Zafar Bangash is Director of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought (ICIT) and on the Editorial Board of Crescent International.
According to his bio, Bangash was among the founding members, with Dr Kalim Siddiqui of the Muslim Institute in London. He is the author of several books, his latest being: Power Manifestations of the Sirah: Examining the Letters and Treaties of the Messenger of Allah (saws).
Zafar Bangash’s article titled “Ramadan: the month of jihad in all its manifestations” was published on Crescent International on September 30, 2004. Here are excerpts from the article:
…Ramadan is the month of jihad in all its manifestations. While the crusading West has made jihad (like many other Islamic terms) a dirty word, it was the spirit of sacrifice shared by the early Muslims that helped them overcome enormous difficulties…
Ramadan, however, must be seen primarily as the month of struggle and jihad, both internally as well as externally. As Muslims continue to struggle against oppression in many parts of the world — Palestine, Iraq, Chechnya, Afghanistan and Kashmir — it becomes incumbent upon all Muslims to share in their pain and suffering. Ramadan should spur us to redouble our efforts to help in their struggles for liberation and dignified existence.
Islam is not a deen that provides individuals with a quick pass to Paradise if they perform a few rituals, such as going hungry or offering additional prayers, important as these are. Islam is Allah’s choice for humanity; in its basic sense it means total submission to Him.
An important dimension of this submission is helping those who are in need or who are subject to suffering and persecution. The grave plight of Muslims worldwide should make it easier to understand what we have to do…