Delayed Gratification

So I mentioned Ramadan, and I have a habit of just assuming everyone knows what I'm talking about...

But then I realised that no, people can't read my mind, so I should give those of you who don't know a little run down on Ramadan and it's purpose.

Ramadan is basically a month on the Muslim calendar (or lunar calendar) whereby Muslims all over the world - theoretically - fast for an entire month. 30 or 29 days. Fasting refers to us abstaining from eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset, as well as... intimate pleasure time (okay, I'm immature, I won't say it. Shut up.). 

So what's the point of it? Sounds pretty ridiculous I suppose, and you may wonder what kind of a religion we have - or God we have - that demands we starve ourselves for entire days, huh? 

First and foremost, it's because God ordered it in our Holy book. We hear and we obey. But there's always a reason, right?

Well, as a child, I was always told it was to 'feel for the poor'. That's true; partially anyway. Fasting really does open your eyes to an ounce of what poverty and starvation feels like. Only thing is, at the end of the day - although we're not supposed to, really - we get a meal usually enough to feed the neighbourhood. Those poor people don't. But Ramadan also calls for an increase in giving zakat - that's charity - and when you're feeling the way you do, you really do give that charity with sincere empathy. Tis what I believe, anyway.

But I think the most significant purpose of fasting is the concept of 'delayed gratification'. Have you noticed how not only does everyone in the world always want want want, but they also want it now now now? That's human nature. Ever since Satan lured Adam and Eve into eating that apple, mankind became aware of desire, and they have a pretty difficult time controlling it. Actually, scratch that. They don't really bother controlling it. It's a material world, sunshine.

Creepily enough, it can start from just after birth. How your mother feeds you. If your mother was the type that fed you every time you bawled just to keep you quiet, you learn from that age that you can control your parents. You can get what you want when you want it. In actual fact, as a baby, you should not be dealt with like that. You need a routine. My Islamic teacher, after giving birth to her first child (and she was Christian at the time), she went to a course about 'raising kids God's way', or something like that, and that's what they told her. You have to feed your baby, change your baby, play with your baby, put your baby to sleep, and repeat the cycle. Given 6 weeks, your baby will figure out that there's a time for everything, he/she can't get what he/she wants whenever he/she wants it, and will sleep through the whole night.

Nice thought, huh?

That's how God makes the world work. There are certain times for certain things, and only He knows the things you need at what time. And sometimes, you may want something bad, but the fact is, you can't have it straight away. You may have to earn the money to buy it. You may have to lose the weight to wear it. You may have to learn the process to do it. Whatever it is, it's not always going to fall into the palm of your hand the second you think 'I want'.

Hence, Ramadan. You spend the entire day controlling your desire to just eat - or whatever - and then at the end of the day, the relief, the gratitude, the pleasure, the satisfaction you get just out of eating a single date is more than you'll ever get our of splurging for an entire day. You learn to value what you have much more when you have to be without it.

Ramadan isn't just about abstinence either. It's about maintaining your patience, and doing more good deeds. It's supposed to build better habits in you and give you an opportunity to drop your bad ones. For example, losing your temper can potentially break your fast, but you won't know for sure. So if you do have a meltdown, you still have to fast for the rest of the day, and what's more annoying than realising it may be completely pointless because you losing your temper may in fact render your fast worthless? Tempers, gossip, lies... they all go in here.

In the end, it all comes down to preparing for your 'next life'. Jews, Christians, Muslims alike, believe there's something after death. I don't know the fine details of the other faiths, but for us Muslims, you either get Heaven or Hell. Or both, if you have sinned, you get a dip in the Fire before you get Paradise, but either way, it's out of those two. Ramadan shows you that if you can endure the day without indulging, the feast at the end of the day is your reward. In life, if you can endure the trials and tribulations of the world by maintaining a good character and staying true to God, at the end of the day - or in your next life, it will all pay off. 

Delayed gratification, darling ;)

I hope I... enlightened you... and I hope my information is correct. Forgive me if not...

Any questions? Do ask. I'll do my best to answer, or find you an answer... ^^

ATM:

Writing: Standard Procedure. I just finished it; a short story I wrote for a write-off I entered on Arianna's blog.... my first ever. It's so difficult, at least pour moi.... we'll see what happens....

Reading: Collected Stories. Peter Carey. Um, it's for Literature. The first two stories I found quirkily awesome, but I've heard... things... about the others... and now I'm not so sure.... o.O

Listening to: Never Grow Up. Taylor Swift :')

Feeling: Content. Ramadan's doing it for me ^^

Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said
And all your little brother's favorite songs
I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone

So here I am in my new apartment
In a big city, they just dropped me off
It's so much colder that I thought it would be
So I tuck myself in and turn my night light on

Wish I'd never grown up
I wish I'd never grown up

Peace in,

Laila