Criminology teacher and Governor Asma Jahan gives us an insight into what Ramadan is about.
Ramadan at The Henley College
"In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"
As we are ending the Month of Ramadan, I wanted to reflect back and try to give an overview of what this holy month meant for me. My purpose was to share my experience and offering my inspirational take on this Reflective month.
I have picked my favourite Author A. Helwa’s book ‘Secrets of Divine Love’ and make an attempt to facilitate the understanding of Ramadan.
Ramadan is a sacred month of the Islamic Calendar, it is a month to break away from the norm, do things differently in order to attain a state of consciousness.
Muslims spend the entire month of Ramadan in a state of self-purification abstaining from the worldly desires from dawn until sundown.
Fasting is not about losing body weight, its about learning to detach from our ego that weighs us down.
Ramadan is not a short-term behaviour modification; Ramadan is meant to be the dawn that leads to the creation of a new day.
Part of the purpose of Ramadan is to reset patterns in our lives that are no longer serving us to create new possibilities.
Since as human beings we are forgetful, having a month-long period of self-reflection is a powerful way of reminding us what is most important in life.
Despite the hardships that are endured, for many Muslims, the month of Ramadan is one of the most joyful periods of the year. During Ramadan we spend more time doing what we were created to do- worshipping God, serving the poor, restraining our ego, seeking to reflect more of God’s qualities of Love, and being in community which results in us being more fulfilled and content.
The purpose of Ramadan is to help us face our hearts in a deeper way, cultivate God-consciousness and learn self-restraint.
Ramadan is a month of forgiveness and guidance for the anxious mind, for the broken heart, and for soul seeking to be healed, it has just done that for me.
I am grateful to God, for giving me the opportunity to express my love and gratitude to The Henley College Community.
Kul am wa antum bikhair (Arabic Transliteration)
Wishing you blessings throughout the year (Translation)
