Morocco Time

What is the true purpose of Ramadan? What irks me is that some Muslims seem to believe that all they have to do is observe the fast, and they’re guaranteed a ticket to Paradise. (in combo with the other pillars, of course) Like Cat in Rabat wisely observed, many Muslims simply use the method of “reversing your inner clock,” and their behavior gets worse, not better.
My husband and I have spent many hours discussing this, and haven’t come to an exact consensus, but we do agree on two things.

First, if you can’t behave kindly and gently during Ramadan, you have no right to observe it at all. This means no fighting over card games, no yelling obscenities at cab drivers, no hissing or foul comments directed at women, and worst of all, no catty gossiping over hours of sitting at the cafe with one measly pot of tea between five people. This is because Ramadan is not just about fasting. As we all know, it’s designed to give us a chance to subdue our nafs, or “lower-self.” This includes all the basic instincts of eating, sex, fighting, sleeping, etc… This is why I really like Ramadan, though I’m not very good at it yet. It gives you a chance to improve yourself for a set period of time, normally with the whole community supporting and encouraging your efforts.

Second, Allah is not going to have a list when you get to Paradise that specifies when you did Ramadan, if you missed any days, did extra days, or ignored any of the numerous hadiths surrounding it. “Yes, let’s see, Haja Fatima – well, looks like you brushed your teeth on September 30 2006. You swallowed a bit of water, so the whole fast was invalidated. However, you fasted a few extra days in 1997, and you stayed up for several Laylat Al-Qadr, so I suppose we can let it slide. Next!”

I won’t go into what else I believe about Ramadan, because it’s pretty much heresy, and even my extremely tolerant husband sort of looks askance at me when I talk about it!