ESL Blogs

Ramadan is a month for the worshiping of God, the almighty. If you remember, last year, we talked about it a great deal. We said that Its legitimacy from Qur'an comes from:   

 ((O you who believe!  Soam (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you that you might be pious))

This is verse 182 of Surat Albagara from the holy Qur'an.  It is the proof for its legality. From Sunnah, it is this Hadeeth narrated by Abdullah, son of Khalif Omar ibnul Khatab (May Allah be pleased with them):

(Islam is based on five; 1- Shihadah, (there is no God but Allah), and Mohamed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is his messenger, 2- Keep up the five prayers. 3-  Zakat (chaste, or the obligatory tax that Muslim gives), 4-  The fasting of Ramadan and 5- Hajj (pilgrim for those who can afford it.

We also talked about The most distinguished event. Laylatul Qadr (Night of power or night of revelation). People observe it during the last ten days of Ramadan. Basically the odd nights.  It is better than one thousand months. Muslims pray throughout this night to grab that opportunity from Allah. One thousand months equal to eighty three years. The age of a person is between sixty and let's say eighty. This one night equals that lifetime. It is a great reward from the Almighty. There are a lot of virtues in this night. The angles descend with Jibreel (Gabriel) among them. Peace will be there the whole night until dawn.

Consequently, we should do our best to worship Allah and read Koran, pray tarawih prayer and visit one another and do nice deeds to others.

 Unfortunately, some families think that Ramadan is for buying the different kinds of foods and drinks. They exaggerate in so  doing. Some of them buy very high food qualities and make the most expensive dishes. Some of them bring chefs from other parts to do the job.

Naturally, at the end of the fasting day, our bodies need food and water. The reasonable things can be taken, like dates, milk, rice and lemon or orange juice. No need to prepare the expensive dishes.

Some families spend the night watching bad movies or useless series on  the TV. Sometimes, they go shopping for more than two or three hours selecting shirts, dresses, pants expensive cloth for Ramadan nights. Again they come back home and sit in front of the TV for more hours until the next day. Gossiping is their main subject.

Rich families prefer to spend Ramadan in other countries where Ramadan is like any other month. That makes it difficult for them to see people eat and drink during the day of Ramadan in front of their eyes.

Some relatives do not visit one another in Ramadan. Because of these bad habits, the meanings of Ramadan are over. The fasting, the sacrifice, giving piousness and self-training with the hope that these qualities will extend beyond this month and stay with us throughout the year. ( we talked about the benefits of Ramadan and its meaning, see my blogs, Ramadan part two and three). By doing these bad habits, we cannot benefit from fasting only hunger and thirst as the hadeeth says.