Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Educationalist, Author, Parenting Consultant
For believers, the month of Ramadan is an all-inclusive training meant to uplift them as God’s effective stewards on Earth (Qur’an 2:30). This yearly drill is lovingly ordained for them to acquire the unique quality of Taqwa (Qur’an 2:183), meaning self-restraint from physical pleasures and emancipation from enslavement to the material world.
Needless to say, it is now proven by many specialists, that a month-long fasting brings innumerable health benefits as well as social and financial advantages to the believing community and others around them. Ramadan creates an ethos of giving to those who are less privileged, a fellow feeling that has lost its spirit under the hammer of greed and power in our morally broken world.
In families where parents and adults practise fasting with proper spirit and etiquette, children gain a real-life ethical, spiritual, and social consciousness every year that cannot be achieved by any other means.
This holy month is when the first five verses (96:1-5) of the eternal Qur’an, beginning with a simple but powerful ‘Iqra’ (read or recite), were revealed to the blessed Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). For the next 23 years, the Qur’an’s message guided to transform people into the spiritually blessed generation of Companions (Sahaba) to establish Islam’s divine way of life. God was pleased with them, and they were pleased with Him (Qur’an 5:119, 98:8).
The essence of the Qur’an is reading, reciting, reminding, thinking, reasoning, pondering, and acting. Muslims in this month set higher goals for themselves to plunge into the matchless Qur’an to learn from its clear and balanced life plan.
Muslims seek spiritual guidance and the exemplary values it espouses, such as truthfulness, patience, justice, forgiveness, and kindness. Islam is an active private and social religion that encompasses one’s beliefs, ethics, acts of worship, social and public interaction, and every other area of a wholesome life. In this holiest of months, Muslim spiritual, intellectual and social capital exponentially rises.
Ramadan fasting is for the moral, ethical, and spiritual upliftment of believers and can have profound implications for individuals and societies alike.
In a world plagued by moral, ethical, and spiritual decay, its significance transcends mere religious observance. Fasting is not merely an act of physical abstinence from food, drink, and other acceptable pleasures of life. It is a holistic practice designed to nourish the soul and cultivate a sense of community.
The core principles of Ramadan are self-discipline and self-restraint. In a society characterised by instant gratification and consumerism, fasting serves as a counterforce, urging individuals to transcend their desires and focus on spiritual growth. Believers are reminded of the importance of moderation and temperance in all aspects of life.
This practice fosters a heightened sense of self-awareness and mindfulness, enabling individuals to introspect and evaluate their actions through a moral lens.
Ramadan fosters empathy with the less fortunate. As individuals experience hunger and thirst firsthand, they develop a deeper appreciation for the blessings they often take for granted.
This heightened awareness of the plight of the impoverished prompts acts of charity and compassion, reinforcing the ethos of generosity and social responsibility.
Ramadan also creates a sense of communal solidarity. The shared experience of fasting brings people together across cultural, geographical, and socioeconomic boundaries, transcending divisions and nurturing a sense of belonging.
Through communal prayers, Iftars (breaking of the fast), and acts of worship, individuals forge bonds of kinship and camaraderie. In an era characterised by social fragmentation, Ramadan offers a respite and a sacred space where individuals can come together in pursuit of a common purpose.
Muslim personal, family, and social life thus undergoes a massive re-orientation towards spiritually in this month.
Dutiful and wise believers plan and adjust their routines to raise the bar of spirituality higher.
As family and community environments switch into a spiritual mode, Muslim children naturally enjoy the extra love and attention from elders and their behaviour improves.
Active parents encourage positive routines: eating and praying together; reading more from the Quran; learning from religious texts and giving more to compulsory and voluntary charities.
Ramadan fasting is indeed a blessing for believers and promotes positive personal and social human values whilst reinforcing core principles of Islam such as faith, compassion, and self-discipline and offering a holistic framework for personal and collective transformation.
As we navigate the complexities of the modern world, the timeless wisdom of Ramadan fasting serves as a beacon of hope, illuminating a path towards a more just, compassionate, and spiritually enriched society.
(Photo: Thirdman/Pexels)
