Muslims and the Business of Ramadan
Dr. Pasha
(Bringing Islam to the World One Concept at a Time!
Taking the Qur'an to Every Home and Heart that Needs It --
And which One Does Not?)
Muslims are a funny bunch. If they could cheat and deceive God, they will happily have a shot at it.
Ramadan is a month of "Spirituality," they will say.
Whatever that means.
So, fast more, they will say. And pray more.
Some will read Qur'an more. Which is a good thing, like all else: fasting, praying.
Of course fasting during Ramadan is a Fard anyway. It is required.
But then life may take on some special contours for many Muslims during Ramadan.
Many will sleep long hours. And generally take life easy. After all, they are without food and drink forever, are they not?
Many will more than make up for day-time food deprivation with night-time binging.
And, then, of course, many will try to keep all physical activities at the lowest level. They are fasting, are they not?
There was a time, when Allah made Muslims come out of their homes in the middle of Ramadan.
In a burning desert, much of it without water or shade, under a blazing sun.
And Allah then made them fight a war.
Can you believe that? Right in the middle of Ramadan!
Not the kind of Drone War people “fight” these days from their Air-Conditioned palaces. But a real desert-war, with horses and swords and shields and armor and on foot.
It is called the Battle of Badr, Muslims outnumbered three-to-one, and completely outmatched in weaponry and equipment.
Allah himself went to war on that day. Allah said: I am going to battle, who is with me?
And Allah’s Rasul, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, was a soldier and the general in that war.
Some of the best human beings on earth, and in all of human history, were fighting in that war.
Without food and without water!
And in scorching heat!
Angels came down to do battle in that war.
Allah and his Rasul, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, and the best human beings on one side and some of the worst people and their leader the Devil on the other side.
Who do you think will win? The result was obvious.
Allah called it the Day of Demarcation: Yaumul Furqan!
It was a turning point in the history of Islam.
And in the history of the world. Make no mistake about that. That was the day on which the world turned – forever.
That is what Ramadan meant then.
Now, Muslims want their air-conditioned comfort.
And they want to sleep during the day and binge during the night.
And they want absolute Minimalism on any physical burden or work or responsibility.
“Let us not get out on the streets to preach Islam during Ramadan,” they say. “It is too hot and we are too weak and tired.”
“Let us wait till Ramadan is over and then we will do that sort of stuff – maybe.”
“Now is not the time to go to the Malls and give out literature educating people about Islam. That is physically taxing. Let us wait till the Blessed Month of Ramadan is gone. Then we will look into that.”
And so on. And so forth.
That is Muslims today. Some of the better ones too.
Then they wonder why things are the way they are.
They must read the Qur’an. The Qur’an has the answer.
Wa Maa Zalamahumullah. Wa Laakin Kaanoo Anfusahum Yazlimoon.
Let them go check the meaning somewhere.
Also please check to make sure the Aayat is quoted correctly. May Allah forgive me if I made an error.
END
