As we embark on the blessed month of Ramadan, we are slowly\ngetting accustomed to the nights of worship, the feelings of thirst or hunger\nduring the day and most of all, the overall change that this month brings in\nterms of our habits and our thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is easy to think that the month of Ramadan is simply\nabout abstaining from food and drink but there is more to this month in terms\nof the manners, etiquettes and rulings that we must adhere to as part of this\nmonth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Todays reminder is an attempt to convey some of those so\nthat we can be of the best manners for this month and so that we do not break\nany of the rules surrounding this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first point was highlighted by the imam through the 185th<\/sup>\nayat of Sura Baqara which is translated to say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rama\u1e0d\u00e2n is the month in which the\nQuran was revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and\nthe standard \u02f9to distinguish between right and wrong\u02fa. So whoever is present\nthis month, let them fast. But whoever is ill or on a journey, then \u02f9let them\nfast\u02fa an equal number of days \u02f9after Rama\u1e0d\u00e2n\u02fa. Allah intends ease for you, not\nhardship, so that you may complete the prescribed period and proclaim the\ngreatness of Allah for guiding you, and perhaps you will be grateful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dear brothers and sisters, from this ayat alone there are a\nnumber of ruling we can take but alongside that there is a deeper explanation\ngiven by Allah SWT for this blessed month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Starting with the fasting itself, Allah SWT tells us that we\nshould be fasting in the month of Ramadan. However, as with all things, Allah\nSWT demonstrates mercy in His deen because he clearly outlines exceptions for\nthose who may find it difficult to fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first one of these is that we should not be fasting when\nwe are feeling unwell. There is no heroics in attempting to fast when you are\nunwell. It places unnecessary burden on your own body as well as unnecessary\nburden on those around you who worry at the prospect of someone unwell fasting and\ntherefore not resting or taking medicine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We have clear instruction here from Allah SWT that we are to\nskip fasting when unwell and make it up later and so we should not allow ego to\nget in the way of this instruction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Equally so, if we see hardship coming from fasting whilst\ntravelling then we also have the means to skip fasting on this day and make it\nup later. We should assess if the travelling will place any unnecessary burden\non ourselves or others by fasting and if it does, we should follow the guidance\nas given in this ayat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The other point to remember in this month is one the first\npart of this ayat. Allah SWT chose to link the mention of Ramadan with the\nfirst revelation of the Quran. We should also take a lesson from this that the\nmonth of Ramadan isn\u2019t just about fasting. We should use this month to\nreconnect with the Quran. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether it is through extra recitation, through\ncontemplation of the meaning of the Quran, through study circles or any other\nmeans, the month of Ramadan to the believer should be entwined with the\nreconnection with the Quran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alongside the above reminders from this ayat, the imam also\nreminded us that the month of fasting has been prescribed in our deen to all\npeople of sound mind that have reached puberty. This excludes those who are not\nable to due to mental or physical disabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And fasting is prescribed for the month of Ramadan from the\nbeginning of Fajr to the start of Magrib prayer. It is fasting of the physical,\ni.e. refraining from food and drink but also it is fasting of the mental and\nspiritual. This means we should refrain from bad habits, bad behaviour and step\nup acts of worship and charity in this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The imam also reminded us of another ruling in regards to\nthe month of Ramadan by referencing the 187th<\/sup> ayat of Sura Baqara\nwhich is translated to say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It has been made permissible for\nyou to be intimate with your wives during the nights preceding the fast. Your\nspouses are a garment for you as you are for them. Allah knows that you\nwere deceiving yourselves. So He has accepted your repentance and pardoned\nyou. So now you may be intimate with them and seek what Allah has prescribed\nfor you. \u02f9You may\u02fa eat and drink until you see the light of dawn breaking\nthe darkness of night, then complete the fast until nightfall. Do not be\nintimate with your spouses while you are meditating in the mosques. These are\nthe limits set by Allah, so do not exceed them. This is how Allah makes His\nrevelations clear to people, so they may become mindful \u02f9of Him\u02fa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dear brothers and sisters, we can conclude from this that\nthis is not a month to become like a monk. For those of us who are married,\nthere is wisdom in this ayat that we must strike a balance in this month of\nRamadan. We have a duty towards Allah. SWT in regards to this month but our\nresponsibilities and duties, as bestowed upon us by Allah SWT, should not be\noverlooked in this month and this ayat clearly outlines the ones we have\ntowards our spouses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so, dear brothers and sisters, the main take away from\nthis weeks reminder is that the month of Ramadan is a great opportunity to gain\nreward and blessing from Allah SWT. However, we should not be under the false\nassumption that this month is only about not eating and drinking during the\ndaylight hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a mindset shift that ought to and does take place\nduring this month. Especially in a place where we are surrounded by\nnon-Muslims, they should be able to see from our behaviour that we are in the\nmonth of Ramadan and not just because we are skipping lunch. \n\nRamadan is about cleansing the mind, removing\nthe bad habits and detoxing our soul from all the filth it has acquired over\nthe past year. We can only do this if we enter Ramadan in its entirety and by\ndevoting our time, our efforts and our mind to this blessed month.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As we embark on the blessed month of Ramadan, we are slowly getting accustomed to the nights of worship, the feelings of thirst or hunger during the day and most of all, the overall change that this month brings in terms of our habits and our thinking. 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