Increase your knowledge in Ramadan

by aloNe iN DaRk Sun Sep 07, 2008 6:00 am

Asalam o Alaikum,

One reaction to the title of this essay is "Wait, you mean I cannot eat or drink anything and then I'm also supposed to be going to school every day and to the masjid for Tarawih Prayers each night and you still want me to learn something every day in Ramadan?" The short answer is "yes". And if the reaction is "Are you going to tell me what to learn every single day of Ramadan"? The short answer is "no." Read on.

Among the greatest blessings of Ramadan is that it introduces a routine that has direct spiritual, physical, and, yes, intellectual benefits. Think about it. When do you think more clearly? When your stomach is full or when your stomach is somewhat full? I do not say the stomach is "empty" because let’s face it, although in Ramadan during the daytime there is no intake of food and drink, you have to admit that we Muslims do our fair share of eating and drinking at sahur and at iftar. You know well that when you have eaten just enough, you feel energized and your mind is alert. When you have overeaten, you feel lethargic, about to fall over, making du`aa’ to Allah that the imam leading Tarawih Prayers does not prolong the ruku` or the sujud. When you have overeaten, the blood rushes to your stomach and there is little or no intellectual activity you are willing to undertake.

So if you can focus on eating just right during the sahur and the iftar, then, in sha’ Allah, you will find that Ramadan is the ideal time to focus on learning something every day. We learn from Ibn `Abbas, whose youth was literally spent in the company of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)that, "Allah’s Messenger was the most generous of all the people, and he used to reach the peak in generosity in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel met him. Gabriel used to meet him every night of Ramadan to teach him the Qur'an. Allah's Messenger was the most generous person, even more generous than the strong uncontrollable wind (in readiness and haste to do charitable deeds)" (Al-Bukhari, Book 1, Hadith 5).

What an amazing model we have in the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Reviewing this hadith brings to light the tremendous love for learning that Islam instills in us. The whole religion is about learning, about striving to improve oneself, about being more, about doing more, and about keeping in focus that we do all this to seek the pleasure of Allah through our daily existence. While the days of every other month blend into one another and are somewhat undistinguishable from one and another, each day of Ramadan is special and deserves to be celebrated! We owe it to ourselves to spend each day of Ramadan increasing our knowledge and practicing what we learn.

The month of Ramadan is divided into three parts, corresponding to approximately 10 days per part. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us that Ramadan is a month whose "beginning is mercy, its middle is forgiveness, and its ending is liberation from the Hellfire". (Ibn Khuzaymah Vol. 3, Hadith 191). We may further approach the month on at least three levels: individual, family, and community.

Jazak Allah Khair !