By: Abdulrasheed Akere
An individual who practices islam religion is addressed as muslim, it’s not overemphasized if we claim that entire muslims in the whole world are happy to witness this year Ramadan. Ramadan is a month of compulsory twenty nine (29) or thirty (30) days fasting for all muslims.
The 1444 A.H year’s Ramadan begins today, March 23, 2023 after sighting the crescent moon that always ignites the beginning of the fasting in some states in northern Nigeria and beyond on Tuesday.
Blessings reign like rain in this month, this makes everyone to welcome it blissfully, it only comes once in a year, that is one month out of twelve months of the year. Muslims have missed its absence, longing for its return after eleven months of departure; they are elated for its arrival.
People have started sending greetings to each other tagged with ‘Ramadan Kareem’, ‘Ramadan Kareem’ and so on. Also, christian believers are texting their muslim lovers for Ramadan. Even some people utilize the influence of the season greetings to message those that they haven’t greeted this year, maybe they fought or had a misunderstanding beforehand. So, Ramadan helps to settle disputes among individuals because everyone understands that it is wrong to be fasting and still be holding grudges or keeping malice with another person.
In addition, ears are always free from sad news during Ramadan, eyes are safe from bad occurrences and the societies are secure from rebellions. In a nutshell, criminality, and sinful acts always die down in this holy month, this makes the atmosphere of the world to remain saint throughout its days. God-fearing increases incessantly in peoples’ minds because they have been educated with the reward for good deeds and punishment ahead for bad deeds.
Similarly, the reward for every meager good actions in this ninth month of the islamic calendar is multitude unlike the remnant eleven months. Meanwhile, bevy muslims including the rich ones and the poor ones always endeavor into righteous adventures in order to earn myriads and mammoth rewards. This month challenge and engage the privileged people to offer help, give alms (Sodakkoh) to the less-privileged ones.
Moreso, sacrifice and help flourish during Ramadan. Some wealthy people feed poor ones in the mid-dawn breakfast (Sahur) and the sun-set supper (Iftar) for Allah’s sake. Drunkards, smokers, adulterers and other categories of sinners often stay away from their adamant wrong acts just to respect the dignity of Ramadan. Jocularly, Ramadan makes those that have foods and those that don’t have to become the same because no one is permitted to eat or drink from dawn until sun-set.
We learn from great islamic scholars that the first ten days of Ramadan are bestowed with blessings, the middle ten days are endowed with forgiveness, while the remaining last days are promising of paradise (Aljanat). Within this time, muslims are closer to God than their phones, they are fond of reciting their religion’s sacred book — Quran, and maximize voluntary prayers — Nafilah in the daylight, especially at midnight.
Ramadan fasting is obligatory to all healthy muslims except the underage ones and females in their menstruation period.
