By Shafeeka Basheer
WE are now in the midst of the wonderful month of the year. Ramadan is not only about abstaining from eating, drinking and other worldly desires from sunrise to sunset, it is also about reminding us to check if we need any changes in our behavior and personality.
Being modest
Modesty is not only about dressing well in public; it’s about being humble, polite and gracious.
These days, people who are prestigious and show off outside seem to be more attractive than people who remain calm and composed in nature. Modesty is reflected in the way we present ourselves and how we treat others.
Let’s treat others the way we would like to be treated.
Allah does not like those who are proud and have a big ego. When ego rises, modesty falls. Whatever success Allah has given you in life, be thankful and happy. Remember he can take it back in the blink of an eye. Do not take benefits for granted and boast about your family, your accomplishment and your wealth in social media. Allah doesn’t like those who are proud. So be thankful and be modest.
To forgive and forget
Forgiveness is not an easy task. It takes a strong soul to forgive someone from the bottom of one’s heart. Ramadan is the best month to seek forgiveness, to apologize or to confess anything to anyone.
Forgiving someone is not for the other person’s sake, it’s for our own mental comfort. Instead of letting anger and a grudge grow inside us, why not forgive someone and forget the past?
It’s a noble attitude to pray to Almighty for the person with whom we have quarreled or with whom any misunderstanding has occurred. Life becomes easier if we practice the habit of forgiving.
Gossiping and loose talk
I admit that in the era of booming social media channels such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, we cannot seem to keep our mouths shut and ears closed. We often feel our opinion matters and that we know everything. Many of us engage in gossip even without knowing it.
It can be about any friend, companion or any family member. Although it can be unintentional, words flow through our mouth as though we know everything. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an to stay away from backbiting, gossiping and mocking conversations.
How can we stay away from gossip? Before we speak, think twice about whether what we are sharing about the third party is right, if it will have a positive or negative effect and if it will hurt the concerned party and spoil goodwill.
Intentions should be pure, rational
We pray to the Almighty, donate to the poor and needy, perform our pilgrimage, help others when in need and so on. All of these actions are based on some intentions.
How do we know if our intentions are pure? If our thoughts and actions are to gain popularity and public image, then we are wrong. If we are trying to impress people to get fame and increase our pride, then we need to purify our intentions. Remember, the recognition that we get from the people around us is nothing in front of Allah. Do good deeds from the heart and not from a wicked mind.
Care for parents, elders at home
In the hustle and bustle life of today, we often forget to express our gratitude and concern to our parents, elder brothers, sisters, uncles and aunts without whom we would not have become what we are today. Do not wait for mother’s day and father’s day to buy gifts for your parents or elders. Spend time with them, talk to them, listen to their past memories, pray with them and make them feel secure. In this busy life, we often forget to talk to people in the family and time overtakes us. But we have time to spend hours on WhatAapp and Facebook texting to new acquaintances.
Make this Ramadan a great opportunity to reconnect with family members and create positive vibrations at home. Take a few minutes in each day to reach out to your near and dear ones.
Praying for others
We often get a request from people to pray for them, especially when we go to Umrah, but do we pray for all of them? When we pray for others in Ramadan, we get double fold benefits. So make it a habit to pray for your kith and kin. Pray even for the people who have a grudge against you; it brings you rewards. Pray for the people who suffer and are oppressed. If you want Allah to be merciful to you, be merciful to others.
Keep social media away
|Although being disconnected from social media is hard nowadays, we can make an effort to stay away from it as long as possible. Social media applications like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and Instagram are not a replacement for life. It is difficult to be offline, but at least we can try in Ramadan. Put the phone down and try to spend time with the people around you. Do not think that you can multitask by operating the phone why you listen to your spouse or children.
Ramadan is the time for thought, action and change. Let’s utilize these holy days to uplift our spirit, ignite our minds, create universal brotherhood and bring about a better world.
