Ramadan: A Month of Contemplation

whoever of you is present in that month, let him fast; but he who is ill or on a journey shall fast a similar number of days later on.” (The Quran, 2:185) The Quran is specially recited during this month so that believers may reflect upon it, understand its deeper meaning and make it a guiding force in their lives. At night the Quran is also recited during the tarawih (extra prayers during Ramadan) prayer. In the month of Ramadan, the fasting person abstains from food and drink from dawn till dusk. It is only after sunset that he satisfies his hunger and quenches his thirst. In this way he learns the art of desire management and so builds up his self-control. By exercising restraint for one month in a year, he is able to lead a life of self-discipline in all matters for the rest of the year. The main aim of fasting is to lessen a person’s dependence on material things and strengthen his spiritual resolve, so that he may enter the higher realms of piety. Fasting is thus a stimulus for spiritual and intellectual development. Once made aware of his own helplessness, he connects to God with sincere prayer. The practice of fasting is also largely aimed at saving a person from distractions. It produces sincerity in him. It draws a person’s attention away from the external world and into the internal world. Hence fasting prepares him for the study of the Quran. And when a person studies the Quran with a wellprepared mind, he can understand the teachings of the Quran in greater depth. The equivalent of spirituality in the Quran is rabbaniyah, that is, a God oriented life. This expresses what the Quran means when it refers to spirituality. Spirituality (rabbaniyah), according to the Quran, is that mental state in which God-oriented thinking can develop in the individual. RAMADAN: A MONTH OF CONTEMPLATION