Ramadan message from Mufti İbrahim Şerif

The Mufti of Komotini, İbrahim Şerif, issued a message about the holy month of Ramadan. 

The first “tarawih” pray and the first “sahur” to be held on Wednesday 22 March. 

Mufti Şerif gave a message to his compatriots by mentioning the following issues in his statement about the holy month of Ramadan and fasting.

“Recep, Shaban and Ramadan which we call the three months, have an exceptional place in Western Thrace, as in the Islamic societies.

Every year, when the three months come, a movement and vitality is seen in our society, and this excitement reaches its peak in Ramadan, the last of the three months.

The month of Ramadan, which has an exceptional place in our society, is greeted in an exceptional way as the sultan of eleven months, treated in an exceptional way and sent off in an exceptional way. In addition to worships such as iftar, sahur and tarawih, it has the characteristic of being the sultan of the months with its ceremonies in Ramadan.

Ramadan is the month in which the Qur'an was sent to bring peace and happiness to humanity, begins to descend. It is due to the fact that the Night of Kadir, which is better than a thousand months, is in this month. Fasting, one of the five pillars of Islam is assigned to this month. Ramadan is a month when sins are forgiven, devils are tied, the gates of heaven are opened, and the gates of hell are closed.

Ramadan is a month that strengthens human will. Thanks to the fast in it, people learn to be patient.
Fasting makes a person reckon with himself. People calculate the good and bad they do. They try to correct themselves for the better.

Fasting, which is one of the five basic principles of Islam, has a great role in the training of the soul. In the hadith of our Prophet, "Fasting is a shield." He states that fasting protects people from sin.

The beginning of every evil in the world is forgetting Allah and losing the sense of responsibility. Fasting reminds people of Allah and improves their sense of responsibility. The reason why fasting is obligatory is expressed by Almighty Allah as follows: "O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may fear Allah." (Baqara, 2/183) The believer develops his "taqwa" aspect by controlling his “ego” thanks to fasting. Taqwa earns Allah's approval.

The holy month of Ramadan, which almost led to the establishment of a self-control system in our lives, is an important opportunity for us to get rid of worldly preoccupations, turn to our purpose of creation, and evaluate our relations with the creator and the created.

The month of Ramadan, which we perceive here, should remind us of our responsibilities towards our Lord, our family, and humanity, and even enable us to turn from our negligence and faults.

The month of Ramadan is a great opportunity to gain this habit. During the month of Ramadan, let's make an effort to perform our tarawih prayers, especially for women, men and children, in our mosques with the congregation.

On this occasion, I wish the month of Ramadan, which we will meet with the first tarawih pray and first sahur “morning meal” on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, bring blessings to the entire Western Thrace Muslim Turkish Minority and the Islamic World, and I pray to Allah Almighty for good health and well-being.”