Ramadan Mubarak (a Blessed Ramadan) to our Muslim friends, neighbours and community, the month of March, 2025.

 

Explanation of Ramadan.

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Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is an act of worship and obedience to God. Fasting is advocated by all three Abrahamic religions, though with varying restrictions.

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The primary goal of fasting is to attain God-consciousness—guarding oneself against unlawful thoughts, desires, and actions. Fasting takes place annually during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, known as Ramadan. The word “Ramadan” comes from the Arabic word Ramad, meaning “dehydrating thirst” and “sun-baked ground.” It symbolizes the hunger and thirst experienced by those who fast. Through fasting, Muslims develop empathy for those who struggle daily with hunger and thirst, fostering a spirit of generosity and charity.

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 Ramadan (fasting) has many dimensions, but the most significant aspects related to God-consciousness include:

1. Strengthening one’s connection with God through intensified acts of worship—fasting, praying, reciting, and reflecting on the Quran and its message—as well as through character building, self-discipline, and self-restraint. This helps cultivate a strong character based on high moral and spiritual values.

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2. Strengthening one’s connection with people through acts of compassion, forgiveness, justice, equality, love, and a spirit of caring and sharing. The most significant of these is sharing wealth with those in need, including relatives, community members, and others. This practice fosters selflessness and contributes to building a healthy and balanced society.

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Ramadan serves as an institution for the moral and spiritual development of Muslims and the establishment of a healthy and sustainable society. Fasting instills a true sense of social belonging, unity, and brotherhood, reinforcing the idea of equality before God. This sense of unity is a natural outcome of the fact that when people fast, they join the entire Muslim community—more than one-fifth of the world’s population—in observing the same practice, in the same manner, at the same time, for the same purpose.

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During Ramadan, Muslims celebrate the Quran, as it was revealed in this month. The Quran was sent down as “a guide to mankind, and a clear guidance and judgment so that mankind may distinguish right from wrong” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:185). Ramadan is the month of the Quran, taqwa (God-consciousness), mercy, forgiveness, freedom from hellfire, unlimited blessings, charity, spiritual upliftment, self-discipline, and purification of the soul. It is a time for treating inner ailments, fostering unity, practicing gratitude, strengthening relationships with both the Creator and His creation, and engaging in self-reflection and transformation to become better believers. It is reported that the Prophet’s companions would pray throughout the year, saying, Allahumma Ballighna Ramadan (“O Allah, allow us to reach Ramadan”).

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Ramadan is a beacon of hope for believers, reminding them of the resilience and strength within their faith. This is the month in which the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions struggled for their survival—and, more importantly, for the survival of Islam…

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Ramadan is a living month—it brings life to those who fast. Likewise, the Quran is a living book—its teachings provide spiritual nourishment and guidance. The holy month offers a framework for voluntary change and communal cohesion without the enforcement of state or institutional authority. It unites Muslims in worship, seeking Allah’s forgiveness and blessings while caring for one another.

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Islam is a transformative religion, and Ramadan serves as an annual training ground for transformation—turning ignorance into knowledge, darkness into light, despair into hope, division into unity, hatred into love, revenge into forgiveness, anger into joy, exclusivity into inclusivity, oppression into freedom, prejudice into justice, racism into integration, and impulsiveness into self-control.

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The successful completion of Ramadan purifies the heart, elevates the soul, and strengthens the spirit of brotherhood among believers. It rejuvenates the mind, body, and soul. This renewal is the true indicator of a successful completion of Ramadan—the annual month of spiritual training.

 

(Submitted by: Haseen Khan, President, Muslim Association of Newfoundland and Labrador. Edited for brevity)