HARRISBURG (TNS) — An estimated 1.8 billion Muslims around the world are celebrating the holy month of Ramadan, a time the observant dedicate to prayer and fasting. A good number of them are right here in Pennsylvania, a state founded on the concept of religious freedom.
Even non-Muslims can take some valuable lessons from three ideals Muslims celebrate this month: self-denial, compassion, and spiritual renewal.
First, the hardest one of all: self-denial.
Let’s admit it, we live in a culture that idolizes self-gratification, even greed. We want bigger burgers, more fries, and the largest drinks, as quickly as we can get them. We want a lot of food and fast.
We don’t just want to be millionaires any more, we want to be billionaires. We want to max out our credit cards and then complain about the enormous interest they tack on to the debt.
We could use a time once a year like Ramadan to practice restraint. Some Christians find a way to give up meat on Fridays during Lent. But imagine the discipline it takes to give up both food and drink from sunup to sundown — for a whole month. Muslims say it helps them grow stronger in both body and spirit, and fasting helps them better understand the pains of hunger that so many people around the world suffer every day.
That brings us to the second lesson of Ramadan: compassion.
Observant Muslims see Ramadan as a time when they stand with those who suffer around the globe. They better understand and empathize with the poor and oppressed, and they are moved to do more to help. Giving increases among Muslims during Ramadan, and this year, many will focus on the suffering in the Middle East, where thousands of innocent Gazans, Muslims, and Christians, are facing starvation as Israel seeks to wipe out Hamas.
The third lesson of Ramadan is one that could do a lot to help address the mental health crisis experts say is rampant in our communities: spiritual renewal.
Devout Muslims renew their spirits through prayer and doing their utmost to restrain from lying, cheating, stealing and anything else that they believe might offend God, whom they call Allah. Even those who don’t believe in prayer, God, or Allah might benefit from a month of quiet soul-searching.
Even those who despise religion of any sort might find solace in carving out time for intentional meditation and self-examination. Imagine if we slowed down the pace every day for a whole month and reflected on what we need to change in our lives to make them better.
Mental health experts might agree, Ramadan could hold a clue to relieving anxiety and depression often fueled by the unrelenting frenzy of everyday life.
One thing is sure, at the end of a day of fasting, the meal, or “iftar,” that comes at sundown is a joyous occasion. Food is bound to taste better. It’s why Muslims view Ramadan not as a time of mourning and deprivation, but as a time of joy.
In this age of “me-first” and “everything I want — right now,” a period of self-imposed restraint may be just what our world needs to find peace.
(Joyce M. Davis is PennLive’s outreach and opinion editor. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @byjoycedavis.)
