The Ramadan Journey

The 9^th of August marked the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid. Across the world Muslims were celebrating Eid with their families and had a much needed feast after the month long fast. The actual end of Ramadan was supposed to be on the 8^th of August but due to unpleasant weather conditions in Cape Town the moon was not fully sighted. I for one was counting the days on my calendar and of course I got it wrong .The fast can end only after the crescent moon is sighted 
the moon was sighted on the 8^th and hence Eid was on the 9th.

During the month of Ramadan it was very hard to keep myself from eating food and drinking beverages (yes, including water) during the day, knowing very well that I had full access to them. When I woke up each morning, I would pray that God would not lead me into temptation. I also asked that those whom I knew would be blessed by what I was going through. Now Ramadan is not only about starving yourself, but also about keeping yourself away from all forms of temptation and impurity. It is a spiritual journey that leads one to getting closer to God and gain a better understanding of His word, better view of the world and yourself. Not only that but a test of faith. During my time of reflection, meditation and prayer there were a few topics that came to my attention.

1. 1.  Forgiveness:

One must not only forgive others but also themselves. I realized that my progress in life was hindered by me not forgiving myself and to some degree holding my faults against myself. I also began to search in my mind and think about all the people whom I have not forgiven and those that I have wronged. After this realization I made contact with those that needed to hear me tell them that they were forgiven.

1. 2.  Tolerance and acceptance

My levels of patience have never been so high than they were during the month. My mind was less concerned with the foolishness of others and less awe of the mistakes they made. I really didn't care about seeking the faults of others but rather vested myself in understanding the person behind the action. Being put out of my comfort zone pushed me into a state of making an effort to understand what the other person was going through.

1. 3.   Selflessness

The fast was definitely not all about me and what I was going through. I remembered a church service that I attended one Sunday morning and the message I received from that particular sermon highlighted that there will always be the poor among us and as people it is up to us not to turn a blind eye. Poverty is not only of wealth or money but also of the mind and social life.  

1. 4.   Humanity and humility

During the final week I attended a talk given by Professor Kramm, the dean of the natural sciences faculty at the University of Stellenbosch, who spoke of the role of Muslim student in the university. He said many profound things which deserve to be compiled in a separate blog post, the one thing I left reminded of was that the bottom line is humanity and humility, treating others as you would yourself. One should practice their religion within reason and not extremity because in that way we will be able to live cohesively no matter what religion we practice.

At the end of Ramadan, Muslim families gather together to celebrate Eid (The end of Ramadan). None of my family members practice Islam and I had no one to celebrate with. I however made a connection with Adli Peck, a Muslim student at the University of Stellenbosch and also the chair-person of the Islamic Society of the University of Stellenbosch who invited me to an Eid Supper on campus. Adli left the Eid celebrations with his family and traveled all the way from Cape Town to Stellenbosch, which is about 55 km away or about 1 hour's drive, just to provide an Eid supper for us. That was selfless and I am grateful for that. Oh and his mom’s cooking is BAWS!

That evening good food was served (finally), Muslim students came together, brethren enjoyed the end of Ramadan and most importantly I was in the company of people who had endured a similar spiritual journey. The days spent fasting brought many blessings and of course many challenges. I thank God for the patience, lessons, blessings, wisdom and courage he gave me. I am grateful to my friends (Mpho, Lesego and Allison) who joined me in the fast, my family who offered me support in the fast (despite Ramadan not being part of our religious or spiritual practices), ISUS, Adli and to you the reader of this blog post for allowing me to share The Ramadan journey with you.  

God bless you.