Dr. Ramadan: Faith is a family experience, and this is the month of family

On our spiritual journey, we are alone, but faith is equally a family experience, and Ramadan is the month of strengthening family ties, says Dr. Tarik Ramadan, a leading Islamic thinker in Europe, in a new part of Ramadan Chronicles, reports the BiH news agency Patria (NAP).

He first reminded that through Ramadan Chronicles, we have covered numerous important dimensions of the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), including some that could be described as negative and difficult.

- The first is the refusal of his tribe to follow the truth and Islam, while the second is his intimate state of doubt and feeling of abandonment. Although at first glance these two experiences seem negative, they nevertheless helped the Prophet (pbuh) and his followers to persevere on the right path and gave them strength – states Dr. Ramadan.

He also reminded that before his prophethood, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) married Khadijah (RA), a merchant from Mecca, who played the most significant role in his life. She was with him all the time and introduced him to her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal, who warned Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that he would be criticized and that people would reject the message of truth.

- The first to believe in the Revelation was Khadijah (RA). In those difficult moments, when Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ran home and cried out: “Cover me, cover me,” she comforted and protected him, showing trust that was so important at that moment. Khadijah (RA) was a protection for him, as the Quran states: “And of His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may find tranquility in them.” Khadijah showed and applied the verse which says “...they are your garments” – emphasizes Dr. Ramadan.

Emphasizing the importance of family and the support it provides to a person in difficult times, Dr. Ramadan says that while it is true that a person builds their spirituality alone, it is also clear that it cannot be complete without those closest to us.

- On our intimate, spiritual journey, we are alone. But still, we have husbands, wives, parents, and children beside us, people who support and protect us. Therefore, it is a family experience as much as an individual one. Ramadan is precisely the month of family. And this is one of the essential messages of faith – he says, adding: “Never forget to tell the people 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 simple, yet understandable and practical advice to believers.