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EsinIslam Ramadan Explorer
Muslims across the globe are observing a fast from sunrise to sunset during
Ramadan.
Malaysia Prof Dr Israr Ahmad Khan from the Quran and Sunnah
Studies Department on 10 things people may not know about the holy month. Prof
Israr explained that the Quran is an outline of the most appropriate life for
humanity. ''The Quran invites through fasting that believers must think about
others,'' said Prof Israr. ''Ramadan is a time for us to connect with
humanity,'' he said, adding that efforts to bridge the gap between people
should be enhanced. ''The Quran teaches us not to be selfish. Help should be
extended to not just the Muslims but non-Muslims as well,'' said the
65-year-old, adding that actions such as inviting your non-Muslim neighbours
to join your family in breaking your fast can help foster better
relationships. Ramadan is a
time where all the four books mentioned in the Quran were revealed, including
the Torah and Injil (Bible). ''From this, one can surmise that Ramadan must
have a significant place in Allah's plan,'' said Prof Israr. ''This month
should be considered and declared as the month of revelation,'' he said,
adding that there was a connection between Ramadan and the Quran, and vice-
versa. ''That is why the hadith says that fasting does not only denote
abstaining from food, water or sex but acting upon the advice of the Quran. It
does not do justice to simply observe the fast,'' he said.
''Many people do not acknowledge their arrogance,'' said Prof
Israr. For example, arrogance can be reflected when one has a sense of
entitlement for being wealthier than others, such as the child of a
billionaire Arrogance is also reflected in religion. ''For example, some
people may chastise you for not going to the mosque,'' said Prof Israr. ''But
that does not mean that you do not pray,'' he said. ''Ramadan serves as a good
time for one to learn to feel humble and remind ourselves that while God has
helped us to achieve the things that we have in life, He can also withdraw
it.'' Ramadan can be
used to train oneself to become the ideal man as described by the Quran. This
can include participating in the programmes of Ramadan even if one is unable
to fast for valid reasons such as paying fidyah, feeding the poor and learning
not to respond angrily to your family members. ''We can also look into our
behaviours or habits such as smoking, and assess how they might be affecting
our health, the health of others, in addition to affecting us financially, and
consider changing them,'' said Prof Israr. A lot has been
said about how fasting can help improve one's health and Prof Israr echoes
this view. He said depression and other health problems can be caused by ill
feelings. ''For example, if you are jealous of another person, your blood
pressure increases,'' he said. ''Tension and depression are part and parcel of
life.'' His advice includes using doa to control these feelings as
communicating with God can help in cleansing one's heart. He added that the
purification of the mind and heart could lead to the purification of behaviour. Prof
Israr explained that man could communicate with God through doa, stressing
that it was important for communication to take place between man and God. The
more frequent the communication, the stronger the relationship, he explained.
Some may feel that their prayers are not answered but Prof Israr says it is
important to clean our hearts from malignant feelings such as hatred against
people, to help with our communication with God. While there is no hard and
fast rule in ''cleansing the heart'', Prof Israr's advice includes bringing to
mind all the people we have malignant feelings about. ''Learning to forgive
the actions of others when they have wronged us or asking for forgiveness if
we have done wrong can help eliminate negative feelings.'' ''The Night of Power'' (laylatul
qadr) refers to the fact that the first five verses of the Quran were revealed
on this night during Ramadan.
Ramadan is a time to practise and regularise amanah, or being trustworthy and
honest. For example, some may not return extra change upon receiving it by
mistake when paying for their groceries or when eating out at a restaurant.
While you may sometimes have to go out of your way to do so, try to inculcate
the behaviour of returning money that does not belong to you. This is also a
good time to remember what is halal and haram, and the reasons why some things
are deemed haram.
Muslims are encouraged to put in more effort into learning about the religion
during Ramadan, Prof Israr said that it was also the time for them to put this
knowledge into practice. Prof Israr explained that according to the Quran, the
ideal man must have qualities such as ihsan, or excellence, which means to be
excellent in everything or any task. This can include how we treat our
parents. ''For example, if a parent asks where you are going when you happen
to leave the house earlier than usual, learn to respond politely rather than
with annoyance.'' Prof Israr
explained that the meaning of jihad was often misconstrued, with many limiting
its meaning to a holy war. ''Jihad means making the utmost effort. The Quran
invites man to make jihad,'' he said. ''To make jihad means to make utmost
effort to achieve the target.'' |
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