Ramadan and its Implications for Individual and Collective Life

In a few days, the Muslims will be fasting and celebrating the month of Ramadan, which has broad implications for individual and collective life. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is a special month in the year for all Muslims throughout the world.

During this entire month, healthy adult Muslims fast from the break of dawn to the setting of the sun. During the daylight hours, strict restraints are placed on Muslims' daily lives. Muslims totally abstain from food, drink, smoking and sexual relations. Ramadan is a time of intensive worship and devotion to God, a time to read the Quran and for inner reflection, a time of comprehensive thanksgiving and giving in charity, a time of self-control and kindness, a time of training oneself to be a good, moral person.

At the end of the day the fast is broken with a meal called the iftar. Fasting during Ramadan is an act of obedience. It breaks the illusory lordship of the carnal self and, reminding it of its innate helplessness, convinces it that it is a servant.

Fasting is prescribed for the Muslims, as it was prescribed for those before the Muslims, so that we might achieve God-consciousness (Quran 2:183). To non-Muslims it may appear to be a time of hardship and deprivation, but that is not our experience. Muslims think of Ramadan as a kind of tune-up for their spiritual lives. As religious obligation, fasting has many special benefits. Among these, the most important is that it is a means of learning self-control. Due to the lack of preoccupation with the satisfaction of bodily appetites during the daylight hours of fasting, a measure of ascendancy is given to one's spiritual nature, which becomes a means of coming closer to God. As a secondary goal, fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing sympathy for the less fortunate, and learning thankfulness and appreciation for all of God's bounties. It increases people's sympathy and compassion for persons who are deprived of the daily means of survival. It is also beneficial to the health and provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits or overindulgence. Perhaps fasting in Ramadan is the most widely practiced of all the Muslim forms of worship. Yet it does not prevent Muslims from conducting their day-to-day work, or business, as usual.

Since Muslims in many parts of the world prepare and eat dinner at the same time during this month, Ramadan emphasizes community aspects. It is also a time of generosity. People are more ready than at other times of the year to do good and charitable work. They often invite guests to share the evening meal and to exchange gifts and best wishes. Fasting establishes a continuity of practice with religions such as Judaism and Christianity, in which fasting is recognized as an important element.

During fasting not only are Muslims obliged to restrain the stomach, but also the tongue, eyes, ears, other limbs, and the heart and mind. Just as we control our physical appetites, we must also control our negative emotions and actions. Fasting is not refraining from eating and drinking, it is also refraining from unpleasant, repulsive acts. If someone verbally abuses you, acts ignorantly towards you, or even hurts you, you should respond to them, saying only, "I am fasting." As is seen, religious practice is meant to establish inner, individual, and outer, collective, peace and prosperity within society. And we believe that all religions preach love, peace and compassion. So any conflict between the members of the religions and communities is due to misunderstandings or exploitation for political or other purposes. And we should beware of those who use religion to divide.

To avoid clashes among communities and to establish peace, the true believers should come together upon their common values and references, while acknowledging diversity of belief and practice. For this reason, we ought to give priority to love, compassion, dialogue, respect for others' rights, human rights, positive action and non-coercive, non-violent methods and means.

Coming together at iftar tables is a situation of great richness, with remarkable opportunities for mutual understanding and for creating a society rooted in common values. We can demonstrate to society the idea that people can live together, regardless of group, faith, or worldviews. As Turkish scholar Fethullah Gülen said: "We have a great deal to learn from one another. Together, listening and responding with openness and respect, we can move forward to work in ways that acknowledge genuine differences but which are built on shared hopes and values, to attain peace and to help bring about the long-awaited cooperation of world civilizations, and to encourage justice, love, respect and altruism. Please make sure that your sincere endeavors inspire and encourage all to do what they can to promote dialogue, respect and understanding among all peoples of the world, regardless of differences and certain adverse conditions."

It is hoped that dinners are held with this intention and serve as a good reference for all organizations and community groups.