Memories of the month of Ramadan

When I was young, my friends and I used to be full of enthusiasm whenever the month of Ramadan approached. It was not actually because of the understood importance of the month or the spiritual rewards derivable from it. Who, then, cared much about what Ramadan really meant in the life of a Muslim? All we knew was that it was a month of fasting, eating early in the morning and breaking it at sunset. All we knew was that it used to come with a lot of goodies in terms of eating assorted menus and many uniquely interesting events. O innocence! And we did it with our believing parents, brothers and sisters in Islam.

Although with my background as a Muslim from the minority, we fasted the month with faith, but without caring about the rewards. We were more attracted to this great Islam obligation because of the atmosphere that always permeated the society from the beginning of Ramadan to its end. Unlike before and after Ramadan, the spirit of eating together to fast before Fajr prayers and break the fast together by sunset was overwhelming.

The spirit of sharing was overpowering. And the spirit of giving was irresistible. During the period, it was difficult to specially differentiate between who has what to eat and who does not have. Muslims cooperated like one family.

And so the atmosphere remains until the Eid-Fitr is celebrated. And so it remains for few more days after Ramadan, a celebration during which the spirit of faith, love and brotherhood thickly saturate the air. And we always wished Ramadan should not end. O Innocence!

If wishes were all real, I would wish to remain in that stage to enjoy Ramadan to the full, to enjoy Ramadan without any slight worries and to enjoy Ramadan without fear or pressure. One would wish to be so, free from the life struggles to provide for one’s needs, for the immediate and extended families and for the underprivileged in the society.

These struggles sometimes become overweighing to the extent that the sweetness in observing this great obligation becomes less and therefore, disproportionally felt. One goes to work immediately after the Fajr prayers and comes back home late due to the heavy traffic experienced in the cities. Like William Shakespeare said, “we are wasting our powers in search of worldly things that are sordid.” This is an everlasting reminder from Shakespeare: “The world is too much with us, late and soon; Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers; Little we see in Nature that is ours; we have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!”

I writhe in anger when I try to compare my memories of Ramadan in the past and the present. Yet, I am soothed by the words of Allah SWT that He is in control of our lives and has made temptations part of the lives of believers. The chases in life have made many Muslim lose taste of the divinity in Ramadan, the only month that was called in the Holy Qur’an with its name by Allah and the only month that has a night greater than 83 years. Are we ready to make amends and try our best? Yes, we can do it.

Muhammad Ajah,

 Abuja.