Muslims across the world will soon be welcoming the blessed month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin on Monday 11 or Tuesday 12 March depending upon sighting of the moon. The month of Ramadan is the holiest time in the year for Muslims.
Apart from abstaining from food and drink during daylight hours, the higher purpose is to go above and beyond – bond with other human beings, empathise with those who are less fortunate, give to charity, perform good deeds and increase in worship to benefit from the mercy and forgiveness.
The cost-of-living crisis has brought great hardship for many people, but it has also spurred acts of kindness and compassion and seen many of us reconsider what is truly important in our lives. These moments of generosity and spiritual reflection represent the core values of Ramadan and show us that even during a crisis, there is an opportunity for progress and self-improvement.
Giving to those less fortunate is another key part of Ramadan as one of the pillars of Islam is zakat, a religious obligation to give 2.5% of your disposal income to charity. Many Muslims choose to give their zakat during Ramadan. The Muslim Charities Forum has estimated that British Muslims collectively give over £100million to charity in Ramadan alone.
I hope we can also make this Ramadan about building stronger relations with our neighbours and the wider community. So let us make sure we open our homes and our Mosques to feed not only our Muslim brothers and sisters but also invite the wider non-Muslim community to share this blessed month with us. Ramadan can be used as an opportunity to change the negative perceptions around Islam and Muslims by sharing the goodness of this month with those around us.
Ramadan is not just about you and God and your plate. It’s about you and others. Doors must be kept open, friendships must be rekindled, family ties must be rejuvenated.
When people from different faiths and backgrounds get together to share – whether it’s sharing beliefs, sharing ideas, sharing food – that’s the best way to break down barriers, to understand your fellow man, to fight prejudice, stereotyping and bigotry.
I will be spending the first two weeks of Ramadan in the holiest cities of Mecca and Medina to perform Umrah. Umrah is a minor pilgrimage which is believed to carry the same reward as Hajj (the main pilgrimage that all Muslims aim to do at least once in their lifetime if they can depend on their finances and their health) when performed in the holy month.
Ramadan Mubarak to all who will be observing the holy month of fasting.
Dr Javed Bashir is a Lecturer in Policing at Leeds Trinity University.