Happy Ramadan, Ramadan Kareem and Ramadan Mubarak!
Ramadan begins tonight. Tomorrow Muslims in the United States will begin fasting. I will be one of those who partake of this religious obligation.
It will be hard. Growing up I was told not to say negative things about fasting and saying "it will be hard" would have been met with a frown. I understand what my parents meant to teach me - that hard as Ramadan may be it is something to be embraced - and saying it will be hard is my way of embracing it.
I hope this year will be the most intense spiritual experience of my life. I intend to bring it about by fasting and praying and focusing on some very particular acts of faith (reading the Quran, reading the Seerah of Prophet Muhammad and trying foster an atmosphere of spirituality in our home) and by doing a few new things.
First, I'm going to try avoiding all the culinary excesses that come with Ramadan. Yes, even as we talk about Ramadan being a time to tighten our belts so as to experience the thirst and hunger of those who are less fortunate then us, we often stuff ourselves on lavish feasts for 30 nights. That isn't going to happen this year.
Second, I'm going to keep working and working out like the rest of the year. There will be no "taking it easy" during Ramadan.
I ran into a neighbor at the gym the other day. He happened to be a Muslim as well. We got to talking about our workout schedule in Ramadan, and he said he was going to take a break in Ramadan. He said it was too tough to workout in Ramadan.
He's right about it being tough, but I disagree with his decision. Perhaps Ramadan can only be truly appreciated if we actually carry on with work (and work outs) during Ramadan like every other month.
Day laborers and farmers and others who work in far more challenging work or have far less in the way of comforts fast without making excuses. How pathetically weak am I if I can't keep working 40 hours a week in a cushy job and running and training like normal?
My intention is to keep up the intensity of my workouts throughout Ramadan even as I fast each day. I'm bracing myself for a very physically challenging month.
This isn't about ego. It's about trying to find a truly spiritual connection this month. Fasting Ramadan is about the mind, body and spirit so why not really challenge the body and mind in order to get the most spiritual benefit possibly - this is my thinking.
If I come out of this month of fasting a bit physically worn out but I fulfill all of my goals for Ramadan, then it will be a success!
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