Zainab Lawan Musa
10 September 2008
opinion
Ramadan being the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar is a blessed month during which Muslims all over the world abstain from food, drink and other physical needs during the daylight.
The period is a time used to purify the soul, refocus attention on Allah and practise self-sacrifice. The period is more than just abstinence from food and drink. Muslims are called upon to use the month to re-evaluate their lives in the light of Islamic guidance. They are to make peace with those who have wronged them, strengthen ties with family(s) and friends, do away with bad habits, help each other and help those in need - the less-privileged. Essentially, Muslims are to clean up their lives, thoughts and feelings.
The Arabic word for fasting is 'Sawm' which literally means "to refrain". It means not only refraining from food or drink but refraining from evil actions, thoughts and words. During the Ramadan period, every part of the body must be restrained. The tongue must be restrained from backbiting and uttering bad words. The eyes must restrain themselves from looking at unlawful things, the hands must not touch or take anything that does not belong to them, the ears must restrict from listening to idle talks and obscene words, the feet must restrict from going to sinful places, thereby letting every part of the body observe the fast.
However, fasting is not merely physical but rather the total commitment of the person's body and soul to the spirit of fasting. Ramadan is an integral part of the pillars of Islam and has numerous benefits. The most important, though, is the idea that through the self-control of fasting, one can pay special attention to his spiritual nature. Another point is that it helps to develop a closer relationship with Allah, because it is a time to think about those who are less fortunate. To experience hunger in sympathy for those that lack food. It is also an essential part of Ramadan that many Muslims learn to show appreciation and thankfulness for what they have.
Fasting for 30 days during the month is only compulsory on bhaligh meaning adults. Many people most especially children may like to know the reason why Muslims fast in the month of Ramadan. Here are some of the possible reasons why ... To obey Allah's injunction. There are six articles of faith in Islam which are: Belief in Allah, Belief in His angels, Belief in His Divine Book(s), Belief in all His Prophets, Belief in the Day of Judgment and Belief in Predestination.
A Muslim must believe in, obey and implement all the words of Allah contained in the Holy Qur'an. Thematically, Qur'an contains injunctions for mankind, stories (tahr) of past events, accounts of future events and a lot of lessons of importance for Muslims. The injunctions are sometimes directed at all creatures (men and Jinns), or sometimes to a specific gender (men or women), or sometimes to a specific tribe (e.g. "Bani Israel"), or sometimes to the progeny of Adam (i.e. Mankind), or sometimes to Ah-ul-kitaab (i.e. the people of the book), or sometimes to Muslims, etc.
In most cases, the injunctions of Allah can be regarded as blessing and rahama (mercy) upon Muslims. And when fully obeyed automatically leads Muslims to Allah's straight path. It is obvious that there is no compromise with Allah's injunctions. Every sincere and God-fearing Muslim must obey them. One of Allah's injunctions directed at Muslims both men and women is fasting as mentioned in the Holy Qur'an (2:183); "O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you". The phrase "O you who believe" is referring to those who submit to Allah's wills and commands. Those who believe in the six articles of faith mentioned above and practise the five pillars of Islam; and those who implement and obey Allah's injunctions in the Qur'an and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
Fasting during the month of Ramadan is a compulsory duty for Muslims both men and women. This is because Qur'an (2:185) says "whoever witnesses the month of Ramadan should fast through it". It is clear that Ramadan is mandatory for all able-bodied Muslims who are free from compelling excuses by Allah. Therefore, whoever deliberately forgoes fasting in Ramadan should know that he or she has disobeyed Allah's injunction and no amount of fasting thereafter can give him or her a reward equivalent to the missed Ramadan fast as obvious in the hadith reported by Abu-Huraira that the Prophet (SAW) said:
"Whoever did not fast one day of Ramadan without genuine reason or a disease; then even if he fast for a whole year, it would not compensate that missed Ramadan day" (Sahihul-al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, p.88). Fasting is not new to Islam; it is indeed as old as Adam who was the first creature and the first to submit to Allah. No one knows precisely when fasting began among Adam's progenies (mankind) but it is the practice of all the Prophets of Allah and their followers.
Prophet Musa fasted for 40 days (Qur'an (2:51), and Prophet Isa was reported to have fasted for 40 days, etc. Since these prophets were Muslims, it can be seen that by asking Muslims to fast, Allah intends to draw their attention to the practice and tradition of those that came before them.... "O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for people before you..." (2:183).
However, this verse shows that fasting was observed by the people who came to the scene before and so it is a tradition approved by Allah for those who lived before and for the present Muslims. Therefore, Ramadan fast should be seen as a propagation of the tradition approved by Allah for all those who submit to Him. By the nature of human beings, they are impressionable to sins and transgression of Allah's limits. This may be due to their ignorance, worldly struggle for ephemeral and tantalising things or Satan's handiwork.
Particularly, Muslims are warned against backbiting, slandering, hypocrisy, lying, cheating, duping, hatred, keeping malice, fornicating, etc., as all these vices negate the teachings of the Holy Qur'an. But since human beings are bound to make mistakes as a result of forgetfulness, they need to be reminded and coached against any social vice from time to time. This will require a fixed training period where Muslims will know and learn how to put an end to vices and learn virtues so as to get near to Allah. The training period is chosen by Allah to be the Ramadan fast which occurs once in every year.
During the Ramadan period, compulsory five daily prayers (salaat) are observed regularly and on time. This is to remind and train the mindless Muslims that prayer is an all-time duty for them. Also, tarawih and tahajjud prayers are observed in this gracious month. The tarawih prayer is observed after the Ishaih prayer, while the tahajjud is observed within the last ten days of Ramadan at night. This is to teach Muslims to observe additional prayers so as to increase their Iman and get their supplications to Allah accepted. Doubtful hobbies such as smoking are stopped, so as to train Muslims to be frugal as Allah hates extravagancy. Also, pornographic videos/pictures are avoided.
This is to free Muslims' hearts and eyes from corruption and Satan's whisperings to do evil deeds. All these good things which the Ramadan period teaches Muslims are means to attain piety. During this period, Muslims are invited by Allah to look for the "Night of Power"... (Lailatul-Qadr) or the "Night of blessing" (Lailatul-Mubarak). The reward of deed in this night is better than the reward of deeds of 1,000 months. Specifically, the night is in the last ten days of Ramadan and usually in one of the odd days, that is, 21, 23, 25, 27 and 29th. A Muslim is expected to perform nafilah, recite the Holy Qur'an, do Zikr, etc. in the night. However, the following chapter of the Qur'an details the event of the "Night of Power"...
"Indeed, we have revealed it (Qur'an) in the Night of Power. And what will explain to you what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein descends the Angels and the spirits by Allah's permission, on every errand: (They say) "peace" (continuously) till the rise of morning." (97:1-5).
It is for this very reason that Muslims want to witness and reap its full blessing by fasting during the days of the month of Ramadan. Any Muslim who wishes to benefit from this night must fast during the month of Ramadan. Ramadan period is a period that helps Muslims to seek forgiveness from Allah for their sins and a lot more....May Allah in His infinite mercy give us the strength and good health to be able to conclude our fasting during this Ramadan period, Amin. Ramadan mubarak...
Zainab wrote from Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri, Borno State.
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