Ramadan is a yearly course aiming to overhaul our souls and bodies. Notably, both the Holy Quran and Hadith place tremendous importance on cleanliness to the extent that Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him (pbuh) said, “Cleanliness is half of faith.”
Ramadan is the best time to clean our hearts and souls from all sorts of rage, malicious feelings and enmity, purify our earnings, measure our spoken and written words, self-evaluate and refrain from committing backbiting. To enhance your understanding here is a list of “Ramadan readings.”
The Muslim world is observing Ramadan across the continents. Given the unfolding political, economic, social, cultural and religious events, it is the best time to recall the essence of Ramadan; strengthen patience, practice forgiveness, boost “self-reflection and spirituality” and increase donations to aid vulnerable people in society.
Ramadan offers something to everyone, not to Muslims alone. Correspondingly, in Islamic texts, God is referred to as “Rabbul Alamin” meaning the “sustainer of the worlds” and hence His oneness testifies to the sole ownership of mankind. The blessings and bounties of the Lord (God) are unlimited and include all human beings.
Relatedly, Mashood Baderin pointed out the epithet of being “A Mercy for the World” (rahmah li al-ālamīn) ascribed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the Quran (21:107), as an axiomatic concept that can be advanced for enhancing the promotion and protection of human rights.
In brief, the universality of Ramadan is also detectable in its formulation that facilitates the idea of “a healthy Ramadan” based upon healthy diets embedded in the Quran and Sunnah.
Spirit of humanity: Apt reminder
The core message of Ramadan can be best identified in Surah Al-Baqarah verse 2:183: “Believers! Fasting is enjoined upon you, as it was enjoined upon those before you, that you become God-fearing.”
Here, “before you” serves as a reference to previous Ummahs (nations, people of books) who are also blessed with fasting. Logically speaking, the powerful notion of God-fearing denotes that it stops anyone from committing corruption, harming fellow humans and engaging in any distasteful acts that cause inconvenience to fellow humans.
Taher Hamed, imam at Leeds Grand Mosque said: “One of the profound meanings of Ramadan and the act of fasting is the feeling of empathy for others, their sufferings, hunger, need and their inability to provide water and food for themselves and their families. This turns a Muslim’s heart toward gratitude to God for His blessings.”
Hamed further expounded his point quoting two verses from the Holy Quran: “And whatever blessings you have, it is from God,” and “And in their wealth, there is acknowledged right for the needy and deprived.”
Ramadan also reminds us that Islam is all about thoughtfulness and accommodating others.
Aleem Maqbool and Sara Monetta find: “Some Muslims are however exempt from fasting. They include children who have not reached puberty, pregnant or breastfeeding women, menstruating women, those who are ill or whose health could be affected by fasting, and those who are traveling.”
The takeaway message of Ramadan is to boost our morals, skill our business ethics, enhance and practice patience, increase zakat (donation) and be kind to neighbors.
Gaza in holy month of Ramadan
However, I barely have the strength to watch the hundreds of videos floating around on social media, especially the flood of TikTok clips showing the innocent children of Gaza, barefooted, hopeless and ravenous, quickly approaching death amid Israel’s fierce siege of Gaza. Aid officials are referring to the tragedy as “man-made starvation” and “man-made famine” because the Israeli army is deliberately halting the aid going into besieged Gaza.
Anyone having an ounce of humanity, Muslim or non-Muslim, could not bear the burden of such painful sufferings of humans at the hands of Jewish people, the people of the book whose core teachings embedded in “love” have made Gaza hell in the holy month of Ramadan. So, when you sit down for iftar with dozens of food items make sure you remember all those living in starvation, including the Gazans.
Today, Gaza brings back fairly similar reminiscences of the infamous incident of Karbala, which silently witnessed the most barbaric siege and eventual slaughter of Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and his family and companions who stood up against injustice and oppression.
What an unfortunate coincidence that centuries later, both the Western and the Muslim worlds are watching the slow holocaust of Gazans. The Daily Sabah has put it right, “Why is the Muslim world merely watching genocide in Gaza?”
Even though the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) agrees to an immediate cease-fire resolution in Gaza with the United States abstaining and the remaining 14 Security Council members voting “Yes,” it seems Israel will not stop.
Today, the Gazans are witnessing the death of humanity as they are left to slowly die in the holy month of Ramadan. Eman Alhaj Ali has rightly pointed out that the real beauty of Ramadan has been buried under “Israel’s genocidal war. It has destroyed the joy of the holy month. Now only our happy memories remain.”
The point is how many times we will repeat our rather empty slogan “Never again,” and yet we repeat it again. It is time to think of those fighting human-made starvation, hunger, disease and inequalities, and then be thankful for the countless blessings that we enjoy. After all, those making life difficult for others and still claiming to be “people of the book” must remember that, “What goes around comes around.”
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