Ramadan - A Time of Reflection

Don’t eat from sun up till sun down.  That’s what I learned when I was a kid. I began fasting at the ripe age of 6 years old. I clearly remembering begging my parents to let me join them while they withheld from eating or drinking anything.   That’s what I saw.  The only change I saw was that they would stop eating and drinking.  I always wanted to join in on things my parents did and this was no exception.  In school, I proudly told my classmates and teacher at lunchtime that I was fasting. The other six year olds would look at me with gawking, disbelieving eyes.  “You don’t eat all day?” I looked at them with this smugly superior smile and nodded my head knowingly, as if they were all beneath me.

But as a six year old, I just wanted to make sure I wasted as much time as possible to get me to maghrib.  There were days I would monitor the clock as it inched minute by minute towards iftaar. Ramadan to my six year old being was merely a time where I felt hunger and thirst.  My worship towards Allah (swt) did not change nor did my daily habits.  And I think that so many Muslims today continue to pass each Ramadan not knowing its value.

Alhamdulillah each one of us was blessed to live and experience this Ramadan.  A month where the blessed Qur’an was revealed to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (S).  It is a month in which all the devils are locked up in the hell-fire, and we, as humans, are merely left to battle with our nafs.  We are left to battle the temptations and desires stemming from our very being and instead attempt to replace them with purities.  Ramadan is a month where Muslims should dedicate towards cleansing and purifying themselves.  We need to build new habits and break the bad.  Learn more about our beautiful religion for it truly has something remarkable and unique to offer in every sense.  It appeals to the mind rationally and the heart spiritually.

Ramadan is a month where our hearts need to fast, and this fasting is just as important as the physical abstinence we put our bodies through every year.   Understand that Ramadan is not a month of hunger and thirst, but a time of reflection and understanding.  It is a month dedicated towards giving the Muslim ummah a chance.  Allah (swt) has decided to grant you this opportunity this Ramadan.  He has invited you to partake in the best of months.

Seize each moment because God knows if we will be alive for the next Ramadan.  

-Anonymous 

Race towards the pleasure of your lord!

Alhamdulillah Allah has blessed us with the opportunity to benefit from another Ramadan. It's that time of year where we up the ante and use all our time to do good. We turn off the music, turn on the Quran and even wait an extra month to watch The Dark Knight Rises. But this maxing out on deen makes it almost impossible for people like me to maintain such habits after the month ends. Truth is, I get burnt out. I try so hard in Ramadan and then get too tired to keep up the good work. Allah will ask us if we worshipped Him or if we worshipped Ramadan. After all, the goal of this month should be to develop good habits. It shouldn’t be to do as much good as we can then go back to our old ways. So how do we set realistic, attainable goals that can be continued once this month ends?

Take baby steps. We all want to get better, but realize that it doesn’t happen overnight. Most importantly, consistency is key. Choose a task that is small, but done regularly. Establish a habit during Ramadan so that you can continue once the month has passed, inshAllah. Also, grab a buddy. It’s so much easier to be good when you’re not alone. Choose a friend whom you trust, love, and someone you want to grow closer to. Do the task together. It can be a daily, or weekly thing; whatever works for you, just make it consistent. Doing it with someone else makes it that much easier. They will be there to give you that extra motivation and keep you in check, plus bonding over deen will bring barakah into your friendship and give it a strength that can’t be shaken.

Your task can be anything. Choose a lecture series and listen once a week together. Or choose a surah and memorize a couple ayat everyday. Maybe you can choose a new sunnah each week and work on implementing it together. You can try to give up bad deeds together too! Maybe try to give up music or gossiping together. The sky is the limit, folks. But the bottom line is that it's easier when you do it together. We are weak people, and honestly, we can’t make it on our own. That’s why we need each other to do good. “And hold onto the rope of Allah together” (3:103). And when we do that, our bonds grow stronger and we begin to love each other for the sake of Allah. This love will unite us on the Day of Judgment under the shade of Allah, while others drown in their own sweat.

So grab hold of someone you trust and race towards the pleasure of your Lord. Struggle and fight together. Love and protect each other. Develop good and solid habits that you can continue after Ramadan ends for many more months to come. Check your intentions and do it for the sake of Allah alone. And see the coolness it will bring to your hearts and the strength it will bring to your bonds!!

May Allah (swt) grant us all the strength to admit to our brothers and sisters that we love them. May He grant us the strength to grab onto His rope and struggle for the sake of deen. May Allah (swt) accept our efforts, and unite us amongst the righteous on the final Day. Ameen!!

Happy Fasting, and happy racing!!!

-Nida Iftekaruddin