THE SPIRIT OF RAMAZAN — Patience and Self-Control

All these changes create a good environment for moral rectification. The bad become less so and the good become better. Training in Humility The Quran tells us that fasting is prescribed for you so that you may fear God (THE QURAN 2: 183). So what does it mean to fear God? Fearing God means that man should acknowledge his helplessness vis-a-vis God's greatness. The feeling of helplessness is not simply a feeling but is rather the greatest motivational force in the life of a person. The feeling of helplessness relates to God, but when this feeling is produced in man in the real sense, it finds expression in human relations. One who becomes truly modest before God finds this same spirit making him modest before human beings. The height of spirituality is a person's realization of his own helplessness and the supreme power of God. The biggest obstacle to a person's spiritual growth is his own ego and false pride which lead to his being distanced from God. The sole concern of a spiritually pure person is earning God's pleasure. The Month of Sympathy The Prophet said: The month of Ramazan is the month of sympathy. Fasting teaches a man what basic human requirements are. It tells him what hunger is and what thirst is. Those who do not get a chance to feel hungry or thirsty, experience these feelings during this month when they fast. For a few hours, the rich also come to live in the same conditions in which a poor man lives. Ramazan is thus a process of rejuvenation of a believer. He can look forward to applying the lessons learnt during Ramazan to everyday life. A person who has fasted in the true spirit can count on drawing upon the reservoir of fortitude that he has built up, on the power of dua, of patience and gratefulness when he is faced with any trying situation. o