For many people, the way we define or perceive something has everything to do with the lens through which it was filtered before it ever reached us. But every now and again, what deserves our attention is not the interpretation—but the origin, and ONLY that.
So what is Ramadan for most people?
Is its meaning lessened for those who do not practice the religion of Islam?
Should it simply be viewed through the lens of fasting alone?
Do these aspects work together as vital and necessary counterparts to a greater process, or have we all been missing “it” all along—choosing instead the comfort of saying, “it is what it is”? After all, that phrase tends to surface when we’re left feeling as though we’ve done too much… or not enough.
For a Muslim, it is understood that the fast of one who is not a believer does not benefit them. Allah is not in need of the servant, nor any of the creation—all of which are subservient to Him. In fact, Allah does not want, need, or accept the fast of even a believer who, “for His sake,” refuses to fast from foul language or foul subject matter during daylight hours—let alone for the entirety of the month of Ramadan.
Because the FACT is this: Ramadan is so much deeper. Many things intertwine to make this 9th month of the Islamic calendar such a beautiful time for humanity. And still—Allah forgives whomever He wills.
So let us not make Ramadan a subject that becomes divisive.
This is difficult for me to say, because recently I told a close friend that I loved him for the sake of Allah. He responded that he had to “settle” for that, because in regard to me, he loved me for so many things. Through his lens, the sake of Allah held no meaning. For me, it held everything.
You see, a newborn has an innate nature that is not taught, nor viewed through any lens.
It is simply known.
Just as a sea turtle buries its eggs in the sand, and once they hatch, those turtles instinctively dash toward the water—IMMEDIATELY. A newborn grips your finger so tightly you’d swear it was taught. Whether given a bottle or a woman’s breast, the newborn innately knows how to suck and drink for nourishment. When crying, the infant often calms almost instantly when their mother touches them and pulls them closer.
A newborn can distinguish voices, touch, caress, smell—even silence. Or more importantly: silence and safety.
That innate nature is something scientists cannot trace to an origin, no matter how many experiments they conduct. And whether one is a believer or not, there is something innately felt, innately familiar, and innately relatable about a fast—or the fasting person.
The innate nature of an infant already knows there is a higher presence, force, or form of existence. These awarenesses are only heightened or diluted by the lenses through which life is filtered from that point forward.
The innate nature knows.
Just as you know—whether it be King David, Ramadan, fasting by choice, or fasting for health reasons—your innate nature recognizes fasting as sacred, cleansing, calming, effective, positive, and ultimately liberating.
A Muslim refrains from participating in other forms of fasting not because the act itself is challenged, but because of what has been abrogated through revealed text. And still, we know—because innately, it is felt like no other feeling. EVER. It is intimate. The very thought of it can bring tears to the eyes of a believer.
Because in the end, the fast is not about anything—or anyone—else.
It is not done to gain praise from mankind or recognition from any other form of existence. No one truly knows whether you have REALLY AND TRULY completed this beautiful act except the Originator of innate nature Himself. That is what makes it so sacred. That is why it is so deeply loved by those who partake in it.
Allah knows when it was truly done.
You’ve heard the saying: Who are you when no one is watching?
Who is the person you present to the world—and who are you when you are alone?
Do you show people the same version of yourself in solitude as you do in public?
Are your principles and morals consistent?
Is your message the same?
Does GOD mean the same to you then?
Do you pray then—or only when people can see you?
So what does RAMADAN mean?
The answer may vary for many reasons. But as I felt in that moment with my friend, I believe something done FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH will always mean more than something done for any other reason.
So please—allow the fast to be the conversation you have with yourself when no one else is around to listen… except you and the Originator of innate.