Rediscovering the Essence: Unveiling the True Meaning of Ramadan

True Meaning of Ramadan – A Journey of Spiritual Renewal – Exploring the Deeper Significance and Purpose Behind Ramadan”

  • 1 Deep meaning
  • 2. Reflection and the reason
  • 3. The custom of not fasting in Ramadan
  • 4 The meaning behind Ramadan
  • 5 What is the essence of Ramadan
  • 6 Alms-giving in Ramadan
  • 7 Ramadan in the Hadith

Ramadan is the 9th month in the Muslim lunar calendar and the only one mentioned within the Qur’an. It is inextricably tied to the observer to the fifth of five foundations in Islam, i.e., obligatory fasting ( sawm or siyam).

Before Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be With him) and his followers were forced to leave Makkah and return to Madinah, Muslims practiced only non-striking fasts. It wasn’t till the 2nd year of AH (623 CE) that the verses of Sura 2 (verses from 183 to the number 187) required Muslims to fast during the entire month of Ramadan, which is a whole lunar month. It also set out the rules that govern the rite.

The deep meaning

Meaning of Ramadan – In Egypt, this day starts in the early morning, when people can see the mesaharati travels through the streets to inform people that they must eat quickly before the sun sets.

If you plan to fast, you can go to bed and wake up a bit earlier than usual. From 2 to 4. p.m., you must get home as fast as possible. A few minutes before the close of the fast, there is a massive uproar on the streets. The long-awaited signal comes out of the mosques.

In Cairo, a gun will be fired out of the citadel to signal the start day of Iftar (breakfast). All over the city, tables of large size are set up on the streets. In the Iftar, the party begins again when everything is halted and the roads are empty. At night, the people stroll around or sit on the coffee terraces and continue to do this till the suhur and dinner.

Meaning of Ramadan – initially meant “great warmth,” an image taken from the pre-Islamic calendar of solar cycles. Ramadan was considered sacred in the ancient Arabic pre-Islamic tradition and a month of peace. It is indeed the time of Ramadan abstinence month, which is the time when one is deprived of food and other things.

However, more than just fasting, it is also an excellent time to rethink the “basis and the underlying principles” of Islamic spiritualityMost importantly, it’s a time of sharing and solidarity. Islam doesn’t have the status of a religion that is dogmatic. It is more of an inner journey, a ” vision of the heart” that enables man to return to the center of his being.

The month-long fasting of Ramadan is in perfect harmony with this ethos that requires man to continuously strive to battle his weaknesses and desires and to improve to be fully human. 

Fasting is connected to the idea of control of one’s self. It’s the declaration of man’s freedom and will about himself and his need to satisfy his most basic desires.

 It also represents the feeling of solidarity with those who are hungry and needy, who require assistance to get out of their poverty and suffering [cf. Almsgiving, one of the foundations of Islam, is also a way to help people experiencing poverty.

This is a month for sociability and sharing. It is being open to the other, even if it is not of the same cultural milieu, origins, or religious beliefs as oneself.

The breaking of the fast at nightfall and not just eating everything one could and ending the silence and breaking the bread, to have a moment of fellowship with loved ones, or in mosques, associations and cafes, restaurants and mosques.

Reflection and reasons

All the ancient civilizations and all religions have forced on their followers only a certain number of days of fasting every year. Why is this? Was it just a matter of faith, or was there a purpose behind it?

We live in a world where every citizen, whether wealthy or otherwise, can be educated. In addition, our government is not required to force upon people the behavior of their religious obligations. This is why it is a matter of debate whether the ancient practice of fasting remains in the interest of society.

The initial and thorough study of this topic is even more critical for Muslims because not just logic is required, but the Qur’an, which is the foundation of Islam, encourages Muslims to conduct such a study.

In reality, there is not one in the list of spiritual obligations stipulated by the Qur’an that is not accompanied by a plea to reflect or meditate for man to realize that it is beneficial to do it.

The Qur’an constantly warns us not to rely on the customs of our forefathers and to think independently so that man can be reasonably and personally accountable for his actions.

His actions. Human beings are not to be governed solely by their instincts like animals but through individual decision-making, which is the norm for the person to whom Allah has given reason in the absence of other animals.

Because man is a combination of soul and body, the sole pursuit of benefits for only one of them is detrimental to the health of the other and could cause an individual’s imbalance. Man’s ultimate goal demands harmony between soul and body and harmonious coordination. If we only work to benefit the spirit, we’ll eventually become angels and beyond; however, Allah already has created angels and doesn’t have to expand their number.

Also, if we put all our time and energy into material and selfish pursuits, we’ll become beasts, devils, or even more. In the present, Allah has already created creatures like these, and by turning into devils or beasts, you are sinning against the divine plan that was presided on the creation of creatures with the capacity to do actions, both physical and spiritual, and also endowed with the ability to discern the good from the evil.

A practice to fast during Ramadan

Meaning of Ramadan – Fasting during Ramadan is paramount in the daily life of Muslims because of the seriousness it entails in the spiritual understanding of this asceticism. In addition to the prayer aspect, Ramadan fasting brings to the forefront a double element of religious fervor, that is, societal participation in a horizontal dimension of the religion, as well as the personal dedication of the individual to fast, which is an entirely vertical aspect of the practice of faith. It is important to note that this dual component can also be present in the fifth pillar, namely, the pilgrimage.

In this way, when “fasting Ramadan,” the Muslim is in sync with his fellow Muslims in a state of intercommunal unity, a fact that should not cause him to forget that fasting can also be an entirely spiritual experience that is a state of mystical union.

As we did during the prayer, we must decide between the obligation of a certain weight and the genuine conviction of faith and the enthusiasm of faith; we are now required to consider the Qur’anic view about the non-obligatory or obligatory aspect of fasting in Ramadan.

In conclusion, the Ramadan fast has the distinct characteristic of being dedicated to the observance of the Qur’an and is the primary ingredient in spiritual permeability.

As a pillar of a run, the religious fast of Ramadan makes Islam a sacred obligation and a fast incumbent on Muslims. Based on this obligatory nature, Islam has made various accommodations due to the physical strain of fasting for a month.

Children, pregnant, sick as well and elderly travelers are, therefore, not required to fast, like the pregnant, unhealthy, as well as the elderly and travelers for a short period.

Additionally, Islamic law has produced an extensive body of literature that explains the numerous details that Muslim casuistry has uncovered concerning the practices of this fast. Hence, the reader should refer to this vast body of writing.

What is attracting our attention is not the same as, in addition to the need to pray, it is a matter of how to balance the obligation to fulfill what is believed to be a requirement and the profound spiritual inclination that the act of fasting evokes, understood as a possibility of a crucible for the mystical.

As we’ve demonstrated that the requirement to pray is the norm in Islam and not a requirement of the Qur’an and is a requirement of the Qur’an, we can expect that the same applies to Ramadan. How does the Qur’an define this question between elective and collective spiritual, ritual, and communal?

In the Qur’an, all the details regarding fasting during Ramadan are found in a single chapter: S2.V183-187. This thematic analysis for one of the Qur’anic lineaments from the proto-Islamic period is uncommon in the Qur’an as it could be believed to be proof of introducing a custom entirely unfamiliar to Muslims.

It is evident from this that sufficient information to carry out this fast can be found in the chapter mentioned above. But answering the earlier question is to study just the passages between 183 and 184.

“O you who believe! Fasting is recommended for you, just in the same way it was prescribed for the previous generations and you should be frightened ! ” – S2-V183

S2-V183 : ya ‘ayuWha laWdhiyna aamanuw kutiba `alaykumu lSiWyamu kama kutiba `ala~ laWdhiyna min qablikum la`alaWkum

tataWquwna

The Sura is believed to be addressed to Muslim followers, both women and men, without any distinction since the formula employed is gender-neutral. Thus, all comments and rules to be enforced concern the first and the other. It’s from the section “Fasting is required for you/kutiba in the same way it was for those before you.” It is believed that Islam has declared that fasting during Ramadan is a requirement of the religion that Allah ordained.

If we could understand that the verb kataba is “to prescribing” as a reference to a divine directive, it could also be a similar order for “those who are before you” as it is stated, “as the prescribed/khutba was given for all those before your.”

It was commanded in the name of Allah to all peoples of the world whom he had appointed prophets before the introduction of Islam. But, all of them took this divine commandment according to their interpretations in opposition to the guidance of the Creator and the nature of the message of his prophets Moses and Jesus.

But, this applies not only to what is related to fasting but also to all other rules, which resulted in, therefore, religions that were contradictory to Allah’s words. So, the followers of Jesus did not follow the fasting commandment, replacing it with a pale imitation known as Lent and, was the case with those of Moses They adopted instead they observed the Yom Kippur, which is a fast lasting for twenty-five hours, which they regarded as ” a perpetual law” and is the only mandatory fast Other fasting days are also observed however they are not required. In contrast, no passage is found in the New Testament, which is undoubtedly an omission of the words of Allah that mentions a mandatory fast. Several other passages encourage fasting as an exercise in spiritual purification; therefore, it is considered a supererogatory action and not a requirement to Christians.

This simple, inter-religious observance can be used to prove that in the sense that Islam provides to this passage, it was a divinely ordained requirement, but Jews and Christians didn’t follow it as they did with others of the messages of their respective prophets, which was a way of denying the divine message of Allah.

It is a false assumption to think that this holy commandment was explicitly intended for Muslims only. It was designed for all those before them, whom Allah sent a messenger immediately: “is prescribed/khutba as it was prescribed/khutba to the people who were before the time you.”

In reality, Jews and Christians took the opposite path. They defined katana as a verb that does not refer to prescribe in the sense that Islam interprets it, i.e., an obligation. Still, it retains its original meaning of referring to invite.

Meaning of Ramadan – However, it is worth noting that even if Christianity was able to remove the Jewish formality of law, Islam has reintroduced it in its way, an order and code of conduct that can be seen in the foundation of Islam. This is not speculative, and the following verse will affirm the necessity of fasting during the Ramadan fast for everyone except those who are sick, travelers, or travelers. According to the following divine verses:

S2-V184 “Days are taken into account, but if you are ill or traveling, you can choose the other days. As for the ones who have the potential to be, an opportunity to redeem themselves is on them: food for people experiencing poverty. If one is willing to do good, it’s good for him; fasting is much better for you if you know it!> S2-V184 :

أَيَّامًا مَعْدُودَاتٍ فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ فَمَنْ تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَهُ وَأَنْ تَصُومُوا خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

The real meaning behind Ramadan

A particular spot is given to the believer’s faith, and in order for the practice of it to be “accepted” and “validated” in the eyes of God, It is crucial to do it with dedication and rigor as opposed to a routine or detached manner.

The significance of the spiritual aspect of fasting is to purify and recommit oneself completely towards Allah, and removing yourself from material things to recollect the essence of life through discipline is crucial.

It also provides an occasion to be kind to others, showing compassion, generosity, altruism, and compassion towards the people we love. Additionally, during Ramadan, Muslims worldwide have a moment of communion and gather in mosques and dedicate their lives towards Allah, “the Merciful, the compassionate.”

Lent (from the Latin quadragesimus) is a time that lasts for 40 days just before Easter. It marks Jesus’s 40-day retreat of Jesus into the wilderness, about the time that the Jewish people spent at Sinai in their Exodus of the people from Egypt.

Lent obligations have evolved significantly throughout the ages. Since the Middle Ages, they included strict requirements for fasting as well as sexual abstinence.

Only Ash Wednesday and Good Friday in France offer a proposal to fast for adults. As with Ramadan, Lent is a time for praying and sharing. But the religious roots of Lent are distinct.

Two major feasts are observed in this month called Ramadan: Laylat al-Qadr(“The Night of Destiny”) and Eid al-Fitr. The night of fate – which is typically towards the final day of the fasting period- is regarded as one of the most holy nights of the year and is the date of the first evening of revelations of the Qur’an from Gabriel the Archangel Gabriel to Prophet Muhammad. This is when many Muslims can pray for a portion or even all evening and attend mosques.

The Qur’an was given to Prophet Muhammad in Laylat Al-QadrSura 2, 185-187 states :

“The Koran was revealed during the month of Ramadan. It is a guideline for males, a clear illustration that outlines the Direction and the law. Anyone who sees an eclipse of the sun is expected to remain fast throughout the month.

One suffering from illness or one who is then traveling and do the same fast for the exact number of days. God would prefer the easiest way to get you out, but he does not want to give you to be under any pressure. Stop this fasting period to praise the majesty that is God who has guided you to … “

Eid Al-Fitr is the holiday that falls to mark the close of Ramadan, the day that begins the following lunar month. It is among the most significant festivals across the whole Muslim world. Visitors are invited to visit family and friends, huge dinners are planned, presents are given to children, and people wear beautiful clothing. The final day of Ramadan is also an excellent time to make unique offerings of alms ( zakat al-fitr) to people experiencing poverty and in need.

Beyond the purely technical and physically-based aspects of fasting, it is also a time of deep devotion and prayer. Ramadan is also a suitable month of profound religious piety and devotion.

Many Muslims, who are less religious during the remainder of the calendar, use this opportunity to visit the mosques to pray. Muslims should read the Qur’an at an amount of 1/30th every evening.

Ramadan’s Essence Ramadan

Fasting is a part of human nature, as outlined within the Qur’an. The human being of the Qur’an is comprised of a substance as well as an entity with a spiritual nature. As a statue composed of materials and forms, the human being is the union of his cells, body, and the values of his spirit.

As with animals, the goal of the genetic organism is to meet its needs for it to be able to continue functioning. Through its reflexes, it focuses on conditions that ensure its survival, health, and well-being. Material cells make up the body; the body eats other cells of the body. It’s located in time and space, in which it ages and moves.

It’s different for the soul, and seeking consciousness is an integral part of the soul. In its very nature, it is a source of values sustained by ethics. The human soul can be compared to the horse’s rider regarding “association” with the physical body; the rider isn’t the horse. But what exactly is an individual who is not the horse?

Indeed, all five senses are constantly piqued by the inherent demands of the genetic organism. This need is constant and never-ending. It can fill an individual’s life but also make the soul sleep or remove it from its pursuit.

The Islamic system provides five times a day of rest, known as”the salat,” known as the Muslim prayer. It is a meditative practice with a ritual code to bring the soul back to its spiritual purpose. The fasting during this month, known as Ramadan, is a way to practice in this Direction.

In avoiding drinks, food, and enjoyment from dawn until sunset, The Muslim more quickly thwarts the inherent inclinations of his body by abstaining from public speaking and other unnecessary actions and focusing on the discipline of his mind. He affirms his decision, sees his desires resurface, and is ready to recognize and redirect them.

When specific physical demands are controlled, sublimated, and delayed in time, the fasting person gets out of their shackles and is more open to spiritual encounters. In this holy month, the Muslim increases his devotional exercises. Recollection, meditation, and charity are his main priorities.

Food time is when the Iftar is triumphant, and its flavor is deeply personal. It is not a nightly party or diet or nightly shindig Ramadan fast, and it isn’t a death to the body. 

The Ramadan fast is a period of intense training in which the genetic organism is weak and disconnected from the energy sources. The spiritual aspect is regenerated and fed through devotional actions. This is why the Qur’anic symbolism speaks of Ar-Rayyan as one of the entrances to Paradise reserved explicitly for those who do not fast!

Meaning of Ramadan – In a few words, the Prophet Islam declared, “Whoever prays with confidence and takes their own personal judgment during this month will emerge of his sins as clean as he was before her mother was pregnant with him.” (Sunan al-Nasa’i Kitab Us-Siyam, Hadith 2179.)

In another place, we read the following: ” If only my community had known the meaning of Ramadan, they could have wanted the entire calendar to have been Ramadan” (Al-Targhib wat-Tarhib, Kitab Us-Sawm, at-Tar Siyyam Ramadan). Siyyam Ramadan).

Alms distribution in Ramadan

Meaning of Ramadan – It is important to remember that Ramadan, the month of abstinence from liquids and food and the abstinence of sexual activity throughout all daytime hours, is marked with an essential requirement to be valid at a religious level: the requirement to pay the alms (worth 10 dollars) per person to religious co-religionists struggling, enabling them to enjoy an intelligent celebration of the eid al-fitr. The Islamic faith requires This modest amount to fast to be accepted by God.

Also, let us not forget that the Zakat al-Fitr is only a type of cultural contribution that is further enriched by the Zakat al-mal (a 2.5 tax of % that is imposed on wealth that is above a specific limit and distributed to people experiencing poverty) along with the sadaqah that is the current amount or almsgiving.

Meaning of Ramadan – The concept of Zakat allows us to emphasize certain aspects of comprehending the significance of gifts to people with low incomes in Islam. The first is the most bizarre: the gift is an opportunity to gain wealth. A prophetic declaration highlights this fact: “Never has almsgiving lowered the amount of wealth that is available,” for as one verse in the Qur’an declares, ” And every expenditure you make (in good ways) is replaced by God, and He is the best giver” ( Sura 34 Verse 39).

Each alms given, even if it is small, it may be, will be returned in the name of Allah to the person who gave it. In essence, it is an Islamic concept of sharing, ensuring the well-being of a society in which everyone gives to everyone without becoming individually poor. In contrast, everyone benefits from this collective act of giving, either directly or indirectly.

The philosophical idea that is a part of Islam goes further: we only lose the items we have kept since Allah is solely the one who owns the things he gives us. Through this benefit of the prosperity in the countries, He builds Gifts and simultaneously a foundation of a soteriology exchange where the salvation of your soul is achieved through the acceptance of divine blessings and grace that encourage the giving practice.

This philosophy, built on a profoundly spiritual concept of possession, can thus significantly broaden the idea of enrichment on a dual physical level. The social and individual benefits mentioned earlier are bolstered because the reward ultimately proves to be only an act of return for the wealth that Allah graciously gave.

Through this act, the pious person will merely return to others the blessings that Allah himself has given. It is, however, on a religious level where this idea of enrichment is realized to its fullest because each amount granted by Allah and used qualitatively by a person who believes in Allah will be the source of a continuous and unending divine reward, which could be as high as 700 times the value the gift, by specific religious texts according to the amount and the spirituality of the faith of the donor as well as other benefits and virtues derived from the act of almsgiving. 

Meaning of RamadanAvarice has an exactly opposite effect from every angle, both moral and material deprivation loss, and the decline of the spirituality of the person trying to protect a virtue that Allah himself is bound to restrict because of stagnation and that stagnation is a sign of death in the form of the body that is controlled by blood circulation.

If the gift benefits the recipient, it makes his wealth more palatable according to the spiritual view protected in The Muslim religion. Almsgiving, the 3rd foundational principle of Islam, is therefore essential and is always associated with praying in the Quran.

Meaning of Ramadan – As a form of spiritual and moral fulfillment, almsgiving demonstrates the Muslim’s distinctiveness in relation to money and material possessions. A relationship where the quantitative element must be second-class and the qualitative aspect of spirituality and ethics is a fundamental necessity.

The concept that there is the rizq (divine provision of substance) is a critical element in the same way, the idea of the vastness of God’s good that may be small in shape but is incredibly productive in its interactions. The concept of risk

Wealth at the Islamic level isn’t necessarily and primarily quantifiable about the horizontal temporal enrichment but is essentially qualitative in the verticality of God’s giving. It is a good bought expensively but with integrity that could yield various virtuous incomes and, in contrast, unearned wealth that is thrown away without asking for the remainder.

Ramadan within the Hadith

Meaning of Ramadan – Muhammad (peace and salvation be upon him) said: Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon his name) declared: “When the month of Ramadan is upon us, each demon is bound in chains. The entrances to Hell are shut, and all gates to Paradise have been opened.”

Then he says: “O You who wish to be the right thing, get out ! If you would like to commit evil, stop ! This prayer is repeated every night, and each night God protects from Hell several Believers” (Reported by the At-Tirmidhi[Reported by At-Tirmidhi].

The Prophet (pbuh) has emphasized the benefits of fasting in several Hadiths: ” Fasting preserves from Hell as a shield during the battle.”[Reported by Imam Ahmad and Imam Ahmad] adds: ” Whoever fasts during the month of Ramadan in faith, trusting on the divine reward, the sins of his heart will be remitted.” [Reported by Al-Bukhari and MuslimAl-Bukhari and Muslim.

Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar reports that the Envoy of Allah (pbuh) declared: “The fast and the Qur’an will pray for the person suffering on the day of Resurrection. Day of Resurrection. Fasting is when you say: “O my Lord! I’ve prevented him from consuming food and satisfying his craving.

Meaning of Ramadan – So, consider me an intercessor on his behalf.” The Qur’an will say: “I prevented him from slumbering at night; therefore, take him as the intercessor.” They will intervene” (Reported in the report of Imam Ahmad].

“The Prophet (pbuh) added: ” The invocation of the person who is fasting is heard when you break your fast (in the late evening),” [Reported by Ibn Maja[Reported by Ibn Maja]. Then, he added: ” He who is one day fasting for the devotion to Allah is removed from the fire after seventy years” [Bukhari and Muslim(Bukhari and Muslim).

The Prophet also said that Allah has given Him glory and power. He has said, “Every action that the child of Adam is his sole responsibility and not the one who fasts. This is Mine, and I am the one who rewards it since the one who fasts forgoes the food he eats and has a desire to Me. Fasting is a man who has two pleasures.

Meaning of Ramadan – When you break your fast, it is a joy in the moment he sees his Lord; he is ecstatic for having completed his fast. The breath of one who has been fasting is much more fragrant of God than the scent of musk.” Muslims wrote the Hadith Qudsi.

“The Prophet (pbuh), in referring to Ramadan in the context of Ramadan, emphasized that:” This is a month when you are guests from Allah and His favored people.” He added, ” The best charity is that which is performed in this month, Ramadan,” [Reported by At-tirmidhiat-tirmidhi.

Meaning of Ramadan – Ibn ‘Abbas said: “The Prophet of Allah was the most generous of all men, particularly during Ramadan and when he was able to meet his Angel Gabriel with the revelation, and he was taught the Qur’an. His generosity was continuous as the breath of the wind that is beneficial,” al-Bukhari

Categories: PRAYER (Salat), ALMS (Zakat), SAWN (Fasting) HAJJ (Pilgrimage) & DUA (Supplications), Hadith and Tafseer, The Holy Quran, Quran Jaz 1- 114

Topics:  Ushr and Zakat, Hijab, Arabic Corner, Faith, Islamic History, Biography, Sirat ul Nabi PBUH,  Islamic Studies, Halal & Haram

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