Alhamdulillah, that I have been blessed to witness the arrival of Ramadan again. Many Muslims around the world wait excitedly for this auspicious month full of hope of all the goodness it will bring them in this world and the Hereafter.
Whilst I join millions of others in that excitement, I admit there is a simultaneous nervousness within. That’s because I know there is a higher expectation of me throughout the month to be a better person on so many different levels.
Fasting without food or drink is the least of my worries. I trust my sense of self-discipline to believe that I will get through each day fine and that at least I can see an end to the time spent in that form of deprivation, inshaAllah. There are millions of others around the world who experience hunger as a matter of daily life so what do I have to worry about?
The more challenging aspect of Ramadan is the fasting of the limbs and senses – all those parts of our physical being that too often lead us into deviation or temptation and, quite frankly, futile pastimes that do nothing to positively influence us. I have my own negative traits that need to be worked on and so am grateful for this month to make an effort to improve on myself. It couldn’t have come sooner. Like most Muslims, post-Ramadan, we exit on a spiritual high but over time and during the year, those good habits come unravelling and so by the time the next Ramadan rolls around, it is such a welcome opportunity to correct those wrongs.
Ideally, we should always be super-conscious of our spiritual being. This is where this blessed month offers us the chance to be that. Everything we do or say is accompanied by a heightened awareness of the reawakening of a soul part of which was desperately in need of a new lease of life. In this modern age, where devices have insidiously removed us from a spiritual consciousness, the objectives of fasting have become more pronounced than ever before.
I am acutely aware of how blessed I am to have entered this month. Even if I don’t make it to the other end, I pray I use the time carefully and constructively. I am afraid of my own possible failings but take comfort that niyyah (intention) is always what adds weight to any action.
I pray I can use this time and make good on any wrongdoings I have committed, big or small, over the past year and more. Despite my fear of failing myself, I will aim to start on a hopeful and positive note and move on from there.
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