TIME FOR SELF-REFLECTION

RAMADHAN gives us time to give ourselves a mental break and to temporarily forget about the hundreds of worries and stresses we are constantly bombarded with. In hectic times, this is the valuable time to think about our lives. It is a unique month of self-analysis. According to the people whom the Observer spoke to, Ramadhan is a time to reflect and thank Allah for all the blessings that come along.

“Normally in Ramadhan, I reflect on myself and I tell myself that I need to develop into a more thankful person for the little that I have. The other day I was reflecting on a short video about the poor people somewhere asking one of the prominent Islamic scholars in the region if their fast is valid if they did not have anything to eat while breaking their fast. The scholar broke into tears instead. This makes me cry a lot,” Hassan al Numani, a Muscat resident, said.

People have been seeking throughout the ages for acceptable ‘belonging’, for unity, for brotherhood, for equality, but it is sad to see how our brothers and sisters spend their days without food as we watch.

“When I see such clips, this gives me a wake up call to thank Allah for what I have on my table to eat,” Al Numani said.

For many, fasting is an institution for the improvement of the moral and spiritual character of human beings. They say the purpose of the fast is to help develop self-restraint, self-purification, the spirit of caring and sharing, the love of humanity and the love of Allah.

“I do understand that fasting is a universal custom and is advocated by other religions but according to my understanding, Islamic fast is an act of worship and obedience to Allah, thanksgiving, forgiveness, spiritual training, and self-examination,” Obaid al Khaldi, 70-year-old retiree from Barka, said. It is said that a healthy body is a healthy mind. The Islamic fast, recommenced for mental and physical cleansing, dates back to centuries even before modern science and intermittent fasting came up.

“When one fasts, there are several physical transformations, the digestive enzymes, liver and intestinal walls go for a hibernation. The blood pressure is reduced and the continuous stress on our digestive-gastric system takes a break,” commented a general practitioner based in Amerat.

He said that this trains the mind to be calmer and focused. “There are initial pitfalls but with patience and faith in Allah, the carnal desire resides and gradually beckons the spiritual feeling,” he said.

One must understand that fasting is not a rigorous, uncomfortable or forced practice. It is a method and belief with both practical and emotional reasons. Fasting, one of the five pillars of Islam, will definitely make people more humane and bring them closer to Allah.

ONE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT FASTING IS NOT A RIGOROUS, UNCOMFORTABLE OR FORCED PRACTICE. IT IS A METHOD AND BELIEF WITH BOTH PRACTICAL AND EMOTIONAL REASONS