As the moon of the month of Ramazan is sighted, a rush of excitement runs inside every Muslim. We thank Allah for giving us another chance to avail the special blessings that this month brings.

Ramazan is all about obeying Allah, avoiding sin and doing good with everyone, this is a month in which Muslims fast and shun all sorts of evil and misdeeds. Even though this month comes once in a year, with infinite blessings, some people waste this opportunity by spending their money excessively on eating out at expensive restaurants and buying huge amount of grocery items, the money, which otherwise could have been used in welfare of the poor and needy.

These days, most people spend their entire night till Sehr by chatting with their friends on their phones and watching movies. While the fun part should not go away, I think it is best to have a balance in fun and prayers, and doing good deeds.

Fasting is obligatory on every Muslim; it teaches us self-control and discipline. And with an empty stomach a fasting person can realise the pain and suffering of the people who don’t even have a single meal in a day.

Fasting is not about not eating and drinking the whole day, one has to avoid all the sins, such as talking behind one’s back, lying, deceiving, abusing and selfishness. Instead one must behave nicely, show love and care to everyone, show empathy and brotherhood among each other.

By avoiding sins and doing good, one naturally comes closer to God and strengthens one’s beliefs.

We must indulge in good deeds and benevolence, offer prayers on time, recite the Holy Quran regularly, offer Tarawih and help the needy by doing small acts of kindness and charity.

So friends, make sure you don’t waste this month in just having fun, do good for the needy and poor in each and every way you can.

Published in Dawn, Young World, May 25th, 2019