Ramadan
at Cambridge
By Sir Cam
Cambridge, England
It was a chilly evening. A
blanket of clouds covered the city. No chance
tonight of seeing the new moon then. That is,
the eagerly awaited sight of the moon that announces
the commencement of Ramadan. Somewhere over this
land someone must have witnessed a thin crescent
radiating soft light through the clouds. I didn’t.
The announcement, nevertheless, was that Cambridge
was beginning Ramadan on Tuesday, October 4.
There is something very exciting about Ramadan.
It’s not the food, or lack of it. It’s
not the social get-togethers, or the collective
prayers. May be there’s a very special nur,
or spiritual light that descends in this month.
Remember, after all, it was the light of the final
revelation, the Qur’an that shone on earth
during Ramadan. Taraweeh, or the long night prayers
in Ramadan, are a daily reminder of that historic
event.
Perhaps it’s also to do with the thrill
of self-discipline and abstinence. We live in
an age of indulgence and excess and extravagance.
Ramadan curtails all that. Being without food
or drink from sunrise to sunset is the external
manifestation of inner control. For one whole
month the body and soul are cleansed physically
and spiritually with the hope that the affect
will last the whole year round.
We also live in a time of me, me, and me. Selfishness
rules OK. Fasting during Ramadan helps overcome
that. We are reminded about the poor and the needy
of the world. Not eating and drinking during the
day prods us to think of the unfortunate ones.
It makes us grateful, thankful to the Almighty,
for all the blessings bestowed upon us. Hopefully,
it trains us to be more caring and considerate
in society.
Then, at the end of the month, we have the joy
and jubilation of Eid. That is even more an occasion
to extend our hands of friendship to those we
know and those we don’t know. It is the
time to give in charity and share our happiness
with everyone. A mere smile helps wipe away the
gloom. And, as they say, laughter is the best
medicine.
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