Usually the daily routine of people changes during Ramadhan adapting to the spirit of the holy month which brings calmness and tranquillity to one’s personality. Their attitudes and behaviours change during this month especially Muslims who fast throughout the day. People
tend to be more compassionate and patient; it’s the month of mercy. These are some of Ramadhan’s blessings to our day-to-day life.
Observing this month and fasting is a very effective way of acquiring self-development skills. 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 around them. One can be more supportive to his family, colleagues, friends and society overall. In other words, people tend to be more emotional more than any other time of the year.
There are many objectives and teachings behind the ritual of fasting during Ramadhan.
Among the key objectives is that the Almighty Allah want to teach Muslims different personal and social lessons. 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 his or her behaviours, thoughts and desires too.
The 30 days of fasting will be a great motive to urge people give up bad habits and avoid wrong deeds.
Another lesson one can learn during the month of fasting 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 increases the consciousness and remembrance of Allah in our heart. This raises the spiritual bar of us, so we become more religious and attached to
Allah during Ramadhan. That’s why you can see people more obedient and kindhearted.
Another significant lessons that fasting teaches Muslims is to think about the poor people who have no food and cannot afford getting three meals a day. Throughout such learning, fasting allows others to experience hunger like those poor families. Accordingly, Ramadhan brings the focus on the importance of charity and voluntary work in the society. Hence, you see people strive to do different kinds of charitable deeds for the poor and needy families. This is due to the spirit of compassion that Ramadhan instills in people.
Luckily, people here are more considerate and they contribute in helping others through various charitable organisations. Their interest to support voluntary work and charities is not only limited to this month, but it increases in Ramadhan as the credit and reward of such deeds doubles. That’s why Ramadhan is called the month of generosity.
As a matter of fact, fasting not only promotes 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, physical fasting symbolises and expresses the real and inner fasting. 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 via various tasks. All what we should do is to realise the real message and reason behind fasting as well as to know the values of fasting. It is a sacred ritual and a one of the main pillars of Islam which we should comply with.
The holy month of Ramadhan marks 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 that brings blessings to our life; it also brings people together. May the Almighty Allah bestow us the great rewards and blessings from this month. Wish you all a rewarding fasting and a blessed Ramadhan!
Abdulaziz
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