5 Steps Towards An Ummah Centered Ramadan

Let me ask you a simple question that I already know the answer to. Which is easier, fasting 30 consecutive days in Ramadan or 6 non-consecutive days in Shawwal?

Easy.

Every single Muslim will say, it is always much easier to fast the 29 or 30 days of Ramadan in a row.

The non-Muslim will scratch their head. Logically, practically, scientifically – it makes ZERO sense. No matter which way you slice it, it should be easier to fast the 6 random days of Shawwal.  Yet, here we have pretty much every Muslim on the planet saying that it’s the opposite.

Why is that?

There are many factors that make this true, but one of the most overlooked factors is UNITY.

When we fast in Ramadan, we are united with the rest of the Muslim world in fasting. When we fast the 6 days of Shawwal, we do it separately from each other, often even on different days from our family members. The lesson could not be more clear.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, said, “Verily, Allah Almighty is pleased with you by three things and displeased by three things. He is pleased for you to worship Him without associating anything with Him, to hold fast to the rope of Allah altogether, and to not become divided. He is displeased for you to gossip among yourselves, to ask many unnecessary questions, and to waste your wealth.” [Sahih Muslim 1715]

Al-Nu’man ibn Bashir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said upon the pulpit, “Whoever is not grateful for small things will not be grateful for large things. Whoever is not thankful to people is not thankful to Allah. Mentioning the blessings of Allah is gratitude and ignoring them is ingratitude. Unity is a mercy and division is a punishment.” [Sahih Musnad Aḥmad 17982]

“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you – when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided.” [Surah ‘Ali-Imran 3:103]

When we are united, even the seemingly impossible is possible. When we are united, things that are difficult become easy. And the reverse is true too. When we are disunited, even the easy become difficult. When we are divided, even the easily possible becomes impossible.

This Ramadan, let us not forget the importance of unity and let us ensure sure that the sentiment only increases throughout the month.

Here are some tips on how to have an Ummah-centered Ramadan:

1. Talk about unity with your family and friends

• When we think about Ramadan, we often don’t realize the important lessons of unity that have been weaved in throughout the month. Use the analogies above or other examples to talk about how Ramadan teaches us, amongst other things, the importance of unity. As it is the month of the Quran, it would be good to discuss verses from the Quran that emphasize the importance of unity. There is no family or friendship circle that does not have disagreements and even broken relationships. This Ramadan, mend them because unity starts at home.

2. Discuss the situation of our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world

• Have one iftar a week dedicated to sitting down and discussing the situation others are in. You can talk about what those who have lost everything in the Turkiye-Syria Earthquakes are going through, for example. You can discuss the plight of the millions who are starving in Afghanistan, Yemen, and East Africa. You can talk about the Uyghurs of East Turkestan who are denied the right to fast. Each discussion raises awareness, which is the first ingredient to helping.

3. Sit down as a family and collect all your zakat or sadaqah together

• If each family member gives charity by themselves, it will have less of an impact as compared to collective giving. Separately you may all be able to pay for a few blankets each, but collectively you may be able to build an entire shelter. You don’t need to give all the money to one place, but the united sums mean the funds will go further inshaAllah. Disunited, we treat symptoms. United, we build systems.

4. Do something beneficial for the local Muslim community this Ramadan

• Although there is always a dire need to support our brethren abroad, in addition to thinking global, we need to act local. Strengthening our local mosque, madrassah, youth groups, or halaqahs would go a long way to improving the situation for other Muslims locally. Does the mosque need a paint job or even a deep clean? Would the youth group benefit from a potluck iftar fundraiser? Would local reverts or refugees benefit from some companionship during this holy month? Even if you did one of these things, you and your family would have helped unite the community a little tighter this Ramadan.

5. Make the intention to tie our unity camel

• Every single year we raise our hands up high into the air and beg Allah to save our brothers and sisters who are suffering across the world, for Him to help us, to unite us, and give us izzah (honor), but every single year our situation gets worse. We want Allah to miraculously help our brothers and sisters, but we only take a few practical steps to work together. Every single one of us knows that when we are united, we can achieve more than we are disunited. Yet, year after year, petty squabbles, nationalism, racism, egos, and often the pettiest excuses are made for why that unity is not practically possible. Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution. Work towards unity in spirit, in words, and in action.

This Ramadan, make sure you focus on yourself and your connection to Allah , but remember – one of the most important connections you have to Allah is your fellow Muslim. May we all have a blessed, accepted, and Ummatic Ramadan.

[Cover image by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash. Others from freepik.com]

Related reading:

 – Patient: The Ummah. Diagnosis: Attention Deficit Disorder

 – Common Mistakes When Dealing With Crisis in the Ummah