I love Ramadan. Its just a feeling. A comfort that comes over you that you want to hold on to forever. You remember your purpose. Your destiny. You remember all the things that the long days and nights of normalcy make you forget.
I am reminded that all life is connected. That I am a spec of light on thread of the tapestry of life. Interlinked and interwoven into a greater universe. One that I cannot comprehend. I realise that all of time is just perception. My understanding of what moves between one second and another is determined by what I am feeling at that particular time.
And it normally sways between hunger and exhaustion. Frustration and anger is not far behind. Sprinkle a little sadness and tears and you have melting pot of all the things that you shouldn't be doing while you are fasting. But, alas such is the human condition.
This morning I sign into facebook and every second status talks about trusting the Lord of the worlds. Yes okay I got the message. I need to trust. But the day goes on and my mood dips and I remember that while I worship a Loving and Forgiving Lord, He is also a tester. He is also punisher. And I feel like the whole world is weighing down on me. Like I just can't handle one more sad story, or more 'bad news' or things that are never going to happen. Like death would be a great relief right now. So later I'm Internet surfing and came across this post, please note the date. How apt it talking about fasting. And its like the Lord spoke to me again.
Okay, I get it. No more wallowing. Trust your Lord. Change yourself. Have Patience. Message received loud and clear.
On a more social note:
I went out this past weekend and it was like Muslims where enjoying what they can of their freedom before they went to jail. There a two schools of though on this matter, one that thinks people going out in droves before Ramadan eating as if all the food is going to finish in one month, is wrong, and those who think its okay. I use to come from the first one, but now I think I agree with the second much more.
As South African Muslims 'celebration' of ones religion is...difficult. We haven't learned how to do it yet. To eat? But over-eating is bad for you and against the Sunnah. Zoo Lake? Parading around while you should be with family has been officially condemned by the Ulamah. We don't drink, we don't dance or listen to music...'officially' anyway. So how do we celebrate such as awesome month? South Africa's go shopping and walk around malls.
To the naysayers I say, give us a break! Being a Muslim is more than just being in your family. Being a Muslim means that you a apart of a greater family, society. Going out and seeing all types of people with their family's eating at a restaurant, or shopping for last minute Ramadan groceries gives us a sense of camaraderie. That we all going to do it together. And isn't that what the whole point of Islam is? To bring people together in the worship of the one Lord?
3 comments:
Ramadan Kareem / Mubarak sis. May The Almighty accept all your duas and efforts. Ameen.
Ramadan Mubarak to you and your family. May it be a means of complete reversal from the troubles plaguing you…
As for the last weekend before the month, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being out and enjoying time together…but I suspect the objection lies in the way it’s done – e.g. inappropriate clothing, mixing of the sexes, etc.
That weekend is just one thing that can be picked on, but it’s a symptom of a larger problem – which is that that kind of behaviour is the norm for the rest of the year.
The solution, I think, is not to just condemn and be harsh, but to rather try to change behaviour through gentler but more persuasive means. Nobody wants to be talked down to by a strict alim; yet you’ll find that there are so many young scholars who are wildly popular worldwide because they take an approach that’s more effective with today’s generations. Check out Muhammad Al-Shareef, Navaid Aziz, and others.
Ameen! @Azra
@DL, Ameen. Ramadan Mubarak to you and your family as well. Thank you I will look into it.
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