Insight
Reflecting on Ramadan, fasting and our sense of humanity
Salaam alaykum.
To all my Muslim and non Muslim readers, May peace be upon you.
In this month of Ramadan, I found myself reflecting on the spiritual significance of fasting, not just as a religious obligation but as a profound journey of self-discovery and empathy.
Ramadan, the holiest month in Islam, is a time of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. It's a period where we abstain from food and drink from dawn until sunset, not only to fulfill a religious duty but also to deepen our connection with Allah and strengthen our empathy for those less fortunate. The less fortunate include the poor, the deprived, the oppressed, the enslaved...Those who have no access not only to basic resources but also basic rights. And there is no better representation of this today than the situation in Palestine.
The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything Albert Einstein
One of the consequences of what has been explicitly defined as a genocide towards the Palestinians is starvation and famine. Hundreds of thousands of innocent lives are torn apart by displacement and deprivation, highlighting the urgency of compassion and empathy in our world today. While are all witnessing the situation powerlessly, it is still our responsibility to voice our opinion and scream for justice, not only for the Palestinians but also the people starving in this Ramadhan due to conflicts in countries like Yemen, Sudan, and Syria.
Watching the situation from the opulent city of Dubai, I realized that amidst abundance, the human often overlook the difficulty of the hungry. One of my goals this year was to perform a 5 days water fast and with Ramadhan commencing, I felt compelled to rewire the purpose of this personal fast from a healthy initiative to a symbol of solidarity with the deprived.
If you wish to be rich, do not add to your money, but subtract from your desire Epicurus
There will never be any benefit to the poor from my 5 days water fast in this Ramadhan, nor there will be any hindrance to the rich from my extravagant feasts. My individual acts of piety have obviously no vain intention to uplift my self-perception but rather to endure a bit of the pain of the hungry.
I am lucky enough to have felt hunger for 5 days by choice and not by circumstance. The experience made me delve deeper into the spiritual and physical benefits of abstaining from food during Ramadan, which implies not even drinking during day time.
The first day was marked by hunger pangs and cravings as my body adjusted to the absence of food. The first sip of water at sunset felt like a pure relief. By the second day, I entered a state of ketosis, where my body began to burn fat for energy. This brought about a sense of better clarity and mental focus. However, it was the third and fourth days that truly tested my resolve. Fatigue set in, and I found myself grappling with moments of doubt and weakness. These were the moments when I kept remembering the pain some go through for weeks. After five days, I felt a sense of resilience and inner strength.
As I broke my fast on the fifth day, I did so with a newfound appreciation for the blessings in my life and a renewed commitment to making a difference in the lives of others. Fasting teaches us not only the importance of self-discipline and spiritual growth but also the imperative of compassion and empathy towards all humanity.
In closing, I am convinced there is a benefit in sharing similar journeys to each other.
Wishing you and your loved ones peace, joy, and growth. Never stop dreaming, dreaming for a better self, a better world.