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There are many lessons that we can draw from the various ayahs of the Holy Quran about Ramadan. But let’s focus on three of them so that we can properly position ourselves for this holy month.
First, we learn that the purpose of fasting is to develop taqwa, or the awareness of Allah (SWT), which is one of the foundation blocks of the Quran and Islam. One of the aims of a Muslim is to develop taqwa within ourselves. The essence of the word taqwa deals with “protection” or “shield” and so in the Islamic context, having taqwa also means protecting oneself. Thus, Allah (SWT) wants us to develop a taqwa of Him (SWT) meaning we should be afraid of making Allah (SWT) angry. In the Quran, Allah (SWT) reminds us that He (SWT) can punish us for the sins that we commit and hence we should practice taqwa or take protective measures to avoid punishment by not committing sins.
Another dimension of taqwa with Allah (SWT) is trying to avoid disappointing Allah (SWT), since He (SWT) has given us and done so much for us, and thus, we don’t want to give Him (SWT) the impression that we are thankless. Therefore, we must understand that a variety of emotions drive our taqwa with Allah (SWT), not just fear.
Also, we must realize that one of the prerequisites of having taqwa is self-awareness, and so when we are fasting, we are depriving our bodies of food and drink but we don’t cheat even though no one might be watching us. Fasting develops our awareness of Allah’s (SWT) constant presence which prevents us from cheating while fasting. And thus, this awareness or taqwa of Allah’s (SWT) presence developed during Ramadan should continue into the rest of the year.
The second lesson we can learn from Ramadan relates to history and gratitude. The Quran speaks to us about what to believe and not to believe along with what to do and not to do; however, a large part of the Quran deals with the history of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). We must understand that the life of our Nabi (SAW) plays a large part in us being Muslims. When we revisit the Prophet’s (SAW) life, it helps us reconnect to him (SAW). Just like nation-states celebrate Independence Day or a monumental event in their history to remember their history and struggles, which leads to shaping a people’s national identity and psyche. Ramadan is similar, as our Nabi (SAW) began to receive the revelation of Allah (SWT) in this month. We know that the Prophet’s (SAW) mission was to deliver the Quran to the people and so, Allah (SWT) gave us an entire month to revisit and commemorate our Nabi’s (SAW) history and struggles.
Furthermore, we must realize that we didn’t get the Holy Quran without any struggle or sacrifice. Our Prophet (SAW) and his companions faced persecution, torture, humiliation, and some died because of believing in the Quran and LA ILAHA ILLALLAH MUHAMMADUR RASULULLAH. Therefore, we should not take lightly the words of the Quran and must remember the sacrifices of all those that allow us to read the Quran without fear. Also, it makes us more thankful for what our Nabi (SAW), the Sahaba, and Allah (SWT) did by giving us, Islam.
Thirdly, we know that Allah (SWT) wants ease for us, and thus, Allah (SWT) gave us the Quran to make our lives easier and remove difficulties. However, we must understand that Allah (SWT) wants long-term ease and no hardship for us, which means that the only way to obtain long-term ease is to experience short-term difficulties. An excellent example of this is the month of Ramadan, in which we experience short-term difficulty but gain long-term taqwa.
The month of Ramadan provides us an opportunity to develop a newfound love for Allah (SWT), the Quran, and the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and so, we should take advantage of this blessed and auspicious month.
