My Turn: Yaseen Gaffar
In exactly one week Ramadan will begin. Billions around the globe will be fasting, staying away from food, drink and conjugal relations from sunrise to sunset for 29 or 30 days.
But what many do not realize is that fasting is much, much more than just going hungry for the day.
It’s a time to look and reflect inward. Mind, body, spirit and soul. It’s when the tongue is parched and dry, and the stomach empty, that a person truly becomes aware of his thoughts, of his behaviour and of his speech. Just like food and drink breaks a persons fast, so does backbiting and lying.
Hurt someone’s feelings? Swearing? Think of your fast again, or the quality thereof.
Of course there are challenging moments, like waking up at 05:00 everyday just to have a bite before the sun comes up. Or trying not to lose your temper, especially late afternoons and Sundays. As the saying goes “A hungry man is an angry man”.
Everyone has a little more time in Ramadan. People are not chasing this world the way we do every other day. There’s a calmness over the community and everyone has time for the next person.
Before the sun goes down, children are scampering to neighbours houses with parcels, platters of food, exchanging gifts because it’s a month of giving and sharing.
Every obstacle seems an opportunity to achieve something special or improve on progress made thus far.
The atmosphere in Ramadan cannot be described, it has to be experienced. Just like a car needs to be serviced at least once a year, so does the human body.
And yet with all of this, sometimes ignorance or a lack of understanding leads others to express sadness towards those who are fasting.”Shame”, they say.
It’s the exact opposite, because those who fast look at those who don’t, and think “Shame, they don’t have Ramadan”.
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