Ramadan and Self-Purification

RAMADAN AND SELF-PURIFICATION Two things make up a human being—the body and the soul. While the material part of a person, the body is indispensable for the performance of mundane tasks, it is his soul which will raise him to higher realities. The mind, or soul, must be preserved in a state of purity. Just as the body requires physical nourishment, so also must the soul be spiritually nourished. Ramadan, the month of fasting and selfpurification, is a blessed spiritual period for believers as it enhances their spirituality and helps them purify themselves. Fasting entails cutting oneself off from the world and turning to God. This turning to God is not in a physical sense, but having one’s heart and mind continually directed towards God, whatever bodily activity one may be engaged in. When a person has elevated himself from the world, God endows him with wisdom, which