USA: Ramadan fast in summer brings challenges and rewards

"I just didn't understand what people were so focused on. They were running to this, they were running to that, trying to make a living. You realize that there's a whole different world, a spiritual world, that is so much a part of our lives that we get out of touch with."

Baitur Rehman Ahmadiyya Muslim Mosque, Silver Spring, MD
Photo: AlIslam.Org

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Partial
Source/Credit: Fredrick News-Post
By Blair Ames | July 30, 2011

Becoming more spiritually awakened is the purpose behind Ramadan, said Anser Ahmad, president of the Potomac and Frederick chapters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

"The keeping of a fast is much more than the physical exercise of not eating," he said.

Most Muslims that have completed the fast during Ramadan become more awake spiritually, have a better connection with their creator, and more sympathy for humanity, he said.

Preparing to fast


Now in his 40s, Ahmad has been fasting during Ramadan since he turned 18.

Fasting teaches a human to be disciplined, he said.

"If you can stop yourself from eating, which is your most basic need for you to survive ... then what God is telling you is, on your own will, you've been able to resist this, you can certainly resist the lesser temptations or other desires you might have," he said.

As someone who works out and bikes a couple of days a week, Ahmad said Ramadan certainly presents challenges for him in trying to stay fit. He plans to exercise immediately after sunrise or right before the fast breaks at sundown so he doesn't have a long break between drinking water, but some Muslims forgo exercising during the month.

"If you're an active person, it is a challenge in that aspect," he said. "But I've always found that I never felt like I couldn't recover from it or it was so taxing. If anything, I trimmed any fat I'd collected."

In the month leading up to the fast, Ahmad said he doesn't fast for any amount of time to prepare himself for Ramadan.

"After a certain age, when you've been doing it for a certain number of years and you realize the day the fast begins, automatically your body gets into that mode," he said.

Some Muslims do perform a two-week fast during the first two weeks of Sha'ban, the month before Ramadan, Raza said.

LAST 10 DAYS

Ihtikaf is the last 10 days of Ramadan, where some Muslims live in the mosque, spending much of their time eating, praying and studying the Quran. They catch up on sleep between their afternoon prayers.

"That was an amazing experience," said Ahmad, who did it two years ago. "It's basically taking the fast to another level because not only are you fasting ... but you're also giving up all connections with the rest of the world."

Stepping out of the mosque after Ihtikaf, Ahmad felt like he was going in slow motion, while the world was speeding by.

"I just didn't understand what people were so focused on," he said. "They were running to this, they were running to that, trying to make a living. You realize that there's a whole different world, a spiritual world, that is so much a part of our lives that we get out of touch with."

About 40 people -- 20 men and 20 women -- will spend Ihtikaf in the Ahmadiyya mosque in Silver Spring this year, he said.

The end of Ramadan is celebrated with the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, but when Ramadan ends isn't the same day for all Muslims.

Some believe the fast is over when they see the moon on the 30th night or thereafter, but others use a calculated method, knowing that Ramadan will last for only 30 days. For those who believe that they must see the moon to end Ramadan, even if the sky is overcast and the moon cannot be seen, the fast continues for however many days it takes until they can see the moon.


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