Today sees the first day of Ramadan: the Muslim month of fasting (sawm). Observing the fasts of Ramadan unites Muslims the world over in common purpose and creates great social cohesion. But more than its social benefits, or benefits to the body (which is always a welcome side effect), Ramadan is principally designed to be…
Ramadan: Time to Slide Out of the Rat Race
Some lovers of this fleeting life live their lives in the fast line; ever eager to keep their motor of materialism in top gear. Some are content to cruise the consumerist dream in third or fourth gear. Others only manage to dawdle through dunya's distractions in second. But all such lovers are bitterly averse, to moseying…
Ramadan: Reverence, Restraint & Responsibility
'There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self,' said Aldous Huxley, the English novelist best known for his dystopian novel, Brave New World. In his exploration of the dilemmas confronting modern man (the rise of capitalism, the dehumanising demands of technological progress, and the cult of…
Prepare to Receive the Fragrance of Fasting
As the month of Ramadan fast approaches, and as Muslims the world over await its arrival in joyous anticipation, here is a short piece by Ibn al-Qayyim to help prepare its welcome. He says, while commenting on the following hadith: ♦ ‘God enjoins upon you the fast. Indeed, the likeness of that is as a…