New to Islam from Glasgow, Scotland – On Fasting in Ramadhan
IMAN President’s conversations (via email) with Sr Elena Vidican of Glasgow, Scotland, a Romanian sister who recently converted to Islam.
On Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 6:39 AM, Elena Vidican wrote:
Ramadan Mubarak Dr. Kamar,
As the month of Ramadan is starting, I would like to know how can we prepare better and also how is the fasting in this period to be interpreted ( as compared to other religions)?
Elena
----- Dr. Kamar Oniah replied:
Salam and Ramadhan karim, Elena. I have discussed some points regarding Ramadhan in my book, Understanding Islam. To add to these:
1. Fasting is so special in Islam - it is a sacrifice of oneself to Allah Almighty. It can only be carried out when a person already feels convinced and committed to the religion of Allah. Thus it is a stage after the shahadah and solat.
2. During fasting, we are not in our normal condition in that we feel thirsty and hungry and even tired and uncomfortable, i.e., we are in need and experience difficulties. It is in the nature of humans that in times of needs and difficulties to turn more inward and towards our Creator. This is the fitrah of human beings, i.e., human nature. Fasting is therefore an imposed (self-imposed) situation, as it were, of needs and difficulties to assist us in turning more intensely and consciously towards ourselves and our Creator Almighty. Unfortunately, for those without religion, they turn to external stimulus such as drinks, drugs and cigarettes in times of needs and difficulties in their attempt to overcome their situation, and often end up tragically. The fact that they do so reflects the existence of that fitrah in them, i.e, a fitrah that calls out for help during times of need and difficulties.
3. In fasting, we give our physical organs a much needed rest and thereby too shifting our focus from our bodily and physical needs to our spiritual and intellectual needs. We take a spiritual journey into ourselves - reviewing our weaknesses and strength, training to improve ourselves spiritually and intellectually. Thus Ramadhan is a month of spiritual intensification and of humble reflection, particularly at night when we connect with the Almighty more intensely than during other days. It is a time when we pay more attention to our spiritual existence than our physical existence as compared to other days. In fact, in the Holy Qur'an, Allah Most Merciful informed us that others before us were also ordained to fast.
4.Other religions have retreats in one form or another; either physically by going into remote areas, as in Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, Shinto or refraining from all works as the Sabbath of Judaism, and some other religions even make spiritual retreat a full time and a whole life affair - thus the monks, devotees and elects in such religions. In Islam we do not retreat physically since we are created as the khalifah of Allah on earth and have social responsibilities, but we take an inward journey into ourselves. Thus, during Ramadhan, we should not fast but eat normally at night - this is in order to replenish our strength so that we can carry out our normal duties. Fasting is therefore not to destroy our physical entity but to strengthen our spiritual entity. In the ultimate, our physical, spiritual and intellectual entities are balanced up, and thus the nurturing of the wholesome person as required by our religion
5. After a month of fasting, we celebrate our sacrifice and spiritual training with the 'eid - a time for healthy festivities. Thus celebration too is part of the rituals in Islam for in such celebrations, we give thanks to the Almighty and celebrate His Mercies and Blessings. As such, Islam is not a religion of glum and gloom but a religion of balance.
6. The tarawih solat is a beautiful experience of congregational solat with its intense yet cheerful atmosphere. Even if done alone, we should feel a deep sense of fulfillment and joy in its performance. At the end of tarawih, especially when we are alone, we should become reflective, turning to Allah with deep gratitude and joy at being linked with Him. Indeed, the tarawih can be described as both fulfilling and joyful, a celebration of Allah's Blessings and a joy in being a Muslim.
7. Ramadhan too was the month when the angel Gabriel came to read the whole of the Qur'an with the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon them, testifying to the exactness and accuracy of the revelations. And during Ramadhan too is a special night most blessed where the angels come down to perform errands. The exact night is not specified because if so, our focus will be for the blessings of this night rather than on sincere worship of Allah Almighty.
So Elena, enjoy Ramadhan with all its blessings and glory.
1. I have been to many countries and observed that the custom of iftar (berbuka puasa) at hotel or restaurant only prevails in Malaysia. I do not know how and when this phenomenon started.
2. When I was attached to sales / marketing section some time ago, I had to make sure that all the company customers were invited to at least one session of iftar at hotel. If I was late to invite them or missed any one of them, they unashamedly asked me when their turn would be.
3. The cost per person is never less than RM60 while the food were just normal food that may cost in total RM10 if bought from the Ramadhan food stall. Think of mee goreng, karipap and air bandung. In fact, most of the times, the guests would not eat much.
4. The hotels are making huge profit during Ramadhan. The fasting Muslims contribute to this huge profit when rightfully they should be channeling the money to the more needy ones especially during Ramadhan. Spending RM60 per person for iftar goes against the very spirit of Ramadhan.
5. When Ramadhan should be the time for us to learn to be thrifty and to share with the less fortunate both emotionally and physically, we do the exact opposite. We even take for granted the halalness of the food that we take for iftar. Even worse, we invite others to join in the syubahat.
6. Most of the time, when we take iftar at hotel or restaurant, we miss to pray Maghrib on time. We will be too consumed with the food and the guests or spending long time queuing for the food. By the time we decide to pray, the small prayer room arranged by the hotel or the restaurant will be pack with the guests. By the time our turn to pray, it is almost Isha'.
7. Most of the time too, we will miss the Terawih prayer as the chatting and socializing will continue until the last meal is served. Some of us do plan to perform solat Terawih later at home during this particular night, but by the time we reach home, we are just too tired and directly go to sleep.
8. Nothing good is realized by having iftar at hotel or restaurant. This phenomenon defeats the very essence of Ramadhan in every single aspect. The better way to have iftar is either at home with the family members or friends or at functions that are laced with Islamic itineraries, or better still, at mosques.
On Call: The Trials of Being a Muslim Doctor during Ramadan
Published on August 1, 2010 by Ahmed Zaafran
With Ramadan rapidly approaching, the time has come to prepare mentally, spiritually, and physically for one of the most important times of the year in Islam. The month of Ramadan comes at the height of summer this year, bringing unique challenges.
The focus of this particular article is geared towards those who are medical professionals: physicians, students, nurses, technicians. However, as people from all lines of work deal with time management issues, in sha’ Allah (God willing) those who do not work in the healthcare industry may still benefit from this advice and can work collectively to implement it.
Making a Plan
Making a plan is a useful way to get things moving in the right direction. List out the objectives you aspire to meet for the day. For example, as a resident physician in Anesthesiology at the busiest trauma center in the country, I anticipate being in the operating room for many hours at a time, often without a break. Knowing that, sometimes I have to use lunchtime or break time to fulfill my obligatory prayers and may even be forced to combine my prayers in unusual situations.
Many hospitals provide prayer areas within chapels for Muslims to pray or even have a masjid (mosque) within the hospital. However, this may not always be the case. Whatever the situation, try to find a spot where you can reflect on your prayer, reconnect with Allah and your intentions for fasting, and reenergize yourself. In time, you’ll find many unexpected gifts from Allah peppered throughout your day, giving you a firsthand view of the fruits of hard work and good intentions. Remember that Allah knows your circumstances even more than yourself. You may become discouraged that because of your time constraints, you cannot fulfill your desire to be fully engaged with Allah during your Ramadan. Don’t allow yourself to fall into that rut; your two rak`at (units of prayer) are worth more than you think.
Establishing the Right Mindset
Establishing the right mindset is half the battle. I can’t tell you how many times throughout medical school my Muslim peers would make excuses as to why they don’t need to fast during Ramadan. The most common excuse I heard was, “How could I possibly concentrate on my studies if I’m fasting?” Another common cop-out was, “Bro, I’ll just make it up later once finals are done with.”
To many of you, this may sound outlandish or even blasphemous, but it is commonly seen in people who deal with the physical and emotional demands of being a medical student or physician, which brings me to the point of this section. Establishing the right mindset means more than just telling yourself that you will fast during Ramadan. It means training yourself that your “starvation” is in fact the easiest part of Ramadan. The real challenge lies in your remembrance of Allah, making all of your actions a form of worship, and fulfilling your role as a representative of Islam in the midst of a watchful environment.
To be honest, Ramadan is the best time to showcase the beauty of our religion and its focus on self-control. For example, how many times, in any occupational platform, have people come up to you, after finding out that you are fasting from food AND water (for some reason they are always impressed with the water part), to inquire more about your fast and your faith? This is the perfect time to explain to them what fasting during Ramadan really means, that abstaining from our material desires, including food, sexual relations, backbiting, and slander, are only the physical vehicles that allow the spiritual self a viable platform to elevate itself. People in the healthcare industry understand what it means to make sacrifices. It might sound like clockwork to you, but for many of your colleagues, it is the most profound thing they will ever hear.
Time
Amongst medical students and physicians, a quite broad category in and of itself, a high demand on time handcuffs their abilities to have an effective Ramadan. The amount of information required of medical students to learn, memorize, digest, and apply is quite daunting, and they often find themselves missing out on prayers entirely, whether during Ramadan or other times of the year. The key is to prioritize your time around your prayer by redistributing it. The epicenter of your day is your prayer, and you should make everything else the ornamentation to that foundation. As hard as it many seem at the time, you’ll eventually find yourself both excelling in your prayers and concentrating on patient care as well. Keep in mind that the workday has its gaps and moments when you can take quick breaks. For the student, study breaks are a part of the daily routine. Rather than rushing to the TV for a break, take a moment to reconnect with the Qur’an, even if it is just for a few minutes. Ramadan comes only once a year. Don’t let the month leave without cashing in on those precious moments that usually go wasted.
Spiritual Connection
Finally, put your work into perspective. The type of work you do in medicine exposes you to various situations that challenge your mind and your soul. You are given the task to heal people’s ailments, whether physical or mental, and are able to provide them with a service that nurtures and improves the thing most precious to them: their health. Personally, I can relate to the spiritual challenges faced by physicians on a daily basis at the hospital. Just a few weeks ago, I took care of a young man in his early 30s who seemed to have the world ahead of him. A minor ailment initially brought him to the hospital, but his health deteriorated quite rapidly.
“Who, when disaster strikes them, say, “Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.” [Qur'an, 2:156]
The team working to save his life moved quickly and diligently, doing everything humanly possible to resuscitate him. The exact moment Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) took his soul was quite evident, and the organized chaos in the room instantly transformed into a deafening silence. Despite exhaustive measures on my part and on that of the medical professionals around me, we were not able to save his life. Muslims and non-Muslims alike had to deal with that situation, and the fear can choke the air out of your throat. Moments like these can shake one’s faith if he is not prepared, but it can also strengthen one’s resolve and solidify his love for Allah.
Use Ramadan to strengthen yourself. Seek refuge from Allah from all your insecurities. Use the training that Allah has blessed you with to fulfill His commandments. Take every opportunity to show Allah that more than anything else, you are trying to purify yourself and humble yourself under His Presence. Medicine is a field that carries much responsibility and much prestige. Use your status amongst your peers as a pedestal to serve your Lord and as a mechanism to eradicate arrogance. The Qur’an gives us pearls every time we read it, and perhaps the verse that can be used by medical practitioners the most to correct their intentions and set the tone for their daily work lies in Surat al-Ma`idah, entitled “The Table Spread.”
“Whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely.” [Qur'an, 5:32]
With this verse in mind, we can truly use the month of Ramadan as a springboard not only to serve our fellow human beings in need of medical treatment but also as an opportunity to use our skills as a means to please our Creator, Allah, exalted is He.
5 Feb 2010 -
IIUM will be organising a talk on kalimah Allah on Feb 5. Muslimin and muslimat are invited to join the program.
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