For the past week, millions of Muslims around the world have been waking up very early, eating, then fasting for the entire day until the evening. This practice is not unusual as it occurs annually during the month of Ramadan, a month where Muslims around the world fast, pray and reflect together. To many, this practice seems ridiculous as it entails individuals avoiding any drinks, including water, and food for an extensive periods of time during the day for a month. Trust me, when I began observing Ramadan, I was confused and quite frankly appalled by the idea that I would have to function without food and water for many hours in the day...
But...as I grew older and somewhat maturer, I realized the beauty behind observing Ramadan--developing humility. Think about it: there are currently 780 million people that have to use an unsafe, inadequate water supply. There are currently 815 million people that don't have enough to eat. And, I, a person in a first world country with regular access to water fountains to bottles and basically any kind of food I want, was frightened by the idea of forgoing food and water for a specific time frame each day for only 30 days.
If you realized like me, the purpose of Ramadan isn't to cause pain nor force an unjust religious practice: its purpose is to open your mind and realize the value of the life you possess. During Ramadan, Muslims get the opportunity to reflect on their actions, be thankful for what they have and renew themselves. It's like a well-earned break as you're taking the time to feed your soul by thinking and behaving positively, which enables youto feel humility and gratefulness for all that you have.
I'm not going to lie, many of my friends have trouble understanding the concept of Ramadan unless they themselves practice it. I would say fasting even for a day in general can allow anyone to reflect on themselves, and also think about how they can amend their behavior and actions to become a better version of themselves.
The best of all medicines are resting and fasting. -Benjamin Franklin
