Guest post by UAE Alias:
I look around and I see people fasting because they were told to do so, no thinking process is involved. They believe that fasting is about ceasing food and drinks on an indicated time interval. Fasting is something like yoga "a discipline aimed at training the consciousness for a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility," not aimed at reaching a state of repletion by the end of the day. Therefore, to reach this aim we should THINK!
When you are hungry think of those who are hungry and have no Maghrib Adhaan with a table full of food, which means they don't know when they are going to get a decent meal. Think of the blessings you have and think of how thankful you are for Allah. Now try to translate those thoughts into actions through helping others more, through appreciating what you have more, through doing your worshipping duties.
Patience is another great value aimed by fasting. Even those muscular guys, they sit on the Iftaar table by the end of the day thinking "Hey Imam, hurry up!" It's a human nature; human beings are so vulnerable and so driven by their feelings. Fasting is dealing with controlling those feelings, not only the hunger and thirst. Muslims are not allowed to eat, drink, have sex, look at/hear anything that may inflame certain feelings, lie, cheat, etc… during fasting.
See how many feelings this fasting process is dealing with and aimed at controlling? Try to get out of this Ramadan experience stronger, think about it so you know what you achieved by the end of this Ramadan. The sense of achievement will encourage you to work on many other aspects of your life, only if you think about this whole fasting concept.
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3 comments:
SS: I think majority of the people that fast these days do it, as an obligation. It's like you have these 29 or 30 days every year and you're programmed or attuned to this fasting thing. Very rarely have I seen anybody do it from a spiritual point of view, which is to cleanse oneself not physically but rather morally or emotionally or to put it in a layman term: 'to strive to be a better human being'.
I did this (christian thing) way back in 1995, of course didn't take the cake for my achievement but it was worth it.
awos, just to remind you, uae alias wrote this not me :) lol
But yes, indeed, it has become a bit mechanical hasn't it.
Ramadan kareem alias.
Indeed important to go above just the lack of food and water but to want to purify ourselves from the things that drag us down in this world.
People here in the UK (non-Muslims) always seem to say they cannot even imagine doing Ramadan. They do not see that there's more to it than hunger.
It's really a special month.
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