Ramadan
more than just fasting
Rasmieyh
Abdelnabi
Dekalb,
Ill. (U-Wire) -- Ramadan is a special month
because Muslims believe the beginning verses
of the Quran, Islam's holiest book, first
were revealed during this month.
Islam
has five pillars, which represent the structure
of Muslim life. Ramadan is the fourth pillar.
It comes after faith, prayer and charity.
Any sane and healthy Muslim who has reached
puberty is required to fast.
During
this month, Muslims are to refrain from
food, drink and sex from sunrise to sunset
for 29 to 30 days. During the entirety of
Ramadan, Muslims cease all gossip and idle
chitchat. Watching our temper is essential,
and being patient is a must.
Ramadan
is a time of evaluation and spirituality.
It is during this time Muslims reevaluate
their lives and try to become closer to
God. As a friend's mother put it, "Ramadan
is the yearly workshop."
It
is a time when we learn to have more patience,
think before speaking, appreciate our families
and make our religion come first in our
daily routines. We learn to implement all
these things throughout the year.
Whenever
I tell someone I am fasting, they get this
look of pity on their faces. Contrary to
popular belief, fasting is not horribly
hard. It is actually quite easy, once you
get used to it. During winter, it is very
easy because the days are shorter.
During
Ramadan, the focus should be praying more
and reading more of the Quran in order to
get closer to God, not spending the day
wondering what's for dinner.
This
is not to say a Muslim should starve him
or herself, but rather focus on things other
than food. It is during Ramadan that I realize
food is a bigger issue in my life than it
should be. I also somewhat understand what
starving people have to live with. I don't
eat during the day; they sometimes don't
eat for days.
It
is during Ramadan that I realize how blessed
I am to have a roof over my head, food in
the fridge, school, my family and my health.
This
column first appeared in the Northern Star
at Northern Illinois University.
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