The end of Ramadan need not signal an end to the feeling of increased spiritual connectivity. Ramadan is a time of increased worship in our lives. In addition to the fasting, there is often an increase in other areas of worship, for instance the reading of Qur’an, and giving in charity. Keep these things up, even if it is only a small amount. The Prophet said, “The deeds most loved by God are those done regularly, even if they are small.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
Lessons on Discipline
Ramadan brought discipline into your life. You did not eat or drink whenever and whatever you wanted. There was a time for these things. You had to control your instinct. Ramadan is a powerful symbol that you can control yourself, that you can set yourself a target and stick to it. Taking that discipline and control forward is potentially one of the greatest blessings of the month.
Lessons on steadfastness, patience and perseverance in the midst of Adversity
Ramadan has taught that to achieve the target of completing the fasts one has to be steadfast in adversity. The month is a living testament to the many exhortations in the Qur’an and the sayings of the Prophet to have sabr – patient perseverance, and there is reward in this, “Give glad tidings to those who exercise patience when struck with adversity and say, ‘Indeed, we belong to God and to Him is our return.’ Such ones receive [the] blessings and mercy of their Lord, and such are the guided ones.” (Qur’an 2:155)
Lessons Learnt on How To Maintain Focus
Our response to a difficulty or a problem can be to seek a distraction. Even with Ramadan, we may seek activity, even sleep, so that we do not have to feel the hunger or the thirst. However, one can only really gain the full significance of the month by developing focus on the hunger and thirst and examining what it is trying to teach us. Without doing so we may only get, as the hadith says, “...nothing except hunger and thirst, and many people who pray at night get nothing from it except wakefulness.” (Darimi) We should develop focus in every aspect of our lives in order to extract the fullest benefits.
Lessons Learnt on The Benefit of Increased Connections
Ramadan is a time of increased connections – an increased connection to God through remembrance of Him and the search to please Him, an increased connection to the Ummah through the collective act of fasting, an increased connection to the family and close friends through the shared intimacy of fasting and breaking the fast together, and an increased connection to one’s inner self by the act of fasting; stripping away externalities. Maintaining these connections after Ramadan ends requires effort.
Lessons Learnt on How To Find True Contentment
The Qur'an reminds us "Rivalry for worldly gain will distract you until you visit your grave." (102:1-2) And the Prophet said, "If the son of Adam were given a valley full of gold, he would love to have a second one; and if he were given the second one, he would love to have a third, for nothing fills the belly of Adam's son except dust. And God forgives he who repents to Him." (Bukhari) Finding pleasure in people, events, nature and not in things, is a way to deal with this weakness of human beings, and to find true contentment.
Lessons Learnt on Intentions
“Actions are judged by intentions” (Bukhari and Muslim) said the Prophet, and Ramadan helps to bring this saying fully into focus by requiring us to make the intention to fast.
Lessons Learnt on Health
The body is an amanah, a trust, from God. We cannot abuse it. Fasting is actually beneficial to a healthy person. Detoxification occurs as the liver, kidney, lungs, lymph glands and skin eliminate or neutralise toxins. Fasting speeds up this process as the body breaks down fats, however health needs to be maintained all year round.
Ultimately, there is no end to such a list, we can continue bringing up more and more lessons. You can as well add your very own “Ramadan Lessons Learnt” to the comment section below. What is equally important at this point in time is how to keep the spirit of Ramadan alive all year long. Watch out for my next post. Salam alaykum warahmotullahi wabarakatuh
Glow with Ramadan All Year Long!: A Guide for Elevating Your Body-Mind-Soul Health Before, During & After the Fast
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