Peace be upon you all.

It is that time of the year again where we are asked by the Almighty to abstain from one of our most favored pastimes ... eating! I would like to wish you all the best for the upcoming month but would like to ask you to remember a few things and ponder upon them throughout Ramadan.

Allah has asked us to fast during the month of Ramadan in order that we may be grateful for what we have. Fasting is a way that a believer becomes closer to Allah. To abstain from food, sex, smoking, drink, etc. during the day is, in effect, a way in which we give up the things that are regular in our lives. Fasting forces us to be aware of the importance of remembering Allah. We become more conscious of what we are doing because we have to constantly remember not to eat or drink. Just think about how difficult it is to cook while fasting ... subconsciously you may taste the food without even knowing you have! Thus in the same way our sense of consciousness is heightened during the fast. We are therefore more aware of the things that displease Allah. We invoke the displeasure of Allah constantly without even knowing we are doing it. Take for example the way we do not control our tongue—rude words or inappropriate speech flows therefrom. Or take the way our eyes are slaves to our inner selves— the way we steal evil glances at the opposite sex or watch lewd television programs. These very things that are ingrained in our very being become so much more obvious to us while we fast. The very nature of the fast is to gain the pleasure of Allah, so why would we want to please yet displease Him at the same time? I think we must all remember that the fast is much more than the abstinence from food.

Let us all try to enhance our consciousness of Allah and what pleases Him in particular. It is thus our duty to make sure our eyes are cast down and our conversations are checked. This should then transmit into our lives after this blessed month has come to an end.

The month of Ramadan is the month of the Qur’an. The Qur’an was revealed to our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) during this blessed month and we must therefore understand the significance of this. It is thus our duty to make sure that we read and study the Qur’an this month. Ponder and inculcate every word we read. Try to focus your life in such a way that the Qur’an becomes the first thing you turn to each day and the last thing you turn to each night. Allow it to filter through your mind during the day, and allow your actions to follow in suit. I feel that a beautiful way to make sure that we make the Qur’an our true focal point and guidance for our lives is to read one or two verses in the morning and try to apply them for the remainder of the day. We must try to bring the Qur’an into our home and into our hearts in such a way that we find it to be the best form of guidance for life. Ask questions of yourself, of the Qur’an, of Allah ... see what answers the Qur’an will provide. I promise you that you will be pleasantly surprised!

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us that during this month we must not overindulge. The whole point of the fast is to go without, to show Allah our appreciation for everything we have, and to understand the life of those less fortunate. We can undo all our efforts if the month becomes nothing more than skipping lunch and pigging out every evening. Let us become aware of this. We must be grateful of the food and eat until we are full, but try to really understand the very nature of fasting. Try to contemplate on those who have nothing all the time, not those who cannot eat lunch! Enjoy the beautiful month, share the fun with your family, and enjoy the food Allah has blessed you with, but do not over indulge because then your month will not feel like a hardship.

I would like to wish you all the best over the next month. I pray that Allah showers His blessings upon you all. Remember that this month is a special one and that all our good deeds receive more reward. Let us try to give a little charity each day in order to alleviate our greed and vanity but also to receive some blessings from Allah. We must also try to put aside all of our grudges and hatred for others, learn to love one another, and guard our every action. Let us inculcate the beauty of the Qur’an and the Sunnah in this month. We must pray for ourselves and remember others in our du`aa’, too.

Love, peace, and respect,