The Blessed Silence

 

Wishing all of my wonderful friends, family and fellow geek/science fanatics, a truly blessed and rewarding Ramadhan!
The month of Ramadhan is the Islamic month of fasting and restraining oneself from worldly pleasures. From sunrise to sunset, Muslims around the world observe their Sawm (fasting – one of the five pillars of Islam) in which we not only cease eating or drinking between these times, but also aim for increased spiritual elevation and a cleansing of the soul through prayer and self-reflection.

We try to be the best ‘us’ we can be by increasing our efforts in charity, kindness, compassion, self control and the spreading of love, however, this does not mean that it should stop when the month ends!
Depending on one’s location, the time duration of the daily fast will vary, and here in Scotland we’ll be approximately observing a 20 hour daily fast to begin with. SubhanAllah!

Many of my non-Muslim friends often ask me about the health risks associated with fasting, however, there have been many studies to show that there are, in fact, several health benefits!
There are obviously exemptions to those who must fast (for example, the elderly, young children, those who are ill etc), and fasting itself aids one in attaining a good sense of self-control over the use of energy! It’s used productively and not wasted.
This is a practise that has been carried out in many faiths and cultures for millennia.

Considering that these will be the longer fasts (the Islamic calendar, being a lunar calendar, is 10 days shorter than the Gregorian solar calendar, meaning the dates for fasting move back approximately 10 days every Gregorian year), I wish all those observing fast a healthy and safe month!

It’s time for the spiritual retreat that I’ve so painfully been waiting for and needing!

At iftaar (time to open the fast), let’s not only open our mouths but also our minds and souls in self-reflection.

May Allah (swt) bless you all! God Bless!

 

Image © Naziyah Mahmood, 2015.

Happy Eid!!!

To all my fellow bloggers (celebrating or not!), just a quick message to say I’d like to wish you all a fantastic Eid day!

As the celebration of Eid-Al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadhan (the Islamic month of fasting), let’s not forget to carry on our hard efforts to be better people for the rest of the year too.

As we celebrate, let us remember to make a special prayer for all of those people who go through pain, suffering and oppression every day.

We are so incredibly lucky and blessed to have everything that we do; knowing that we will be presented with tables worth of food, safety, security, love and peace isn’t something that everyone is blessed with.

We are truly lucky.

Every time Ramadhan ends, I tend to feel a bit down because of how much I know I miss the blessed month. The peace, blessings, mercy and strength that come with it all make it feel far too short, I can’t believe it passed so quickly.

Ramadhan… If God wills, I will see you in one year, my friend.

 
(Image found through a random search, I can’t locate the source, but words added by myself).