BLESSING OF RAMADAN

The last ten days of the holy month of Ramadan are especially valuable for Muslims, for they symbolise the climax of this month, Laylat al-Qadr, also known as the Night of Power and Destiny. In Islamic tradition, it is the night when God decrees and records the human destiny for the coming year.

On that night, Muslims remain awake until sunrise to listen to the first morning sermon. They believe that if one spends the night reading the Quran and praying, then Allah will forgive all the sins and predetermine the destiny of each person.

Holy Night

Islamic scholars suggest a number of explanations for the name of this night: “Laylat al-Qadr is a mighty and majestic night, for it is the night when the first verses (surahs) of the Holy Quran were revealed, a large number of angels descend to earth and the degree of manifestation of the Almighty’s grace, mercy and forgiveness is incomparable with other nights. He blesses the believers who spend this night in prayers with unusual power and vital energy.”

Although a fasting person is especially exhausted during the last days of Ramadan, the expectation of the Night of Power and Destiny gives him strength and patience to complete the mission successfully.

The exact date of this night is unknown. Usually it falls on the last ten days of Ramadan. According to Islamic theologians, the Laylat al-Qadr can be recognised thanks to its features such as quietness and serenity, no star showering and precipitation, and cloudless sky. It is the best opportunity for Muslims to repent (tawbah) by heart and tongue so that Allah forgives all his sins. It is the night when the mistakes of the past are analysed, old wrongs are forgiven, and the plans are determined.

A set of prohibitions or spiritual cleansing?

In 2018, the holy month of Ramadan in Azerbaijan covers a period from May 17 to June 16. In Islamic tradition, each month begins with a new moon because the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycles. Ramadan is the sacred ninth month in Islam, when the Muslims practice fasting (sawm), thus abstaining from food, drink, cigarettes and other pleasures of daily life.

In fact, fasting is not a set of prohibitions, albeit that’s how many people consider this religious prescription. That is why the hesitating ones (to fast or not to fast) do not even try to practice fasting being afraid to violate the dogmas.

If one says to those who doubt that their judgement is not reasonable and that fasting during Ramadan is in fact important for spiritual growth, this explanation will not satisfy them.

Australian author Andrew Matthews, who has written many works on motivation and self-development, once said: “we discover something new only when we are ready to perceive this information. Until the right moment comes, we do not even notice those things that later will seem so obvious to us.”

Therefore, it is so important that any information concerning the month of Ramadan always contain a rational grain. Then it is easy to comprehend it and convince even the most inveterate pragmatists. The word “propaganda” sounds scary nowadays, as it has traditionally held a somewhat negative and radical connotation. But this propaganda is useful. The philosophy and psychology of Ramadan are well in tune with the fashionable trend of positive thinking and lifestyle so popular these days. And that’s why…

Finding spiritual peace

Fasting during Ramadan makes people change for the better. Every Muslim has his own goals and wishes. Perhaps, some expect a miracle when they are told about the merits of this month and the opportunities available for Muslims. For example, fasting people say that they have a lot of free time in Ramadan because they do not spend it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, numerous snacks and tea parties during the day. Even when there is nothing to occupy oneself, or simply passing by a table with food, it is difficult to abstain from eating. “In fact, fasting for me means not only abstinence from food and drink. I also take care of my language trying not to speak ill, to stop gossiping and lying, to get rid of negative thoughts. There is no sense in fasting, if one gossips or hurts someone, and behaves inappropriately,” says Tahmina Manafova, who is fasting every year.

Theologians say that by changing the daily routine of our life we actually change our way of life. Sometimes this happens intentionally. Sometimes this is facilitated by the environment. Ramadan is unique because people come together every day in mosques or at the homes of friends and relatives. The unification of Muslims during this month helps to get closer and see more good examples, to gain knowledge through communication.

Becoming better

According to famous theologian Haji Shahin Hasanli, fasting in Ramadan is a covenant between God and an individual, which is described in detail in the Quran. All the covenants thus relate to existential needs of individuals. In other words, fasting goes in parallel with human’s essence and is God's response to our spiritual calls.

“Ramadan is not just a period of time; rather it’s a focusing point of piety, a piece of Paradise in the material world, a special sort of divine energy, if you will. Therefore, the believers are spiritually recharged and materially updated in Ramadan. It is an opportunity to escape from vanity and to look at the world differently. We feel the hunger and weakness; acknowledge our limits and understand the destitute. We learn to appreciate what we have. We begin to see how many blessings around us we just do not notice and take for granted. Thanks to the bans on some intrinsic instincts, we get to know ourselves, learn about ourselves something new, open up new opportunities, realise what the human will is. Whether we like it or not, at least for a while we can move away from the cult of consumerism and think what we can share with others. By submitting ourselves to the laws of fasting, we not only learn to live by the rules but we have an opportunity to think about ourselves: how dependent we are on the world around us, what our aspirations are, how much control we have over our self. Thus we can see our weak points and ask Allah to help correct them. We have an opportunity to see the laws of the universe, to penetrate into the essence of the world around us. And we look at all the limitations as a temporary phenomenon, for the time of the iftar will soon come and all difficulties will be over. In other words, we get sort of updated during this month. Maybe with a varying degree of success but we still experience life according to completely different rules, a life without selfishness,” said Shahin Hasanli.

Food for remaining healthy

In addition to spiritual purification, abstaining from food during the fasting period also has a positive effect on the physical health of the body. During Ramadan, the body receives a breather, reduces the load on the digestive system, the body is cleansed of toxins. No need to worry if you’re afraid of intensive gastritis and ulcers during this period: if the gastric juice is not neutralized by food, it is absorbed by bile, which during fasting is actively produced by the gallbladder.

In Islam, the following categories of people do not need to fast during Ramadan: travellers, elders, sick persons, pregnant women and children under seven years old. In principle, this fits into the general idea that patients should be treated, and fasting should not be heavy.

Many believe that overweight people can get extra kilos during fasting because of the evening meal. But nutritionists have a strong argument - one does not get extra weight, as he receives the daily norm calories in the evening. So, he will not get more kilos after the evening meal if he doesn’t get beyond the norms.

You should take at least a two- or three-hour pause between dense dinner and going to bed. Indeed, every first evening meal during the fasting period should start with a glass of water or dates. This is not a random ritual, for the study of chemical composition of dates shows that they contain more than ten important microelements. In addition, dates are useful for maintaining a diet, as they nourish the body, stimulate taking meals slowly, help not overeat after a day-long abstinence from food.

Dieticians advise eating other dried fruits such as apricots, raisins, prunes as well during Ramadan. Eating fruits should be accompanied by drinking large volumes of water. This combination of products, on the one hand, saturates the body with necessary vitamins, and on the other - prevents dehydration. So, fasting during Ramadan is useful not only for the soul, but also for the body, as inspiration for cleansing increases the effect of recovery.

Fasting for joyful life

A positive view on things helps to bear the difficulties more easily. A fasting person does not seek answers to questions such as “What should I do?” and is not suffering from doubts and uncertainties about the future.

Each of us is seeking peace. Hence fasting in Ramadan is an opportunity to learn this important quality of life, to think positively, to get rid of ingratitude, gossips and profanity. Only a peaceful person can better understand the full grace of fasting in the holy month.