Ramadhan come again

Happy Ramadhan

The Meaning of Ramadan

"You who believe? Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, so perchance you may attain God-consciousness." (Q 2:183)

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic Lunar calendar and the holiest of the four holy months. It is one of the five pillars of Islamic faith. During Ramadan all physically mature and healthy Muslims are required to abstain from all food, drink, gum chewing, any kind of tobacco use, and any kind of sexual contact between dawn and sunset for 29 or 30 days, depending on the sighting of the moon during this month. Moreover, fasting includes refraining from gossiping, lying, slandering and all traits of bad character. It calls for doing good deeds, generosity and kindness, self-reflection, praying and God-consciousness. During this month Muslims read the entire Quran, which is divided to 30 equal parts to be read each day. Muslims also go to the Mosque for special Ramadan prayers after the breaking of the fast.
The end of Ramadan is marked by a three-day celebration and worship called Eid ul Fitr, which begins with a special communal worship service, the first morning after the month ends. During these three days Muslims have feasts for friends and family, give modest gifts especially to children, give charity (fitra) to the poor and needy, and also give the obligatory alms (Zakat), which also goes to the poor and needy. Eid ul Fitr is the second major holy day of the Islamic calendar year.
Muslims believe that one of the last few odd-numbered nights of the month is the Laylat ul-Qadr, the "Night of Power" or "Night of Destiny", the night on which God first began revealing the Qur'an to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) through the angel Jibril (Gabriel) as the Quran states: "Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong)." (Q2:185).This night is especially important for the Muslims, as it is stated in the Quran that "this one night is better than a thousand months of prayer" (Q97:3).
Ramadan has many dimensions, including physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions. Ramadan orients the believer to balance between all these dimensions of his/her existence. Physical dimension of Ramadan includes abstaining from all kinds of food, drinks, smoking and sexual contact from sunrise to sunset. It helps physical attunement of the body through cleansing and relaxing, and provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits or overindulgence.
Psychological dimension of fasting is related to patience, forbearance and perseverance. Through observing fasting, the believer enriches his/her patience, forbearance, self-worth, self-strength, self-control, self-reflexivity, self-training and discipline. Through fasting Muslims strive for controlling their urges and resist temptation. And through meditative practices of praying, reading the Quran and remembering God, they are reminded of the bigger picture, and develop an understanding about purpose of creation. Thus, fasting helps dealing with stress, trauma, attain inner peace. Therefore Ramadan helps healing psychological problems.
In terms of social dimension, fasting calls for remembering those who are poor, who do not have food or shelter. Fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing sympathy for the less fortunate, and of learning thankfulness and appreciation for all of God's bounties. It calls for purifying ones actions towards others. It reminds believers of their social responsibility, it calls for generosity, sharing and forgiving. It calls for compassion towards those who are in need and are suffering. During this month Muslims are especially called for resolving their conflicts, forgiving each other and asking for forgiveness.
Ramadan is also the month of mercy. Muslims are called to show mercy, compassion, generosity, and care for all Gods creatures, including themselves, other human beings, animals and the environment as the vicegerents of God on earth. By partaking in Ramadan, and experiencing it together creates a social space that is shared by many Muslims across the globe. This creates a unique sense of solidarity among Muslims around the world. By sharing the feast with friends and relatives during Eid ul Fitr, and by giving charity (fitra) and alms to the poor and needy (zakat), Muslims take part in healing social wounds, knitting closer ties with others, redistributing wealth, connecting with those who are in need. This aspect of Ramadan contributes to creating a just and compassionate society based on sharing and giving rather than focusing on consumerism.
The following Hadith captures this aspect of fasting: "Allah (SWT) (the name for The Almighty God, used by Muslims) said that: All services of the son of Adam are for him except fasting. It is for Me, and I will reward him for it. Fasting is a shield. On the day you fast, do not use obscenity, nor yell at others, nor act ignorantly towards them. However, if anyone abuses you verbally or attempts to draw you to fight with him, say 'I am fasting' two times. The Prophet (pbuh) then states: I swore by the One (Allah) in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, the breath of the faster is sweeter to Allah on the Day of Judgment than the scent of musk. The faster experiences enjoyment twice: he is pleased when he breaks his fast, and he is pleased when he meets his Maker" (Muslim).
Finally, in terms of its spiritual dimension, fasting redirects the hearts away from worldly activities, towards The Divine. During this month, Muslims ask for mercy and forgiveness from God. Purity of thought and action is paramount. Fasting is a deeply personal act of worship in which Muslims seek to raise their level of God-consciousness. During Ramadan Muslims feel the peace that comes from spiritual devotion as well as kinship with fellow believers. Ramadan calls for inner-reflection, rethinking of meaning of life and ones place thereof. It is a month for repentance, mercy and spiritual attunement. Because their attention is diverted from the satisfaction of bodily appetites and wants during fasting, Muslims receive a certain amount of ascendancy in terms of their spiritual nature. Thus they become closer to God.
Moreover, Muslims spend the whole month in acts of worship like voluntary Salat (prayer), Tilawa (recitation of Quran), Dhikr (remembrance of Gods names), and etc. By reading the entire Quran, and performing Dhikr Muslims are reminded of the human struggles and Gods benevolence. They draw inspiration from the stories of previous Prophets, such as Abraham, Moses, Joseph and Jesus. Therefore, they renew their commitment to God, renew their faith and family ties, as well as connect to the message of Prophets.
To conclude, as a result of fasting during Ramadan Muslims develop a balance all these different dimensions of their existence. However, all these benefits, may it be physical, psychological, social or spiritual, come as a blessing of God; they are not the aim of billions of Muslims who are fasting. At the end, Muslims observe Ramadan only to please God.