The Holy month of Ramadan is with us again and the 2 billion Muslim faithfuls throughout the world have commenced thirty (30) days journey of worship (Ibadan) that includes; fasting, prayers, daily reading of the Quran and the performance of good deeds. We thank Allah for the grace of life and health that He has granted us to observe this holy month of Ramadan. We pray for Allah’s abounding mercies and forgiveness of our sins during this month and beyond.
Ramadan is full of blessings which offer the fasting person the opportunity to seek Allah’s forgiveness and also to ask for all kinds of spiritual and material blessings. Allah in His infinite mercy decreed that the ninth month of the year be dedicated to fasting as well as heightened prayers, reading of the scriptures and the performance of good deeds like providing money, food and clothing to the poor and the needy, visiting the sick, helping in communal work and so forth in return for expiation of one’s sins and explosive blessings.
Ramadan is significantly a spiritual exercise aimed at purifying the soul of the fasting person and bringing him/her closer to the creator of the heavens and earth. The closer one gets to Allah the more likely his sins shall be forgiven and cherished dreams answered. Ramadan is for the Muslims a very great favour from Allah ta’ aalaa and as such Muslims should take advantage of this divine favour to reap the full blessings of the month. The Prophet (pbuh) said that ‘if my followers (ummah) would realize what Ramadan really is, they would wish that the whole year round should be Ramadan”. This is a month the first part of which brings Allah’s blessings, the middle part of which brings forgiveness and the last part of which brings freedom from hellfire.
During Ramadan, the fasting Muslim abstains from food, drink, sexual intercourse and other sensual pleasures during day light. After dusk, the faster is encouraged to break the fast first with something light like water, tea, porridge, fruits etc and may if desired top up with a solid meal. After breaking the fast, it is not advisable to fill the stomach completely; otherwise the purpose of the fasting is defeated. Fasting seeks to diminish one’s bodily desires and increase one’s faith and spiritual powers. We are also cautioned not to eat excessively at dawn (suhoor) before the commencement of the fast. However, it is advisable to drink a lot of water (about 4 sachet water) during suhoor as health therapy and to also prevent dehydration. Those who fill the stomach with solid food will certainly feel hungry between 10 and 12 a.m .Try a cup of tea and some bread and you will feel very fine throughout the day. The Prophet said that “Allah does not like the filling of anything to the brim more than He dislikes the filling of the stomach’. In another vain, the Prophet said “A few morsels should suffice, which can keep the back straight’. For eleven months, we eat and drink without any restrain; in Ramadan this should be cut down to a minimum. We should remember that the real benefit of fasting comes as a result of actual hunger which has both spiritual and physical benefits.
Abstaining from food, drink and other sensual pleasures during day light in the month of Ramadan is the easiest part of the fasting. The most significant and difficult part of the fasting is the spiritual aspect where every part of the body should be fasting- the heart, eyes, ears, limbs and tongue. This is the test many people fail to pass and therefore fail to reap the full benefits of Ramadan. With the heart, the fasting person should focus only on Allah and nothing else; remembering, eulogizing, glorifying, praising and thanking Him throughout the day for His divine favours. The Prophet (pbuh) said that “Whoever remembers Allah in Ramadan is definitely pardoned and one who seeks a favour from Allah is not refused”. Sequel to this, one should keep the eyes away from evil or obscene activities like looking at the vital parts of a woman. Some spiritual leaders are even of the opinion that a fasting person should not look at one’s own wife with desire, let alone another woman. Similarly, the ears should be restrained from listening to vain, profane or idle talks, the feet should not move to forbidden places such as drinking bars, brothels etc, the hand should not be used to commit crime or any illegality and the tongue should be restrained from abusing, back-biting, slandering, lying and falsely accusing others. Once somebody asked the Prophet” What causes the fast to be torn? “. He replied: “Telling lies and back- backing”. This conduct doesn’t only negate one’s fast but are sins that Allah does not forgive unless the offender shows remorse, confess and ask for forgiveness from the person vilified. Indeed many fast and worship at night but earn nothing but hunger and loss of sleep because of the ills of back-biting, slandering, lying and falsely accusing others. The Prophet said that” Many of those who fast obtain nothing through such fasting except hunger and many a one perform salaah by night but obtain nothing, except the discomfort of staying awake”. This statement is admonishing us to avoid behaviours and conducts that are diametrically opposed to the spirit of Ramadan.
In our times, many are fond of wasting valuable time on useless arguments and conversations which to all intents and purposes breed hatred, animosity and violence. Persons especially the youth spend valuable time all day long arguing and talking about chieftaincy, party politics and football for which they derive no material or spiritual benefit. Chieftaincy, politics and football are now the three new religions in the North overtaking Islam in terms of commitment, dedication and loyalty. With football for instance, apart from the unproductive arguments and quarrels about which is the better team or the best player in Europe, some supporters spend their scarce resources to sponsor certain rituals largely forbidden (haram) in Islam to enhance the winning chances of their clubs. The irony is that such persons will not use these resources to support Islam, the poor and needy or any worthy course in the community neither will they use their idle time to discuss matters that will enhance their spiritual and material growth.
The Muslim youths in this country have developed notoriety and the penchant for lawlessness, arrogance and indiscipline which are at variance with the teachings of Islam. Paradoxically, Tamale which is predominantly a Muslim enclave has arguably become the epic center for lawlessness, violence, cyber fraud (sakawa or 419), prostitution, intimidation, mayhem, traffic offences, destruction of opponents properties; you name it. Sadly enough, politicians, law enforcement agencies, traditional authorities, elders and religious leaders who have the responsibility to ensure law and order rather seem to condone the abomination ostensibly because of parochial or factional interests. The politician or traditional leader will ask the police to release persons arrested for various crimes in the Metropolis because they are supporters of the ruling party or a particular gate; thus making it difficult for the law enforcement authorities to bring perpetrators to book. By the conduct of these leaders, the impunity continues unabated. Will this kind of leaders and the parents of such wayward youth be spared on the day of reckoning for shirking their responsibilities as community leaders to prevent crime and lawlessness? Your guess is as good as mine. Further, the Prophet indicated that Ramadan is a month of enhanced patience, tolerance and kindness. Are we espousing these virtues in our behaviour and conduct especially during this holy month? .Radio news reported that in Tamale, a group of persons claiming to be fasting attacked the Offices of the Volta River Authority (VRA) because of load shedding (“dumsor”) in their area which according to them affected their preparation for the next day’s fast. The question one may ask is where is the patience, tolerance and dialogue the Prophet admonished Muslims to uphold particularly during this month of fasting and prayers? Couldn’t these people hold discussion with the authorities of VRA to address their concern or grievance? Unfortunately these aggrieved persons were unaware or forgot that load shedding is nation-wide and equally affect other Muslims in other parts of the country and for that matter all Ghanaians. Allah says that the Muslim (believer) is the best of mankind; enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil. Are we as Muslims upholding this divine injunction? If indeed we profess and believe in the religion of Islam, we must at all time and in all circumstances abide by its moral teachings which include humility, humbleness, tolerance, patience, discipline and love for one another. Allah says that “But those who believe and work righteousness and humble themselves before their Lord, they will be companions of the garden (paradise) to dwell therein forever” (Quran sura 11:23). Further, Allah says He will not change the condition of a people until they change it themselves. In this connection, we are using this platform to appeal to the Northern Regional Minister to organize a stake- holder’s conference aimed at developing and implementing strategies to fight the growing canker of lawlessness and indiscipline in the Tamale Metropolis.
As Muslims, let’s use this holy month of Ramadan to build bridges of peace, forgiveness and reconciliation in our communities and also eschew behaviours and habits that are un-Islamic .The Prophet Essa (Jesus) said that “Blessed are the peace makers for they shall inherit the kingdom of heaven “. Our politicians, traditional and religious leaders should heed the saying of the Prophet and actively champion and promote genuine peace and reconciliation in Dagbon. May the good Lord bless all law abiding citizens of Tamale and guide the mischief makers to the true path of Islam and spiritual rejuvenation in this month of Ramadan and beyond. I wish all Muslims throughout the country the blessings of Ramadan. May Allah continue to bless mother Ghana and all Ghanaians.
Haj Adams Goldwater, Takoradi
020 8118057