
By
Saba Rahman
June 3,
2019
As things
stand across the world today, religion cannot be a private experience for
Muslims — even if they want it to be. Burdened, demoralised and anguished with
terror attacks in the name of Islam, Muslims find themselves — and their faith
— implicated in global events almost every day. More recently, the targeting of
mosques in New Zealand or churches in Sri Lanka have made Muslims either
helpless victims or motivated perpetrators of violent attacks. Closer home,
rising Islamophobia coupled with an almost non-existent political
representation in the government, have driven India’s Muslims to the edge. It
is amidst such a feeling of fear and siege among Muslims that Ramzan, Islam’s
holiest month, began, and is set to draw to a close in a couple of days.
Ramzan is
when the Muslims believe the Quran was revealed to Mohammad, the last prophet
of Islam, in 610 CE in Mecca. People know the drill for the believer in these
30 days. Those who observe Ramzan go without food and water, and also abstain
from sex between dawn and dusk. There is, however, much more to Ramzan than
just hunger and thirst. The month is about self-restraint, discipline, charity
and intense reflection. It is about the struggle to attain spiritual goals.
Prophet Mohammad said that Allah has no need for his followers to abstain from
food and water if they do not abstain from falsehood and other sinful
practices.
In fact,
Islam has a powerful Arabic word for a larger struggle to resist temptations
and fight anger, malice, jealousy, vengeance and similar negative traits. That
word is jihad. Unfortunately, the most spiritual concept of Islam has become
its most sullied at the hands of extremists who kill innocent people in the
name of jihad. It wasn’t jihad that happened on 26/11 in Mumbai or during the
attacks on the churches in Sri Lanka. The Quran does not endorse such mindless
acts of violence. It is also not jihad when Muslims kill other Muslims, as they
are doing in Syria, Somalia and Afghanistan. The Prophet did engage in military
expeditions, but those battles were more to survive than conquer. In fact, upon
returning from one such expedition, the Prophet is said to have described war
as “a lesser jihad” in comparison to “the greater jihad” that calls on one to
look inwards for spiritual purification. Ramzan epitomises this idea.
In India,
Ramzan started in the middle of the country’s general elections, whose verdict
left Muslims feeling further alienated. The election campaign was communal and
vitriolic. However, did Muslims abstain from posting or responding to messages
of hate on social media? Did they quarrel with their colleagues or neighbours
because of their contrarian political stands? Did they share their Iftar with
them? It is not easy for many Muslims to live up to the behavioural
expectations that fasting demands when anti-Muslim hatred is on the rise. But
this is what Ramzan is all about: To train the self to rise above base
instincts. The Prophet said: “The believer does not insult, he does not curse,
he is not profane, and he is not crude.”
Significantly,
the Quran is replete with messages that obligate Muslims to remain committed to
social justice. Zakat (charity) is one of the five pillars of Islam and it
assumes greater significance during Ramzan. Zakat is mandatory on all Muslims
who have a certain amount of wealth. The idea is to bridge the gap between rich
and poor, and restore the dignity of the socially ignored people. In his famous
last sermon, the Prophet had declared: “A white has no superiority over black,
nor does a black over a white, except by piety and good action.” The Prophet’s
closest aides were two former slaves who went on to command much respect in the
first Muslim society.
The Quran
puts it beautifully: “We created you from a male and a female, and we made you
into nations and tribes for you to get to know each other.” This verse, and
Quran has many such, is central to Islam’s message of peace, friendship and
love among people who are different. These 1,400-year-old wise insights can
help us overcome fear, hatred and discord, which have become the hallmark of
modern societies. Ramzan is the perfect time to renew such pledges and build
those bridges.
Source:
indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/ramzan-festival-month-muslim-islam-religion-5761527/
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/islamic-society/saba-rahman/ramzan-is-to-train-the-self-to-rise-above-base-instincts,-look-inwards-and-build-bridges/d/118782