From the first day of Ramadan till the last, one goes through a disciplined training and rigorous routine.
The feeling of being connected to Allah: Perhaps the first thing that comes to light when one thinks of Ramadan is that the purpose behind it is to tame the sense of recklessness that we come across throughout the remaining year. Meaning that Ramadan is intended to help us acknowledge the presence of Allah in a more practical manner or in a manner that effects our lifestyle more than ever. Kuffar is nothing more than thinking that we are in control of everything instead of thinking that we are a khalifa of Allah. Just like namaz is for the purpose of connecting us with Allah, similarly, Ramadan is a time of reflection and discipline that helps us carry the remembrance of Allah throughout the remaining months.
Obedience to Allah's commandments: Obedience comes after the feeling of connection with Allah and so within the month of Ramadan, those with a stronger connection tend to more welcoming towards the commandments of Allah. The spirit of Ramadan is exactly that, to remind ourselves of our dependence on Allah and to rekindle the remembrance of Allah and not just stay thirsty or hungry only. Putting a restriction only on our desires and doing nothin else would render us unproductive in the least.
Hazrat Muhammad (ﷺ) said that:
“Those who did not left speak lie and practice on lie then Allah doesnot need such person to leave his eating and drinking”
“There are people who did not get anything except hunger and thirst”
Both these Hadith relay the message that fasting is more than just staying hungry or thirsty.
Character Building: The third aspect of Ramadan is to help us be attentive to the flaws in our character and that is only possible when Taqwa is there. Taqwa is not an attire that one can put on, instead Quran describes Taqwa in the meaning of responsibilty and the connection to Allah. The opposite of Taqwa is Fajoor and this refers to the instinct of promoting evil deeds. Ramadan like other pillars of Islam aims at trying to build Taqwa within a person in opposition to Fajoor.
If a person is asked to stay hungry and thirsty from dawn till dusk and to stay this way whether he is alone or in company, then his staying like those brings some points to light:
1. He is fully aware of the fact that Allah has knowledge of everything in this universe which is what prompted that person to maintain his state of fasting even when alone.
2. He has full belief on the Akhira or day of judgement since without this belief; he would not be able to stay in a state of fasting for 14 or more hours.
3. He has self restraint since he imposed restrictions on himself rather than someone else forcing him to.
4. By fasting, he chooses the hereafter over the present world or rather chose spirituality over the material world.
5. He doesn't give himself the freedom of choosing a time of convenience to fast but instead follows the guidelines of fasting on the time already appointed.
6. He has enough patience, concentration, and motivation to choose the unseen rewards of the hereafter instead of just following his instincts to go for profit in this world.
Restraint over your natural instincts: The instinct to eat and drink, have sex are the two basic restraints that one follows. Another restraint is our sleep too which gets affected by Taraweeh and Sehri timings. Since humans are basically animals only of a higher kind, we too are susceptible to the desires of sex and hunger. These two basic instincts if given too much rein can have a negative impact but if one keeps them in check then these instincts can be tamed. Ramadan is intended to help us tame these very instincts and through the rigorous routine of 30 days, it allows us to be the victor in our fight against our animal nature. The person who blindly follows his desires and has forgotten how to control his inclinations cannot achieve much in life which is why it is necessary that he takes full benefit of the month of Ramadan and regain that control.
