The Month of Ramdhan - The Month of Fasting
There is this phrase which
the believers of God believe in. It goes "There is no power and no
strength except with God". With the just concluded month of fasting this
statement is felt with all its vigour and meaning with which a believer feels
drenched with. Only through God's infinite mercy and blessings do the believers
fast; come rain, snow, sunshine, extremely hot weather, humid weather under all
conditions.
What does God say in return?
He says, "Fasting is for me alone; it is unto me to reward them". One
needs only absorb the intensity of love God has for those who fast for Him alone
in the obligatory month of Ramadan. The practice of fasting for God is an
ancient ritual that has its roots right up to pre-historic times. The Qur’an
says (2:183): "O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it
was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous".
People of the Book (Divine
religions) have practiced this custom and do so even today—Judaism practices
Yom Kippur which is a fasting tradition. The Christians practice 40 days of
fasting, Lent (like Ramadan for Muslims), a time of reflection where Christians
abstain from food and exercise celibacy during fasting time to focus on God and
deepen their faith. Lent is like Ramadan for Islam. It is a time of reflection
in preparation for Easter, the day when they finally see the Light.
The supposedly tangible
things in life are wealth, a wallet full of currency and credit cards, cars,
bungalows, and careers. But some things are MORE tangible than the tangibility
of the above things. Quran (3:14): "Beautified for mankind is the love of
the joys (that come) from women and offspring; and stored-up heaps of gold and
silver, and horses branded (with their mark), and cattle and land. That is the comfort
of the life of the world. Allah! With Him is a more excellent
abode".
Those (more tangible) are the
belief in one God, who is the Creator AND Sustainer of the Universe. Then the
life after death to follow. An eternal life is directly proportional to the
deeds done here. Good deeds here shall be rewarded to the fullest to the
minutest detail. Bad deeds here shall be held accountable for in equal
proportion. Quran (99: 7-8): "So whoever does an atom's weight of good
will see it, And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it".
Fasting is not only a Muslim
tradition as it is made to appear so in the media. It comes from Prophet
Abraham (and even before him). Those who have been fasting worldwide,
especially in this part of the world, have endured very hot and humid weather.
They had to stay out in the sun. They endured all to please God!
Again. How did it so happen?
As the saying goes, "There is no power and no strength except with
God".
Eid Greetings!
Aamir Yazdani
