It is said that the defining miracle of the Holy Prophets is the total remaking of the self. That is, to take an individual, and indeed a society, and to transform them for the better.
In this article, we take a look at the manner in which the Prophets transformed the lives of those who chose to accept their ways, enabling them to move beyond what is prevailing and how the onset of Ramadan each year brings that realisation to the fore.
With each new coming of the Prophets, lasting change has been their legacy. Each of these prophets brought an old moral perspective back into sharp focus, by means of a seemingly new canon. And these moral codes have endured, despite changing times and trends.
For every person of faith, there are times of the year when the opportunity to break away from the habits of daily life comes around—such as Lent for Christians or Passover for Jews. For Muslims, one of those periods is Ramadan al-Muazzam, also known as Shahr Allah or the month of Allah.
One moment we are living our normal life but come the next morning, a complete breach with the old ways has taken hold. Schedules which were governed by different timings, now revolve around the times of prayer. Where we could not get from one meal to the next without a caffeine boost or a snack, we now last from dawn till dusk without food or water.
The hours of sleep we keep to be at our best for the day ahead, are replaced by time at the masjid, midnight prayer and pre-dawn meal, all preceding the long day of fasting ahead. Transformation at a macro level, begins with transformation of the self.
Perspectives change, as do priorities. Prayers are offered with greater punctuality. Sleep is surrendered and evenings devoted to communal gatherings. Entertainment and leisure make way for reading the Holy Quran, attending discourses and sermons and reciting supplications that we may neglect at other times of the year.
But the hallmark of Ramadan is the fast, which begins shortly before dawn and ends at sunset, and can vary in length across the globe with the changing seasons. It would seem impossible, unthinkable even, yet it is achieved by young and old on every continent.
There may be exceptions, such as for expecting mothers, or the sick, yet the fast holds a special place in the hearts of Muslims and is not forgone easily. Children often long for the opportunity to fast, a sign of their maturing, and wary parents will allow them the occasional day to fulfil their wish.
Everyone pushes personal boundaries. They extend themselves in ways they would not even contemplate during the rest of the year. Whether it be in attending the masjid, commitment to the five mandated prayers, recitation of the Holy Quran or performing the special midnight prayer, each individual sets aside the routine of the rest of the year and lives a life that is unrecognisable from the one that was lived just the day before the month of Ramadan began.
We still go to work, to school, to university. We still open our places of business, attend our meetings, meet our targets, sit our exams. Ramadan is not a sabbatical; there are added stresses and strains both emotionally and physically, but these are absorbed, embraced and even revelled in. We find a dormant strength awakened within us, and the sleep loss and missed meals are forgotten.
Once the month ends the inner joy and sense of fulfilment are not forgotten—and we will yearn to experience them again and again.
