Knowledge and Ramadan

Ramadan the fasting month in Islamic calendar, the month in which Muslims all over the world fast for the sake of Allah. The question which arises in the mind of non Muslims and some Muslims also ask this question is that “how can a person do all his work without having a meal the whole day, without water and food and how people are supposed to go to school and study and get good grades in their exam and then go to the mosque to attend Tarawih every night and then people still want to learn some thing in Ramadan? 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).

Ramadan teaches us how to control our emotions, how to make our selves perfect muslims, it show us the way of forgiveness, Ramadan is the month in which we try to abstain from sin and make ourselves clean with the grace of Allah.