Ignorance they say is bliss. So I set to find out how. I asked a couple of my friends what they knew of Ramadan. And the answer was unanimous. No eating, no drinking and no smoking during the day; feast all evening, pray in the night and then hit the bed. Am sure most of you would agree with this. Well here I am to shed some light on another perspective of Ramadan.
Well this is not to criticize anyone’s thoughts, but to provide more insight on the common misconceptions.
To start off with, this is the ninth month on the Lunar Calendar and of major importance is the fact that the Quran was revealed to us 1400 years ago in this same month. 1432 years to be exact.
There are 2 aspects to any belief – physical and spiritual. Let me elaborate on physical before I get more serious.
It is common knowledge that people break the fast with a couple of dates. You must be aware the body gets energy in 2 ways – glucose or fat. But the brain takes energy from glucose only. So when there is no glucose to be burned, the liver takes protein from the muscles, where it is transformed into glucose then shot up to the brain. So considering one date with 15g of sugar would be a traditional way of breaking the fast, to enrich the brain with glucose.
Also a study conducted by the National Institute of Aging showed that fasting or intermittent deprivation of food can protect the brain from diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. (Source: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1471-4159.2003.01586.x/full)
According to Dr. Ebrahim Kazim, a low blood-sugar level can lock the brain into stages of deep sleep. He writes: Fasting improves the quality and intensifies the depth of sleep, a matter of particular importance to the aged who have much less stage three and four sleep (deep sleep). The processes of repair of the body and of the brain take place during sleep. Two hours of sleep during the month of Ramadan are more satisfying and refreshing than more hours of sleep otherwise considering the fact that you fast during the month!
And the Iftar (breaking of the fast) is more a Cultural Heritage with Cuisine than a ritual. Your body needs the vital nutrients for day which is often mistook for a feast. In the place where I live, we break the fast with a couple of dates, a piece of water melon and a fruit juice. It is more of a social gathering void of class or creed. There would be only one commonality between them – they follow the same religion. It simply makes you realize all are equal in the eyes of Allah (God) no matter how rich or poor, how colored you are or how beautiful you are. And through these family or community gatherings, we Muslims strengthen the bonds of brotherhood within the community and outside the world.
We do not eat, drink or smoke or indulge in physical intimacy during the day in this holy month. But more than the physical, its abstaining spiritually that’s more challenging. But when you know you are doing this for the love of Allah, nothing seems Herculean as it sounds. You not only abstain from lying, back-biting, foul talk but also from hurting others intentionally or unintentionally, practice good manners and tolerance. As this is the month of rewards so is it a month of accountability; every action you perform is accounted for. You need to take extra care to strive to make sure you lead a peaceful life, a life that is prescribed by Allah in the Quran.
By fasting spiritually, you feel closer to Allah and once you start feeling closer you know that everything we have in this life is a blessing from Him. This also builds your self control by practicing good manners, good speech and good habits.
More of self-reflection will reveal the simple logic behind this way of life. If you can restrain yourself from all the bad in the world for 30 days, why cannot you do that all year? After all anything practiced for more than 21 days does turn into a habit! Muslims are commanded to fast so that they may "learn self-restraint" (Qur'an Chapter 2: Verse 183). This restraint and devotion is especially felt during Ramadan, but we all must strive to make the feelings and attitudes stay with us during our "normal" lives. That is the true goal and test of Ramadan.
During this month you learn to live with patience, learn to make total submission to Allah , take care of the poor, practice tolerance and good conduct, gain self control, justice and self purification; paving a way of life simply abstaining from those small things that you never paid attention to otherwise.
The following are a few excerpts from the Prophet Mohammed’s (peace be upon him) sayings/verses of the Quran that talk about the importance and the Joy of Ramadan.
The Prophet said “If a person does not avoid false talk and false conduct during Fast, then Allah does not care if he abstains from food and drink (Bukhari, Muslim).” (Thus more importance is levied upon the fasting spiritually than just without food.)
"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan), he must fast that month, and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number (of days which one did not fast must be made up) from other days. Allah intends for you ease and He does not want to make things difficult for you. (He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him" (Chapter 2: Verse 185).
The Prophet said “Allah the Majestic and Exalted said: "Every deed of man will receive ten to 700 times reward, except Siyam (fasting), for it is for Me and I shall reward it (as I like). There are two occasions of joy for one who fasts: one when he breaks the fast and the other when he will meet his Lord" (Muslim).”
Thus Ramadan is a time of self reflection and a chance to get your life back on track unlike the usual propagation of simply abstaining from food.
