The Personal Significance of the month of Ramadan

O ye who believe! fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that ye may (learn) self-restraint (2:183)

What is so significant about this month? Why can’t we be like this all the time. We humans are unable to hold on the same level of heightened Allah-consciousness throughout the year. If we are then Ramadan would no longer be Ramadan. If there is only one season like summer then it would be known as time only not as summer.

So by not asking why it cannot be summer all the time, we rather think what we need to do in summer and prepare for winter. The month of Ramadan is where we return to our workshop to repair our soul beaten by passion, lust & worldly desire. And prepare for the next lap to behave, deal with our self, with nature and with other human beings.

Ramadan is a month of heightened awareness of Allah. during this month self-restraint from food , drink, sexual activity from dawn to sunset and increased spiritual devotions are an fundamental part of this struggle. However there is more to Ramadan than the burdens of the flesh. Prophet Muhammad (sm) said :

The fasting is the protection or shield from the hell fire. So the person fasting should avoid sexual relation with his wife and should not behave foolishly and impudently and if somebody fights with him and abuses him he should say twice “I am fasting”. Prophet Muhammad (sm) added: by Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better with Allah (swt) than the smell of musk. (Allah swt says about the fasting person), He has left his food, drink and desire for My sake. The fast is for Me. So I will reward the fasting person for it and the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times. (Sahih Al Bukhari Hadith no 118 vol 3)

Whoever does not give up lying speech-false statements, and acting on those (lies) and evil actions etc., then Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e Allah will not accept his fasting) (Sahih Al Bukhari Hadith no 127 vol 3)

During this month we learn discipline, patience, forbearance and sacrifice. It is about testing one’s faith in the real world and in the world of personal hurts and hopes, of laughter and tears and between justice and injustice.

Just a few days remaining for the Crescent of the Shawwal month to be sighted and preparation for the Eid ul Fitr is entirely under way. For many people the preparation for Eid started from the first day of Ramadan or from the midway. The strong spirituality of the month seems to fall down under the weight of all the preparations for the day of celebration. So what we have achieved in this month? What’s the point of fasting when we do not pray five times a day and not behave according to the hadiths mentioned above.

We need to make sure that the next Ramadan finds us in a better state, finds us a bit closer to Allah (swt) and somewhat more kind person than this Ramadan did.

Syed Hussein Nasr says: To have completed the fast of Ramadan is to have undergone a rejuvenation and rebirth which prepares each Muslims to face another year with determination to live according to the Divine will.

The end of Ramadan marks the start of our journey again. A journey in which we must be guided not by our compass but also by The Most Merciful, The Guide- Allah (swt).

When my servants ask thee concerning Me I am indeed close (to them); I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me; let them also with a will listen to My call and believe in Me; that they may walk in the right way. (2:186)