Spirit of Ramadan

Eating the pre-dawn meal is a reminder of the reality that when God gives the command for a difficult task, He at the same time makes arrangements so that there is ease in the performance of that task. God has enjoined fasting on believers, but has also allowed them to have the pre-dawn meal before the day long fast. Any commandment of God, however difficult, requires absolute trust in Him. Similarly, God has asked the believers to perform the task of conveying the message of Islam to people. During this task He takes the responsibility of protecting the believer from those who place obstacles in his path. If God’s command appears difficult to a believer, he should place his trust in God and persevere. This is because God does not only give commands but also fulfils the requirements needed to execute the command. He puts a person in a testing situation, but He also supports him throughout. He provides help for the person so that he can go through the situation he has been placed in. The significance of sehri is to remind a believer of this principle: when God gives a difficult command to man, He at the same time makes arrangements so that there is ease in the performance of that task if one places complete trust in God and perseveres. THE SPIRIT OF IFTAR Iftar is an Arabic word, which literally means ‘to break’. In the Islamic context, it means to break the fast, to eat and drink in the evening after the daylong fast. Iftar is not simply a matter of having dinner. It has great significance. It is a combination of spiritual and physical food.