The Holy Month of Ramadan: Allah Desires Ease For You

“Allah (God) desires ease for you, and He desires not hardship for you, and (He desires) that you should complete the number (of days of the fast of Ramadan).” ~ Holy Qur’an 2:185

“Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard against evil,” Holy Qur’an, 2: 183.  The Master Doctor, Allah (God), has given us guidelines for fasting that we sometimes choose to ignore out of our own egotistical ways, neglect, or weaknesses. We sometimes try to make easy what is to be a struggle and we try to make hard what Allah (God) desires to be easy. We must remember the principle lessons to be learned from the prescribed fast is submission to the desire of Allah (God), to be thankful for what we have been blessed with of his provisions, and to stay on guard (taqwa) from evil by vigilantly walking our post of “self” in a perfect manner keeping always on the alert!We have been blessed to meet the Holy Month of Ramadan once again and are now about to move into the last 10 days of our fasting.  At this mark we remind ourselves, one of two things are happening, we are either giving up and cutting corners in our observance of the fasting guidelines or we have gotten into a stride as we close the month.  If we find ourselves cutting corners let us be reminded that fasting is a medicine that may have a bitter taste to the ego but Allah (God) does not want to punish us through hardship, He wants to cure us of the disease of our hearts. Do we not want what Allah (God) desires for us?

During this month we are favored by a prescription from Allah (God), Most High, and His guidelines to discipline ourselves for a Supreme purpose. We are met with the great struggle of “self” (jihad-al-akbar) that leads us to victory by our ability to guard against evil with the development of God-consciousness (taqwa).

Fasting (sawm) is designed to do away with the egos that have impeded our spiritual and community growth. It is a means by which we may engage the desire of Allah (God) for us to be God-centered rather than subject to our own self–centered tendencies. We practice self-restraint and stillness (sawm) in regard to our urges so that we may seek Allah’s (God’s) desire to rid “self” of the impurities of mind, heart and body.

In Chapter 2 verses 183-185, Allah (God) establishes the rules of fasting. Allah (God), Most High, has given Merciful guidelines in the law of Islam. In How to Eat to Live Book II on pg. 55, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad writes, “It is prescribed for us in the Law of the religion of Islam (Holy Qur’an). All Muslims who respect fasting should take the fast of Ramadan.”

Allah (God) commands us to, fast “for a certain number of days” saying “(He desires) that you should complete the number” of days in the fast and Mercifully instructs “whoever among you is sick or on a journey he shall fast a like number of other days. And those who find it extremely hard may effect redemption by feeding a poor man. So whoever does good spontaneously it is better for him and that you fast is better for you, if you knew.”

Let us become familiar with these rules and apply them to the best of our ability with sincerity. We should be reminded by these verses that we must not apply our own ideas that suit our own desires and attempt to undermine the Guidance Allah (God) has given.

Allah (God) has advised us to break the fast when on a journey, however, some of us push and continue the fast anyway. Why are we denying the gifts that Allah (God) has given us? The fast is not to be hard on us! We at times have an—“I got this” attitude but this is our ego speaking. Let us take the opportunities that Allah has given to us to break the fast. In the Guidelines are a Teaching and a means for us to establish Freedom, Justice, and Equality, and destroy the ego of “self.” Are we going to fast any way while traveling because we feel we have the strength to do it and then deny a person in need the food that Allah (God) has ordered us to feed when we are excused from the fast?

If we are sick let us take a break. We get colds and fall ill, some have medical conditions and if we fast it will only make us sicker. Do we disregard the advice of God and stubbornly push on to our physical detriment? What is the expiation? We are to give to the poor for all days that we have not fasted. Look at the Freedom, Justice, and Equality embedded in the observance of the fast. Let us take these breaks if we are on a journey, if we are sick, and let us take these breaks in fasting if we are too ill or find ourselves having trouble to endure.

Sisters that are pregnant or nursing are excused from fasting and women who undergo their menstrual cycle. Let us at this time break the fast and not put a hardship on ourselves during this time period. Sisters during this time should not feel that their devotion is diminished and should not deny the gift of Allah (God). The devotion of fasting and sacrifice in these times is to be expressed by feeding the poor or by making the days up at another time. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in regard to not breaking the fast when Allah (God) has excused one, whether male or female, has said, “Is any of you pleased if he gives a gift of charity and it is returned?” Therefore, it is considered an act of spiritual rudeness or ingratitude for the servant to reject the gift of ease from Allah (God).

Do not put your child who is too young, even not yet born through a fast—this is not proper. Young children under the age of puberty, male or female, are also excused from the fast. Don’t allow them even though they may want to join in with you to take on a fast that will make them sick. However, we may find creative ways to teach them the lessons of fasting by allowing them to fast a portion of the day or learn restraint by fasting from video games, T.V., etc.

We should know that when we are acting on these ways to compensate for breaking the fast that this is a way to join in the lesson of the Month of Ramadan without fasting. We are still enjoined and obligated to maintain the spirit of the fast.

Lastly, if we have fallen to weakness there is atonement for a fault committed by a Muslim during the fast if we have purposefully broken it. This is a time to get our “self,” our low desires of the self (nafs) under control. Some of us are unable to make it through the fast not only due to our inability to control our sexual inclination, thirst, and hunger but we are also unable sometimes to observe the fast properly because we can’t control our tongues from lying and cursing. We are getting angry because we’re hungry, we are losing our tempers, we are listening to obscene music, we are watching BET, MTV, watching things that you shouldn’t be watching—this breaks our fast. This is to be a moment of stillness and restraint.

How do we make up for such weaknesses? By freeing a slave! If one cannot do so then we are to fast for two consecutive months. If we cannot do so then we are to pay charity (sadaqa) as much as we can equivalent to a day’s meal for the two months or we may fast as many days as we are able of the two months. We must see that Allah (God), even in circumstances of intentional fault has given us a means of atonement and does not want hardship for us. If your pocket can’t handle it we must give what we can.

What is freeing the slave? What will make you comprehend or understand what it is to free a slave? It is to loose the neck. It is to instill in one the knowledge of self. If we have accidentally or purposefully broken the fast we better get out there and raise the dead. Let us free ourselves and our people from the slavery of poverty, want, and oppression!

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan teaches us, “In Islam, fasting is an institution of the improvement of the moral and spiritual condition of human beings. Fasting, abstention from food in obedience to Allah (God), helps us build the will to resist the impediments to self–development. Fasting in the right spirit helps us display repentance. We must be of humble spirit that we may show Allah (God) that we are sick (sorry) over all that we have done to offend Him.”

Imam Sultan R. Muhammad is the National Imam of the Nation of Islam and resident Imam of Mosque Maryam National Center, tweet him @ImamSultanM or email him at sultanmuhammad@me.com.