Barakah of Ramadan
When we talk about the barakah of Ramadan, the first thing that comes to mind is the overflowing refrigerator, as the snacks between meals have ended and the meals have been reduced to two. It is a competition among people to help each other and to provide iftar to as many people as possible. It is the increase in the circulation of food aid, zakat, alms in society, and much more.For me, the bless...

Will Our Children Love Ramadan?
As Ramadan begins, our friends with children express concerns about how to raise awareness among them and foster a love for Ramadan. They seek advice from us in this matter. Although we attempted to convey something vaguely, we couldn't find an answer that resonated with us. I've been pondering this issue for a few days now.What is Ramadan? It entails strict control over eating and drinkin...

Fasting as a Celebration
In accordance with the command of Allah and the Hadith Jibreel, which is a widely transmitted narration from our Prophet (pbuh), we understand the significance of fasting as one of the five pillars of Islam. We are also aware of its value in the eyes of Allah. However, some of us harbor an unnamed distress and are hesitant to express it, both during the day while awaiting iftar and as Ramadan appr...

Those Who Rule Their Property
Ramadan is a season of complete purification. It purifies our bodies through fasting, our souls through prayer and reciting the Quran, and our possessions through zakat and alms. Sadaqah (charity) stems from the  Arabic root sidq and reveals the sincerity of our faith; by giving alms, one becomes a sincere individual.As you may know, only the wealthy give zakat. Yet, Allah has not confined th...

After Ramadan
Sometimes we want to stop time and live some moments forever, but time, luckily, doesn’t listen. It passes as it always does. Time flows in the same speed for everyone everywhere, but depending on the situation we find ourselves in, one day may seem like an entire century, or like the blinking of an eye.For me the moments that I wish wouldn’t end are the ones when fasting women, tired ...

The Three States of Ramadan
Ramadan, the beginning of which is mercy, the middle forgiveness, and the end release from Hellfire, is a lot like the prayer with its standing, the bowing down, and the prostration. When Ramadan came we all rolled our sleeves and got ready for worship. Just like standing at the beginning of our prayer. Every believer did this in his/her own way. Just like how everybody has his/her own way of sta...

Ramadan Butterflies
One of our friends who has written a reflection about Ramadan upon our request is dear Ayşe Şebnem Yeşilkaya. She compares our Ramadan joy to the gaiety of butterflies in spring; our enthusiasm in charity to the flight of butterflies from flower to flower; our refining souls to the elegance of butterflies; and the transitory nature of this season of happiness to the short life of a butterfly: “Th...

Our Feelings in Ramadan
Today I am sharing sister Sare Çizmecioğlu’s reflections on Ramadan, with great gratitude to her for sharing her feelings with us. “I saw the crescent in the sky of the dark blue night, in the red of the flag, on the top of the dome, above the Neretva.* I had a difficult time fasting through the long hours. The gates of divine help opened wide. The sun hid its heat, and the clouds wished the fast...

Narrowing the Ways of Satan
In a hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim our Prophet says: “Satan circulates in the body like blood. Make his passage narrow by means of hunger.” In the words of al-Ghazali, lusts are grazing grounds for the devils. As long as there is something to be grazed on, Satan will be present. Fasting, through which one establishes a mastery over one’s most fundamental (and unmanageable) drives – i.e. h...

Fasting as Told by Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır
Today I would like to cite a few quotations about fasting from Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır, a famous Turkish Quran commentator known for including subtle philosophical and psychological analyses in his tafseer. He firstly points out that the struggle against the lower self is possible only through fasting and states that no other means are as effective as fasting in calming the ambition that the human be...

Ramadan Mobilization
During the month of Ramadan we see a dramatic increase in all acts of worship. In these blessed days prayer, charity, and preoccupation with the Quran are at their highest for many of us. This fact is also manifest in the prophetic narrations that deal with the month of Ramadan.When Ramadan came, a noticeable change would take place in our Prophet’s (s.a.w) spiritual life. His generosity wou...

Ramadan Increases and Decreases
With the onset of Ramadan our eating and drinking, and even our sleep decrease. Our vivaciousness and our gallivanting stop; instead a tranquility and a sobriety take over us. We have a month-long experience of eating little, sleeping little, and speaking little, which are the three conditions for becoming a spiritually mature human being. Maybe this is the reason why we are given the good news t...