Reflections on Ramadan

"O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you in order that you may attain God-consciousness" (2:183).

The month of Ramadan has been honored by the revelation of the Holy Qur'an. The Qur'an came from the highest heaven to the lowest heaven in the blessed night of Laylat-ul Qadr, Night of Decree. Muslims honor this month through fasting. "The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Qur'an was revealed as a guidance to mankind and a clear evidence for life." Fasting serves as an instrument for gaining nearness to God All Mighty and achieving purification of heart and mind. Muslims look forward to the coming of Ramadan with great longing for the spiritual, physical, and emotional benefits this special season brings.

Ramadan is a month of heightened devotion. In addition to the five daily prayers we gather nightly for extra prayers. During the last ten nights of Ramadan, some families seclude themselves in the mosque for itikaf; nights spent performing extra prayers and reading the Qur'an. It is a spiritually intense period of reflection and devotion whose purpose is to seek guidance and ask for forgiveness, quietly focusing on growing nearer to God and strengthen the bonds of brotherhood between them. Muslims believe the Qur'an is holds the cure for ailments of the soul. Intensifying the relationships with the Qur'an renews the spirit of what may have seeped through the barriers and entered the heart.

Ramadan is an opportune time to cultivate compassion for others, but in particular for the poor. We are urged to be more generous during Ramadan giving of our time, giving of our wealth, and giving of ourselves. Muslims believe that in the Blessed month of Ramadan, Satan is chained down and is prevented from influencing a person. As such, Ramadan becomes a time of personal evaluation. Each person knows their deeds and sins; a sin committed in Ramadan cannot be blamed on the whispers of Satan as he is restrained. Therefore, the person must strive to overcome the penetration that Satan has made into the soul of that individual.

A person is not left to his or her own devises to do this. The Qur'an is the medicine for any spiritual ailment of the believer. The Qur'an was revealed as a guide for us in situations of difficulty and in those of ease. Each person is in a unique state, different from any other person around them, yet the Qur'an speaks to each person on the level that they are and encourages growth through practical steps to becoming closer to God All Mighty. The Qur'an is also a source of healing for the illnesses of the heart that can destroy more than the individual, illnesses such as jealousy, hatred, anger, and envy. Allah reminds us "Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find comfort." It is a source of healing sadness and a reminder that through kindness and dignity, true Happiness can be found in the Life to come.