Ramadaan, A JOURNEY IN HUMANITY

Deputy Director at the Centre for Mediation in Africa/ University of Pretoria

For me, Ramadaan is about social justice. It places “i ˆ˜ > ÛiÀÞ Ã«iVˆwV “ˆ˜`ÃiÌ >˜` ˆ˜ŽÃ “Þ “œÃÌ basic needs with a consciousness that is meant to incorporate the joy and pain of Ummah and “>˜Žˆ˜` ˆ˜ }i˜iÀ>° ƂÌ…œÕ}… ̅i …Õ˜}iÀ ˆÃ “ˆ˜i and the fast is between me and my Creator, the reality of that action transcends my commitment ̜ Ƃ>… >˜` Ì>Žià “i ̜ > ë>Vi ܅iÀi …>Ûi > window into the real issues in the world.

/…i }Ài>ÌiÃÌ ˆ“«>VÌ œ˜ >˜Þ «iÀܘ ˆÃ ̅>Ì viiˆ˜} ܅i˜ œ˜i ˆÃ …Õ˜}ÀÞ° Ƃ Vœi>}Õi œv “ˆ˜i recently stated that he always told himself he ܜՏ` œ˜Þ >ÌÌi˜` …ˆÃ *… }À>`Õ>̈œ˜ ViÀi“œ˜Þ >˜` ˜œÌ …ˆÃ œÌ…iÀ }À>`Õ>̈œ˜Ã° Ƃà …i Ü>à Ž˜iiˆ˜} ̜ Li V>««i`] …i Ã>ˆ` …i viÌ >˜ ˆ˜Ìi˜Ãi «>˜} œv …Õ˜}iÀ >˜` ܜ˜`iÀi` ̜ …ˆ“Ãiv …œÜ ˆÃ ˆÌ ̅>Ì œv > ̅i viiˆ˜}à œ˜i ŜՏ` vii >Ì > “œ“i˜Ì ÃÕV… >à ̅ˆÃ] Ü…Þ …Õ˜}iÀ¶ 7i V>˜ >`Û>˜Vi “>˜Þ iÝ«>˜>̈œ˜Ã q …Õ˜}iÀ vœÀ Ž˜œÜi`}i] …Õ˜}iÀ vœÀ >V…ˆiÛi“i˜Ì] …Õ˜}iÀ vœÀ ̅i ܜÀŽ ̅>Ì ˜ii`à ̜ Li `œ˜i ˆ˜ > «œÃ̇*… «…>Ãi° ˜ ̅ˆÃ Ài}>À`] œ˜i “ÕÃÌ >Î …œÜ ˆÃ ,>“>`>>˜ ˆ˜Ži` ̜ ̅iÃi “Տ̈«i >˜>ÞÃià œv …Õ˜}iÀ¶

ˆÛˆ˜} ˆ˜ > Vœ˜Ìˆ˜i˜Ì ÃÕV… >à œÕÀÃ] ˆ˜ ̈“ià such as the times we live in, we need to be Vœ˜ÃVˆœÕà œv ̅i È}…ÌÃ] Ü՘`à >˜` viiˆ˜}à œv …Õ˜}iÀ° /…i `iÛiœ«“i˜Ì œv ̅ˆÃ Vœ˜ÃVˆœÕØiÃà is nurtured in Ramadaan. It clears the mind and Lœ`Þ œv ՘…i>Ì…Þ >˜` ՘˜iViÃÃ>ÀÞ L>}}>}i] ňv̈˜} Õà >Ü>Þ vÀœ“ ̅i >ÀÌiÈ>˜ º » ̜ ̅i ÜVˆ> Vœ˜ÃVˆœÕØiÃà œv º> œv Õð» 7…i˜ ÃÌi« œÕÌÈ`i] Ãii ̅i ÃÌÀÕ}}i >˜` «>ˆ˜ œv «iœ«i] feel the fear and uncertainties and I share in the œÞ ܅i˜ ̜}i̅iÀ Üi >V…ˆiÛi «œÃˆÌˆÛi œÕÌVœ“ià vœÀ >° /…ˆÃ ˆÃ «œÃÈLi ̅ÀœÕ}… ̅i `ˆÃVˆ«ˆ˜i ̅>Ì ,>“>`>>˜ ˆ˜VՏV>Ìið Ì Vœ“ià vÀœ“ i˜}>}ˆ˜} ̅i soul in spirituality, the mind in remembrance and ̅i Lœ`Þ ˆ˜ }À>̈ÌÕ`i° Ƃà Üi Ài>V… ̅ˆÃ ՘ˆÃœ˜] Üi ÀiVœ}˜ˆÃi ̅i `ˆÃ…>À“œ˜Þ >˜` `ˆÃVœ“vœÀÌ ˆ˜ œÕÀ ÜVˆiÌÞ° ˜ ̅ˆÃ Vœ˜ÃVˆœÕà ÃÌ>Ìi œv Liˆ˜}] where there is inner harmony but outer discord, Üi >Ài }Ո`i` ̜ ÀiiVÌ Ì…i iÝViÃÈÛi ÕÃi >˜` waste of resources, the moral decay, the frivolous iÝ«i˜`ˆÌÕÀi ̅>Ì ˆÃ V>œÕÃÞ }i˜iÀ>Ìi` ˆ˜ œÀ`iÀ ̜ rob the poorest of the poor.

It is precisely because of the self-imposed `ˆÃVˆ«ˆ˜i] ̅>Ì œv ÀiÃÌÀˆV̈˜} ޜÕÀÃiv vÀœ“ > L>ÈV Àˆ}…̇ ̅i Àˆ}…Ì ̜ vœœ` q ̅>Ì Üi Ài>V… > …ˆ}…iÀ iÛi œv i“«>Ì…Þ >˜` Vœ“«>ÃȜ˜° /…ˆÃ ˆÃ ̅i ŽiÞ Ì…>Ì Õ˜œVŽÃ ̅i iÃÃi˜Vi œv …Õ“>˜ ˆvi] œv 1L՘ÌÕ and Ummah. Both Ubuntu and Ummah have the potential to serve as moral theory and public «œˆVÞ] ܅ˆV… LÀˆ˜}à “i L>VŽ ̜ “Þ wÀÃÌ ÃÌ>Ìi“i˜Ì – Ramadaan for me, is about social justice. It reminds me of my space and my place and this is ܅>Ì }ÀœÕ˜`à “i°

As I touch the values of Ubuntu and Ummah, vii > Ãi˜Ãi œv Liœ˜}ˆ˜}° iœ˜}ˆ˜} ˆÃ ˆŽi survival, and as I connect with others in the mosque for the Taraweeh prayer, I am also ȓՏÌ>˜iœÕÃÞ Vœ˜˜iV̈˜} ܈̅ “Þ Ài>̜À] >˜` how excellent a journey is that! So, when Taha ƂL`ÕÀ>…“>˜ ÜÀœÌi] º/…iÀi ˆÃ ˜œ …Õ“>˜ˆÌÞ ÜˆÌ…œÕÌ i̅ˆVÃ]» Ž˜œÜ ̅>Ì Ì…i v>ÃÌ œv ,>“>`>>˜ ܅ˆV… ˆÃ iÃÃi˜Ìˆ>Þ >˜ i̅ˆV> >VÌ] ˆÃ ̜ LÀˆ˜} “i L>VŽ to that humanity. And that humanity cannot be extricated from social justice.