Ihsan

Friday, September 22, 2006

Ramadan


God has hidden from us the power to predict the actual appearance of the crescent moon on the first day. Even modern scientists admit this. Yet, we wish to fit God’s plans into our plans instead of fitting our plans into God’s plans.

Convenience store Islam is the Islam of the day, where we can buy a pre-packaged Islam that fits into our busy schedules.But Ramadan is God’s month; it is a time of slowing down and reflecting, of looking at our lives and questioning ourselves, “Are we in harmony with God’s creation. Are we bypassing signs right before our eyes?”

God has veiled Ramadan’s greatest night from us, and if He chooses to ask us to inconvenience ourselves just a little bit for His sake to seek out Ramadan’s onset, then praise be to God.

I find it altogether odd that a month that is meant to teach us patience and is called “the month of patience,” is no longer patiently waited for by eager Muslims to see what God has in store for them tonight or perhaps tomorrow night. I believe sighting the moon is an intended purpose of Ramadan.

It is indeed an act of worship, as the Prophet (pbuh) has clearly said, “The best of God’s servants are those who monitor the sun, crescents, and stars as a way of remembering God.” Every morning before dawn, the Prophet s would awaken, go out into the late night air, and look up in the heavens and recite the final verses of Al-Imran: “Surely in the creation and the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for people….” The signs are indeed clear for those who reflect.
-Hamza Yusuf

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