A typical day of fasting during Ramadan at about Christmas time in the UK is summarised below:
05:30am Suhur (light breakfast)
06:00am Fajr Salah (morning prayer)
Qur’an recitation
01:30pm Dhuhr Salah (midday prayer)
02:45pm ‘Asr Salah (afternoon prayer)
05:50pm Iftar (break of fast) and Maghrib Salah (evening prayer)
Dinner
08:00pm ‘Isha Salah (night prayer) and Taraweeh (extra prayers)
Supper and an early night
PART TWO (500 words)
Fasting in Ramadan is the fourth ‘pillar’ of Islam, an act of worship of great importance. During this month Muslims should be more spiritual, more caring and considerate; they should control their temper and refrain from using bad language. This is to help them become a better Muslim. One can find that during this month people become more patient, polite to others as well as extremely generous with the wealth that they possess. A poor Muslim who donates his last penny will get as much reward as the wealthy businessman who donates thousands. This is called Zakat where 2.5% of the annual family income is donated to the poor. This is compulsory because the money that we have today is not actually ours it is a loan from Allah and a blessing, which we should repay to him through the poor.
Ramadan is a sacred month wherein Allah (swt) is constantly testing people and giving people the opportunity to achieve huge rewards for the hereafter. It is a time of purification, reflection, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and striving hard with one’s life and wealth. It is a time for charity, to give to those less fortunate then yourselves and it’s a time when most people pay their annual alms to the poor (above). It was in the month of Ramadan that many of the battles took place such as the famous Islamic battles took place such as the Battle of Badr. Amongst what Muslims should abstain from are smoking, and sexual intercourse. People should focus on Allah and religion as opposed to other things.
What the prayers seek to serve five times a day, fasting in the month of Ramadan does once a year. During this period from dawn to dusk we eat not a grain of food nor drink a drop of water, no matter how delicious the dish or how thirsty we feel. This month helps us strengthen our faith. Discipline during this month bring us face to face with the realities of life and help us make our life, during the rest of the year, a life of true subservience to Allah (swt).
From another point of view fasting has an immense impact on our communities, for all the Muslims irrespective of their status must observe fast during the same month. This brings to prominence the essential equality of people and thus goes a long way towards creating in them sentiments of love and brotherhood. The unity that is created covers the whole planet where Muslims reside whether in Indonesia or Denmark. Each Muslim connects with his brother. This is called the Ummah (community)
During Ramadan goodness comes to the forefront and the whole atmosphere is filled with piety and purity. It is narrated that Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, “When the month of Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.” Thus, the month of Ramadan is a special month unlike others. As an act of mercy by Allah (swt), the blessings that one can attain during this Holy Month have been increased many fold.
Another point of significance is that the Qur’an was revealed during one of the last ten odd numbered nights of this blessed month. That night is known as Lailatul Qadr or the Night of Power. It is during this night that Allah (swt) has promised us great reward for our time spent in prayer and worship.
Clearly there is a lesson in this for people. Ramadan indeed is a great incentive for all Muslims to increase their god consciousness (Taqwa) and to strengthen their faith. However, this effort should not be limited to the month of Ramadan but should extend for the rest of our lives.
PART THREE (500 words)
First and foremost fasting is an act of worship and Allah (swt) does not give a reason as why we fast in the Qur’an. However, we can observe the reality of fasting during the month of Ramadan and can conclude that many benefits are created for the one who fasts.
I agree with part of the statement that fasting indeed has many advantages. As for these benefits, when one is in the state of fasting during the month of Ramadan he is constantly thinking of those things which please his creator, Allah (swt). That is to say he is in a constant state of god consciousness or what is referred to in the Arabic language as Taqwa. During this time he becomes a better person, he does not lie or cheat, he does not involve himself in arguments or name calling as one would find in the school playground. He is continuously contemplating and reflecting on the words of Allah (swt) which he would read in the Qur’an or he would hear at the local mosque. As a result one becomes a lot more patient, extremely disciplined and a lot more productive to himself and his environment. During this month the community spirit is ignited and the mosques are full. The economy is boosted as it is recommended to spend the wealth Allah (swt) has provided you within this month as much as possible to gain the rewards for the hereafter. Community Iftar’s are hosted in community centres within the local community creating an atmosphere of brotherhood and closeness as well as money sent off to the poor and destitute so they may also enjoy the blessings of this month.
As for the disadvantages, I believe the benefits far outweigh the harms of fasting. A few points to I would like to mention however are is that when early on during the month when one is fasting during a long day, one tends to become very tired towards the end of the day due to the fact that normal regular meals have been missed, however as the month progresses the body adapts very quickly to this new regime softening these hardships. In addition, during the day, especially during the summer when the days are long and the heat is intense the lack of water consumption can make one extremely thirsty and somewhat dehydrated which can lead to a stale breath. However, the remedy to this is the saying of the Prophet who said “The smell of the mouth of a fasting person is to sweeter to Allah (swt) than the smell of musk”. Another potential problem is tendency to eat too much in the evenings and at the end of the month to pile on a few unwanted pounds. This is easily resolved by making sure you eat moderately and exercise to burn off excess calories. Also, there is the ounce of temptation present brough to us by Shaytan (Devil) and this makes it hard for us. Finally, one sad thing about Ramadan is that it only comes round once a year and lasts for around thirty days. If only we could have longer as there are not enough hours in the day.
NOTE:
(saw) – peace be upon him
(swt) – praise be to Him, The Almighty
Bibliography
I obtained all the information for this essay from my own knowledge
By Kashif Hussain
