Finally we pray that this book may be blessed to play a role in mobilizing Muslims in such a way that the fast of Ramadan may actually result in that input for power being achieved individually and collectively, which may then find concrete expression on the battlefield of Jihad as Islam responds to barbaric oppression in the Holy Land in particular. Amin!

There must be something special about Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur that I should be blessed to complete the writing of a book yet again in this city in blessed Ramada?n.

Imran N. Hosein

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ramadan 1432/August 2011