Count your blessings and be thankful to God

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promise in 14:7 that “The more you thank Me, the more I give you…”

For Our Own Good

Some people entertain the idea that God should not need our prayers and appreciation of His blessings. The way they think is as if God has ego and needs to satisfy Himself. Nothing can be further from the truth! They are the ones who have big egos. God makes it clear that He does not need any of our worship or any of us, but He’s pleased for us if we make the right choice and decide to be appreciative (39:7). Therefore, if we are appreciative, it is for our own good (31:12).

Ramadan is Special

Ramadan (also spelled as Ramadhan, Ramzan, so on) is a special month for Muslims. It is the lunar month during which the Quran was revealed, provided guidance for the people, clear teachings and the statute book (2:185). We also understand that God revealed the Quran into Prophet Muhammad’s heart on the 27th night of Ramadan, in the Night of Power or Destiny (17:1, 44:3, 97:1-5). It was then gradually released into his memory in accordance with God’s will and written down by him with the help of Gabriel over a period of 23 years.

No Hardship in Religion

Not only has God given us this great blessing

of fasting in Ramadan, He is also compassionate in accommodating every kind of situation. For example: [2:185] ... Those who are ill or traveling may substitute the same number of other days. GOD wishes for you convenience, not hardship, that you may fulfill your obligations, and to glorify GOD for guiding you, and to express your appreciation.

God knows us better than we know ourselves. He is the One who created us. Even though He gives us alternatives to perform our responsibility when we are unable to fast, He emphasizes that if we can fast, it is best for us (2:184). We know that “God never burdens any soul beyond its means….” (2:286), and that “The remembrance of God is the most important objective.” (29:45).

Physical Benefits of Fasting

Besides nourishing our soul, the real self, fasting also has numerous, scientifically proven benefits for our physical health and the mental well-being of our body. The time, length and nature of the fast all contribute to its overall positive effect. Fasting gives our digestive system a rest and improves our physical health. In his book, “Fasting and Eating for Health,” Joel Fuhrman, M.D. notes that “The fast does not merely detoxify; it also breaks down superfluous tissue—fat, abnormal cells, atheromatous plaque, and tumors—and releases diseased tissues and their cellular products into the circulation for elimination.

Toxic or unwanted materials circulate in our bloodstream and lymphatic tissues, and are deposited in and released from our fat stores and other tissues. An important element of fasting detoxification is mobilizing the toxins from their storage areas.”

Lunar Calendar and Ramadan

A lunar calendar is based on phases of the moon. The Hijri calendar consists of 12 months (9:36). A lunar month is approximately 29.5 days (the time it takes for the moon to orbit the earth). Because a lunar month is, on the average, one day shorter than a solar month, a lunar year is 10-12 days shorter than a solar year. Therefore, the Month of Ramadan comes 10-12 days earlier each year. This way we get to fast when the days are very warm and long in summer as well as when they are cool and short in winter. This beautiful design by God is also a test for us to see if we will fast regardless of the length or temperature of the days of Ramadan.

Happy, peaceful and blessed Ramadan to all, God willing.

Abdullah

[adapted from Submitters Perspective, September 2009]