Ramadan

And so we've reached the end of the month of Ramadan or better known as the fasting month. Every time during this period, I get asked a lot of questions pertaining to the month and the practices. Things like how do I last 18 hours without eating or drinking, why do we fast, how do we know when we can break fast, etc. But Ramadan is much more than just that. It is about the soul.

It is said that during this month, the gates of heaven is open wide to all if we choose to follow it, and the gates of hell is shut tight. Every good deed that one does is rewarded many times over as compared to doing the same deed on normal months. Therefore, Muslims all around the world would up their efforts in devoting themselves to God, especially so during Ramadan (not that they don’t already do that at other times).

What's it like for me you'd asked? For me, it is a time of reflection. How have I been through the past year? How is my relationship with the people close to me? Have I done anything I regret doing during the past year? Essentially, how have I been as a person? No one’s perfect, neither am I and I’m sure I’ve done more wrong than good at times (nothing to be proud of). Therefore Ramadan gives me this opportunity to right the wrongs and make amends to all those things I’ve regretted doing, as long as it’s within my means. It is also a time to seek for forgiveness from God and humans alike.

Ultimately, it’s like living a life with a checklist in hand on the things which you think might affect your own well-being and requires correction. Checking the list as the day progresses and totaling them up at the end of the month to assess your own performance through a scorecard. It’s a technical thought but I guess to a certain extend it does help in putting your own life’s performance into perspective and what better way to do it than in the month of Ramadan itself.

The month is at its end and it’s time to celebrate. To all those celebrating, may all the efforts we’ve put in during the month be accepted in His eyes and may we all be better individuals for the upcoming year. Salam Eidulfitri Eid Mubarak.

BTW, it’s NOT the Muslim New Year. But that’s another story for another time. :)