Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

What is Ramadhan?

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Ramadhan holds a special significance for Muslims all over the world. Besides being the month of fasting, one of the five key pillars of Islam, it marks a different school of learning. It brings various religious, health and personal development teachings that one could learn through fasting.


All what one should do is to understand the reasons behind fasting, while understanding the values of fasting as a sacred ritual.


Observing this month and fasting is a very effective way of acquiring self-development skills in different aspects. As Ramadhan is the month of fasting, mercy, forgiveness and kindness, people become more compassionate to one another. Fasting teaches people to stay soft, compassionate, merciful and respectful to others. One can also be more supportive to his family, colleagues, friends and others. In other words, people tend to be more emotional.


Among the objectives of fasting during Ramadhan is that the Almighty Allah wanted to teach Muslims different lessons some of which are personal and social.


Fasting helps Muslims to develop and strengthen their powers of self-control, so they can resist wrongful desires and bad habits. Thus, one can control personal behaviours, thoughts, interests and desires even. The month-long fasting will be enough to urge people give up bad habits and avoid wrong deeds.


Another lesson that one can learn from Ramadhan is that by being away from all the bad things and refraining from personal desires, one can be closer to Allah.


Knowing that Allah knows what we all do and think about whether it’s good or bad it intensifies the consciousness of Allah in our heart. This increases the spiritual sense of us, so we become more religious, obedient and attached to Allah during Ramadhan.


That is why one can see people more compassionate and kindhearted in Ramadhan.


As one of the lessons that fasting teaches Muslims is to think about the poor and needy people who have shortfall of food and cannot afford getting three daily meals. Therefore, fasting allows others to experience hunger like those poor families and individuals. Accordingly, Ramadhan brings focus on the importance of giving charity and voluntary work in the society. Hence, you see people striving to do different sorts of charitable tasks with the poor people and needy families. This is due to the spirit of sympathy that Ramadhan instills in people.


Luckily, people here are more considerate and they contribute in helping others through various charitable associations. Their interest to support voluntary work and charities is not only limited to this month, rather it increases in Ramadhan as the credit and reward of such deeds is getting doubled. That is why Ramadhan is called the month of generosity and giving.


As a matter of fact, fasting doesn’t only promote refraining from eating and drinking, but from all kinds of selfish desires and wrong doings. Fasting is not merely intended for the body, but for the spirit as well. Thus, the physical fast symbolises and expresses the real and inner fast. Fasting is a spiritual practice that is targeting the spirit and body at the same time. It calls upon us to discover ourselves, master ourselves, and discipline ourselves. All what we should do is to realise the real message and reason behind fasting as well as to know the values of fasting.


The month of Ramadhan is an opportunity, which shouldn’t be missed and undervalued. Its religious and social advantages are many and we should all invest on this time of the year, which brings blessings to one’s life. Actually, it brings people together more than any other time of the year. May the Almighty Allah bestow us rewards and blessings from this month. Wish you all a rewarding fasting and a blessed time.


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