Every act of worship in Islam was legislated for a purpose. Allah is Al-Hakeem (Most Wise), and therefore He only obligates us to do things which are beneficial for us and serve a higher purpose. When you read the Quran with an investigative mind, you will notice that every time the topic of fasting or Ramadan is brought up, Allah doesn’t just tell us what to do but why we should do it.
“O you who believe! Fasting is obligated for you just as it was made obligatory for those beforeyou, so that you can increase in taqwa.” (Quran 2:183)
Notice that in this verse, Allah informs us that fasting is obligatory but He doesn’t stop there. Allah then informs us of the purpose of fasting, i.e. to increase our taqwa (consciousness of Allah). Two verses later, Allah informs us of other laws related to Ramadan and their reasons too:
“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, as a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey – then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to
If we enter Ramadan with these goals and objectives clear in our minds, then we will be able to maximize our benefits from Ramadan. We can transform our experience from ritual into a life changing month and emerge from Ramadan as better Muslims. From the above, we can summarize the goals of Ramadan as follows:
1. Increasing our taqwa
2. Understanding and benefitting from the guidance of the Quran
3. Experiencing the ease and mercy of Islam
4. Appreciating all of Allah’s blessings upon us
Focus on these four goals this Ramadan and you will experience a life changing transformation, and that is what Ramadan is all about.