(Quran 2:183, O ye who believe, Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous)
With the inception of this blessed month of Ramadan, a non-Muslim friend asked, “are Muslims only good during Ramadan?”. This question got me to do some reflection and I found out that my friend wasn’t far from right in his general observation of some Muslims approach towards Ramadan and beyond.
Ramadan is supposed to be a springboard or a refiner of our virtues (good deeds) and not just a 30 day period of observing virtues. It is also supposed to be a landmark of assessment of your level of commitment to certain virtues you refined in the previous years. So we have to ask ourselves, after every month of Ramadan are we able to read the Quran often as we read during Ramadan? Are we able to offer our five daily prayers and on time as we do during Ramadan? Do we offer tahajud that often? Do we give sadaqah as a habit? Are we always humble, tolerant and peaceful in all our dealings? Are we able to fully exhibit all the tenets of Islam like we do during Ramadan?
As Ramadan has just begun, some people have even started planning on what to wear on Eid-ul-fitr. Some are planning on the jamboree and all kinds of immoral enjoyment they will have on “salafest”. People go on the streets and celebrate like they have been set free or unleashed from a burden or released from a gruesome 30 day prison sentence under hard labour.
Ramadan is supposed to be a spiritual cleansing exercise which will transcend above the 30 days into every single day of our lives. May Allah have mercy on us so that we don’t just go hungry for 30 days but rather undergo a 30 day spiritual rehabilitation which will leave footprints in our lives forever. It might look like a mockery of Ramadan, but it’s a mockery of our own self.
May Allah bless us all, forgive our shortcomings, and give us every drop of blessing in this Holy month of Ramadan, Amen!!!
Good point Mr. Hammond.
The Prophet Muhammed is reported to have said; “He who abstain from food and drinking during the period of the fast but doesn’t restrain himself from uttering a falsehood starves himself to no purpose”
Obviously the good habits developed during this holy month is suppose to be carried through till the next Ramadan when another good habit is cultivated and bad habits discarded. But unfortunately this is missing in some Muslims.