Ramadan Spiritual Stimulus Package
By Deanna Othman
As the economy continues to sputter along, and we constantly hear about the vast number of Americans suffering from a depletion of financial resources, we tend to quantify any sort of progress we, or our nation, have made in terms of numbers. Are we making money? Saving money? Do we owe money? How does one cope with this sometimes dizzying mess of concerns? In this age, the self-restraint embodied by and enforced during Ramadan truly takes on a new significance.
 We tend to hear the same clichés every year: Ramadan is the time to recharge your batteries. Rev up your engines. Get yourself out of that spiritual slump and move forward. As we witness so many lives thrown into a shambles as a result of material losses, this Ramadan we must reflect on how Islam not only promotes the values of moderation, self-discipline, and sympathy for the needy, but in essence forces us to acknowledge and internalize these principles by allowing us to experience them through fasting.
Depriving ourselves of food provides us with a glimpse into the lives of the hungry and calls attention to the inequities in the world, hopefully teaching us the dangers of over-indulgence. Fasting serves as our annual spiritual stimulus package, at no cost to taxpayers. Though our President pumped billions of dollars into the economy to galvanize financial growth and expansion due to the gluttony of Wall Street, we conversely deprive our bodies of food and worldly pleasures to invigorate our spirits and rekindle our relationship to our Creator.
Coping with financial difficulty takes on a new meaning this month. Maybe that literally means cutting back on the nachos you buy each night after taraweeh, or devoting a larger portion of your wealth to sadaqa for Allah’s sake, or turning to Allah instead of others to help you deal with a difficulty that has surfaced in your life. Regardless of your issue, remember the time you put in for Allah this month is an investment in your afterlife; it is an investment that will never default. |