Sept 29, 2006

Quantum Note

Ramadan 1427

Dr. Muzaffar Iqbal

 The month of Ramadan was known to the Arabs by that name even before the advent of Islam, but in the second year of Hijrah (623 AD), a Qur’anic revelation transformed the nature of this month. The celebrated verse of fasting prescribed fasting for believers as it had been prescribed for others before them. The month of Ramadan is also associated with the descent of the Qur’an from the Guarded Tablet. It is a month in which a night comes which is better than a thousand months, the Qur’an tells us.

 The first Ramadan during which Muslims fasted (2 AH) was also the month of the battle of Badr. This was a small battle compared to contemporary battles. It lasted only a few hours. The two armies met at a remote place, hidden away from the main caravan routes of the ancient world. Before sunset, fighting was over. There were 14 martyrs from the Muslim side; 70 men from the army of Quraysh were slain and 70 were captured as prisoners. In spite of its small scale, Badr is an event of immense importance which changed the course of human history; had this small battle gone the other way, there would be no Islam today.

Ever since that second year of Hijrah, when fasting was first prescribed, the month of Ramadan has remained a special month for Muslims. A month of blessings and Divine favours, it provides believers a perfect opportunity to realign their lives with fitrah, the pattern on which they have been created. The fasting during Ramadan is, however, not merely an abstinence from eating during the daytime; the spirit of fasting covers the entire spectrum of life. The fast is of the entire being, not just of the stomach. “The one who does not stop lying and acting upon lying,” the Prophet (SAW) is reported to have said, “Allah does not care for his abstinence from food.” This is how the spirit of fasting was understood by the Companions of the noble Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.

Fourteen hundred and twenty-six years after the first month of fasting celebrated in Madinah by the nascent Muslim community, the Muslim world is once again experiencing this month. But this year’s Ramadan is merely a pale shadow of what it used to be during the life of the Prophet of Islam. Then the month of Ramadan was a month of immense blessings because the nascent Muslim community in Madinah understood the true spirit of Ramadan and attempted to derive maximum benefits from its blessings. Today, Ramadan comes with a totally different flavour.

The social habits of entire societies have changed to “accommodate” Ramadan. In many Muslim countries, work hours are reduced to allow employees more time for worship, but in reality it becomes a time for sleeping, socializing, and watching TV. Various channels play special Ramadan serials; entire families sit in front of the television, and consume enormous amounts of food. As compared to times past, when the faithful would spend the nights in worship and remembrance of Allah, millions of Muslims now spend their nights in front of the small box, watching soap-operas. This practice has spread throughout the Muslim world. These relatively new social customs have transformed the nature of Ramadan from what it used to be even half a century ago. It is an excellent example of how modern technology dictates norms and practices for entire societies.

The month of Ramadan is also called the month of the Qur’an, a source available to all who yearn for the everlasting peace and blessings. But how sad to observe that out of some 1.6 billion Muslims now living on this planet, one-fifth do not even have direct access of the language of the Book which is the alpha and omega of their faith.

Of course, not everyone is following the latest trends in “celebrating” Ramadan. Hidden from the limelight, literally millions of Muslims around the world are engaged in an immense effort to regain and retain the true spirit of fasting. It is this silent majority, this true community of believers joined in a spiritual bond, which is the main stay of Islam in an increasingly materialistic and secular world. For these Muslims, the month of Ramadan is a gift from the Creator which is received in the most deserving manner. For them, the words of their noble Prophet are true points of departure for a life of reflection and understanding. They are attempting to reorder their lives in this blessed month, just as their ancestors did. They know what it means to fast, for they have understood the Prophetic words that many fasting persons gain nothing but hunger from their fasts and many worshippers gain nothing but sleeplessness from their nightly vigils.

In a world in which the inner realities of Islam and its practices are becoming increasingly obscure even for Muslims, the month of Ramadan also provides an excellent opportunity to millions of believers who make a sincere effort to re-understand Islam in its pristine form. They know that this is the month of the Qur’an and they make an attempt to learn how to live their lives from this Divine source.

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