Specialness of Ramadan
I’m sitting here on our old futon in the main room of our cabin up in the central New Mexico mountains. It is peaceful and quiet here and I often feel close to God, almost as close as during the Ramadan fast.
I’m thinking about Ramadan because I finished reviewing a chapter I wrote about the wonderful month of Ramadan in a book I am revising. I’m also trying to be as conscious of God before and after Ramadan as I am when I am fasting. And I know that time seems to fly by. The fast will be here sooner than I think. Additionally, much of the joy of a special time comes from the anticipation of it.
What makes Ramadan so special? That seems to me to have several possible answers:
· There has been research done on the health benefits of fasting, especially intermittent fasting like the Ramadan fast.
· Fasting during Ramadan helps me gain control over my desires to eat and drink and so strengthens my will.
· Millions of Muslims around the world fast from the earliest light of dawn until the sun sets. This gives the fast a social quality for many, and perhaps the fact of so many people fasting at the same time strengthens Ramadan’s spiritual qualities, much as praying or studying the Quran together does for me.
· So far, I have mentioned things that do not relate directly to specific scriptural verses. However, the Quran, which is the word of our Creator, tells us to fast to express our appreciation for His guidance (2:185).
· Moreover, the Quran itself was reveled on the 27th night of this special month (97:1).
· When I am fasting every time my stomach growls or my throat feels parched, I think of God. These physical things help remind me of God, so I commemorate Him more frequently (26:227, 73:8, and 76:25).
· At the end of Ramadan, I am often blessed to observe the retreat to the mosque for the last ten nights of the month (2:187).
Perhaps all these factors play a part in making this month a precious gift. And many more probably exist for me and for others too. Whatever the reasons, Ramadan has been my favorite time of the year since I first began to fast.
I pray that it is special to you too.
This story will also be available on the Masjid Tucson website for April, 2022
