EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH
Ramadan is what you put into it
By Michele Ouansafi
As my mom, dad and two brothers are starting to talk about Christmas, and my sister-in-law is looking ahead to Hanukkah, I am getting ready for the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, Ramadan, as I have for the past 15 years.
Ramadan is the third of our five pillars of Islam, preceded by the declaration of faith and prayer and followed by Zakat and Hajj. It starts with the sighting of the first sliver of the crescent moon and is expected to begin this year on or about Oct. 27.
I will not be alone on this journey. I will be joining approximately 1.3 billion Muslims around the world — including some 8 million to 10 million in North America — for this "month of blessing" marked by prayer, fasting and charity. But while in many places some holidays have become widely commercialized, Ramadan retains its focus on self-sacrifice and devotion to Allah (or God, Dieu, Dios, Dio or Gott, depending on what language you speak).
During Ramadan, Muslims may not eat or drink anything, even water, from sunrise to sunset, at which time the fast is broken with a meal known as iftar. Ramadan not only is about refraining from eating or drinking, but also is a spiritual journey.
Oftentimes in describing Ramadan to others, I hear: "Isn't that difficult? I don't think I could do it."
This is when I remind myself that Ramadan, like everything else in life, is a matter of attitude. I will reap from this experience exactly what I put in. If I believe it is a chore, something difficult and unpleasant, then this is the experience I will have. However, if I go into this experience understanding that fasting is a choice I am making whereby I can achieve great spiritual benefit, I will have a wonderful, uplifting encounter. Although fasting has been commanded to us by God, God has given us free will, thereby making fasting a choice. This choice must be something that is made as an individual as part of a test from God.
Fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing sympathy for the less fortunate. This makes me thankful and appreciative for all of God's bounties. Not only is fasting beneficial to my health; it also provides me with an opportunity to break from overindulgence and to practice self-control while cleansing my body and mind.
Most are aware that fasting is to refrain from food and drink. However, during Ramadan we are also required to fast our eyes, ears and tongue by not looking, listening or talking about matters that are of no benefit to us.
In a world replete with wars and uncertainties Ramadan helps me feel the peace that comes from spiritual devotion by concentrating on seeking Allah's mercy, forgiveness, and protection. This is the month for renewing my commitment and re-establishing my relationship with my creator. This is the season for goodness and virtues when righteousness blossoms throughout the Muslim communities. It offers me an opportunity to strengthen my Iman (belief), to purify my heart and soul, and to remove the effects of any sins of the previous year.
As it is with everything within Islam, I am to do nothing to excess; all things should be in moderation. Therefore, I am not to isolate myself from this world to achieve piety, as Islam does not advocate monasticism. I must take time to pray and leave the affairs of this world to appear before Allah to remind myself that none but he is worthy of worship and of my unfaltering obedience.
Ramadan takes this to the next higher plane, providing me intense training for a whole month.
Through direct worship, I am able to "recharge my batteries" and strengthen my connection with God. Ramadan is the month for rebuilding my spiritual strength. How much I benefit from it is entirely up to me.
Michele Ouansafi has been a Muslim since 1988.
Expressions of Faith is a column that welcomes written works by leaders in faith and spirituality.
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