Fasting, a school of self-refinement

[Mostafa]

In the massive traffic of materialism and temporalty, our hearts have been lost in the gravid indulgence of this terrestrial complex. People have gravely forgotten the critical importance of spiritism. I have been asking myself: Is Ramadan still a spiritual season? What a tough question but, I felt it must be delt with. In our preparation for Ramadan, people have excessively been addicted to groceries shopaholism but, is that what Ramadan was meant for? Ramadan is a sacred time that was devoted for self-restraint, piety and self-cleansing. Unfortunately, for the last couple of decades, Ramadan has diminishingly been taken out of its major essence which is meant for refinement and ablutionary. Let us renew our perception of Ramadan this year. The prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reminds us that when Ramadan comes, the gates of heaven are open, the gates of hell are closed, and devils are chained. Allah glory be to Him gives us this good tiding of prosperity. Ramadan is indeed an enormous opportunity of immense transformation to your soul. These are countable days and nights, they all pass so quickly, so make sure to take advantage and benefit yourself and others from them. Perhaps we will not live until Ramadan, perhaps we will not live until another Ramadan next year, perhaps we will die in the beginning, the middle, or the end of Ramadan. So for non-Muslims, what is Ramadan? Ramadan is the month during which the Koran was revealed. It provides guidance for people, blessedness and the statute fundamentals. Those of us who witness the month shall fast therein. Those who feel ill or travelling may substitute the count for other days. Like Jews, Muslims use a lunar calendar for their traditional religious observances. A lunar year is eleven days shorter than a typical Gregorian year. As a result, dates of major events in the Islamic tradition move forward about eleven days every year. During Ramadan Muslims fast from dawn to sunset everyday. That includes the total abstention from eating and drinking even water in the daylight hours. It furthermore enjoins refraining intimate behavior between married couples during hours of fasting. Fasting is expected to discipline the soul on developing estimable characteristics and piety. Thus, the fasting person is expected to be patient, perseverant and to forebear obscenity. Fasting is beyond abstaining from food and drink for certain time of the day. It essentially refines the self and it gets it under control. It is highly encouraged for the fasting person to avoid anger, offensive language and to tolerate hardships. That’s the core and the main objective of observing fasting. It is to practice self-control and discipline. Fasting is not rough or inconvenient as some lay people wrongly stereotype. In fact, it is quite healthy and it is recommended by doctors to avoid illness and stomach diseases. Fasting is never innovated by the Islamic tradition, it has always been old as the human race. It is a distinct phenomenon and it is worthy of critical scrutiny. Fasting is quite intuitive experience. Fasting in Islam is a yearly spiritual relief and it critically proves to us the crucial significance of developing  self-restraining factors. Fasting in Islam is based on your ability to resist your desire and to overcome your terrestrial nature and to gradually connect yourself with the gloriously celestial realm. When you suspend your desire to eat, drink and engage in flirtation for thirty days, your soul reaches a higher level of purification and refinement. Fasting is the greatest worship in the Islamic tradition. It mutually trains the physical and the spiritual parts of the human being to develop characteristics of piety. If we managed to successfully avoid what is regularly permissible, our commitment to stay away from inadmissible and prohibited engagements is getting improved, it is more salutary. That is the major essence of fasting in Islam. I distinctly confirm again, fasting in Islam is quite beyond mere abstention from physical temporalty. It is the sufficient adequacy to attain moral excellence, piety and to thoroughly climb above terrestrial pursuits. Therefore, you are enjoined to abstain from all earthly motives. So physical assumption in addition to your defiance of your pride and egocentrism is absolutely mandatory to make your fasting worthy of acceptance. So if someone sought to offend you on purpose, you have got to peacefully tolerate his aggression and to respond, “I am fasting.” That is a very good exercise to periodically deny your disposal of egotism and your strident temperament to outrageously retaliate. Retaliation is a quite negative disposition and it ultimately incites hostile attitude. So if the language is tough to take, I am fasting for Allah’s sake. That is the confident conviction of the fasting person in Islam. He has to confidently be convicted about  his religious practice despite what others may obliviously prejudice. Ramadan is the month during which the revelation of the Noble Koran commenced and therefore, it is eminently revered and fasted. Fasting is the pathway to accomplish, serenity and fraternity. People fast together and they break the fast together. It is a gathering site to behold. This is the value of fasting in Ramadan, it is to gather with your fellow people, to eat together and pray together at night. It is a beautiful season and as Muslims, we keenly look forward to celebrating Ramadan annually.