Ramadan and Fasting
By
Unus
Turkey is predominantly a Muslim
country, and in the month of Ramadan, which starts in
mid-August this year, most of the country fasts every
day for thirty days. Life continues as usual and
the people that are fasting try to go through mundane
everyday activities in agony without having a chance to
understand themselves and mostly craving food or
planning what to eat when they break their fasts at
“iftar” in the evening.
Usually during the month of
Ramadan either the amount or the quality of work, or
sometimes both, declines at least for the small
businesses and sometimes even for big companies.
Also, at the end of this month, there is usually around
a ten day extended official holiday for the whole
country, which brings the efficiency levels down both
individually and collectively.
The way people fast in the month
of Ramadan also seems to put unnecessary physical stress
on their bodies. They fast from dawn to full
sunset, 11 to 15 hours depending on the season.
However, usually the people who are going to fast get up
right before dawn for “sahur” to have breakfast (there
is a tradition where
drummers walk through the streets to wake people up
for the meal).
Then they mostly go back to sleep for a couple hours
before getting up at their regular hours to go to work.
If they are not working, they often sleep more than
usual. In the evening, they break their fasts with
large meals and continue to consume all kinds of foods
and beverages until they go to sleep. This cycle
repeats itself for thirty days.
Deprived of deep sleep because of
digestion during the night and getting up too early to
have breakfast in the morning, people usually feel tired
or exhausted during the day. Therefore, many
people cannot fast for the whole month, and many get
sick even if they complete the month. Furthermore,
usually almost everyone actually puts on some weight
during the month of Ramadan. The whole system
seems not to have the Logic and Grace of God, which we
can even observe in the manifested universe, any longer.
On the other hand, observing the
Sabbath (defined as the day of rest and
attunement to God in The
Holiest Of The Holies (THOTH), The Last Testament)
on Saturdays, and so fasting properly once a week
throughout the year, takes care of all these problems
and gives the individual the right opportunity to
understand him/herself, discipline his/her mind and
body, and be close to God:
The very base of God-realization and
spiritual progress is to be able to calm the mind,
contemplate, and attune the self to the truth of the
universe. That is why God has emphasized the
Sabbath as being one of the most important Commandments.
That is because if a man cannot rest and calm his mind,
he would never realize anything. So it is very
important that at least one day of the week be for rest,
fasting, and kept holy by calming the mind and
contemplating creation, God, and the truth behind them.
(THOTH,
Glossary,
Sabbath)
The seventh day of the week is the
Sabbath of rest.
The Sabbath day (weekly Holy Day,
PURE)
will be Saturday as God demanded to be the day of rest
... Saturday should be used to fast. Also on
Saturdays the silence should be observed and solitude is
recommended. After a day of rest, meditation, and
deeper thought, it is a good idea to have the community
meeting to resolve community problems.
(Explanation of the Calendar of God)
Besides fasting on the Sabbath, God also
recommends to fast on the full moon, the first moon,
eleven days after the full moon, and eleven days after
the first moon, especially for single people and
renunciates. Therefore, a person can fast
throughout the year, not just for a single month, and
continually keep his
energy in higher levels physically, mentally, and
spiritually.
The other guidelines for fasting
given in THOTH are:
<3>The fast should start at sunset
until the sunset of the next day. If this seems too
long, a fast from sunrise to sunset is advisable.
<4>The purpose of fasting (in addition
to many benefits which are derived from it, physically
and mentally) is spiritual. That is, fasting should be
done to bring the person closer to the Lord and make him
realize the self.
<5>That is why it is recommended to
keep away from talkativeness and sexual intercourse, and
to direct the thoughts toward God.
<6>A complete fast is one without food
or liquid. <7>However,
those who do long fasting and/or those whose bodies are
not used to fasting, can fast with water and/or juice.
(THOTH,
Essays 3, Tablet 3,
Fasting)
Here once again we can see the
logic and flexibility of God, making things Godly, not
dogmatic. However, by observing the current systems,
religions, and societies, one can easily see that this
has been
lost. Then again, even examining just a part of the whole
package God has now given to humanity can make a person
realize how amazing God’s system is and how easily it
will lead humanity to salvation, individually and
collectively.
All thanks to God for His
Guidance.
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