So Ramadhan is approaching and it reminds me of the time I was in Sydney. A friend of mine, at that time, did not fast, despite being a muslim. It is a big deal, as it is one of the five pillars of faith, but that's not the issue here.
He believes in the goodness of fasting but he questions the necessity of doing it for 30 days in a specific month. He said (and believing that his reason was based on a legit philosophical ground), the reason behind fasting is to discipline ourselves, but if we can discipline ourselves in other ways, then fasting would be obsolete,
Ofcourse I didn't believe nor agree, not for a second. A German diplomat who observed Ramadhan once wrote:
" it would not matter when the fast exactly starts and terminatets if the purpose of the exercise was merely to lose weight, put the body through a cleansing cure, show solidarity with the hungry in Africa, or steel one's discipline through mental fitness training. All these effects are merely spin-offs, windfall gains. Primarily, a muslim abides by the rules of Ramadhan because they have been laid down for him, the slave, by his Lord"
I have nothing against my friend to be honest. What we believe and adhere to are choices we make for ourselves. There's no point making a judgment on someone else's actions. I just wish I had the mental agility to give a respond to him, as accurate as how this German guy did.
He believes in the goodness of fasting but he questions the necessity of doing it for 30 days in a specific month. He said (and believing that his reason was based on a legit philosophical ground), the reason behind fasting is to discipline ourselves, but if we can discipline ourselves in other ways, then fasting would be obsolete,
Ofcourse I didn't believe nor agree, not for a second. A German diplomat who observed Ramadhan once wrote:
" it would not matter when the fast exactly starts and terminatets if the purpose of the exercise was merely to lose weight, put the body through a cleansing cure, show solidarity with the hungry in Africa, or steel one's discipline through mental fitness training. All these effects are merely spin-offs, windfall gains. Primarily, a muslim abides by the rules of Ramadhan because they have been laid down for him, the slave, by his Lord"
I have nothing against my friend to be honest. What we believe and adhere to are choices we make for ourselves. There's no point making a judgment on someone else's actions. I just wish I had the mental agility to give a respond to him, as accurate as how this German guy did.
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