Synopsis:

Wheneverthe orbit turns and another month of Ramadan approaches, happiness and joyreturn to the Ummah (Nation), for with it come two of the greatest gifts ofAllah, namely the fasting month of Ramadan and the celebration of therevelation of Al Qur’an.Fasting is an eloquent expression of Allah, leading this Ummah to fates of Hismercy, a key unlocking the mysteries of his nearness. While humanity is dividedon the basic elements of the notion of the Creator, a Muslim is far ahead ofthe rest of the world in this field and travelling at the speed of the light tothe neighborhood of the Throne of the Creator, Where else would you find adiscipline that provides direct communication between the servant the served?Where else would you have an act of ‘Ebadah (Worship) that enriches self-worth,self-strength, self-rebuilding, self discipline and control? Where else wouldone find discipline that moves the believer from unauthentic to authentic asthe institution of fasting? Where else would you find a discipline thatenriches the vital needs of human being, both physical and spiritual? Praise beto Allah!The institution of Fasting is a unique form of worship prescribed as part of anoverall system of Islam. Its uniqueness mirrors the uniqueness of the human being,a creature of physical and spiritual parts whose excellence depends on theright proportion of these two parts. Too much of the physical material willruin man, and too much of the spiritual will too fasting orients the observerto the art of balancing the spiritual essentials with physical needs, a vividproof that there is in all of us the will power, a pivotal element thatcontrols our actions. This will be needed to help up curb the animalistictendencies originating from the stomach, in full; it makes us forget aboutbeginning, it awakens the mind and kindles clear thinking and consciousness ofAllah. Fasting is the sobering of a mind and reconstruction of our spiritualfaculties.