The Holy Month of Ramadan: Fostering Peace and Compassion
Ramadan is the holy guest that Muslims wait eagerly to host every year. The month we wake up late night to dawn when everything is dark and quiet and the words of the holy book Quran lighten up our souls and the feeling of embracement by god emits peace and the faith we hold deep in our hearts that we are not alone and we are always under the protection of god, no matter what the fate holds for us, he is there for us. We then want to be closer and closer so we start to be cleansed of our sins and purify our souls by repenting for injustice, envy, gossiping, and any harm we have caused to others, because on the Day of Judgment, we will face it, and causing someone pain is a reason for being away from god’s mercy. The purification of the soul continues, the prayers intensify, and self-solitude increases we start to fast till sunset comes, the intention of fasting is accompanied by feeling those blessings that we are accustomed to and feeling for the poor who are deprived of food, so the desire of charity increases and the rewards from God doubles in the sky.
The month of Ramadan brings us back to our instincts after turning points that took us away from the right path, so we pray genuinely to God to show us the path of guidance. It is a month to practice healthy life habits and generously distribute compassion and peace, not because it is just Ramadan but because it is the religion of Islam. So, we begin to realize and start picking up the phone more and more to hear the voice of our parents, whom God has entrusted to them, and honoring them is from God’s commandments.
The holy book of the Quran says:
{ My Lord Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small}
*Them refers to parents in this context
The recitation of the Qur’an instills Islamic values: compassion towards animals, caring for the sick, connecting with relatives, containment to women, respecting the elderly, extending generous hospitality to guests, providing for the poor, and being considerate to neighbors. These are some examples of the values that embody honesty, mercy, and trustworthiness.
This is why we are waiting for Ramadan full of enthusiasm, and love.
Happy Ramadan,
Lina
