Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Today's Readings

Today, we have a special reflection to mark the beginning of Ramadan.

The Promises of Ramadhan

“Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain piety.” (The Holy Qur’an, Chapter 2, verse 183)

Once again, Ramadhan, the holy month of fasting, is knocking at our doors. 1.8 billion Muslims around the world are ready to welcome the month in the year 1444, of the Islamic calendar. It is a pleasant coincidence that Ramadhan is starting when Lent is winding up. Both are spiritual exercises with personal and communal goals for the practitioners of the two faiths. “Soum” or fasting, is the continuation of the old Biblical tradition into the Muslim world. Even non-Abrahamic religions practice some form of fasting, and it seems fascinating to me that anyone who subscribes to any system of faith or philosophy and lives by it, must experience voluntarily, giving up something precious, be it food, money or pleasures of the flesh, for a greater purpose. Ramadhan is one of the five obligatory tenants of the Muslim faith with emphasis on solidarity with the downtrodden in the community. As per the Holy Qur’an, to create a just system of governance, it is essential to understand the needs, especially the hunger and the thirst, of the poor. It is also an exercise of the faithful, for personal fulfilment.

That personal fulfilment comes from a triumph over desires, over -temptations. Self- denial can have a different kind of effect on one’s soul, especially if one knows one can easily reach out to the luxuries of life, and partake them. And yet one does not succumb. Just like our Catholic Brothers and Sisters swear to sacrifice so much to live a chaste & dedicated life in the service of Jesus Christ Alyh as Salam (may peace be upon Him), practicing Muslims, abstain from all pleasures of flesh and body for an entire month every year, in obeisance to the Lord. The Holy Qur’an says, “there is no compulsion in the matters of faith” (Chapter 2, verses 256-57). The month of abstention, weather in private or in public, must have that firm intention of complete and willing submission to the Lord, otherwise it is just starvation that the Lord does not need. The followers of the faith are only accountable to their Lord or themselves. The infirm and the old, the expectant mothers, children who have not reached puberty, travelers, whether young or old, are allowed to forego fasting, and yet many would continue to fast despite that leeway. There is happiness, and excitement, in giving up, and experience gratification this sacrifice can give to the person who shares his/her bread with the needy.

The spirit of Ramadhan is imbued with the desire to do as much charity as one can do, acknowledging “thy need is greater than mine.” Islam celebrates, and has institutionalized philanthropy, in carrying out yet another tradition of the One hundred and Twenty-four thousand prophets of the Old & New Testaments. “Soum” is usually combined with “Zakat” (a pillar of the faith; obligatory charity by eligible Muslims), so that the disadvantaged members of the community can have a joyous month, and at the end of it, can celebrate Eid with them. “Surely,

after every hardship, comes the ease” (Al-Qur’an; Chapter 94, Verse 5) is a promise of the Lord that shall come true. Even on the Eid day, before the ritual, communal prayers, head of every household has to share “fitrana/al-fitr” (charitable donation of money or food) for each member of the household, with the needy. Only then, the ritual obligations of Ramadhan come full circle.

And so, hoping & praying, that as members of the faith communities, we are given physical, spiritual, and financial strengths to fulfill the Divine plan for our existence on this earth: not just to worship the Lord, but to also take care of the Creation.

And so Ramadan Kareem/Ramadan Mubarik to everyone!

Ghazala N. Afzal
Center for Learning and Leadership
St. Francis College