Ramadan: A rigorous course for a noble code

Wherever there is religion and spirituality, one will essentially find fasting as a revered belief and practice in one form or the other. I hail from Moodabidri, also known asJain Kashi'. Many of my friends happen to be Jains. I often find many beliefs and rituals in their religion entirely alien to mine. When it comes to fasting however, I notice numerous factors surprisingly similar between Jainism and Islam. In their religious discourses and their literature, they so often associate concepts such as self control, self purification, compensating for ones sins etc. with fasting, I feel they are in competition with our vociferous advocates of Islam, enthusiastically enumerating the spiritual, social and even medical benefits of Islamic fasting. I was not surprised when a close Jain associate of mine claimed, pointing towards these similarities that Islam has borrowed the concept of fasting from Jainism. He was being kind to me by avoiding some harsh words such as stealth or plagiarism. I had to surprise him by showing how, while proclaiming fasting as compulsory on Muslims, the Qur'an does acknowledge that fasting as a religious practice did exist even before the revelation of the holy Qur'an.

"O you who believe, fasting is decreed for you, as it was decreed for those before you, that you may attain salvation." Qur'an 2:183

The reason for such repetition of the same practice in religious streams of varying times is obvious. When all these streams of religion originate from one God, there must naturally be many features common between them. God is indeed capable of maintaining a healthy level of unity between various streams of faith initiated by Him, without having to sacrifice diversity between them. He has His own stock of methods to manifest His creative skills.

One may therefore safely proclaim that rather than being a unique feature of Islam, fasting is a feature common between religions and hence it should be looked at as a bridge between faiths. An inquisitive glance over the position of fasting in religions as divergent as Brahminism, Buddhism, Judaism and Christianity will only reaffirm this claim.

Ramadan is the 9th month in the Arabic, Islamic, Lunar calendar. It was during this month that the grand process of revelation of Qur'an was commenced. It is not an accident that its followers were ordained to fast every year during the same month. There is a deep affinity between Ramadan, Qur'an and fasting. Those who look at Qur'an as a book of mere sermons and rituals might fail to comprehend this and are likely to find it enigmatic. Those who have studied Qur'an however, know it as a book that offers a magnificent worldview. Qur'an looks at human life neither as an accident nor as a reward or punishment. It views life as an opportunity offered to Man to prove his worth.

"[It is He] who created death and life to test which of you is best in conduct; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving." Qur'an 67:2

"Surely I have created all that is on earth as its ornaments, that I may test which of them is best in conduct." Qur'an 18:7

Qur'an vehemently refutes the notion that there is no particular purpose behind human existence.

"Do you think We created you for nothing and that you will not return to Us?"  Qur'an 23:115

In Qur'an we find God being introduced not only as the Unique Creator of the Universe but also as the Benevolent Entity who constantly monitors human life, records each activity of every human being and will one day reward each of them as per his merit.

"Whoever has done an atom's weight of good shall see it and whoever has done an atom's weight of evil shall also see it." Qur'an 99: 7,8

"...Verily the ear, the eye and the heart - each shall be questioned." Qur'an 17:36

Qur'an presents a comprehensive code of conduct, a code of ethics and standards or a code of Dos and Donts to the individual and to the society as well. It is generally a simple and pragmatic code that covers the entire realm of human life. But, to strictly follow any code throughout one's life time is quite a formidable task. That requires sustained and rigorous practice and training.

When a code is in harmony with ones inner logic and rationale, and one's own self, any average mortal can easily adhere to such a code. The challenge however arises when the requirements of the code run into conflict with the immediate pleasures and benefits, wishes of the society or with the dictates of one's own self. Saying a resolute 'No' to the self when it dictates something prohibited in the code is the toughest of all tasks.

Qur'an offers basically two sets of courses to its followers in order to train them and thereby enable them to adhere to the code of conduct mentioned above. While 'Salah' or congregational prayers 5 times a day, throughout the year, is the primary course, fasting during all the days of the month of Ramadan is the supplementary course.

During fasting, one is expected to voluntarily keep away from many things and acts that are otherwise lawful. Such sustained and conscious abstinence from lawful things is meant to strengthen his ability to abstain from unlawful things when he comes across them in real life. Significantly, Qur'an does not teach Man to treat his own self as an enemy per say. It does not ask Man to blindly suppress the self. In fact it warns him to protect himself against only the evil potentials of the self. According to Qur'an there are three principal dimensions to 'Nafs' or the self and only one of them is negative or evil. Qur'an warns Man to be vigilant against this particular dimension of the Self. It commands him to purify the self, to tame it and to constantly filter each of its commands.

Fasting is not all about abstaining from intake of food and drinks. Prophet Muhammad (phuh) once said: Allah does not need a person to give up eating and drinking, if his fast does not prevent him from telling lies and acting upon them."

Even a glance at some of the commands found in the code prescribed by Qur'an will convince anybody that a regular and rigorous course of preparation and training is essential to enable a person to really follow this code in its entirety. The following is only a very brief summary of the code of conduct envisaged in the Qur'an:

Any person who fasts, honestly, being fully aware of its nature and purpose is bound to experience his proximity with his Lord. His God no longer remains a dogmatic existence resting on a far off Divine throne. His resolve to abide by the divinely prescribed code of conduct multiplies in strength. With his rebellious ego tamed, he finds it easier to say 'NO' to the evil dictates of his self. The proclamation he makes in each of his prayer - "Surely my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my death are for the sake of Allah, the Lord of  all the worlds" (Qur'an 6:162) - no longer remains a routine formality. His wishes and preferences get harmonised with the wishes of God.

It is a common and universal human experience that when we do a virtuous deed, the next such deed becomes easier. For a Muslim Qur'an is always the guide to his life. The Qur'anic code of conduct is always his companion. The month of Ramadan and the training course he undergoes during this month leads him to truly submit himself before God. That exactly is what is meant by becoming a 'Muslim' in the true sense of the word.

The author is a well-known writer, speaker, thinker, and a senior journalist from Karnataka. He is the Editor-in-chief ofVarthabharathi' Kannada daily newspaper headquartered in Mangalore. He has authored and translated several books in English and Kannada.Kannadalli Qur'an Anuvada', the translation of the meaning of the holy Qur'an in common man's Kannada, has been considered as Mr Puthige's magnum opus.