Fasting is an instruction from God. Beyond the command, Ramadaan creates the opportunity to learn and relearn lessons. In colloquial terms, Ramadaan gives time to reset oneself to “original factory setting”.
For example, give charity, be kind, talk and eat less and try not to irritate others, etc. Obviously the big sins, like harming others, is not going to help when you are hoping to return to your “original factory setting”.
Also, when you are hungry, physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausted as Ramadaan takes its toll, it is vital to note the condition of others who are literally in that condition all year round.
The poor become more accessible as it is easier to relate to what the poor experiences. This is one facet of many that Ramadaan opens for study. Believers are advised to visit the sick, elderly and make amends with family and contacts they harmed knowingly or unknowingly.
It is said that the believer who does not receive mercy and benefit from the month of Ramadaan is a great loser as Ramadaan is a time when the Creator’s mercy is closest to the person. Ramadaan gives the chance to accumulate spiritual credits and purge past burdens that cause harm to advancement in the spiritual realms.
In layman’s terms, it is similar using your Pick n Pay Smart Shopper card or Clicks Club card and earning triple points and cash back on those special occasions.
In Ramadaan prayers, charity and overall good actions get bonus points that outweigh the other 11 months of the year, give and take a day or two.
Oddly, when the Creator decreed fasting, it was qualified by stating that “fasting was prescribed to those before you”. This is why Jesus the Messiah, Moses and other prophets fasted and encouraged fasting.
Over time and since most people are lazy and fasting is difficult, people fled from fasting.
Perhaps non-Muslims must revise the historic advice of Jesus, Moses, David, Solomon and others regarding fasting. Stop thinking that Ramadaan is a “Muslim thing”. Everybody from time to time drifts away from “original factory setting”. We all require a friendly reminder to get back on track.
To the curious few, try fasting a few days in Ramadaan and witness what happens to your soul/spirit. Your spirit may respond in a way that surprises you. With work and other tasks, fewer people spend time connected to their own spirits.
We spend time and energy trying to understand the behaviour of others but rarely to understand ourselves. Ramadaan is the best time to discover yourself, as it is said that overall wickedness is restrained.
What you witness in Ramadaan is essentially what you are.
* Cape Muslim Congress councillor Yagyah Adams.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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