Muslims across the globe are observing the fast during the holy month of Ramadhan. The question often in a non-Muslim’s mind is, ‘How difficult is it to practice Islam?”
An active speaker at Sultan Qaboos Islamic Information Centre, Saif al Raheili, who is by profession an electrical engineer, said, “I would be honest with you. Practising Islam is not easy because it’s an act of worship towards an oath you have taken with your Lord Allah. This is very heavy. When you say that I bear witness that there is no God, but Allah and Muhammad is His prophet, peace be upon him and the Holy Book, the Quran is the holy book that you believe in. So whatever commands in this holy book you are entitled to and whatever you are requested to stop doing requires a fight with oneself.”
He explained that this is like a journey where you need to prove your oath by deeds and actions and this exactly can determine how difficult it is for a person to make that commitment.
“It is definitely a commitment and you will be asked about it in the next life. This is part of the oath you have taken that is you believe in the hereafter or the next life.
The next life is basically a concept of meeting the Lord himself. And then you will be questioned about the deeds you have done in accordance with the witness you have given. So it is difficult for those who cannot keep an oath or cannot make that commitment.
It is easy and can be made easy for those who are sincere, serious about that oath, their commitment and witness they have given,” he explained.
Fasting is an important aspect of Islam, an important part of being a Muslim. So why fasting, and why was it prescribed?
“Fasting is called one of the five pillars of Islam. In the Quran, Allah says we are not the only nation that is obligated to fasting. There were previous nations also that were asked to do so.”
“This is an act of worship that you show yourself that you actually believe in. This is an act of worship. You need to prove this to yourself and you need to show this to the public that they know that you are actually a slave of Allah working or living this life according to his commands,” explained Al Raheili.
The month of Ramadhan is a month of changes, and it is not to do with just physical actions. According to Al Raheili, fasting is not just about eating and drinking but also the acts of the ‘nafs’ - the soul.
“You are not supposed to lie. You are not supposed to cheat. You are not supposed to steal. So whatever bad habit or whatever is considered as a sin, can violate that fasting or that act of worship,” he pointed out.
Fasting is for the soul and the body at the same time.
“When you fast, it is better for you because this is a chance as a group act. Everyone is doing it, so it becomes easier for you to follow, and then you can proceed with the other months with the same concept,” he noted.
In other words, the month of Ramadhan is a journey of body, mind and soul.
“Exactly. And that’s when the Muslims try to be kind to the poor and spend lots of money because they want the Lord to accept this act of worship. So they try to give as much as they can to humanity to prove that they are good believers,” said Said al Raheili.
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