Dr. Ramadan: Does Our Belief in God Affect Our Daily Lives?

The testimony that there is no god but Allah also means rejecting all forms of dependence on anyone or anything other than the Creator, says Dr. Tarik Ramadan in the 13th installment of his Ramadan Chronicles, reports the BH News Agency Patria (NAP).

Acknowledging only one God is the foundation of Islam and the gateway to faith, which leaves a mark on people's lives. In a new installment of his brief addresses, Dr. Ramadan reminds us that Ramadan is a time when believers can and should reflect on whether their acknowledgment of only one God is truly reflected in their daily lives.

- The first principle upon which belief is based, without which there is no Islam, is "tawhid" – the oneness of God. We express it with the words "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is His messenger." In a physical sense, the meaning of these words is that we reject worship of any idols, while the spiritual meaning refers to the fact that we must be aware and cautious of all other types of idols in our hearts, such as power, money, fame, it can be anything else – says Dr. Ramadan.

As Muslims, while fasting, we must break free from any form of addiction.

- By testifying that I will follow no one but Allah, nor be dependent on anything but Allah. I depend only on Him, I serve only Him, and I seek only His approval, satisfaction, and love. This is what a believer expresses – emphasizes Dr. Ramadan.

From an Islamic perspective, this is very important for every believer, as by fasting every day we strive to achieve closeness to Allah.

- Our life's journey is immediate closeness with our Creator, as stated in the Quran: "When My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he calls Me." Therefore, the oneness of Allah is the very essence of belief and has huge implications for our lives. Our intentions and actions should be based on and examined through this very principle. While fasting, let's ask ourselves why we are fasting? Does it help me connect with God, so that I can be as close to Him as possible, and far from any other addiction – says Dr. Ramadan, concluding his address with the words: Don't forget to tell the people you love that you love them!