Dr. Ramadan: Fasting Teaches Us That Wealth Is Not What We Have, But What We Are!

Fasting is an experience that teaches us that wealth is not what you have but what you are, states Dr. Tarik Ramadan in the third part of his Ramadan Chronicles, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria (NAP). He reminds that the conscious abstinence from food and drink, which believers observe, is also a remembrance of the lives of prophets Ibrahim (AS) and Muhammad (AS), who were connected to the desert environment.

- In the previous two days, we spoke about the connection between Prophet Muhammad (AS) and Ibrahim (AS) and emphasized that through fasting, we follow the footsteps and tradition of our father Ibrahim (AS). Through this act, we want to testify and acknowledge that there is only one God and to accept His peace, and we must do all of this through conscientious and responsible behavior towards ourselves and towards other people - says Dr. Ramadan at the beginning of his video message.

Dr. Ramadan says that we all know that Muhammad (AS) was born and raised in the desert, that he was an orphan, and that his wet nurse Halima took care of him.

- The desert symbolizes that you have nothing. Ibrahim (AS) was also connected to the desert, we know that from his life. It gives a person a special relationship with space and emphasizes that wealth is not what you have but what you are. Through fasting, we go through this intimate and essential "experience of having nothing"; we do not eat, we do not drink, but we strive to be and to exist - says Dr. Ramadan.  

In this way, as he points out, the Prophet (AS) was raised, as stated in the Quran: "Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter? And He found you wandering and guided you. And He found you in need and made you self-sufficient. So as for the orphan, do not cause him oppression. And as for the petitioner, do not repel him. And as for the favor of your Lord, report [it]."

- So, the Prophet (AS) was an orphan, but Allah gave him someone to care for him, he felt poverty and hardship, and then Allah provided for him, and precisely because he went through that experience, Allah asks him to understand those who are in the same or similar situation - emphasizes Dr. Ramadan.

According to him, that desert experience was very important for Muhammad (AS), and thus it is also important for believers.

- And while we are fasting, we go through the same thing; we should transform the "experience of having nothing" into good deeds: caring for the poor, investing our time and all that we have on that path. We fast to give, we fast to be people who express solidarity at their core - concludes Dr. Ramadan, sending the message "never forget to tell those you love that you love them!"

Dr. Ramadan, a professor at Oxford University, Swiss by birth, has become one of the most famous and beloved scholars in the world due to his progressive views and deep understanding of Islam. Dr. Ramadan sends his Ramadan messages through short video clips in which he gives advice to believers in a simple, yet understandable and practical way.