Fasting In Ramadan and Developing Self-Control

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Fasting In Ramadan and Developing Self-Control
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Ramadan is about

• Ramadan is a time of
• intensive worship and devotion to God,
• of reading The Quran and Reflecting on its
  teachings,
• of comprehensive thanksgiving,
• giving to charity,
• practicing self-control and kindness,
• of training oneself to be a better person
  spiritually and
• improving relationship with others.

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True Fasting

• Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon
  him)
• There are those who abstain from eating and
  drinking and all they gain is hunger and thirst
• True fasting involves more than abstinence from
  eating and drinking
• Words, thoughts, feelings, treatment of others,
  in short, actions of the heart.

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The Four Dimensions of Ramadan

1. The behavioral dimension
2. The religious dimension
3. The social dimension
4. The spiritual dimension

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The behavioral dimension.

• Fasting in Ramadan is a means of learning
  self-control

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The religious dimension.

• Fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and thus
  learning sincere thankfulness and appreciation
  for all of God's bounties.

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The social dimension.

• Ramadan is a time for developing empathy/sympathy
  for the less fortunate and generosity
• People are more generous, more cordial, and more
  ready than at other times of the year to do good
  and charitable work.

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The spiritual dimension.

• Fasting during Ramadan is an act of obedience.
• It leads to sincere thankfulness, which is the
  heart of worship.
• It also empowers our spiritual side over our
  physical tendencies.

Mind
Carnal Self
Heart
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Ameliorating Factors

1. Power of intention
2. Adaptive nature of human body
3. Community spirit, accomodations
4. Gods help

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Conclusion

• Ramadan is a month in which humans become more
  like angles
• No eating or drinking during the day
• Obedience to Gods commandments
• Better remembrance, appreciation, thankfulness
• More empathy and help for others
• May God enable us to take advantage of this
  opportunity