On Fasting...

The month of fasting is upon us again.  And the entire Muslim community undergoes a metamorphosis. Some become more religious, others frequent the mosques, yet others adorn religious garb and generally become more "practising" Muslims, while others go into seclusion to fast and pray. All who observe the fast hope to gain the mercy of the Most High in this world and the hereafter.

Fasting is a deep spiritual experience where, from sunrise to sunset, you abstain from food and drink and through this abstinence nourish the soul.  This abstinence from food serves two purposes, it serves as an indicator to others that the fast is being observed and more importantly it serves as a reminder of the other desires that are being denied.  Desires, are like veils that conceal the essence and the true inner beauty of the soul.  By denying the desires, the veils are removed and the true inner beauty of the soul is revealed.

For me fasting has changed, from the time in my youth when I kept the fast to prove I could do it, to a time in my mid teens when the notion of not being able to eat was extremely taxing, to a point where now I choose to fast and I choose to abstain from eating from sunrise to sunset.  I strive to remove the veils of desire so that I may reveal the true beauty of my soul and in so doing become closer to God. Perchance that I experience the closeness of the Almighty, the love that He has for His creation, perchance that I can be overtaken by total gratitude for what He has provided and indeed be content. For the true destination of the spiritually inclined is contentment. 

To be content, is to be at peace, where the mind is silent and in awe of the present moment. Where the past has faded into oblivion and the future a moment yet to behold.  When there is a complete surrender to the moment and there is an appreciation for all things present and gratitude that you have had the opportunity to experience the moment in its totality.  When being in the moment is the sole purpose of existence, then and only then has the pinnacle of existence been reached and the soul and being are totally content.  Contentment to such an extent that you turn your eyes to the heavens and proclaim "Oh my Lord, You have not created this in vain!"  

As for me, I'll try again tomorrow :-)

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