The month of Ramadan for Muslims is supposed to have very positive effects on their souls. The month of Ramadan for Muslims it supposed to be about self evaluation and self discipline; it is supposed to be about praying more, acting better, behaving more morally, thinking deeper, and making the devotees ponder more spiritual matters than they did before. During the month of Ramadan they are supposed to feel closer to Allah; they are not supposed to lie, cheat, curse, kill, or steal; Muslims are supposed to avoid anything that is against Allah’s approval. That is why for Muslims the month of Ramadan is better than a thousand months, because they believe that during the night of Qadr the Quran was sent down to guide all Muslims. Therefore, the month of Ramadan should be about blessings; it is supposed to be a sacred month for all Muslims; the Muslims around the world are supposed to unite, reconciling and putting aside their differences and resentments from the past; it is supposed to be about peace, happiness, and the welfare of all Muslims. The month of Ramadan is supposed to embrace the feeling of brotherhood, friendship, fellowship, love, compassion, and affection; to help the needy and the poor; to take care of and give charity to others; in sum, it is a time to create a lovely environment for all Muslims to enjoy. Therefore, the month of Ramadan is designed as a month of endless blessings and goodness for Muslims.
However, Muslims have started the month of Ramadan with wars, conflict, and bloodshed. Millions of Muslims are being displaced. In Africa hundreds of schoolgirls are being kidnapped, and in the Middle East, Assad is still killing his own people. Now a new Jihadist group called the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) is killing other Shiites to counter their having more power and their wanting to grab the dominance and glory. Muslims are supposed to start the month of Ramadan with prayers to Allah to end the pain and suffering that Muslims around the world are facing, but this year Muslims are fighting Muslims. Thousands of innocent people are being killed just for the name of religion or sects; millions of them have been forced to leave their homes and countries; and their historical heritage is being destroyed. According to the Quran, Muslims are obligated to unite and be the guardians of each other; they are supposed to represent justice, love, and peace to the world.
Muslims are supposed to hold fast to the rope of Allah all together, not to cling to the rope of Al-Qaida, ISIL, Al Maliki, Osama Bin Laden, Boko Haram, Assad, or Gulen; they are supposed to love one another not kill each other. I think Muslims should not always blame America, the West, or Jews for their suffering and pains. Instead, they should blame themselves for all the misery they are facing because the all the Muslim leaders given above are teaching a message of intolerance toward one another and not practicing the true message of love, justice, and equality for themselves. They are their own biggest obstacle to bringing about those ideals. It is time for all Muslims to ask genuine questions about where they have gone wrong, what they have done, and how they got into this mess. It is time to stop putting blame on non-Muslims. Allah is supposed to command all Muslims to set aside all their differences and love and help one another. The month of Ramadan is supposed to be an opportunity for Muslims to stop killing each other and hating one another.
Yet, Muslims themselves label each other as a Sunni, Shiite, Wahhabi, Sufi, liberal Muslim, hardliners, conservatives, or numerous other groups or sects and then they pick their social circles according to their label. Muslims, however, are required to be the social fabric irrespective of race, color, nationality, or tribal origin. The question is why are Muslims at odds with each other? Allah is supposed to have revealed to Mohammed one Islam and one set of teachings, but everyone claims to be right; everyone claims to be Muslim. The question is who is on the straight path? Who really has interpreted the Quran correctly? Who is lying and who is not lying?
The division among the Muslims is not a phenomenon that began with the State of Israel or with American bad foreign policy. Muslims are the victims of their own religions. The division among Muslims has a long history of their not getting along with one another, dating back to Prophet Mohammed’s death.
It is a fact that Muslims today are divided among themselves. Power, sects, tribal identity, ethnicities, and nationalistic paradigms fuel the division among Muslims today. Granted the existence of differences exists among every other religion, but clearly division is not the problem because the problem started when an individual or group wanted to forcefully impose its views and doctrine on others. The main problem causing divisions among the Muslims is that almost all Muslims agree on the authenticity of Quran, but disagree on the interpretations of the Quran, making this disagreement the biggest divider of Muslims. Nevertheless, it still depends on Muslims themselves to differentiate who is right, who is wrong, and how fasting can have positive effects on each person’s soul.
Dr. Aland Mizell is President of the MCI and a regular contributor to Mindanao Times. You may email the author at:aland_mizell2@hotmail.com