THE TREASURED GIFTS FROM OUR BELOVED FRIEND, RAMADAN
“Whoever their ending was illuminated, their beginning was illuminated.”
– Ibn 'Attaullah al-Askandari
I have spent the past four Ramadan at Stony Brook University. I received in each of the four months all that a student would hope for when fasting: friends to have suhr, iftar and qiyaam with, delicious iftar food, hufaz to lead Taraweeh prayers, and the overall support a Muslim Students Association provides. To spend Ramadan in the company of people who are eager to get the most reward from Allah and who are in constant remembrance of Him is a true blessing. The first week or so of last year’s Ramadan, which I spent in Jakarta, offered a different joy. The words “Marhaban Ya Ramadhan!” are visible and audible with every turn I take. Each aisle of the supermarket with Ramadan-special products featured; TV programs of Islamic lectures aired during suhr (even Ramadan-themed sinetron during the evenings); adzan heard being called from the masaajid all over the city and from television sets, announcing the time to break the fast. Believers and nonbelievers alike become saturated with the spirit of Ramadan.
This Ramadan, however, is different. This Ramadan was the most anticipated Ramadan of my adult life, though considering my age, the statement perhaps falls short of impact. This was the Ramadan that would be free of pressing engagements (i.e., from school, exams and work). With most of my days spent as a hermit at home, I was determined to accomplish the most ‘ibadah and self-reflection I could.
Certainly, we can never truly extract ourselves from the dunya. Alas, as much as we would like the world to hold its demands until after Eid, the world still turns very much the same way. Work, classes, and medical school admissions, in my case, do not freeze their calendars for the month of Ramadan. As such, no matter how much we desire it, we are unable to read the Qur’an throughout the day and pray Sunnah prayers all through the night every day of the month. Alhamdulillah, however, the quote I opened with seems to have held true for me overall. As the quote explains, if the niyaat is good, then insyaAllah everything will fall into place, though perhaps not in the manner we thought it would be in, and the result will be good. Before Ramadan began, my family, friends and I had intended to prepare by attending NYU’s Islamic Center workshop series on “How to Prepare for Ramadan,” which embedded both ‘ilm and motivation in us. One of the numerous lessons I took from it is that Ramadan should not so much focus on increasing acts of ‘ibadah as on increasing the quality of our ‘ibadah. We should ultimately leave Ramadan having fixed or removed certain bad characteristics and habits, and hopefully remain as the improved person until the next time we meet Ramadan again, if Allah permits.
This task is, of course, easier said than done, as most tasks are. Much of what we do unfortunately come from our primitive nafs, which, particularly in the absence of Shaytan in Ramadan, becomes our worst enemy. It has been narrated that after Allah created the Mind (‘Aql), Allah orders it to face Him; the Mind obeys. Allah then asks it: “Who are you and Who am I?” The Mind replies: “You are my Lord and I am but your weak servant.” Allah then creates the Nafs and orders it to face Him; it, however, refuses. Allah asks it: “Who are you and Who am I?” The Nafs replies: “I am me and You are You.” Allah punishes it in the Hell of Jahim for a hundred years, and then releases it. Allah again asks the question, to which it offers the same reply. Allah places it in the Hell of Juu’ for another hundred years. When Allah asks it the question again, it finally accepts that it is His servant and Allah is its Lord. That is why Allah has made it obligatory upon us to fast (Misykaatun).
Fasting, however, by no means guarantee a submissive nafs. Just as Allah had to send the Nafs back to Hell for another hundred years in addition to the hundred years it already spent in another Hell, our nafs is like a wild horse that takes a lifetime to be broken. From the many that fast from food in Ramadan, far less truly fast their limbs, eyes, ears and tongue. These people, as the Prophet SAW says, “will have attained nothing from their fast except hunger and thirst.” And for those who have fasted all day, most let the reins on the nafs loose during iftar and overeat. Yet the Prophet SAW has said, “No vessel is more hated by Allah than a man’s stomach when it is full, even with that which is halal.” He also said: “Man fills no vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to have a few mouthfuls to give him the strength he needs. If he has to fill his stomach, then let him leave one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air.” [Reported by at-Tirmidhee and Ibn Majah. Saheeh al-Jamee (5674)].
Why is it so difficult for us to refrain from pleasing our senses? Why do we overeat each time, knowing the discomfort that follows a stuffed stomach? We seek to gratify our senses to the point of abuse when we are too attached to the dunya. Looking at the aforementioned quote of the Prophet SAW, it should be clear to us that the purpose of eating is to provide us with strength. Though of course we may enjoy – nay, even urged by Allah to enjoy – the ni’mat that Allah has provided us, we should not lose focus of the true purpose of eating: to gain the strength to continue ‘ibadah so that we may please Allah SWT and collect reward for the Hereafter. Once ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab RA entered upon the Messenger of Allah SAW when he was lying on a mat of palm fibers, which had left marks on his side. ‘Umar RA said: “O Messenger of Allah, why do you not get something more comfortable than this?” He SAW said: “What do I have to do with this world? My relationship with this world is like that of a traveler on a hot summer's day, who seeks shade under a tree for an hour, then moves on.” [Musnad Ahmad and al-Hakim. Saheeh al-Jamee (5545)].
Another hard lesson to learn is tawakkul, or the complete submission of matters beyond our control to Allah SWT. Ramadan in many ways becomes the ultimate time to test one’s sense of tawakkul. The Stony Brook MSA would hold a “Fastathon” during or immediately after the month of Ramadan to invite non-Muslims to experience fasting a whole day with us, both for the sake of the experience and for charity. The most common given reason for not participating? “I like to eat; I’m worried about what will happen if I don’t eat all day.” In reality, unless you have certain medical conditions or overexert yourself, you would probably make it through the day, even without having had suhr. And Allah is Ever-Merciful; He exempts travelers and the ill, among others, from fasting. At least here in the U.S. it is almost a guarantee that we will have something to break our fast with. But the people of Somalia do not know if they will see another morsel of food in their life. What we need is to have complete trust in Allah. We voluntarily fast to seek Allah’s pleasure. We must therefore be reassured that Allah will not abandon us, and that Allah has complete control over all of our matters.
And remember the story of the Prophet SAW and Abu Bakr RA when they headed for Yemen and hid in the Thawr cave from the Quraysh. When the Quraysh were visible at the mouth of the cave, Abu Bakr RA cried the Prophet: “They will surely see us!” To which the Prophet SAW replied: “Have no fear, for God is with us. What do you think of two people whose third is Allah?” The Quraysh, seeing cobwebs and a nestling dove at the entrance, surmised that no one could be within the cave and left the Prophet SAW and Abu Bakr RA without harm. “Their lives had been preserved by nothing but that fragile spiderweb; trust in God (at-tawakkul ala Allah), of which the Prophet reminded Abu Bakr at that particular moment, thus took its full meaning and strength” (Ramadan 82).
The final encompassing lesson is to never take anything for granted: neither your food, nor your parents, nor your faculty of mind, nor your or anyone else’s life. Say “Alhamdulillah!” every time you are blessed with food or drink. Have sabr when dealing with your parents: “And lower your wing humbly for them, with mercy, and pray, ‘My Lord! Have mercy on them both, the way they nursed me when I was young.’” (17:23-24). Think of the orphans who have lost them. I was given several reminders this Ramadan. One of our small pet fish jumped out of its water unnoticed by us and laid on the floor gasping for air for some time. Once I saw it I immediately returned it to its water. Thankfully after some moments to recover from the shock it swam again. Yet I was led to ponder about its life. I had been so used to its presence in our home that I had forgotten no one’s life goes on forever. Though most of us are accustomed to having our parents and family around, take the time to reflect and thank Allah each day that they are still with us. There were also the small earthquake and the hurricane Irene that threatened my area, which reminded all of us that no matter how intelligent and mighty we might think ourselves to be, we are ultimately powerless.
And remember to attribute your memory and understanding of the Qur’an and any other ‘ilm to Allah SWT, as well as your ability to pay zakat and to perform other good deeds. One of my goals this Ramadan, something my roommate in college and I had encouraged each other to do before the summer, was to finally complete the memorization of juz ‘Amma, and insyaAllah to continue the effort of memorizing even after the month until we memorize the entire Qur’an. Alhamdulillah I was able to accomplish this, and learned a very important lesson in the process: I may be able to memorize, but I have no control over what word or ayat I will forget, even from surah I believed to have been cemented in my mind. The du’a we recite when we complete reading the Qur’an perfectly addresses this: “Ya Allah, remind me that which I have forgotten from the Qur’an, and teach me that which I do not know from it, and bless me with the ability to read it day and night every day.” After all, if your mind or limbs were to be debilitated by an illness or a tragedy, who but Allah is able to restore them?
Had Ramadan been longer than a month, perhaps we would have learnt so much more. Yet all good things come to an end eventually, like Nabi Musa’s journey with Khidr, to which the Prophet SAW commented: "We wish that Moses could have remained patient by virtue of which Allah might have told us more about their story." We can do nothing except to reflect and make the most of the hikmah we gained. In the last evening of the month of Ramadan, all that is in the earth and heavens and all the Angels cry for the calamity that has befallen the ummah of Muhammad SAW. The Prophet SAW was asked: “What calamity is that, ya Rasulullah?” The Prophet SAW answered: ‘The depart of the month of Ramadan; for in that month, all du’as are granted, all sadaqa are accepted and all good deeds are multiplied in its reward, and punishment is brought to a halt.” Is there any larger calamity than the departure of the month of Ramadan? If even all that is in the earth and heavens cry for us, do we not have a greater right to cry? (Hayaatul Quluubi).
