M Adam Ahmad, Al Hakam
Ramadan is often described as the month of fasting – a time when Muslims restrain their physical desires from dawn to sunset. Yet, if Ramadan is reduced to mere hunger and thirst, its true spirit is lost. Ramadan is not just about abstaining from food, but about becoming a better human being.
The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa said that during Ramadan, Allah draws nearer to His servants and listens to their prayers (Al-Jami‘ li Shu‘ab al-Iman, Hadith 3334 and 3394), chains the forces of evil (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1079a) and Himself becomes the reward of the one who fasts (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 7492). These beautiful sayings of Allah’s Messengersa are not mere promises – they are open invitations and powerful motivations for permanent transformation.
But the crucial question is this: what promises have we made in return?
Have we resolved to abandon our past shortcomings? Have we committed to living according to God’s commands beyond these 30 days? Have we made permanent changes within ourselves?
Ramadan is meant to awaken such self-examination. It pushes us to ask whether we are seeking temporary emotional change or lasting reformation.
Ramadan as a training camp
Ramadan is a spiritual training camp. Instead of just seeing it as the destination, it can be reframed as the preparation for the journey ahead. The good habits we adopt during this month are not meant to expire once the month, and the hunger, passes. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:
“Ramadan arrives as a spiritual training camp. It has been prescribed by Allah so that the virtues you are already practising may advance and deepen. Each successive Ramadan should conclude by elevating us to new heights in worship and goodness, enabling us to establish ever higher standards of devotion and righteous deeds. Indeed, Allah demands from us steadfastness and consistency in adhering to these virtues.” (Friday Sermon, 23 June 2017)
If we offer our five daily prayers regularly only because it is Ramadan, and then gradually become negligent afterwards, we have misunderstood the purpose. If we attend Friday prayers faithfully during Ramadan but neglect them later, we have not truly obeyed God’s command. If we recite the Holy Quran diligently this month but place it back on the shelf once Ramadan ends, we have confined divine guidance to a season.
Allah commands, “Observe prayer” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.44). He instructs believers to safeguard all prayers, especially the middle prayer (Ch.2: V.239). Every prayer is important, but some are harder than others. For one person, Fajr at dawn demands sacrifice. For another, Zuhr or Asr comes during business and work. When a believer struggles against personal comfort or worldly desire to stand before God, that effort is valued immensely.
God knows human nature. He knows that worldly commitments pull us away. Therefore, He rewards the one who breaks the idols of ego and desire and turns back to Him. His generosity has no limit.
A continuous system of reform
The Holy Prophetsa explained the powerful system of spiritual purification and reform embedded within the worship of Allah the Almighty. He said:
“The five daily prayers, from one Friday prayer to the next, and from one Ramadan to the next serve as expiation for the sins committed between them, so long as a person abstains from major sins.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 552)
Notice the order: Five daily prayers, then the weekly Friday prayer and then the annual Ramadan. This sequence shows that forgiveness is not tied to a single month. Rather, Ramadan crowns a continuous structure of discipline. Daily worship leads to weekly renewal, which leads to annual transformation.
Importance of Jumuah prayer and consistency
It would be a grave misunderstanding to think that we can neglect our duties all year and rely on Ramadan alone for redemption. Instead, Ramadan reinforces what we should already be practising.
Prophet Muhammadsa warned that deliberately missing three consecutive Jumuah prayers results in the sealing of one’s heart (Tirmidhi, Hadith 500). This is not merely a legal injunction; rather, it is a warning against gradual spiritual deterioration. When a heart distances itself repeatedly from communal worship, it begins to darken.
The Holy Quran commands believers: When the call for Friday prayer is made, leave trade and hasten to the remembrance of Allah the Exalted (Surah al-Jumuah, Ch.62: V.10). A true believer never sacrifices worship for worldly gain. In fact, obedience to Allah brings blessings to worldly affairs.
Ramadan teaches punctuality and devotion. Its success lies in maintaining that discipline throughout the year.
Beyond ritual – towards character reform
Ramadan trains us to say, “I am fasting,” when provoked, so that we avoid arguments (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1894). But this self-restraint must not disappear with the crescent moon of Shawwal. The discipline of Ramadan should reshape our character permanently.
The Promised Messiah and Mahdi, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, repeatedly emphasised that true allegiance to faith requires inner transformation. He taught that a person cannot receive divine support until they close all unlawful doors and turn to God with sincerity. He said:
“God Almighty looks down from above into the hidden recesses of a person’s heart; and if He finds in any corner even a trace of darkness, shirk (associating partners with Him), or bad innovation, He rejects that individual’s prayers and acts of worship, casting them back upon him.
“However, if God sees that the heart is purified of all selfish motives and inner darkness, He opens for such a person the doors of His mercy, draws him under His shade and Himself undertakes his [spiritual] nurture.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 5, p. 397)
Hence, God looks into the hidden corners of the heart. If arrogance, duplicity or dishonesty remain, rituals alone cannot save us. In an announcement, the Promised Messiahas outlined practical standards for moral reform:
- Pray five times a day in congregation.
- Don’t tell lies.
- Cause no harm with the tongue.
- Avoid immorality and injustice.
- Forgive frequently.
- Show compassion to the weak.
- Be patient.
- Serve the poor without pride.
- Reconcile quickly and abandon grudges.
These teachings move Ramadan beyond abstinence into ethical excellence. The Promised Messiahas warned:
“You, therefore, cannot be accepted by God unless you are the same inside and out. If you are above others, have mercy on the lowly and do not look down upon them. If you are learned, counsel the ignorant and do not degrade them with disdain. If you are wealthy, serve the poor, and do not treat them with arrogance and self-conceit.
“Dread the ways of ruin and always be fearful of God. Adopt righteousness and worship not His creation. Cut asunder from everything to turn to your Master. Turn your hearts away from the world and become wholly His; live for Him alone and, for His sake, hate every impiety and sin, for He is Holy.
“Let every morning bear witness that you have spent the night in righteousness, and let every evening bear witness that you have spent the day with the fear of God.” (Noah’s Ark, pp. 19-20)
The Holy Quran – a living companion
During Ramadan, many Muslims strive to complete at least one full recitation of the Holy Quran. This is a beautiful sunnah, but we must ensure we do not abandon the Quran after Ramadan.
The Quran itself highlights the recitation at dawn (Surah Bani Isra’il, Ch.17: V.79) as an acknowledged time witnessed by angels. This shows that engagement with divine revelation is not seasonal; it is daily nourishment. Understanding its translation, reflecting on its commands and implementing its teachings are essential.
The Promised Messiahas declared that those who honour the Holy Quran will be honoured in heaven (Noah’s Ark, p. 22). The Quran is not merely to be read – it is to be lived. It must shape our decisions, our speech, our relationships and our ambitions.
Sincerity over show
God sees beyond outward form. External fasting without inner purification is incomplete. One may refrain from food yet indulge in arrogance. One may stand in prayer yet harbour resentment. One may recite beautifully yet neglect justice. True success lies in sincerity.
The Promised Messiahas advised that God cannot be deceived by appearances (ibid.). If our hearts are impure, rituals become hollow. If we seek praise from people, our worship loses its essence.
He urged believers to become gentle, humble, forgiving and truthful. He encouraged unity, like two brothers from one womb. He emphasised reconciliation over conflict and humility over ego (ibid., pp. 20-21). The one who insists on pride distances himself from Divine mercy.
Becoming better – the real victory
Ramadan teaches us that true success is not about how much hunger we endure, but about how much we improve our habits and character.
- Did we become more patient?
- Did we control our anger?
- Did we forgive someone?
- Did we give charity quietly?
- Did we rise for prayer despite fatigue?
- Did we reduce gossip?
- Did we purify our intentions?
If the answer is yes – and if these qualities continue beyond Ramadan – then we have truly benefitted.
Ramadan opens the doors of mercy. It chains negative influences. It draws us closer to Allah the Almighty. But walking through those doors requires effort and lifelong commitment.
If we come forth from Ramadan spiritually cleansed and morally refined, we will remain under the shade of Divine mercy throughout the year.
Ramadan is not the end of spiritual effort; it is the beginning of a better self. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:
“Thus, each of us ought to emerge from Ramadan with a firm pledge: that the teachings conveyed by Allah and His Messengersa, and the guidance expounded so clearly by the Promised Messiahas, shall remain constantly before us, and that we shall strive to shape our lives in accordance with them.
“Only then can we truly claim to have observed Ramadan in the manner ordained by Allah and His Messengersa. May Allah grant us the ability to do so.” (Friday Sermon, 23 June 2017)