Season of spirituality and charity

Season of spirituality and charity Rahmah Ismail Nawwab | Arab News

Is Ramadan a month when people eat lavishly, become soap opera addicts, and shop and stay up till the wee hours of the night? Or is that impression in stark contrast to the spirit of Ramadan? The scriptural basis of the command to fast in Ramadan came in a revelation to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in 624 C.E., in the second year of the Hijrah, that is, some 12 years after the Prophet received the first divine call at the Cave of Hira, on what later came to be aptly known as Jabal Al-Nur, "The Mountain of Light." That first revelation was on one of the last nights of the month of Ramadan called "The Night of Power." This nocturnal event, which took place in the environs of the holy city of Makkah in 610 C.E. was a turning point in the history of Arabia and the world. Since the fasting of Ramadan was ordained some 14 centuries ago, billions of Muslim men and women have, despite the physical rigors and temptations the believers face, faithfully followed the fast as prescribed in that revelation: "O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you might be conscious of God.... Ramadan is the month in which the Qur'an was revealed as guidance to humankind, and as a clear evidence of that guidance, and as the standard for distinguishing between right and wrong. So whoever of you is present during that month should fast...." (The Qur'an, Surat Al-Baqarah, 2:183 and 185). Ramadan is a month in which Muslims attempt to breathe the air of piety and tranquility. They are constantly engaged in worship, individually and congregationally, in recitation of the Qur'an from cover to cover, and in charitable deeds. The spiritual aspect of the month is further highlighted by the night-time congregational prayers, tarawih. The almsgiving reflects the community's sharing of their God-given bounty with those who are less fortunate. It is a time when a Muslim's life is suffused with peace, contemplation, self-abnegation and giving. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam — compulsory for every adult Muslim man and woman who is mentally and physically fit and is not on a journey. Those unable to fast during Ramadan for excusable reasons, such as temporary illness, travel, pregnancy or nursing children, are obligated by the Qur'an to do so later in the year. Those permanently unable to fast, due to health reasons or old age, are required to pay alms to make up the days they miss. Out of respect, Muslims who are exempted from fasting for such reasons refrain from eating, drinking and smoking in front of those who fast. During Ramadan, hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world rise to its moral and physical challenges by abstaining not only from eating, drinking, smoking and other carnal pleasures, but also from getting angry, swearing and gossiping. The fasting period starts just before daybreak and ends at sunset. The discipline imposed by Ramadan can serve to break unhealthy habits. Fasting motivates smokers to quit, and caffeine addicts, like me, to realize they can live without coffee. Those who have an unbreakable tie with anything that has a sprinkle of sugar on it will wait patiently until they can enjoy luqaymat, sweet dumplings, or other delicacies that are popular in Ramadan. Nevertheless, Ramadan has the character of a festival: A substantial meal, iftar, "breakfast," served at sunset to mark the end of the daylong fast. It is common to see a family immersed in preparing the iftar meal with the aromatic wafts of delicious fare and the sounds of clattering cutlery. Muslims appreciate the feeling of togetherness at the iftar, which is shared by families and friends. Mosque courtyards are another place where the young and old, rich and poor, gather to break their fast. Iftar is not intended to shock the stomach with abundant amounts of food. Instead, when the sunset call to prayer is heard, many break their fast with a few sips of water, or Zamzam water from the sacred well in the Grand Mosque at Makkah. For many families, dates are indispensable at the time of breaking the fast as they were eaten at the same time in the days of the Prophet. The dates and water are followed by the main meal, a tempting array of Ramadan specialties. Another meal, sahoor, is taken before the start of one's fast just before dawn breaks. The Prophet himself recommended partaking of that meal. As in everything else, long-established practices at times show signs of societal stress. For instance, though Ramadan requires both a strict physical discipline and a high moral consciousness, some people have been tempted by the powerful allure of the contemporary materialistic world. This has led to a dichotomy: such people fast but forget the real goal of fasting. Thinking people, in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, question such negative developments, which challenge the divine purpose of this institution: to strive to come closer to God and to be more charitable to His creatures during this holy month. Among others, Labor Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, a well-known writer and poet, has compared the fast as was observed in previous eras with that kept by modern-day Muslims. He felt nostalgic for the Ramadan of his younger days, which was permeated by a genuinely heightened sense of spirituality. Al-Gosaibi found fault with some of the present generation for losing sight of the quintessential, inner dimension of Ramadan. He said that some of those who observe the fast nowadays are sinking in the swamps of rampant contemporary commercialism, over-indulgence in food, the plethora of round-the-clock profane TV shows. Such crass materialism, Al-Gosaibi said, is at cross-purposes with the true spirit and objective of Ramadan, which is the purification of the soul and service of those in need round the globe. Many of his readers agreed with his razor-sharp criticism of this fairly recent trend. Youngsters, both girls and boys in the Gulf countries, count the days until the 15th night of Ramadan for a folk, purely social, event called Qarqa'an. They roam the streets wearing traditional costumes, singing lyrics celebrating the month and knocking on doors hoping to fill their bags with sweets or nuts. Eid Al-Fitr, the worldwide festival of breaking the fast, marks the end of the holy month. As a final act of charity, Muslims pay the mandated Zakat Al-Fitr to the needy to enable them to join in the Eid festivities. On the first day of Eid, families go for a celebratory prayer to the mosque wearing new clothes. Later, they visit relatives and friends, and they enjoy amusement parks where the children are the monarchs of all the rides and games. Ramadan is thus a month of trials of the flesh and triumphs of the spirit, of personal sacrifices and joyous experiences.