Blessings

Today was the last day of school before the mid-sem 2 break. It was an incredibly challenging day. I was so thirsty. More so than usual. My throat was completely parched. How I wished I could sip a drop of ice-cold water!

Today was the 24th day of Ramadan and you would have thought that I had the fasting routine down pat. My body has adjusted to it but certain days are just more challenging than others.

Somehow I survived. That's the amazing thing about Ramadan: You achieve things that you never thought possible. It reminds you of the fact that Allah is your Sustainer.

We Malaysians only fast for 13.5 hours. That's easy peasy compared to our brothers and sisters in the UK and US who have to fast for 17-19 hours (!). I really couldn't imagine how they could fast from 2 am until 9 pm for 30 continuous days in the heat of summer! MashaAllah! Could we do so if we were in their shoes?

I've been reading accounts of 14 Muslims from all over the globe (Pakistan, Brazil, France, USA, UAE, UK, Palestine & Kenya). They share what Ramadan means to them. The accounts are very fascinating. Do have a read of them yourselves.

Though we celebrate Ramadan in different parts of the world, there are certain things that are common to every culture.

Below are my favourite excerpts from the accounts and the things that I can relate to:

-"[Ramadan] demonstrates the capacity of each person to surpass normal limits". -Rachid Nekkaz, Paris, France-

We all can relate to this. Like I had mentioned before, despite the adversities, we all survived somehow. It's amazing. We realise how we are far stronger than we thought, both physically and mentally. And at the end of the day, our Iman is greatly strengthen by the whole exercise (inshaAllah).

-"As clichéd as it may sound, Ramadan to me is a time to spend with family. It’s the only month in the year where my parents, siblings and I eat together (we have different work schedules during the rest of the year which makes it difficult to share meals). So during Ramadan I cherish these moments and I have been feeling more strongly about this the older I get." -Hind Mezaina, Dubai, UAE-

I love breaking fast with all the members of my family! We don't get to this often because of everyone's work commitments. But last weekend when we did managed to have all 8 people sitting on the same table, it was really nice. We felt really blessed.

-"[Ramadan brings forth] many fruits; the poor are fed and the orphans clothed, worshippers flood the mosques and the whole town blossoms with goodness." -Mohamed Azhar, Ayub Mombasa, Kenya-

We automatically become the best version of ourselves during Ramadan. We are more conscientious about our prayers, we give to charity more, we are kinder to people, etc. Ramadan truly is the Month of Blessings!

-"We are always a little nostalgic when [Ramadan]'s over." -Mariame Tighanimine, Paris, France-

-"Ramadan, I feel, proves to us that if we sincerely wish it, we can bring the change to our lives that we as Muslims desire – the ability to balance worship with work, carrying on with our everyday activities but altering them in a way to fulfil our spiritual duties in a deeper manner. Despite the difficulties it poses, we long for the month of Ramadan to return and bless our lives." -Mohamed Azhar, Ayub Mombasa, Kenya-

*sigh* 6 days of Ramadan left and you start to feel that tinge of sadness. You reflect on your unfulfilled Ramadan Resolutions and regret not having utilised the month optimally. You fervently hope you will experience Ramadan again next year.