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This month is Ramadan, a period of fasting and reflection for Muslims. Many people in our community are observing the fast, so we asked foster carer, Munira, to share her thoughts as we near the end of this holy month…
Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar. To millions of Muslims it is a sacred period dedicated to fasting, intensive prayer, sacrifice, worship, supplication, repentance, self-purification and spiritual attainment.
Every year Muslims redesign their lives to focus on the goals of Ramadan: an awareness of God and a humble thankfulness for whatever blessings He has granted.
Ramadan is a fundamental pillar of Islam as it helps Muslims develop a consciousness of God. The Holy Quran encourages its believers to develop this consciousness of God, as without it faith is meaningless.
There is a quote from the Quran which reads, ‘Oh you who believe fasting has been prescribed for you as it has been prescribed for people before you so that you may be God conscious’ (2:183), which shows the close relationship between fasting and God consciousness.
We believe that fasting makes us more conscious of God and that by restraining ourselves during this holy month for the pleasure of Allah, we feel the desire to obey Him and move closer to His love.
Ramadan is therefore the month of peace and God consciousness.
Alongside the spiritual benefits, we believe that there are many health benefits of fasting as well. When we fast, our entire digestive system is at rest; fasting gives our organs time to repair and rejuvenate, leading to improved functioning of the digestive system.
Ramadan is not just about fasting – it is also a month to refrain from bad deeds and intimacy. The development of self-control, self-discipline and sacrifice out of sheer obedience of Allah gives us pleasure too.
To conclude, here are the benefits of Ramadan:
We’d like to thank Munira for taking the time to share her experiences of Ramadan with us.