WITH less than a week left for this absolutely wonderful month of Ramadan to arrive, it is time to see if we are prepared enough to welcome it. Also to refresh whether we understand Ramadan, or sawm, which is also the fourth pillar of Islam?
Most of us have the notion that fasting is merely to refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, which is but a minor part of fasting. The purpose of Ramadan is much more deep and significant.
Abstaining from lying, slandering, backbiting and sinning is as much part of the fasting too. The word siyam (singular sawm) is derived from sama, which means to refrain from all sinful activities and from eating and drinking. If a person refrains from these things, he is a saim.
Let us all take a resolution for this holy month, it won’t be only about fasting and the tempting and appetizing iftaar and shopping, but much more.
The month of Ramadan, Allah calls upon his believers, is a month when the doors of paradise are opened and when those of hell are locked; a month when previous sins are forgiven and plenty of good deeds and the pleasure of Allah can be earned.
We are rewarded with this month every year but what do we make out of it? Take it as a challenge this year and the challenge is not about making stamina to fast for 13 hours or so in a very hot climate, but the real challenge is to taking use of the fasting day with ibadah whilst doing your daily work and chores.
Reading a few chapters of Qur’an every day, saying Tahajjud prayers and going to the masjid for Fajr without fail must be part of the every day of the month.
Make a vow to make this Ramadan constructive and gainful. A month to get rid of your bad deeds and to rectify yourself to become a better Muslim.
Are we ready to welcome it?
