RAMADHAN RUMINATIONS

The month of Ramadhan is one which brings in its wake abundant blessings and shower of mercies from the Almighty Allah.Every Muslim awaits desperately for this Holy Month so that he can purify his soul(Tazkiya-e-Nafs),repent from his past sins, form a more closer acquaintance with his Creator, thus start his life afresh having attained the angelic innocence of a new born baby.

Every Ramadhan is a new refreshing experience for me. I being a deviant from the norms of my generation and society am a regular visitor to the local masjid were I offer my prayers. This ramadhan too like previous experiences during ramadhan the masjid was full and I could get my place only in the last row. Also there was an undying vigor and zest to proclaim Daroods and Dua's more loudly among the Namazees. This routine continued but with each passing day there started verbal Tu-Tu-Mey-Mey(Mutual Bickering)among the Namazees. On one occasion a Namazee like an interrogator started to demand accountability from the Masjid Welfare Society as to why there are not proper water and washing mug arrangements despite the fact that the people were paying well for the Masjid Welfare. The Namazee unaware of the fact that municipality at various times sans water supply unveiling the fact that he was a Ramadhan Namazee(One who offers his prayers during the Holy Month of Ramadhan Only).

A young boy in his early teens was ordered to move to the back row by the members of the masjid welfare society as the first row was reserved only for them, may be certified by the Holy decree? When I enquired from the boy why he had moved to the front row, he answered that he had read that offering prayer in the front row earns more Thawab(virtues) and blessings in contrast to other rows. I then thought that yes this row was earning more 'Thawab' as the welfare society only comprised of retired individuals who have a dubious character, earned money by illegal means elevated their status by this black money and now started dictating terms to others. Some of them are even now fighting the accusations for hoarding more assets than their capacity in government jobs, and have to present themselves in courts to defend and clear the accusations against them.

During Ramadhan one gets to know different people inheriting varied shades of opinion. The self-proclaimed opinionative scrutinize every movement of the Imam(The Leader of the Prayer).After the prayer is over they start polemical discussions with the Imam on a varied range of topics from the amount of beard an Imam should ply on his face to the holding of staff in his respective hand. The opinionative gather from his right and left teaching him their form of worship and are satisfied only when the Imam starts implementing their respective reverent opinions. In this process he loses his indigenous character and a unique position he is supposed to enjoy, he as a result becomes a ship without a rudder, following the whims of the organizing or welfare committee who pays for his services. If in any case, he wishes to fight against the committee Imperialism so as to free himself from the committee ordained shackles and retain his original independent status he used to enjoy during the Islamic Caliphate, he is fired off and other one is hired on the condition that he will follow like a "Dumb-Cow".

The position of Imam is in contrast to what the term Imam suggests or supposes as he has been reduced to a position of financial wreck where always the threat of losing his job looms like a naked sword over his head and pangs of poverty always send shivers down his spine. What a constructive part can he play in building of our society on healthy terms, I thought?

Ramadhan 1431 Mubarak

“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed
to those before you, that you may (learn) self-restraint.” Qur’an 2:183

Things to do this Ramadhan...

Eat, drink and be moderate.

Almost all of us do it - once Iftar time hits, we just keep plowing food and drink into our mouths till it's hard to move afterwards. And those of us who do it know this is totally contrary to the spirit of Ramadan, through which we're supposed to learn self-control not self-indulgence. Let's try to stick to the Prophetic rule on eating: fill our stomachs with one-third food, one-third water and one-third breathing space, even in Ramadan.

Spend in charity.
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was always generous but even more so in Ramadan. Let's open our hearts and dig a little deeper in our wallets this year. Even less than a dollar a day adds up. Whatever you can give, it's the intention that counts.
Memorize 4 new Surahs.
Memorizing the Quran often seems like a daunting task. But the key is doing it in small bites. Since there are four weeks in Ramadan, try to memorize one new Surah a week. Start off with a short, easy one. Once you've started, you'll build momentum and may even want to memorize a longer one the following week.

Go to Tarawih prayers.
Post-Iftar, the first urge is to sleep after an exhausting day. But try your best to head out to the masjid for Tarawih prayers. Praying alone is wonderful, but doing it in congregation is fantastic. The community spirit is part of Ramadan's blessings. Don't miss it this year. If going every day is not possible, try going at least once week.

Full recitation of Quran.
Call the local masjid and find out which day the Imam will be finishing the recitation of the Quran in prayer. Attend to not only hear part of the Quran's recitation in prayer, but also participate in the heart-rending Duas that follow it.

Stop swearing and backbiting.
It's hard not to shoot our mouths off when someone's upset us. Whether we utter those four-letter words or backbite about someone to our family and friends, we know this isn't the God-approved way of letting off steam. In Ramadan, when we want to build our spirituality, we've got to wage Jihad (strive) against our bad habits.

Try this:
get a box and every time you catch yourself swearing or backbiting put some money in it. It could be a buck or less. The point is to choose an amount that makes it feel like punishment. At the end of the month send the money to a charity or buy a gift for the person whom you've backbitten the most against.

Call your relatives.
You'd think that given the easy access to email, competitive long-distance calling rates, phone cards, etc. these days, we'd keep in touch with family and friends more often. But the opposite seems to be the case, as we get caught up in life's busyness.
Strengthening ties with family members and keeping in touch with friends is part of our way of life and an act Allah is very pleased with. This Ramadan, call family and friends or at least email them a Ramadan card and ask them how their fasting is going.

Read Quran at least 5 minutes a day.
Even if you feel you've got absolutely no time, set a timer or the alarm on your cell phone and find a relatively quiet place. You can read the first page of the Quran you open or follow a sequence. The choice is yours. The point is simply to connect with God through His revelation in the month of the Quran. Read Quran with proper tajweed and then try to ponder on its meaning.

Forgive everyone who has hurt you.
Still got a festering wound from the fight with your friend last year? Still upset about something your spouse said during a heated argument? Or are you still bitter about the way your parents sometimes treated you as a kid? Let go of the anger and pain this Ramadan and forgive those who have hurt you. Forgiving someone is not only good for the body, but it's also great for the soul. And in Ramadan, ten days of which are devoted to Allah's forgiveness, shouldn't we lesser beings forgive too? If you find it very difficult to forgive everyone, forgive at least three people.

Please forgive me too this Ramadhan if i have ever hurted anybody or anyone's sentiments please please please forgive me too.. (shakeeb)

~with good intentions
written by: Shakeeb Ashai.