Ramadan: Its true benefits & blessings

The Muslim world now prepares to welcome its holiest month, Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, known for fasting and spiritual endeavour, both of which have real and metaphorical meanings in terms of human development and our quest to find the true meaning for the purpose of life.

According to the Qur`an, fasting is not unique to Islam. God has prescribed fasting for other nations in the past, through their prophets and Messengers, whom He chose, for the purpose of attaining a life of virtue and righteousness, although the manner in which it was practiced may have differed.

The purpose, however, has remained the same; in that it has been designed to challenge human endurance and test the strength of our resistance to all that is evil and ungodly. By fasting a person will be better placed to abide by the guidance of his Creator and have a balanced life in this world and attain a life under the immense bounties of God in the hereafter.

Fasting is an act of pure worship and devotion to God and its importance is underpinned by the fact that it is one of the five pillars of Islam, and should not be seen only in terms of refraining from food and drink between certain hours of the day during the month. One has to comprehend its benign influence in terms of spiritual purification, social benefits, and its benefits to human physical and psychological health, human development and community life.

Fasting is so virtuous an act in the Sight of God that the Prophet Muhammad, Peace and Mercy of Allah be upon him, said, relating to Allah: ‘The act of fasting is solely for Me and I would reward for it’. As a matter of fact, all rewards belong to God, but specifying this reward gives it a special meaning.

The act of fasting is described as a‘shield’, meaning that those fasting are proactively defending themselves from the innermost evil traits present in their characters. At the same time, it enables us to resist more effectively the evil temptations and provocations directed at all of us in our daily lives.

The process grants the fasting person a clearer vision about the purpose of their life. The language of spirituality carries no meaning if the purpose of it is not understood. It becomes only shallow words, fashionable on the tongues of many people, but detached from the ultimate reality of its meaning.

Spirituality must be rewarding, both morally and physically, in both worlds, and should be closely connected with the purpose of life by the Creator, Allah (God). Spirituality is a practical phenomenon, arising consciously out of a person’s will when practised. In Islam, this methodology of spiritual attainment is called ‘Taqwa’. People must recognise the evil and its reality in front of them resist it and work to remove it. Similarly, people must comprehend goodness and its sources and work to achieve it for themselves and for others.

Ramadan, like other pillars of Islam, is meant to reinforce this. Fasting is real and its impact is felt. It does weaken the human body, but what is more important is that it weakens that part of our will which leads us to commit evil acts, while greatly strengthening that which encourages us in the doing of good.

With this in mind, the Prophet Muhammad emphasised it, saying: ‘when it is the day of fasting for any of you, let him not utter indecent words, or raise his voice, or speak ignorance. If he is provoked to reciprocate to a swearing, or act of fighting, he must say: ‘I am a person fasting’.’ That would be an act of reminder to him as well as defeating the forces of provocation.

Fasting is only meant for able-bodied people. Children, women in pregnancy, period, or breastfeeding, people who are travelling a certain distance which may cause hardship, people suffering from illness that may likely worsen or deteriorate, are all exempt from fasting. However, many of those in these categories are required to make up for their missed days of fasting after Ramadan.

Nonetheless, it creates such an environment of spirituality and close connection with God for all that everyone lives with the excitement of a special feeling and consciousness of their purpose in life.

The Prophet Muhammad has described this special environment of spiritual feeling by saying: ‘Ramadan has come to you. It is a month of blessings. God covers you in this month with His mercy. He sends down mercy, removes people’s wrongdoings (from them), and accepts their supplications and cries from them. Allah wants to see your competing acts from you in the month and takes pride with His angels. So show to Allah goodness from you. A bad luck person, therefore, is one who is deprived of His mercy in this month.’

The month of Ramadan is also described as the ‘month of patience’. Patience in life and in the human character is part of the endeavour to make life better, beautiful and meaningful. Impatience is the most likely cause of disbelief, animosity and corrupt actions.

The suppression of human desires during Ramadan is meant to train the body, and will, in patience and encourage the planning of one’s life with vision and milestones. It also helps to reduce the ‘rush and haste’ attitudes in one’s life, and grant him contentment and true happiness within the grand scheme of Allah’s destiny of His creation.

Ramadan is also named as the ‘month of care and support’, placing this month at the heart of a social mechanism that helps people and encourages them to show generosity to the rest of humanity. Everyone should compete in acts of goodness and generosity.

Everyone is capable of displaying that leadership of social distinction. Ramadan is another, better, opportunity for them to show that leadership. Ramadan may weaken the strength of the body but it reinvigorates and strengthens the power of human will and so widens the opportunity for human development for all.

The month is full of grand inspiration. According to the Qur`an, in one of the odd dated nights towards the end of the month, the complete Quran was first revealed to the lower heaven from the most high one, in preparation for it to be revealed in parts to the Prophet Muhammad. In terms of spiritual endeavour, worship and devotion, doing of goodness, prayers and reading of the Qur`an, and works of generosity and good words, a moment in that night, if it be caught in prayer, is better than the nights of a thousand months.

Every reward is multiplied by seventy times that in the rest of the year, during the month of Ramadan, and that makes it even more rewarding.

This month with its fasting and prayers is all about our personal endeavours and efforts to offer goodness and pleasure to Allah and be successful in this world and, of course, on the Day of Judgement in the Hereafter. So let us give our best efforts and place our faith in Allah for our rewards.

May Allah accept our fasting and the month from us and help us achieve its purpose. Amen.