Will The Spirit Of Ramadan Prevail?
20 June 2016By Khaled Almaeena
Ramadan, one of the pillars of Islam, has a distinct flavor. It is not the
same as other Hijri months. It is a time when a different lifestyle, albeit
temporary, is practiced.
And for the spiritual and not so spiritual too, it affords a chance to sit and
contemplate, analyze one's self and reflect about our lives.
It is not a matter of going hungry all day and gorging with food all night.
This is truly a time for soul searching and many of the sayings of the Holy
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) clearly illustrate that the spirit of
Ramadan should infuse us with charity, acts of compassion and empathy.
However, this should not be a one-month tryst, but should continue well beyond
the month.
Many of our actions totally negate the sayings and actions of the Holy Prophet
(pbuh). He was the most active of men in this month. We tend to be lazy, do
shoddy work, are nonproductive and, worst of all, are short-tempered.
The Prophet (pbuh) exercised self-restraint in the face of grave provocations.
Many of us while away the day sleeping and fill the nights with idle gossip
and raucous laughter. Instead of prayers and good deeds, our eyes are glued to
satellite TV channels some of which offer programs that directly contradict
our values.
For believers of Islam, this is a month of miracles when sincere prayers are
answered and good deeds rewarded.
The teachings are clear.
Let us avail ourselves of these 30 days with acts of humanity and offers of
aid and assistance to all in order to alleviate the sufferings of the
underprivileged. By bringing joy and contentment, we can in many ways reduce
tension in society and decrease the gap between the haves and have nots.
It is important also to reflect on our own lives and gauge if we are living up
to noble ideals.
My Ramadan wish is to be a better human being and my main prayer is that peace
and tranquility will prevail and that no child in the world will have tears of
anguish streaming down his or her cheeks.
Let us pray and work for that.
— The writer is Editor-at-Large. He can be reached at kalmaeena@saudigazette.com.sa
and followed on Twitter: @KhaledAlmaeena
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