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By Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak, PhD, IIUM
In the Muslim lunar calendar, Ramadhan is one of the most anticipated months by the Muslim Ummah. Long before the sighting of the crescent that marks the beginning of the fasting month, Muslims in many parts of the world begin their mental, spiritual, and physical preparations. One common expression of this early preparation is the observance of several days of optional fasting during the months of Rejab and Sya‘ban, in anticipation of the more demanding spiritual struggle of Ramadhan.
For the many blessings of Ramadhan, to the vast majority of Muslims worldwide, Ramadhan is seen as a madrasah (school) that visits them every year. It teaches, trains, and disciplines them in many ways. It reminds them about the importance oftime management, moderate food consumption, punctuality in carrying out their five daily prayers, reading of the Holy Qur’an, and many more good habits.
It is human nature that in life we are sometimes carried away by doing trivial things and forget the more important ones, like praying on time and taking care of the poor, destitute, single mothers, orphans, the sick, the handicapped, and others who are less fortunate in the world. Nevertheless, at the dawn of Ramadhan, we become more humanistic and more conscious of the needs of Muslims who are in pain, suffering, and facing many other difficult situations.
When fasting, the act of cutting down on our food consumption makes our souls more aligned with and connected to God. Practising Ramadhan in the right way, with prayers, charity, patience, and kindness, not only elevates our souls but also humbles us in the sight of Allah.
It is the normal practice in Ramadhan that many devout Muslims spend less time on entertainment and socializing, for the reason that they need to spend more time in prayer, dhikr, reading the Qur’an, and other spiritual activities. It is a tradition in many Muslim families to diligently read the Qur’an and finish the entire 30 ajzā (parts) within the one-month period. In countless mosques and Musollahs (prayer halls) throughout the Muslim world, the imam (the one who leads the Tarawih prayers) also reads a part of the Qur’an each night, covering the whole Qur’an during the 29 or 30 days of Ramadhan.
On the spiritual side, fasting is not merely an act of staying away from food and drink, but a disciplining of the heart, mind, and soul. Ideally, an individual who is fasting is not supposed to tell lies, speak ill of others, quarrel, or argue with anyone. The reward for those who fast but fail to guard their senses is nothing more than hunger and thirst. According to one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) regarding fasting, when one is provoked to fight or quarrel, he should refrain by saying, “I am fasting.”
The highest reward for fasting is given only to those who patiently endure hunger and thirst and strictly follow the dos and don’ts of fasting. In addition, such individuals, throughout the fasting month, engage collectively or individually in religious rituals.
Among all Sunnah (optional) prayers, Tahajjud is placed on the highest pedestal and is associated with abundant rewards for those who diligently wake up to perform it. This prayer is performed at any time between midnight and the call of the Azan for the Fajr prayer. Unlike other months of the year, the arrival of Ramadhan provides an opportunity for a large section of the Muslim Ummah to perform Tahajjud. This is because those who wake up for Suhur (the pre-dawn meal) before beginning the fast of the day are able to spare some time to perform this prayer.
As a reward for those who perform Tahajjud, the Qur’an says:
“And pray in the small watches of the morning: (it would be) an additional prayer (or spiritual profit) for thee: soon will thy Lord raise thee to a Station of Praise and Glory.” (Al-Isra: 79)
“Truly the rising by night is most potent for governing the soul, and most suitable for framing the words of prayer and praise.”(Al-Muzzammil: 6)
Besides the above verses, encouragement for Muslims to wake up for Tahajjud is mentioned in many other places in the Qur’an. It has been observed by those who regularly perform Tahajjud, even outside the month of Ramadhan, that the serene and peaceful atmosphere before dawn provides a comforting feeling of being closer to God. This sense of closeness is often stronger than at other times of the day, when there is much noise and chaos in the physical world surrounding the individual.
Finally, in realizing the great benefits of Ramadhan and its role in awakening our spirituality in Islam, before we begin our obligatory fasting this time around, let us make a sincere intention to try our level best to diligently perform our ibadah, so that we may earn the good pleasure of Allah SWT.
Taking this opportunity, I personally would like to extend my good wishes to the members of the editorial team of Potret Online and its devoted subscribers: “Selamat MenyambutRamadhan dan Selamat Menunaikan Ibadat Puasa” (Warm Ramadhan greetings, and may you be granted success in observing the fast).
(The views expressed are those of Dr. Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak from the Department of Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Studies, AHAS KIRKHS, IIUM, and do not necessarily represent the views of Potret Online.)
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