One of my most awaited times in a year is the month of Ramadhan. I always anticipate it just the same way a child anticipates the coming of her mother from a long time journey. But for sure, I am never the only one awaiting it’s coming; everyone does for it is the month of glory.
Ramadhan is like a visitor who comes only once in a year, carrying with him blessings in abundance. It is that time of the year where unity holds all the people of the same faith, bringing them close together. People forgive each other, forget their grudges, visit one another, spend more time remembering their God…it’s the month of worship, the month of peace.
I remember as a child how I’d strive really hard to fast like everyone and when it gets to mid day I’d innocently surrender to hunger and eat. Or those other times when I’d drink water secretly as a child so everyone believes I’m still fasting. I remember how I’d anticipate the futaar (the breaking of the fast) so that I may eat the delicious food that sometimes we get to eat only in Ramadhan. Actually, many children get to think that the only way to get the tasty food is to fast, and parents always took advantage of that thought and encouraged their children to start fasting at a very young age so they may get to eat good food. Or even how I’d anticipate waking up for the suhuur (late night- early morning meal), I just thought it fun having all the family waking up at such odd hours of the night to eat. But as I grew up, I learnt that fasting is not all about food as many misunderstand; there is real wisdom behind fasting. It is just like a psychological way to teach mankind to appreciate what they have to eat from food and remember that there are so many people out there having nothing to eat at all. It is a reminder for the more fortunate to give charity to the less advantaged in the society.
Ramadhan comes with its own glow. It is just one of the most beautiful times in a year where everyone is yearning to get closer to God. The fun and beauty of it is how both the young and the old would compete to complete the recitation of the Qur’an (the holy book) as required, first or who would read it the most times by the end of the month, how we as family would all crowd up together to go perform the taraweeh and tahajud prayer (the night prayers done specially in Ramadhan) or how the Muslim society in general would call for donations from all over so that the poor may have good food and clothing as well or doing any good deed in general.
It is the time for repentance, the time to go into one on one conversation with the Lord. And as our prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said that whoever lives through Ramadhan and he still wasn’t forgiven, is in a very great loss for this is the time the doors of mercy are open and God forgives whoever repents truthfully. But human kind should be more sincere in repentance than they do for quite many people change their ways for only this particular month and just by the end of it, are back to their old evil ways. It is such a pity if someone thinks God doesn’t know what they hold in their hearts but alas! He knows what they even know not.
Among the benefits of fasting is that within the first ten days you get ‘Rahma’- Allah’s mercy, within the second ten days one gets ‘maghfira’- forgiveness from the Lord and from the last ten days one gets the blessing of being shun away from the hellfire. Apart from that, two great happiness from fasting is when one breaks their fast and when one will finally get to meet their Lord.
I usually consider this month a great blessing to live up to each year. The privileges are many and it brings along so much love and harmony among family, friends, neighbours, the poor and the rich…the entire Muslim society. We pray that we are among the lucky ones to live through the entire Ramadhan, get the blessings from it and are totally forgiven by our Lord. It is the only thing I’d pray for right now…amin.
