Muslims all around the world are currently observing the month of Ramadhan by fasting and performing ‘ibadah’ or religious rituals with the aim to gain the blessings and Mercy of Allah the Almighty. Ramadhan is the 9th month in the Hijri Calendar. In this month, it is obligatory for all Muslims to fast from the fajr (sunrise) to sunset. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) addressed his companions on the last day of Sha`ban (the month before Ramadhan), saying, “Oh people! A great month has come over you; a blessed month; a month in which is a night better than a thousand months; a month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night. Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Heaven. It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer’s sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast, shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Fire of Hell, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all ” (Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah).
For many Muslims, the month of Ramadhan offers countless blessings promised by Allah the Almighty. Fasting is one part of it because through the act of fasting, we learn to appreciate God’s sustenance upon us and at the same time empathize with those who are less fortunate. Ramadhan is mainly about purifying the hearts and being closer to God. The act of fasting and other rituals related to it are ultimately to achieve that purity. For the heart, when it is pure, is drawn to its Master. And when we make submission to God the most valuable element of our existence on earth, life becomes so worthwhile. This experience is supposed to create gratefulness to God for what we have, and lead us to form some new resolutions for the remaining chapters of our life.
The heart that seeks the pleasure from its Creator must first be sincere in its intention. From the Islamic point of view, sincerity acts as a foundation for all of our actions in life. It is about focusing on desiring the pleasure of Allah the Almighty in everything that we do as the basis of our intentions and actions. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran of those who are sincere:
They [are those who] fulfill [their] vows and fear a Day whose evil will be widespread. And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive, [saying], “We feed you only for the countenance of Allah. We wish not from you reward or gratitude”.
(Chapter 76, Verses 7-9).
Sincerity of this kind will ensure that in every action that is taken, is done out of the realization that God wants us to do good deeds, possess high moral character and be kind towards the people around us. Those who are sincere in their intentions are constantly observant of their actions and do not stray away from the remembrance of God. Genuine sincerity also does not demand any material benefits in return. When we are truly sincere, our actions become our point of satisfaction and worldly appreciations and acknowledgements are immaterial. We will become respectful of others because we know that is what is required from us. Someone who seeks to purify one’s heart would not let hatred, envy and anger to take the best of him as he knows that this would only bring him farther from God.
It is pertinent to understand that the heart or qalb as mention in the Holy Quran is the starting point of all our intentions and actions. As social being, the way we treat others and the manner we conduct our daily dealings with people around us are also manifestations of what lie within our hearts. Transformation of the heart through the purification process would mould us into becoming better human beings who seek the pleasure of God and at the same time would reflect the God-consciousness condition into real good actions. The world, in its present chaotic state needs people with sincere and good hearts to improve its condition.
Therefore, Ramadhan is indeed the best time to nurture such personality in a person. Through fasting, prayers and other acts of worship that one undertakes to seek the pleasure of God will put oneself in a position of constant remembrance of Him. The heart needs such a process to transform the person into becoming the kind of human being that lives his or her life in accordance to what is ordained upon oneself by God. Hopefully, the hearts which are constantly in search of tranquility would find guidance within the countless blessings promised by God the Almighty in the month of Ramadhan.
