Once again Muslims all over the world are holding their most honourable guest - Holy Ramadan - in a warm embrace.

This praiseworthy guest visits the Muslim believers of the world yearly, with the whole host of blessings. It is well-timed to quote the words of the Prophet of Islam about the arrival of Ramadan:

"O people! The month of Allah (Ramadan) has come with its mercies, blessings and forgiveness. Allah has decreed this month the best of all months. The days of this month are the best among the days and the nights are the best among the nights and the hours are the best among the hours. This is a month in which you have been invited to Allah (to fast and pray). Allah has honoured you in it. In every breath you take is a reward of Allah, your sleep is worship, your good deeds are accepted and your invocations are answered."

The Prophet's words reveal how fervently he and his companions welcomed Ramadan. His words also divulge the effect of fasting in Ramadan.

It is true that a person, who fasts in Ramadan with true devotion, will see sea changes in his life. Such a change will form him to an ideal member of society. But an ideal society cannot thrive without certain noble qualities like faith, piety and righteousness and it is for this purpose that Allah made fasting compulsory upon Muslims in Ramadan.

Allah says:

"O you believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may become the pious" (2:183)

The verse underlines piety as the object of fasting. Piousness keeps a Muslim away from all sorts of lust and desires.

The lust does not remain sluggish in the minds of a man rather it will be quick to reflect through his sense of organs like ears, eyes, tongue, heart and other parts like feet and hands.

If the sense of organs is not well protected, they will be subjugated by lust.

The Prophet said: "Fasting is a shield".

It is the shield that protects a fasting person from the hellfire.

The Quran depicts the people who prefer lust for the worldly pleasures to the hereafter:

"Nay, but you love the present life and neglect the hereafter" (75:20-21).

It is a fact that man loves things of hate and for that he pins his faith on transitory things and neglects those which will only be seen in the hereafter.

What is required here is nothing but self-restraint and that is what one could attain from fasting.

If one could attain this status, he then shows justice to the meaning of Ramadan - "intense scorching heat".

The heat will do away with all evils that would likely to reflect through the words and deeds of a fasting person.

It is worthwhile to note the words of the Prophet:

"Whoever does not give up lying speech (false statements) and acting on those lies and evil actions etc, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (ie Allah will not accept his fasting" (Bukhari).

Now, let's look for the reason why Allah chose Ramadan as the month of fasting. Although there are many reasons, the most important is that it is the month in which the Quran was revealed.

Allah says:

"Ramadan is the month in which was sent down the Quran as a guide to mankind, also clear (signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at His home) during the month should spend it in fasting". (2:185)

The Quran is the revelation of God's will and contains the true touchstone and hallmark of right and wrong. It teaches everything that is useful for mankind such as patience, tolerance, purity, sanctity and piety and abandons all that defaces the souls of men. In addition to the Quran, Allah also revealed His Scriptures like Zaboor, Tourath and Injeel to different Prophets for different periods of time. All these Books of Allah shed His guidance to the people. Hence, there lies no exaggeration if Ramadan is portrayed as the Month of Guidance to mankind. In short, if all the believers of fasting can endure their self-restraint, they will be able to see that their sacrifice of all lusts for the sake of their Lord come into bud in Paradise.