´óÏó´«Ã½

Good Morning

We have reached the end of Ramadan. 30 days of fasting from pre-dawn to sunset. In UK terms – that’s days of 19 plus hours of fasting, for an entire month.
Given I find fasting physically very demanding, I always breath a sigh of relief that I have survived the test.

Fasting for a complete day requires a certain solidness. Fasting for thirty days requires enormous fortitude, patience, and resilience. It is a commitment to God that requires us to set aside our most natural of desires, and instincts - to eat and to drink -  and instead bring them to surrender under The Merciful.

But we have reached the end of the blessed month, and it is a time to celebrate, yet strangely, despite how hard I find Ramadan, I will miss it– as I do every year.
I enjoy its focus, and its order.

I enjoy the feelings of blessings and closeness to The One.

And I will also miss the fact that during the month, we all try to be the best versions of ourselves. We strive to be kinder and more polite to each other. We try to set aside discord, and instead nourish harmony; to be more than we are.

But in truth, all of the things I love are achievable outside of Ramadan. The lessons of the month can sustain the seeker for an entire year if we are conscious. Indeed, all tests can improve us, and strengthen us if we are open to the lesson.

O Merciful Lord, allow us to learn from whatever trials you decree should be ours, and let us take that learning into our lives making them richer, and increase us in closeness to You. Ameen