By: Mr. Wan
For Muslims, Ramadan is a long-awaited month that provides numerous benefits and religious privileges. According to preachers before us, if people were aware of these, they would wish for Ramadan all year round. Ramadan is synonymous with fasting. However, it is not only to refrain from hunger and thirst, but it is a month that is obligatory to refrain from doing dreadful things and controlling one’s emotions. For me personally, Ramadan should be celebrated with jubilation.
Let’s start with some interesting facts about Ramadan. Did you know that the first verse of the Al-Quran,the holy book of Muslims, was revealed to Prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel on a special night in the month of Ramadan? This night is called ‘Lailatul Qadr’, which is the night of a thousand moons, the holiest night for Muslims. This night will appear on one of the last ten nights of Ramadan. On the Night of ‘Lailatul Qadr’, Muslims are encouraged to perform more prayers because the reward for praying is equivalent to praying for 1,000 months or 83 years! For this reason, Muslims in Malaysia call this night the night of a thousand months.
The joy of fasting in Ramadan starts with Sahur, a meal before sunrise. Sahur is a meal full of blessings. Therefore, you should not disregard it even if you can only have a sip of water because those who eat and drink during Sahur are certainly blessed by Allah and the angels. Apart from that, Sahur can help us strengthen ourselves for the fast as it can give us energy and make our day more productive. In addition, Sahur ensures that our health is always preserved.
As we all know, fasting is obligatory for Muslims. Starting from sunrise until sunset, fasting begins by abstaining from eating, drinking, and all actions that can invalidate the fast. Muslims are also required to refrain from lying, uttering meaningless words, and engaging in gossip, arguments and/or fights. This is because fasting is a training ground to cultivate patience, honesty and tolerance in oneself. Indirectly, the practice of fasting will nourish a positive attitude in the person who practices it.
Apart from that, there is also a link between fasting and health. Islam is a comprehensive religion that includes all aspects of life. This includes care from a health point of view where Muslims place great emphasis on the well-being of the body just as Islam cares for the mind and soul. Health is the main capital for working, worshiping, and performing other daily activities. The month of Ramadan brings a lot of good in the world and the hereafter, especially if it is practiced correctly and full of repentance. For Muslims, Ramadhan is a gift because it allows us to improve our health as a whole. Fasting is a cure because it can stimulate changes in the body’s metabolism and help towards cleansing and repairing the body. Whenever we fast, our organs can take a break and help remove all impurities and toxins.
With the presence of Ramadan, Muslims have the opportunity to increase their worship of Allah. We would perform Taraweeh prayers in the mosque, read the Quran, listen to religious talks, and break our fast together with families and relatives. As we, modern-day humans, are giddily running on the hamster’s wheel chasing after material things and being hypnotized by technology, we rarely have the opportunity to work on our body, mind as well as spirituality, what more to say, spending quality time with our loved ones. Ramadan is indeed the perfect time to take a step back from all these daily distractions to reflect and improve on these essential areas in our lives.
Certainly, fasting brings a lot of benefits to a Muslim in order to become a person of faith, prosperity, and strength. This, I opine, is the joy of fasting during Ramadan.