Ramazan, the month of self-control and control of negative emotionsBy –AHMED NOOR
Humans, like animals, have emotions. They may be pleasant such as joy or unpleasant such as anger. During the Ramazan, Muslims attempt to adopt pleasant emotions and reorient themselves towards being better humans. They try to keep away worldly pleasures and passions and desires.
It is the special prayers designed to develop in man the ability to exercise self-restraint and patience for the pleasure of Allah, man's Creator. ‘Prayer restrains one from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of God is the greatest thing in life, without doubt’. (The holy Quran). Its objective is to give man the power to keep in check his unruly desires and tendencies that make him prone to greed, revenge, anger, provocation and fear; that make him commit various sins, acts of aggression, cruelty and oppression.
When a Muslim observes fast, he is able to control his two most basic urges namely the digestive and the reproductive, it becomes easier to contain the others. Fasting however is not merely about avoiding food and drink; it is also about building your character. “Make your character good for the people.“ said Prophet Muhammad (PBHU). A Muslim is advised to practice strict control over those destructive emotions, and to repent if they influenced deeds or attitudes towards others. To do so, one is expected to maintain strong ties with God, and to draw strength and support from Him at all times. Said the Prophet, “Strong is not the one who overcomes people by his strength, but he who controls himself while in anger.” Muslims are asked to adopt forgiveness because forgiveness is the attribute of the strong not the weak. Anger comes when ego hurts. Unless one let go of the ego one will not able to let go of anger. The source of all misery, anger, anguish and envy is hidden in one’ ego. And fasting is an act of liberation from ego.
Eventually to fast means to learn individually and collectively to give, to resist and to serve. Fasting Muslims can really sympathize with the starving people everywhere in the world and see the hardship that they go through every day of their lives. A fasting person has feelings of sympathy for the poor. The Prophet Muhammad (s) said: “There is reward for kindness to every living thing.”
The sense of compassion springs from the feeling of pain. Fasting helps in rearranging the mind-from chaos to order, from psychic anarchy to psychic harmony.
Muslim is directed to check inordinate desires. Inordinate desires create greed, greed creates competition and competition creates jealousy. One things leads to another, and we go on falling into the mess, into the turmoil of the inner world. The fourth Calipha of Islam Hazart Ali said ‘One who rushes madly after inordinate desire, runs the risk of encountering destruction and death. ------The best kind of wealth is to give up inordinate desires.’
Patience is a virtue.Islam ordains Muslim to observe patience. ‘For the sake of thy Lord, be patient!’ (The Holy Quran). One can achieve more by patience than with talent. A man who is master of patience is master of everything else. Patience is a plaster for all sores. ‘Therefore do they hold patience, a patience of beautiful (contentment)’ said in The Holy Quran.
To train yourself to abstain from the essentials of life is not an easy act. It needs a strong personality to dictate self-control, self-discipline and self-restraint. Fasting develops self-control and helps Muslims overcome negative emotions which are harmful to an individual as well as the whole society. To control destructive emotions means to replace positive emotions like love, forgiveness, patience and generosity. Ramazan month practices all these things. It is an annual training program to refresh Muslims for carrying out their duties towards God.
Humans, like animals, have emotions. They may be pleasant such as joy or unpleasant such as anger. During the Ramazan, Muslims attempt to adopt pleasant emotions and reorient themselves towards being better humans. They try to keep away worldly pleasures and passions and desires.
It is the special prayers designed to develop in man the ability to exercise self-restraint and patience for the pleasure of Allah, man's Creator. ‘Prayer restrains one from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of God is the greatest thing in life, without doubt’. (The holy Quran). Its objective is to give man the power to keep in check his unruly desires and tendencies that make him prone to greed, revenge, anger, provocation and fear; that make him commit various sins, acts of aggression, cruelty and oppression.
When a Muslim observes fast, he is able to control his two most basic urges namely the digestive and the reproductive, it becomes easier to contain the others. Fasting however is not merely about avoiding food and drink; it is also about building your character. “Make your character good for the people.“ said Prophet Muhammad (PBHU). A Muslim is advised to practice strict control over those destructive emotions, and to repent if they influenced deeds or attitudes towards others. To do so, one is expected to maintain strong ties with God, and to draw strength and support from Him at all times. Said the Prophet, “Strong is not the one who overcomes people by his strength, but he who controls himself while in anger.” Muslims are asked to adopt forgiveness because forgiveness is the attribute of the strong not the weak. Anger comes when ego hurts. Unless one let go of the ego one will not able to let go of anger. The source of all misery, anger, anguish and envy is hidden in one’ ego. And fasting is an act of liberation from ego.
Eventually to fast means to learn individually and collectively to give, to resist and to serve. Fasting Muslims can really sympathize with the starving people everywhere in the world and see the hardship that they go through every day of their lives. A fasting person has feelings of sympathy for the poor. The Prophet Muhammad (s) said: “There is reward for kindness to every living thing.”
The sense of compassion springs from the feeling of pain. Fasting helps in rearranging the mind-from chaos to order, from psychic anarchy to psychic harmony.
Muslim is directed to check inordinate desires. Inordinate desires create greed, greed creates competition and competition creates jealousy. One things leads to another, and we go on falling into the mess, into the turmoil of the inner world. The fourth Calipha of Islam Hazart Ali said ‘One who rushes madly after inordinate desire, runs the risk of encountering destruction and death. ------The best kind of wealth is to give up inordinate desires.’
Patience is a virtue.Islam ordains Muslim to observe patience. ‘For the sake of thy Lord, be patient!’ (The Holy Quran). One can achieve more by patience than with talent. A man who is master of patience is master of everything else. Patience is a plaster for all sores. ‘Therefore do they hold patience, a patience of beautiful (contentment)’ said in The Holy Quran.
To train yourself to abstain from the essentials of life is not an easy act. It needs a strong personality to dictate self-control, self-discipline and self-restraint. Fasting develops self-control and helps Muslims overcome negative emotions which are harmful to an individual as well as the whole society. To control destructive emotions means to replace positive emotions like love, forgiveness, patience and generosity. Ramazan month practices all these things. It is an annual training program to refresh Muslims for carrying out their duties towards God.
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