ESSENCE OF FASTING IN THE RAMADĀN
*يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ*
*O you who believe! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard (against evil).*
Ramadan, an Arabic word that comes from the root: *رمض( Ro-Mu-Do) that literally means "Parched thirst" and sunbaked ground"*, is the ninth month of the lunar calendar in which some religious rites are prescribed for the Muslims by Allah in order to fulfill the fourth pillar of Islam, *Sawm* (Fasting).
It's prescribed that the believers should fast for thirty days. Fasting in this context does not only translate to depriving mouth/stomach of foods and drinks (from dawn to dusk), it also means staying away from all from forms of immoralities by depriving; the eyes of obscenities, the tongue of hateful speeches, the heart of sinful desires, the limbs of forbidden actions and the privates from sexual activities.
While some deeds are prohibited, some are encouraged in order to complement and bring into being the essence of fasting which is *piety* *(Taqwa)*. Among the encouraged deeds are: recitation of Quran, seeking forgiveness from Allah, constant remembrance of Allah (with prophetic Adhkars), charity giving, love sharing etc
Doing these will make the believers feel the presence of Allah in their lives as Allah's love will traverse their bodies, hearts and souls while they become pious (Mutaqqi).
The pious ones (Mutaqoon)are described and their rewards are stated in Q:3 V134-136
*"Those who spend (benevolently) in ease as well as in straitness, and those who restrain (their) anger and pardon men; and Allah loves the doers of good (to others). And those who when they commit an indecency or do injustice to their souls remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their faults-- and who forgives the faults but Allah, and (who) do not knowingly persist in what they have done. (As for) these-- their reward is forgiveness from their Lord, and gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them, and excellent is the reward of the laborers."*
Muslims are to make use of the period of Ramadan and the entirety of their lifetime to ensure they are among the pious ones (Mutaqoon).
May Allah forgive our sins, grant us the strength to attain the level of the pious ones and reward us abundantly for our worship.
*Thanni Mustakeem A. MMT(Nubia).*
4th of Ramadān 1440AH.
9th of May 2019.
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