The commencement of Ramazan, the Holy month of fasting for Muslims, brings along with it important changes in lifestyle and behavior. In addition to prohibition of eating, drinking and sexual activity during the day light, fasting also implies refraining from unethical social behavior such as lying , backbiting and oath breaking. Muslims practice a sublime set of moral behavior and attitudes during this month, which should set standards for the whole year around. Fasting is a personal affair, their are social activities associated with fasting; but in abiding to the rules each individual begins a personal endeavor to change daily habits, and to revisit inner impulses and behaviors.
Ramazan is the time for self or inner house keeping. The inner affairs of our hearts and minds , our intentions which create our actions and build our personality are revisited and addressed in this Holy Month. The difficulties of fasting and the pressures of thirst and hunger are meant to create a firm and steadfast personality who could resist the temptations and attractive worldly desires which may take a human being to a degraded state of existence and undermine human dignity . Weak people usually give in and sell their dignity for very little. Ramazan is meant to restore strong will and faith in humans who have lost their direction and goal.
During those moments of hunger and thirst the fasting individual considers the sufferings and pains of others and comes to a sublime level of selflessness. Ramazan takes humans to a higher level of contemplation and altruism, a sensation that is compromised in today's material world.
1 comment:
Linked. I'm old enough to remember when Christians still fasted, to remind them of the poor and their need for purification. Sigh.
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