Earlier this month, much of the muslim community all around the world started the annual observance of Ramadan, a 30 day long observance of fasting, prayer and reflection. According to Islamic belief, this time commemorates the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad and is considered one of the five pillars of Islam.
But Ramadan is so much more than just the fasting that most of the western world knows it to be. We asked our friend Rehnuma Choudhury who is a muslim woman living in the UK to share her experiences observing Ramadan and what life lessons she has learnt in the many years she has been partaking in this annual tradition.
From Rehnuma,
The Islamic holy month of Ramadan is a time for self-reflection, where instant gratification is put on hold in favour of self-development through patience, being calm in the face of adversity, and in connecting with your spiritual side.
It’s a time where Muslims across the world unite for 30 days of fasting from food, drink, undesirable manners and habits between dawn and sunset. The month is marked with a slowing down of daily schedules across countries with Muslim majority populations, where normal daily routines are replaced by days spent in self-reflection and nights spent in peaceful prayer.
In the West, Muslims experience Ramadan slightly differently. As a Muslim born and raised in the UK, balancing the spiritual aspect with the obligations of work and life make shifting into different mindsets quickly a necessity; and with the UK having some of the longest fasting hours in the world, Ramadan always leaves me with interesting lessons and reflections so that I emerge a slightly changed person every time.
There are many ways Ramadan teaches me about reinventing myself. Here are some of the lessons Ramadan has taught me throughout the years.
Patience is a virtue
For Muslims, Ramadan is the ultimate test of patience.
In our culture of constant thinking about food or preparing food or eating food, it’s easy to see how food can become a distraction – an emotional crutch that comforts us when we’re down, or helps us to celebrate when we’re happy.
Ramadan teaches you to lean on something else. It forces you to look inward, by putting aside the things you normally spend so much time thinking about and focus on mastery of the self, and regulation of moods and habits
Fasting means fasting from distractions. The reason why Ramadan helps us to reinvent ourselves is because when the distractions are removed from our lives, many of us notice thoughts creeping into our mind that aren’t always pleasant. It shows us that while patience is difficult, if we can ignore the distractions for a while, then the rewards of confronting the things that make us uncomfortable are beautiful.
Inner peace begins with gratitude
It’s so easy to get caught up with the pursuit of ‘success’, that sometimes we lose sight of all of the amazing things we already have in our lives. The successes we’ve already accomplished, the challenges we have overcome and the wisdom we have gained.
The sense of community around Ramadan help us to remember what is most important to us; family, friends, helping the less fortunate and building connections and relationships with others.
With daily visits to the mosque, and families sharing food to break their fast, the connections built during this time show us that when all is said and done, it’s through appreciating the sanctity of the ties we build with other people that our inner peace is strengthened.
Being open to challenges leads to growth
During Ramadan, every Muslim over a certain age who isn’t pregnant, breastfeeding, or ill (physically or mentally) has to fast. This means the rest of us have no excuse not to fast.
In accepting the 30 days of fasting ahead, the average Muslim does one of two things: 1) either embrace the challenge and use the time wisely the way it supposed to be used; or 2) moan and complain through 30 days of fasting.
Like many other times in life, it often feels like the more openly the challenge of Ramadan is embraced, the more it teaches you about yourself. In aiming to read the Qur’an daily, you learn a bit more about how good you are at staying committed. In committing to praying more regularly, you learn more about how good you are at staying consistent. In staying away from cursing, saying bad things about others or other bad habits, you understand how much of your speech is positive and how much is negative.
Things are often not as difficult as they seem
Before Ramadan starts, the thought of an hour long prayer at the mosque after a full day of fasting sounds exciting, but also challenging.
But when Ramadan comes around, it’s always easier than it initially seems to fast the long hours and pray throughout the night. While Ramadan sleep deprivation is definitely a thing, you quickly realise that hunger is more psychological than physical and that like most uncomfortable things we avoid doing willingly, the challenge of Ramadan is more about accepting it with open arms and trusting that the process will help us emerge better than we were before.
While Ramadan is merely a 30-day transition into a different mindset, it helps me to centre the knowledge that major transitions in life are inevitable; but they don’t always have to be scary or intimidating. It’s often the process of refinement through the struggles we experience that eventually make us better people.
Those are just some of the ways Ramadan has helped me to reinvent myself throughout the years.
Thank you so much Rehnuma for sharing your experiences. It is so fascinating to know how this season impacts people and the lessons you are learning from your time observing Ramadan. What are some of the lessons you’ve learnt, big or small, that have helped you look at life differently? We would love to know your story.
Rehnuma Choudhury is a content writer who helps ethical companies build purpose, passion and inclusivity into their brands. She is passionate about diversity and inclusion in brand marketing, and aim to help ethical brands reach more people and serve marginalized communities through their work.
{Words by Rehnuma Choudhury; Instagram: @the.conscious.copywriter & Photos from Unsplash}
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