Ramadan: Holy Month of Fasting..A Reminder.

As-Salaam alaikum,
 The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, in the lunar month of Ramadan on the mysterious Night of Power... Laylatul Qadr... said to be ''greater than a thousand months'' (97:3)  To celebrate the miracle of the Qur'an, Muslims spend the entire month of Ramadan in a state of self-purification, abstaining from food, drinking, smoking and sex from dawn until sundown.

 Fasting is not all about losing body weight but more about losing weight of our/your sins and learning to detach from the ego that weighs us down... as in the month of Ramadan, we are called to use the polish of prayer, the chisel of fasting and the cleanser of charity to break the veils of separation between us and Allah. The ultimate purpose of fasting is to remove everything between you and Allah through a practice of physical, emotional and spiritual detoxification..as hinted in ayat 183 of Surah Baqra:--

           ''Fasting is prescribed for you as was prescribed for those before
               you, that you might remain God-Conscious''. (2:183)

As we fast in Ramadan, let us ponder that just as we empty our stomachs of food for several hours during the day, we also are called to empty all our senses from everything that does not bring us closer to Allah, Jallah-Jalalahu.. because when we witness Allah in everything, every action becomes prayer, every moment becomes worship and every person, place and thing points back to Allah. The Prophet, alaihi Salaat Was-salaam, said:--

      ''In each night of Ramadan, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, exempts 600,000
         people from Hell and when the last night of Ramadan comes, He exempts
        as many people from Hell as He has exempted in the entire month up till
       that night.'' (At-Targeeb wa At-Tarheeb)

Allahu Akabar!!  What a flood of Forgiveness!! May we be among those to be so forgiven, ameen.