Tag Archives: Ramadan

A Prayer at the End of Ramadan

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In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

Most Precious, Beautiful, Kind, Loving, Merciful, and Gracious Lord; O God, our Precious Beloved Lord; Ruler of the Heavens and the Earth; Kind Guide to all those on Your Path:

Lord, the month of fasting has come to an end, and as You know, I cannot say that I will not feel happy. This year has been particularly difficult for me to complete. I have strained at the difficulty of having to wait for the long (and frequently hot) day to finish before I can finally eat and drink. Then, I strain at having very little time to eat and drink before I have to stop again.

I feel terrible for my straining this past month. You have been so Beautiful, so Kind, so Merciful, so Compassionate, so Wonderful to me for all these years…and I strain when I have to fast the day for only one month out of the year. I feel terrible, Lord, for it is clear that I am also not truly free.

I know that You understand that fasting is difficult, and that is why You have pledged to reward us for it. Nevertheless, I feel terrible for not having fasted with a huge smile on my face, with happiness that I am not eating and drinking for Your sake. Perhaps I ask too much of myself, but when it is for You, I think it is worth it.

So, my Beautiful Precious Lord, I ask that You look past my straining and accept the fasts that I tried so hard to faithfully fulfill . Please look past my weaknesses as a human being, my hypocrisy that I live each day, and accept my striving on your path. Please accept the fact that I did thirst and strain at having to fast, but that I tried to do it for You. Please accept my recitation of the Qur’an during the holy month of Ramadan. Please accept the cycles of prayer that I offered for You during this month. Please accept the night vigils that I tried to perform for Your sake.

Lord, please forgive my shortcomings during this month. Please forgive the many sins that I committed during Ramadan. Please forgive the mistakes that I made while I was trying to be good to You. Please look past all the ways I fall short of Your Way and accept me into Your Presence and Garden.

Lord, do not let the blessings of this month, which I took for granted, to pass by me when the days and nights of holiness are long gone. Please, do not take away all that Grace, and Mercy, and Beauty, and Kindness, and Graciousness once the calendar continues on. Please continue to show me that Most Beautiful Face that You have always shown me and continue to bless me for all my life, for all my time.

O God our Lord, I wish I had been better during this Ramadan. I wish I had fasted with a big smile on my face. I wish I had no feelings of dread as the month of Ramadan approached. I wish I jumped for joy when I found the month of fasting upon me.

I didn’t.

Nevertheless, O Lord, I tried my best to fast because it was You who told me to do so. I did my best, my Lord, so please accept it from me.

O God my Lord, I love You. I may not show it in the best way, but I really do. I know You know this, but I like to say it anyway. And I know You love me, because if You didn’t, You would not have given me life when I was dead. And so, my Lord, I will try my best to stay true to your path for all the days that I live.

My Precious Beloved Lord, the month of Ramadan is over, and I cannot say I won’t be happy to have that cup of coffee when the sun is rising high into the sky. I cannot say I won’t be happy to be able to play golf and drink coffee or diet soda at the same time. I cannot say I won’t be happy to be able to eat before the sun sets. But, please, Lord, accept me with all my weakness, all my frailty, all my hypocrisy.

I am trying my best, O Lord, so please accept me. And I end with one of my most favorite passages of Your Most Holy Word:

Limitless in His glory is thy Lord, the Lord of Almightiness, [exalted] above anything that men may devise by way of definition! And peace be upon all His Message-bearers! And all praise is due to God alone, the Sustainer of all the worlds! (37:180-183)

In Your Most Holy Name do I say this, Amen.

Ramadan Reflections: God is Close, Merciful

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In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

It is one of the blessings of Ramadan in the summer that the day is long enough so that, even if I have a long day at work, I still have plenty of time to read the Qur’an. As I have been reading through the first half of the book, there are many verses that jumped out at me.

Yes, I passed by the infamous “Verse of the Sword,” and I didn’t even pay much attention to it. The verse did not make me want to go out and “slay the pagans,” because I knew that the verse had a specific context and was not a general call to kill other people.

No. The two verses, among many others, that jumped out at me were these:

And if My servants ask thee about Me – behold, I am near; I respond to the call of him who calls, whenever he calls unto Me: let them, then respond unto Me, and believe in Me, so that they might follow the right way. (2:186)

Tell My servants that I – I alone – am truly forgiving, a true dispenser of grace. (15:49)

Their power was palpable as I put the letters together to from the words on the page.

The first one is particularly powerful: that God – in all His Majesty, Might, Power, and Strength – is close to us. He is right there when we need Him. He responds to us when we call upon Him.

It is a comforting thought, to know that my Precious Beloved Lord is right there beside me. It is tough navigating the life of this world, with all its temptations, strife, trials, and tribulation. It is tough seeing your faith and that which you hold so dear smeared, attacked, and maligned based on misinformation and untruths. It is tough seeing the suffering of so many people around the world – including suffering at the hands of those who claim to follow my faith – and many times feel powerless to help them.

Through this difficult world, however, I am comforted to know that God is near me, walking with me, and standing next to me.

I know that many will ask, “Where is God with all this suffering?” Indeed, it is a difficult question for anyone to answer, and the answer to this question has vexed many a believer (and non-believer) throughout history. All I can say is that the Lord has a wisdom, and I may not understand this wisdom.

And just so that I am clear: I say this having suffered a terrible tragedy myself.

The other powerful verse reassures the servant that his Lord is always open to forgiveness and grace. That the door of His mercy is always open, and all we have to do is walk right in. No matter what we do in our lives; no matter how much guile is in our hearts; no matter how much sin we have accumulated, our Lord is Oft-Forgiving,  Most Merciful. In fact, one of the biggest sins one can commit – in my mind – is thinking that our sins are bigger than God’s soothing mercy.

In fact, in the Qur’an, Jacob tells his sons: “Do not despair from the soothing mercy of God…” (12:87). The Lord’s undying love is always there for us, and one of its most glorious manifestations is His endless mercy and forgiveness. In fact, this month of fasting is one of the manifestations of God’s love and mercy.

Indeed, it may seem a bit odd: we willingly deprive ourselves of food and drink during the long, hot daylight hours, and this is because of God’s love? Yes.

In exchange for my forgoing food and drink, I am showered – as if in a rainstorm – with God’s forgiveness, mercy, and grace. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:

Whoever fasts Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from God will have his past sins forgiven.

So, as far as I am concerned, I will pass up the Starbucks in the morning for some of God’s forgiveness and mercy. It is a tremendous return on my investment of hunger and thirst. And it is so comforting to know that my Precious Beloved, who loves me and is so forgiving to me, is so close to me. Kind of makes me smile.

The End of My Ramadan Winning Streak

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In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

The fast of Ramadan has been a part of my life for a very long time. It is a truly blessed time, when people get together, break their fast together, and worship and pray together. It is a month of spiritual renewal and spiritual re-birth. It is a month of physical cleansing, and a chance to break clean from the shackles of earthly life that can turn people away from the Face of the Precious Beloved.

Yes, Ramadan is all these things.

But, it is also a month during which many good things have happened to me. As far back as Field Day in Fifth Grade, I have had a “winning streak” of sorts during Ramadan. During said Field Day, I was fasting that day, and I won First Place in every single event. I still remember getting all those blue ribbons.

Later, during my Sophomore year in high school, a very important track meet happened to fall during Ramadan. I was on the varsity shot put team, and the pressure was on me to perform my best that day. Our team had always won this meet, and it was up to me to throw the shot at least 42 feet for our team to win. Despite my fasting, I threw it 42 feet, 6 inches.

My medical school interview was during Ramadan, and I had many things going against my being accepted. Nevertheless, I was accepted three months later. I took my Internal Medicine board exam during Ramadan, and I scored very highly on the test. So, I have only had good things associated with Ramadan, even if I am deprived of my precious cup of coffee in the  morning.

Thus, it was only natural that I thought last Wednesday’s hospital golf outing would be a glowing success, seeing that it also fell during Ramadan. Sadly, however, it was not to be the case.

True, I have not had the chance to play a lot of golf this year. True, I have not been able to practice the lessons my golf instructor had taught me. True, I am a doctor and not a professional golfer. But, come on, this is Ramadan: miracles happen during this month.

No such miracles occurred on the golf course. From the very first tee shot (which skipped into the creek to the left), the outing was an unmitigated disaster. Most of my tee shots hooked to the right, and when I tried to compensate for it by aiming to the left, the golf ball would go straight and end up in the bushes/trees/rough/sand. My chips became chunks, with the golf ball going only a few feet in front of me. And don’t ask me about my putting.The rules said that if I had not finished before 8 strokes, that I should put an “8″ on the score card and move on. I think I lost count of the number of snowmen I had.

One would think that, given the holiness of Ramadan, that my Precious Beloved’s creation would help out…like the trees. Absolutely not. Whenever I would try to shoot through the trees or even next to the trees, they would either kick my golf ball down to the ground or make the ball ricochet to some far off place. It was as if they said to me, “No you didn’t!”

“But,” I would say in anguish, “this is Ramadan! We worship the same God!”

They were not sympathetic.

And, Oh my God, it was hot that day. I mean, I was riding in the golf cart! Still, I was very thirsty at the end of the day. Furthermore, I had to watch the person driving the “drink cart” drive right past me MULTIPLE times, all as my golf-mates were able to quench their thirsts. I would not even try to look at the “drink cart,” so as I am not tempted to ask for a Diet Coke.

Yup, my Ramadan winning streak is over.  I guess this means that my golf game is so bad, that not even the month of Ramadan – with all its blessings, peace, love, mercy, and reward – is enough to fix it.

Good God.

Chicago Tribune: Ramadan gives Muslims freedom

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In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

This post was published on the Seeker blog today.

On Wednesday August 11, Muslims the world over began the annual fast of the month of Ramadan, during which the Muslim faithful abstain from food, drink, and other sensual pleasures from dawn until dusk. What is particularly significant about this year’s fast – and the fasts for the next decade or so – is that it is occurring in the dog days of summer, when the days are long and hot. It is definitely a challenge, and I ask God for the strength and fortitude to see this month through.
 
On the surface, it seems that the fast of Ramadan – especially during these hot months – is anti-thetical to concept of freedom. I am wilfully denying myself food and drink, even water, all day for no reason other than Islam said so. Many people may see this as a restriction of my personal freedom, even if it be self-inflicted. Yet, for me, the fast of Ramadan is actually quite liberating. It teaches me that when I fast, I am truly free.
 
A few years back, whenever Ramadan would start, I would be in a complete stupor from caffeine withdrawal. I remember being at the hospital at 10 AM and not being able to function because of profound sleepiness due to my not being able to drink coffee. I actually had to take a nap…at 10 AM! Reflecting upon that experience, I realized that I was not truly free. I was dependent upon caffeine to help me function. Subsequently, I would stop my caffeine intake several days before Ramadan would start so that I would not be in withdrawal during the month of fasting. Ramadan helped me become caffeine-free, and I was all the better for it.
 
The fast of Ramadan is also a golden opportunity for Muslims to quit smoking. That is because, in addition to food and drink, Muslims are not allowed to smoke during the day in Ramadan. There is no better time than Ramadan to teach Muslims that indeed, they can go all day without a cigarette and be alright. The sky will not fall if they give up the cigarette. If they can go without cigarettes all day, then surely they can continue their abstinence at night. Yet, almost without fail, as soon as the sun sets, I see smokers immediately light up a cigarette, sometimes even before they have a drink of water. This is not freedom.
 
This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart as a lung specialist. Every day in my practice, I see the devastation wrought upon countless people by their tobacco addiction. Thus, if I get the chance, I try to always give a Friday sermon about smoking cessation during Ramadan. If Muslims can only take advantage of the opportunity, the month of Ramadan can help them gain the freedom from nicotine addiction and terrible health effects that come with such an addiction. The same is true for someone who is consumed by hatred, or anger, or spite, or lust. The fasting believer must refrain from not just food and drink, but also bad behavior and character while fasting. The Prophet Muhammad once said, “Whoever did not give up lying and practising falsehood, God is in no need of his giving up food and water.”
 
That is the true purpose of the fast of Ramadan: to free the believer from the shackles of earthly life and lift him or her toward their Lord in piety and devotion. The fast of Ramadan teaches the believer that the only thing to which they should be bound, the only thing to which they should be “addicted,” the only thing upon which they should be dependent is God and He alone. And when one is bound to the Beloved, there is no greater freedom in this world.
 
Of course, if someone is sick, or is a pregnant or nursing mother, or must take medications to stay healthy, the fast of Ramadan does not apply. I routinely advise Muslim patients who have chronic conditions that must be treated that they should not fast. Yet, even these people can participate in the freedom that Ramadan brings: by feeding a poor person as a “ransom” for their not being able to fast. Thus, they can provide someone in need the freedom from want.
 
I won’t lie: fasting in August is hard…really hard. Yet, it is wonderful experience. And it teaches me that when I follow God’s commands – when I submit to His will – I am the most free I will ever be.

Reflecting on His Word: “How can you be ungrateful…”

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In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

Now that the fast of Ramadan has started, it is time for me to re-kindle my relationship with God’s Word. Muslims are encouraged to read the book of the Qur’an during the entire year, but most especially during Ramadan. I say this with a feeling of bittersweetness.

Sweet that I now, once again, delve into God’s Word and reflect over His Majesty on the printed page. At the same time, however, I am sad that – in the chaos of daily life – I have let that relationship fall by the wayside. I should be reflecting over His Word every day, but, alas, I have not.

Yet, that is the purpose of Ramadan: to allow ourselves to re-charge our spirituality after a year’s worth of rust and dust has built up. And it never ceases to amaze me how I can find so much time to do things when I am not concerned with eating and drinking; how much time there is to read the Qur’an and ponder over the Word of God when I am not busy stuffing my face full of food after coming home from work. It is one of the multitude of blessings of this month.

As I read through the first two chapters, this verse in particular stood out in my mind:

How can you be ungrateful (or deny God) when you were dead and He gave you life? Then He will cause you to die and bring you back to life again, and then unto Him you will be brought back. (2:28)

I have touched upon this verse multiple times, especially when it comes to talking about God’s love. For this verse, perhaps above all others, points to the unending love of God for us. And as I mentioned in my last post, the fast of Ramadan is truly all about God’s love.

Yet, still, it renders one speechless to think about the enormity of the Grace that God has shown us to give us life when we were dead. It is an enormous gift to be given life when we were nothing of note in this universe. It is an enormous blessing to be given life when we did nothing to God to warrant such a blessing.

Yet He gave us life anyway.

As a physician, I see every day the workings of the body’s machinery in action, constantly in motion to keep us healthy. Every organ and enzyme system works non-stop to keep the body’s chemistry in the tightest of ranges, so that we can be healthy. And it is God, in my belief, Who oversees these processes, and it is He who has originated these processes. All of this is the manifestation of His love for us.

Indeed, these processes can go awry, and it is through His grace that physicians like me have been given the honor and privilege to tend to the sick and help, through His power, make them feel better. There can be no greater honor for me than to be given someone’s complete trust in order to help them feel better. I thank God for that, and I never take it for granted. All of this is the manifestation of His love for us.

The very air we breathe; the water we drink (from which I am prevented for a time); the food we consume; the strength of our legs to keep us moving; the sight and hearing we utilize: all of this is God’s love for us. We are completely and totally enveloped in God’s love each and every day. And I love and bask in that light, live for its warmth, indulge in its sweetness.

Thus, I understand God’s question: “How can you be ungrateful when you were dead, and He gave you life?”

How can we use all of those gifts He bestowed upon us to disobey Him? How can we use the strength in our legs to walk towards those places He does not like? How can we use our sight and hearing to see and hear that which He does not like? How can we bask in the light of His love and then be ungrateful by not doing what He wants of us?

That is why I am fasting now: He has showered over me so much blessing and grace, that it is no big deal that I can’t eat or drink until 7:58 PM tonight. It’s no big deal if I am a little thirsty by the end of the day (I am rarely hungry during my Ramadan fast). It’s no big deal if I can’t have my cup of coffee during the day for the next month.

Now, of course, if I become sick or it will harm my health to fast, then I must not fast. But, thank God, I am OK, and so I am fasting. Indeed, I am grateful that I am able to fast, and I ask the Lord to bless me for it. Although it is indeed hard to fast these long days – I don’t deny it – at the same time, it is an honor for me to do so.

My Lord loves me, and this is one way I can show Him that I love Him back.