For new Muslims, it can be very challenging to spend Ramadan alone or in isolation.
With the current situation wherein everyone must abide to the protocol of just staying home, I began to remember the past Ramadans I had to spend alone or when I was in my home-country where I was the only Muslim in the family and within the community.
In the beginning of it, I will be very honest, it was tough for me. I felt I was losing hope at that time and had asked myself, why am I in this by myself? Had I chosen the correct path? Or Did I just choose something to have difficulty in the life?
Imagine fasting alone, praying alone, and everyone around you were all doing something different and wouldn’t even give the slightest interest and care about the worship you’re doing.
On the other side of my brain, Alhamdulillah, came also the thought of why did I became Muslim in the first place? And for whose sake am I doing that worship for? Only for Allah.
The strength indeed can only come from Allah. I remember in every sujood I made at that time I was always asking Allah for support and to just make my heart firm in the religion.
When Allah had honored me to be Muslim, I wasn’t with anyone, not with any family and not with a community. So I basically don’t need anyone to have a very meaningful and solemn Ramadan. The love and light of Allah is more than enough to get me through the holy month.
Alhamdulillah, when my perspective shifted at that, everything else fell into the right place. I became more focused on my worship, I enjoyed reading Quran and had felt its impact in my heart, I had completed praying Tahajjud the entire month, some non Muslim family members started to wake up early to help prepare my food for suhoor. And the days had been lightened and were made easy for me. Alhamdulillah.
Muslims from birth or new Muslims, in the eyes of Allah we are all the same. As we all came to submit ourselves and worship Him alone, we will only differ in the degree of how pure our intentions are towards pleasing Allah and nothing else matters.
Everything in this life is just an avenue to go through so that we can accelerate towards Allah and be near Him.
For those who just came to Islam, ask Allah and trust that if in your hearts you had intended solely and honestly that you had became Muslims only for His sake, He will come to your aid and will lighten the journey for you. In Shaa Allah.
Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said,”When is the help of Allah ?” Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near. (Quran 2: 214)
Those experiences weren’t far from what the world in general are in nowadays. The loneliness felt and the isolation. However, it is in the darkest moments that we must turn our hearts and eyes only to The Light. The source of it all. Allah.
Being alone only gives us the opportunity to look closely within ourselves the very purpose of our existence. Some important things are only seen and appreciated when apart from the rest of the world and the comforts of our loved ones.
We get to realize that we are nothing but guests in this world, we are not masters of it. ALLAH IS. And Allah’s creations other than mankind will function just as they were created even without human interventions. That humility, sincerity, gratitude, and even silence are necessary.
To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And to Allah will [all] matters be returned. (Quran 3: 109)
May Allah grant us ease and facilitate all of our affairs in this life.
May He increase the love in our hearts for Him and strengthen us as we continuously strive to do good for His sake.
May our hearts always be firm and steadfast in the religion and may we always be grateful to Allah for the honor of being chosen to be Muslims.
Ameen.