SOBUR || Ọmọ Afáríogun@TheSoburMS
Most people (including many Muslims) still don’t get the concept of Ramadan fasting at all… at all o.
The funniest thing is that “hunger (food abstinence) is the least of all the constraints and restraints that come with Ramadan.
1. The first most obvious and strenuous struggle is thirst.
You’d think 13+ hours of thirst is a joke until you embark on it. And this isn’t even about the oral craving of liquid alone, but the extreme physiological demand for fluid.
Easiest way to dehydration, headaches, dizziness, and generalized fatigue.
2. There are tons of other restrictions, especially abstinence from every form of distractive pleasure.
Naturally, you would feel like playing games, listening to music, watching movies, and all should help you while away time. Unfortunately, there are strong restrictions against these things for Muslims fasting Ramadan. In fact, if we were upright enough, no fasting Muslim should staying online scrolling and wasting their Ajr (reward) and time while fasting.
Now, imagine being extremely dehydrated, bored and fatigued, yet you have to restrict from every form of rewardless activities for 13+ hours.
3. Fasting Ramadan is useless without keeping all other pillars of faith. While fasting, no matter how tired you get, you must pray your five daily Salah at the right time.
You are also expected to engage in a lot of rewarding activities like Nawaafil, charity, Tilaawah, Adhkaar… Imagine you’re reciting the Quran with a dried throat, dehydrated body, weary eyes and heavy head.
4. Fasting Ramadan is not an excuse for idleness.
If you have an active job or business, you are expected to actively participate in your means of livelihood.
Now, you’re dehydrated, fatigued, bored, and have to show up to work in the sun or under stressful conditions.
5. Fasting Ramadan is COMPULSORY on every adult, sane, healthy Muslim (except some excluded groups) without any compromise.
Meaning, for 30 days consecutively, you have to rinse and repeat. No excuses. No voluntary breaks.
6. Ramadan is not just food abstinence during the day. It is also the observance of Taraaweh at late night, early rising before dawn for Tahajjud and Suhoor, keeping abstinent during the day, keeping steadfast in worship throughout the month.
You MUST observe all these for 29/30 CONSECUTIVE days without compromise.
Even if you managed to endure a single day of all these, come back after 30 days of such steadfastness and repeat that Ramadan is just you “skipping lunch”.
7. Finally, the Quran already tipped us off: the kuffs will never agree with us, and we are very okay with it.
If you still find this lenient and cheap compared to your own religion fasts… Alhamdulillah, and congratulations to us — our own Lord and Creator doesn’t ask for more, and we appreciate His mercy and benevolence on us (for giving us an easy way), and we will keep striving ONLY for His mercy, and not your validations.
Alhamdulillahi Robbi l-‘Aalameen. 🤲❤️😎
Eid Mubarak in advance, Muslim Ummah. 🎁🎊