RAMADAN - Mending habits and developing character
Ramadan is the month of heightened Allah-consciousness, of attaining taqwa
(piety), of training ourselves to be the best we can be; a month to initiate
improvement of reputation, character and for the cultivation of good habits.
People who try their best to live by the highest values are surely people of
integrity and indeed people of moral conscience. What is morality though?
Morality describes the principles that govern our behavior and relates to our
behavior at three levels...
how we as individuals ensure that we are honest, just and compassionate.
how we interact with and contribute to society, as asset or liability.
how conscious we are of our accountability to our Creator.
Taqwa in an amoral world
In a world, increasingly amoral, perception is considered reality. How one
appears to the world has overtaken the substance of who we really are.
Impressions, whether real or fake, are given more credence than it deserves.
Though name, image and reputation are what we perceive of people; character is
the essence of the "real self". Taqwa is in reality character development
coupled with God-consciousness.Character and reputation
Character is not only the face in the mirror, but the real person behind the
face. Character evolves from conscience; is sustained by conscience and is
developed; piece by piece, with every thought, with every choice, and
maintained with consistency and determination. The pursuance of piety begins by
making our reputation a reflection of our character. In many people, reputation
precedes character and there is a distinction to be made...
Reputation is what you lead others to believe you are, character is what you
really are -
Reputation may be reflected in the combination of your name and your image,
character is the essence of your being.
Reputation is the wrapping, character the content -
Reputation is the outer reflection, character the inner reality -
Reputation is made in a moment, character is built in a life time -
Reputation may be reflected in what people write about you on your
tombstone, character is what angels report about you to Allah -
Changing bad habits
The renowned philosopher, Aristotle, once said; " You are what you repeatedly
do ". Habits are conditioned responses, formed through repetition, until the
actions or reactions become second nature; they end up as unconscious behavior,
automatic reactions in a particular situation; (e.g. The way you sign your
name, the reprehensible habit of cigarette smoking after a meal...)
It was the English writer, Shakespeare, who said; " First we make our habits,
then our habits make us ". Thinking in a particular pattern creates a mental
path, the mental path affects our attitude and our behavior, and these reflect
our personality and character. In other words, our thoughts affect our attitude
which affect our actions which determine our habits which reflects our
character which could determines our destiny. The Roman poet Naso Ovid rightly
said, " habits eventually become character ".Virtues and vices
According to Islam, habits are classified as virtues or vices, as repeated
actions that are in conformity with or contrary to the rules of morality.
Virtuous character emanates from good habits and good habits emanate from
resisting negative temptations. Good habits, unfortunately, seem so much easier
to give up than bad habits.
Bad habits are like a comfortable bed; easy to get into but difficult to get
out. The chain of bad habits are generally too light to be felt until they are
too strong to be broken. Remember though, that every habit; whether good or
bad, is acquired and can be developed or disowned. Habits decrease or disappear
by abstaining from exercising them and then replacing them. In the words of
Roman orator, Cicero, " consuetudo consuetudine vincitur = habit is overcome/
conquered by habit. Ramadan is an ideal training period for filtering out bad
habits, developing virtuous character and is thus referred to by Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) as a shield against evil and wrongfulness. We are obligated to
nurture our noble qualities; control our passions, our anger and emotions. We
are instructed to be considerate, generous and compassionate.Moral improvement
and spiritual rejuvenation
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) referred to Ramadan as a blessed month in which Allah
has made fasting obligatory on those who are able; whosoever denies himself of
the benefits of that month denies himself many virtues. As we undertake the
physical duty and spiritual responsibility of fasting in the blessed month of
Ramadan, we reflect on the words of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who
said that the practice of faith will not be correct unless actions are correct
and actions will not be considered correct unless the heart is correct
"O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will, and
should not treat them with harshness..." (An-Nisa 4:19)
"The power of iman is such that once it fills the heart of a true believing
MuÂ’min it is impossible to be removed." (Sahih Bukhari)
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I
am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all."
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
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