Ramadan, The Month of Tranquility

examiner.com

Although revered by Muslims, the blessings that come with Ramadan should also be embraced by all to foster friendship and love among mankind.
THE spate of problems that has taken place worldwide of late are somewhat worrying. At the international level, political conflicts among nations, sectarian wars, uprisings against ruling governments make up our daily news headlines.

Although happenings within the country do not match international standards, post-election issues continue to dominate the minds of many Malaysians. For those who appreciate tranquility, such a situation is certainly far from pleasant.

The coming month of Ramadan, however, could offer a different hope for the world. Although revered by Muslims, the blessings that come with Ramadan should also be embraced by all. It is the month of tranquility and peace of mind as well as the month of stability of the soul.

It is the month that, when truly observed, will foster friendship and love among mankind and the month that will put a stop to all conflicts and discordances.

Why is Ramadan so important in contributing towards peace, tranquility and stability? In essence, Ramadan is a period of exercising one’s retraint in doing something.

This is best reflected in the act of fasting, which is to refrain oneself from eating and drinking. The original Arabic word for fasting is sawm which means “to refrain from something”, as in the case of Mary who, the Qur’an records as refraining (sawma) herself from meeting people during her pregnancy (al-Qur’an, 19:26)

Indeed, refraining one’s self from food and drinks is such an arduous task especially to those newly acquainted with the practice as well as those who had been over-indulgent in their gastronomic desires prior to Ramadan.

Nevertheless, the benefits gained through such an excercise are immeasurably tremendous. By fasting, the body system will be re­­freshed, in that the nutritive system can take a rest and the whole biological system will be stabilised.

Fasting is not only meant to ensure stability of the body, but more importantly, it promotes spiritual tranquility.

First and foremost, fasting is a devotional act coupled with a divine religious aim. Not only is fasting performed by Muslims, but also other religious traditions, particularly Christians and Jews.

Although the manner may differ from one religion to another, the main objective remains the same, which is to strengthen the spiritual part of the human being.

The Qur’an refers to this as the state of taqwa which basically means God-consciousness of the heart.

“O, you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that you may be truly conscious of God (taqwa).” (Al-Baqarah, 2:183)

To achieve taqwa, fasting must go beyond refraining from mere eating and drinking. The higher quality of fasting, as elaborated by Muslim scholars such as al-Ghazali, is to withhold other organs such as the eyes, ears, hands and legs from engaging in despicable acts.

These are the sources of evil and ultimately the leading causes of conflicts among mankind. At the highest level mainly attributed to the quality of Prophetic fasting, even the heart must be subdued only to remember God.

As fasting is an important Islamic tenet and crucial in producing tranquility in one’s self, preparations should be well made prior to Ramadan so that one can fast meaningfully.

Prophet Muhammad used to recite a supplication which is reflective of his long months of preparation before the start of Ramadan, “O Allah, bless us in the months of Rejab and Sha’ban (the two successive months prior to Ramadan) and bring us to the month of Rama­dan.”

From the Islamic viewpoint, another reason why Ramadan can be such a great contributor towards peace and tranquility within man is that during the month, the entire population of Satan is chained by God.

As the sworn enemy of humans for instigating the fall of Adam from Paradise, the absence of Satan from our lives not just for an entire period of one month but beyond also, is indeed a great relief for us to reorganise our lives in a more stabilised manner.

Some may question why are vices still committed despite Satan being locked away? This can be seen from two angles; first, Satan is not the sole instigator that seduces humans into vices. Other contributive factors, such as man’s own desire, are also to be blamed.

Second, some scholars interpret the chaining of Satan as its inability to interfere in human affairs since, according to a hadith, the medium through which it gets into the human body is through the human blood vessels.

Hence, eschewing food and drinks during Ramadan reduces the possibility of Satan from settling in and consequently controlling the human body.

Thus, welcome and appreciate the month of Ramadan as one would welcome an honoured guest who brings along with him a myriad of blessings and goodness to our lives and the entire world.

Also, appreciate the sense of peace and tranquility that it promotes, be it psychologically, socially, economically, politically but most importantly, spiritually. For such an opportunity only comes once in a year. 

source