This article is from Reading Islam’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.

Ramadan an opportunity to flush out the mental, physical and spiritual impurity from their system -thus rejuvenating a better connection with their Creator!

Anyone with even slightest sense of connection with God would not want to miss this once-a-year opportunity. Yet we may find some who will look for any excuse to dodge this great chance.

Some may claim that their work productivity drops and thus consider earning the daily livelihood more important than fasting.

Had they understood Allah’s various statements in the Quran regarding sustenance, they would have never ever had this doubt in their mind.

Not Good for Health

A commonly used excuse for the weak at heart Muslim or a non-Muslim is that “Fasting is not good for your health: you lose too much water and especially in the heat; this is very dangerous. Why do it? What do you benefit?”

I have an amazing but sad story of a Muslim man who neither practiced the religion nor did he really understand the essence of Islam. He was a very well-known artist in the U.S. and blessed with much wealth.

When he was approached many years back to return to Islam, his excuse was that he did not have time for such things and his precious time was best spent creating magnificent artwork and focus on global travel to enhance the business.

He was later approached about fasting. He immediately responded by saying the exact above excuse that “fasting is not good for your health: you lose too much water and especially in the heat this is very dangerous.” He refused.

When he was asked to at least consider reading the Quran. He did only to find verses that he could argue about.

Years later, he lost all his wealth, his health sank to the lowest of the low and ended up with cancer requiring many operations. Allah saved his life so he could humble himself and return to Him. But no way. He maintained his position to this day and perhaps there are only months or weeks left to his life.

Such a pity for a stubborn soul who would reject the Creator and happily embrace the ideas of creation!

Ramadan Critics

With Islamophobia at work 24/7, we hear many statements made by non-Muslims while observing the fasting Muslims like this:

“Muslim stay up all night eating and drinking, watching TV, then sleep all day in Ramadan; what kind of life is that?”

With all honesty, we cannot argue with this claim can we?

Living in Egypt for many years myself, I was a witness to all the above. Although I was also inspired by the strong spirit of practicing Muslims to gain the pleasure of Allah in this blessed month, I was appalled by seeing the other group who really made a mockery of Ramadan with their un-Islamic behavior.

If that was not bad enough, you would find many who never prayed all year, but fasted in Ramadan and still did not pray. Who did they think they were fasting for? Perhaps they were thinking of their yearly diet? Many also fast in order to fit in with the crowd but not to please Allah.

We are told by the Prophet Muhammad that after a Muslim dies, the first thing he is asked about is his obligatory prayers; if passes, then fasting is the next process. But what if someone fasts and does not pray? Does he think his fasting will be accepted?

Some of the Egyptian TV channels spend months preparing serials for the month of Ramadan to entertain the multitude. Are these Islamic serials for moral teachings? Far from it – with much sadness.

Some well-meaning Muslims on the other hand were spending much of their nights in prayer and supplications and ended up sleeping all day.