The Dawning of Ramadhan

It is 4.04 a.m. and I have just had my sahur (the last meal for the day before the start of fasting). As the month of Ramadhan dawns on us, I cannot help but reflect on the meaning of the holy month.

Ramadhan was the month in which the first verses of the holy Qur'an were revealed to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). It is a time for inner reflection, devotion to God and self-control.

Muslims the world over will observe one month of abstinence from food, drink, and all worldly pleasures, from dawn to dusk. It is a month for "cleansing" - not only your overloaded digestive system but your soul. It is a month filled with prayers, self-reflection, helping the less fortunate and just doing all the things expected of a decent human being.

Fasting is meant to teach the person patience and humility. Ramadhan is a time to fast for the sake of God, and to offer even more prayer than usual. Also, asking forgiveness for the sins of the past, asking for guidance in the future, and asking for help with refraining from every day evils and try to purify oneself through self-restraint and good deeds is involved in Ramadhan.

But should we be doing good only during the month of Ramadhan? Aren't we supposed to be decent human beings all the time - regardless of which month of the year it is? Should we not show compassion to the disadvantaged and the weak, love our brethren and celebrate differences instead of manipulating them to achieve our own agenda, the remaining eleven months of the year?

Instead, there is bickering amongst our Muslim brethren; labelling others infidels as if we have never sinned in our lives, trampling on the poor and the weak, enriching ourselves and our families through positions of responsibility that we have been entrusted with...and the list goes on.

I have been guilty of some of the weaknesses of being human.... impatience, anger, vengeance, selfishness, to name a few, and I am trying my best to be more patient, understanding, accepting, forgiving. If we can show restraint, compassion, charity, love, and understanding towards fellow mankind through our lives....and not just during the month of Ramadhan....we can make this world a better place not only for ourselves but, more importantly, for our children!

Let us all resolve to play our small part in achieving a just world....for, if it is to be, it is up to WE.