Ramadan 2011

That time of the year is fast approaching us - a time dedicated specifically for every muslim to reflect upon their life; to be thankful to Allah for the goodness and positivity that one has experienced (both currently and in the past), to think of those that are in a worse off position than themselves, and to pray that Allah spreads His blessings and mercy upon everyone so we can enjoy a loving, happy and respectful future with each other both in this earthly lifetime and that of the eternal one in the hereafter.

Occurring during the ninth month of the lunar calendar, ramadan usually spans across a 29 or 30-day period, withing during which a muslim fasts as part of his submission to his master and sole creator - Allah, The God, from sunrise to sunset in each of these days. Fasting is commonly known for its full "ban" of sorts from eating and drinking, but ramadan is so much more than stopping oneself from having food and water. This practice has been put into place from God for everyone to follow in order that we cleanse ourselves both physically and mentally. One also must refrain from consuming alcohol, gambling, smoking, having sex (and being involved in sexually-related acts), and behaving in a negative way. Taking all these aspects on board and abstaining from taking part in these activities shows the willpower one can have in resisting from giving into such humanly desires. Hopefully after ramadan is finished we can reflect and ponder upon how our time previously had been, and how we can look forward to living a more purer life with at least some sort of cut-down to the things we might have been craving to do beforehand. Please check out Islamic Learning Materials; their post explains the event of ramadan in a very simple way, and is well worth a read.