Muslim Lifestyle

Reflection in Ramadan

Issue 48 September 2008

In the second part of our spiritual special feature, Imam Zaid Shakir takes us on a journey of remembrance  to reconnect with the authentic spirit of  Ramadan.

Ramadan is a month of patience. Unlike other acts of worship, it is not concluded in a few minutes or even a few days, as is the case  ofthe Hajj. It endures for an entire month, and during that month we are tested through the fasting that is demanded of us by day, and t hedevotion that should defi ne our nights. The Prophet, peace and blessings of God upon him, mentioned, “Whoever fasts the monthof Ramadan with sincere faith, anticipating a reward, all of his/her prior sins will be forgiven.” He also said, “Whoever stands for prayer during the nights of Ramadan with sincere faith, anticipating a reward, all of his/her prior sins will be forgiven.” Hence, the month is fasting by day, and devotional acts by night. We should try to avoid fi lling our nights with empty frivolous pursuits that contradict the deep devotional spirit of the month.

Perhaps the lengthy duration of the fast is one of the reasons it is referred to as patience. For example, many exegetes mention that in the Qur’anic verse, ‘Seek the help of God with patience and prayer’, “patience” means fasting. It is reported th atthe Prophet, peace and blessings of God upon him, said, “Fasting is half of patience.” Surely there is much that occurs during the course of the month that tests our patien ce.Our dealing with the usual issues arising from interactions with family, friends, coworkers,and others; while simultaneously dealing with the fatigue and stress that may arise as a result of refraining from food and drink certainly creates a situation that is a test of our patience.

God knows that well. Hence, He mentions that fasting has a distinct reward. He says, “All of the devotional acts undertaken by the Son of Adam are for him, and good deeds will be rewarded from ten  to sevenhundred times over, except fasting, that is for Me and I will directly reward him(the fasting person) for it.” One of the explanations of this tradition is that the reward for fasting is unlimited. This great reward arises from the great share of patience needed to successfully undertake the fast. That being the case, the reward for the fasting person is consistent with the great reward for those who are patient. We read in the Qur’an in that regard, ‘The patient ones will be given their reward with no reckoning’. (39:10)

“If we consciously strive to maximise the benefi t of Ramadan we will go beyond merely empathising with the poor, we will be inspired to help them. Ramadan is an excellent time to  start.”

Ramadan also provides us an opportunity to understand the reality of deprivation, first hand. Fortunately, for most of us, our deprivation ends with iftar each day. However, the consciousness created by that temporary deprivation should endure after our fast ends, indeed after Ramadan ends. We should endeavour to make that consciousness a permanent part of our lives. To do that, there are many things we can do to deepen the impact of Ramadan in terms of fostering a healthy social consciousness.

One of the most immediately relevant expressions of such consciousness is finding homeless shelters, or homeless people we can give the surplus food from our iftars to. If local laws prohibit contributing cooked food to shelters, we can organise the youth in our community and send them into the streets to give it directly to those living in the alleyways and parks in our and neighbouring communities.

We should also try to eat simple food during Ramadan. How can we claim that the month allows us to empathise with the poor, when we spend it eating things the poorer members of even our own national community cannot afford – to say nothing of our impoverished Muslim brothers and sisters in many of the lands we hail from? Poverty in this country is a reality that I know of first hand. As a child, I can remember many a day when my family’s diet consisted of grits three meals a day, along with nothing else. There were times when there was no meat, cheese or even peanut butter to place between two slices of white bread. We would improvise by making sugar sandwiches. For many people in this country, this is still their reality. How can we claim that Ramadan allows us to empathise with their plight when we attend and host lavish dinners topped with extravagant desserts?

To counter this tendency, as mentioned above, we should try to eat as simply as possible. We should eliminate casseroles and other lavish dishes from our Ramadan diet. We should try to avoid ice cream, cakes, and pies. Fast food from major corporate franchises, an extravagant luxury in any Muslim country, should be avoided altogether.  We should try to avoid eating more than one type of meat at any one meal. Soda, pizza and other “junk” food should disappear from our homes during the month.

Not only will this dietary discipline translate into better health and greater time and energy for worship, it also provides a great opportunity for us to explain to our children the difference between needs and desires. Many times we want to eat, wear,  use, or consume various commodities based on our whims and desires. What we are actually consuming has no real utility, and in the case of many appetising food “products,” little or no nutritional value. Ramadan is an excellent chance for us to point out this difference to our children.

Ramadan also provides an opportunity for those of us who have struggled up from humble beginnings, a chance to reconnect with our roots. There was a time in many of our lives when our closets and wardrobes were largely empty, whereas now they bulge with the superabundant harvest we have reaped over the years from department stores, boutiques, and factory outlets. Ramadan connects us to that simpler time that was a crucible wherein was forged the character that propelled us to the success we currently enjoy. Reconnecting to those roots during the sacred month can only bring us good. For our children it can help them to experience something of the circumstances that ward off complacency, and a lack of appreciation for the blessings of God.

If we consciously strive to maximise the benefit of Ramadan we will go beyond merely empathising with the poor, we will be inspired to help them. Ramadan is an excellent time to start. Ibn ‘Abbas relates the Prophet, peace and blessings of God upon him, was the most generous of people. The time he was most generous was during Ramadan when the angel Gabriel would come to him and review the Qur’an with him. When Gabriel met the Messenger of Allah, peace upon him, during Ramadan, he was more generous than the free blowing wind.

One reason for this increased level of generosity is that during his reviewing the Qur’an, he would be deeply impacted by the verses encouraging spending, and charity. For example, ‘You will never attain to righteousness until you spend of that which you love’. (3:92)

Similarly, ‘O, Believers! Spend of what we have bestowed upon you before there comes to you a day when spending and ties of friendship will be of no avail, nor will there will be any intercession. And the arrogant deniers of the truth, they are the wrongdoers.’ (2:254)

Such charity is one of the hallmarks of Ramadan. If it is comprehensive in our communities, it will not only go a long way towards meeting the needs of the less fortunate members of our society, it is also one of the keys to the perpetuity of our blessings. God declares in the Qur’an, ‘If you express appreciation [ for my blessings], I will increase [them] for you.’ (14:7)

What better time than Ramadan to commit or recommit ourselves to serving and assisting the less fortunate members of our communities? What better time than Ramadan to revive the prophetic tradition of selfless charity? What better time than Ramadan to express our confidence in the promise of our Lord that He will increase us in those blessings we show adequate appreciation for?

Again, these are not abstract teachings which we can allow to be confined to theory, or empty talks in our mosques and centres. Rather they are an indispensable part of the ethical teachings of our Prophet, peace upon him. The implementation of such teachings shows people what Islam is, as opposed to lofty but empty words about what it should be. These are also teachings that have relevance beyond Ramadan. Patience, empathy with the less fortunate, self-restraint, thankfulness, charity, Godconsciousness, and humility are virtues that cannot be confined to a particular season. They are ways of being that should characterise our lives. We pray that this Ramadan will be a special time in our lives, and that it will constitute a significant milestone in our journey to higher degrees of true human development.

DUA’A

llahumma laka sumtu wabika a mantu wa ‘alaika Tawakaltu, wa’ala rizquka aftartu.

‘O Allah, I fasted for Your sake. I believed in You and relied on You and I break my fast on your provisions.’

Dhahab az zamaa’u wab tallatil urooqu wa thabat al-ajru Insha- Allah

‘The thirst is gone and the throats are wet again and the reward is established, God willing.’

Allahumma Inni as aluka birahma - tikal Latee wasi’at kulla shain an Taghfi rali

‘O Allah, I request You by Your mercy that encompasses everything in creation to forgive me.’

Recite the following dua in abundance:

Allahumma innaka ‘affuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu ‘anni’ ‘

O Allah You are The One Who pardons greatly, and loves to pardon, so pardon me.’

Prophetic Sayings

“The one who fasts experiences two joys. He is joyful when he breaks his fast, and is joyful because of his fasting when he meets his Lord.” [Sahih Muslim]

“The breath of the one who fasts is sweeter to Allah on the Day of Judgment than the scent of musk.” [Muslim]

“My nation will remain in goodness as long as they break the fast as soon as it is due.” [Muslim]

“Indeed, as to the fasting person, about the time he breaks his fast, his du’a,  turned away by Allah.” [Ibn Maja]

“The one who fasts experiences two joys. He is joyful when he breaks his fast, and is joyful because of his fasting when he meets his Lord.” [Sahih Muslim] “The breath of the one who fasts is sweeter to Allah on the Day of Judgment than the scent of musk.” [Muslim]

“My nation will remain in goodness as long as they break the fast as soon as it is due.” [Muslim]

Hadith Al-Qudsi

“All services of the son of Adam are for him except fasting. It is for Me, and I will reward him for it. Fasting is a shield. On the day you fast, do not use obscenity, nor yell at others, nor act ignorantly towards them. However, if anyone abuses you verbally or attempts to draw you to fi ght with him, say ‘I am fasting’ two times.”

“Indeed, as to the fasting person, about the time he  breaks his fast, his du’a, (supplication) will not be turned away by Allah.” [Ibn Maja]

LAYLATUL QADR

Laylatul Qadr or the Night of Power, is described in the Qur’an as ‘better than a thousand months’ (Q: 97:3) and was the night on which the Qur’an was revealed. Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, used to exert himself in devotion during the last ten nights to a greater extent than at any other time. He said: “Whoever prays during the night of Qadr with faith and hoping for its reward will have all of his previous sins forgiven.” (Bukhari and Muslim). It is not exactly known what day Laylatul Qadr falls on, but it is during the last ten days of the month. It is generally thought to be on an odd night of the last ten days, but because of the uncertainty of the date, it is recommended to observe all the nights during this time.

I’TIKAF

In I’tikaf one makes a spiritual retreat in the mosque all the time, performing various forms of dhikr (remembrance of Allah). It was a practice of the Prophet, peace be upon him, to spend the last ten days and nights of Ramadan in the mosque for I’tikaf. One performs extra salah, recitation and study of the Qur’an. I’tikaf of a shorter period of time, like one night, a day or a couple of days is encouraged as well.