…It is because of the mercy that is Ramadan.
In the course of our daily commuting, speaking and general living, we become as we want to; conscious or complacent. Sometimes we remember what we are supposed to be and other times we forget or even overlook it.
As days turn to months, we get rooted in this living style, but alas a particular time approaches; Ramadan. A month as gentle as the dawn breeze. A month as profound as the breath we take and release. Ramadan, the month you are never ready for, no matter the planning.
How do you prepare for the joy you feel upon reciting (meeting) verses (old friends) while reading the Qur’an and seeing the verses that go beyond our rushed Inna atayna?
How do you prepare for the zeal that makes you want to fight sleep and tiredness because you know what you stand to gain?
How do you prepare for the humility we feel upon recalling our “forgotten sins” because we are about to bring them before the One who is not only willing to forgive but also pardon them?
If you think you can make preparations for Ramadan, then you don’t know what Ramadan is meant to do for you. No amount of gearing puts you in the position to fully grasp the gentle authority that is Ramadan.
In your individuality, your preparations may limit you to the vast array of soul awakening avalanche which lies in Ramadan! The sad truth is, most times these planed routines we “prepare” for, soon leads to the loss of “Ramadan high” we started the month with. So please loosen up, explore the period, wander through the month and see what you can come up with.
Don’t plan to read the whole Qur’an while you don’t stop to read the commentaries or tafsir. These are a part of the synergy that makes it the Qur’an.
Don’t plan to pray all 20 rakahs of the taraweeh, but lose the strength to wake up some minutes to dawn to supplicate which leaves you gulping down a glass of water just a minute to fajr.
Do not plan to give more sadaqah and forget that there are other types of giving such as the gift of time.
I dare not imply that we merely enter into Ramadan like it is another month in the Calendar. What I am proposing is that, we let go of our planned lists and structuring of Ramadan so that we may encounter even better things than we expected.
You would wonder at how we fight our soul to say our prayers in time, give from the little we have, lend a hand/listening ear, give up back-biting/gossip/quarrels/speaking without thinking etc. Ask yourself, why don’t I do these at all times? It is because of the many mercies that is Ramadan.
It is in Ramadan that you see yourself for who you really are. It is in Ramadan that your “fitra” is as clear as day. And it is in Ramadan that you catch a glimpse of what you might become in the future were you to pay proper attention to your soul at all times like you do during Ramadan.
I’d end this with the famous and viral question of “why don’t we immediately conform to our Ramadan expectations? It is replied; does the liquid in the holder immediately stop to stir just because the spoon is removed?”. I must add that, if we really want this conformity, we must have removed the spoon from the holder long before Ramadan.
Ramadan Mubarak. ❤
