Sharing Space

Salaam – greetings of peace! When Alistair invited me to write a post about Ramadan for this Sharing Space page, I inwardly hesitated, for two reasons. Firstly, I wondered: how do I describe in a few paragraphs a soul-regenerating month that is observed by over 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide, and reverenced since the 7^th century? Secondly, can I write an unbiased post about Ramadan, given my personal position as a “radical” Muslim Imama (female Imam) who refuses to accept a traditional rendition of the Holy Qur’an from an antiquated and patriarchal perspective, and who insists on reading the Qur’an with my own eyes, and with a new feminist, non-racist and queer+ trans affirming viewpoint? After considerable thought, I have decided to go ahead with the post, but please know that I write from my own perspective, and do not speak for all Muslims! 😊

I believe that Ramadan, which begins next week with the sighting of the new moon, is a holy month in which our Merciful God – Allah – shuts the gates of hell, casts the devils into chains, and opens the gates of heaven, inviting us to seek forgiveness for our actions that alienate us from His/Her eternal love. Now, please don’t let mention of hell, devils and chains put you off! Ramadan is a glorious time of both deep introspection, as we work to root out our hurtful habits that wound us most of all, and a time of joyful activity, as we reach out to our siblings with compassion, love and generousity.

What do Muslims do during this blessed month? They offer increased prayers from sunrise to late at night; recite the Qur’an from cover to cover; offer dikr, which is a kind of repetitive chanting; spend hours deep diving into their souls and meditating; give to others in charity, which is known as zakat; pray for forgiveness and reunion with The One; and spend their days and early evenings fasting.

I find most people think of fasting when Ramadan is mentioned, and fasting is an important activity, and one of the five pillars of Islam. Traditionally, fasting from sunrise to sunset involves abstaining from all food, drink, sexual activity and behaviour that is harmful to the soul until early evening, when Muslims break their fasts with dates, water, and an iftar meal. Fasting is “obligatory” for all adult Muslims, except those who are seriously ill, elderly, travelling, pregnant, breastfeeding or menstruating. Fasting redirects your mind, body and soul away from worldly thoughts and activities. It puts you into a state of soul that is cleansing, and provides you with deep empathy for those who are oppressed and less fortunate, encouraging acts of generousity and kindness.

Now here’s the thing: I don’t consider fasting or the other Ramadan practices to be hardships. I see these activities as providing opportunities to connect directly with God, and to be blissfully filled with God Consciousness. I also advise my siblings in the Unity Mosque, the Mosque that I serve as Imama, to never let Ramadan become a burden, because Allah does not wish it to be! I quote from the Holy Qur’an: “Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship”.

You see, a fundamental belief in Islam is that Allah is Most Merciful and Most Compassionate. Some Muslims feel compelled to fast or pray incredibly long hours or donate more than they are truly able to because they feel forced by other Muslims to do so!  Familial and cultural pressures inundate many Muslims. I believe that not fasting or fulfilling other Ramadan practices for valid reasons does not make you a “bad Muslim”. Guilt should not be part of the equation, when we do our best, for as the Qur’an tells us, Allah is closer to us than our jugular veins. She/He knows our hearts, and our pure intentions.

In closing (and thanks for reading to this point!), I contend that Ramadan is not a marathon of misery but rather, an opportunity for spiritual bliss. How blissful it is to be given an opportunity to mindfully connect with God! I also contend that many traditional Muslims need to adjust and reframe their perceptions of Ramadan and see the blessed month as a time of compassion for others and for ourselves, as we feed and nourish our souls.