Ramadan: An Economic Perspective

Ramadan: An Economic Perspective

We’ve all thought the same thing while shuffling out the masjid doors after another late night of Tarawih: how can those trash bags be filled to the brim just from plastic water bottles? Do we really consume that much in one night? How much extra waste is going to the landfill this month on behalf of our masjid, much less the community as a whole? How many gallons of drinking water are going down the drain from hundreds of unfinished bottles?

Whether or not we feel bothered by such thoughts, it should be a pertinent concern of every Muslim in the Western hemisphere to take a second look at our relationship to Earth’s scarce resources during this sacred month.

The most fundamental rule in economic theory is that the world’s resources are scarce – meaning that they are not sufficient or sufficiently accessible to satisfy the extent everyone desires for them. While in principle and on economists’ terms this rule remains consistently true, however, we must assert that to define our relationship with these resources based on the individual’s valued interest in acquiring them (known to economists as ‘utility’) is inherently problematic to us. The opening verses of Surat al-Baqarah are especially enlightening in this sense: “He is the one who created everything in the Earth for you,”[1] that is, for your benefit in your worldly and spiritual lives. Any blessing provided to us from Allah is not meant to be vainly exploited, and certainly not wasted wantonly. It should not be used as a tool to oppress others nor feed our Satanic whisperings to hoard wealth and seek profit through avenues unsanctioned by the Sacred Law.

When Allah Almighty created Adam (upon him and upon our Prophet be peace and blessings), He informed the Angels that, “I have made in the Earth a successor”[2]. This met with the astonishment of the Angels and their seeking to learn the wisdom of Allah Most High in His decision to put in their place a creature with the potential for great sin and excess. But Allah Almighty reassured them that “I know what you do not know,” alluding to the secret of Allah’s creation of Mankind: that among them would be those who use the blessings present in this Earth responsibly for His obedience, worship and gratitude, and call others to do likewise. Thus, we recognize that the realization of this purpose in placing Mankind as a successor on Earth is not for him to consume endlessly and unthinkingly, but to strike a particular relationship with the scarce resources we are blessed with: one that allows us to willingly behave, to the best of our abilities, in a manner resemblant of the perfect obedient nature of the Angels. In short, we are called to be grateful for this enormous, incalculable blessing. A gratitude which actionably means utilizing every blessing for its highest possible use.

Returning to Ramadan, the spiritually transformative nature of this month is beyond words or explanation. It must be experienced in full for one to understand. In forgoing the callings of our most basic physical needs and desires, we undergo a month-long physical constriction: one that, if undergone in a manner acceptable to Allah Most High, leads to a spiritual expansion that continues to provide for us throughout the year. But while we fast throughout the day, as soon as the Adhan is called for Maghrib, many of us instinctively seek to ‘make up’ for the missed calories and foregone desires until morning. We prepare the most delectable foods, some which are rarely eaten outside of Ramadan, and follow it with an array of sweets before marching off to pray Tarawih, loosening our belts to avoid the discomfort. If we were to scrutinize the groceries coming into our homes during Ramadan, and the trash leaving them (including the thousands of plastic water bottles entering the masjid and leaving half-full), it should not be surprising to notice that many of us are expanding or at least meeting our consumptive behaviors compared with outside of Ramadan. Likewise, while we could be busying our free time during the day with Qur’an and remembering Allah Most High, we frequently find ourselves browsing online or on-site marketplaces, looking for something to fill the dopamine gap we are feeling. We are simply unsatisfied with less, due to our infatuation with the dunya, that being the very problem Ramadan is meant to address.

Imam Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him) mentions that he who eats as much as his regular dinner meal upon breaking his fast is deprived of its benefit. Outside of necessity, there should be a net lull in our collective consumption and economic activity during Ramadan, not just adjustment of its scheduling. By doing so, we make room to reintroduce various acts of worship into our lives, and we learn to differentiate in our intake of resources between what is necessary for a fulfilling, God-conscious life, and what is superfluous. We are trained to accept that resources are scarce, and their valuation is not merely a calculation of utility and cost, but to see the opportunities for displaying gratitude to Allah Most High made possible by putting them to their highest use. After all, Allah is the Provider, and He alone can determine whether we will truly benefit or lose out from His blessings. It is He who brought forth twelve gushing wellsprings from the rock to satisfy each tribe of Bani Isra’il, He who sent down the Manna and Salwa while they wandered in the wilderness, He who fed around eighty Sahabah through one pot of food and multiplied the output of food and drink through mere interaction with His chosen Messenger ﷺ. Do we not see how quickly we are satisfied with a handful of dates and fruits after a full day of fasting? Do we not taste the sweetness of water that was previously unnoticeable? This is the barakah Allah provides us without asking anything in return beyond mere gratitude.

As long as we continue to focus on consuming and maximizing worldly pleasures, we will continue to miss out on these subtle moments of blessed satisfaction. We will be like the Sahabi who investigated the pot of meat wondering how it fed so many people, to find it suddenly empty, or the Bedouin who ate from the dish that seemed unending without saying bismillah and consumed it all in two bites.[3] Rather, let us learn from Ramadan not to focus on the means and the input, but on the output of gratitude we can embody. If we do so, we will be like those who Allah provides for in the end times not on food or drink, but on subhanAllah, alhamduliLlah, and Allahu akbar alone. And Allah gives tawfiq.

[1] Quran, 2:29

[2] Quran, 2:30

[3] Tirmidhi, 1858

Tolerance & Taqwa

"O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allāh is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allāh is Knowing and Aware" [Quran 49:13]. 

In this verse, Allah addressed humanity which includes Muslims and non Muslims, and He said that He created us differently. He made us males and females, and nations and tribes which have different cultures, colors, languages, and foods. The reason for this is not that we harm, force, or kill one another. Rather, it is so that we may get to know one another. It is these differences that make the difference in the human family. 

We must learn to tolerate each other with all of our differences. This tolerance includes those we disagree with because we can agree to disagree with them and still coexist peacefully. We can include and tolerate others as human beings even though we may not support, promote, or condone their actions or beliefs. It is especially important today that we are able to civilly sit and talk with those we disagree with without immediately canceling them or shutting them down. It is a sign of one who is tolerant that he or she tolerates those who do not tolerate him or her. 

Allah concludes the verse by saying that the most noble of all people in the sight of God are not those who are just rich, famous, powerful, beautiful, a certain race or color, or how many degrees they have. Rather, the most noble to Allah are those who have the most righteousness/piety (taqwa). Imam Abdullah Al-Haddad defined taqwa as obeying Allah's commandments and avoiding His prohibitions inwardly and outwardly. It is this internal state of taqwa that manifests externally on the limbs that makes the difference between people to Allah. May Allah make us of the people of taqwa.

Duality of the Shahādah

﷽

Among the most famous words spoken by our beloved Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ, are those he most aptly delivered in reply to the inquisitions made by the angel Jibrīl, in which the latter requested that Allah’s Chosen inform him on the concepts and contents of Islām (specifying the fundamental actions required of Muslims), Īmān (specifying articles of faith), and Iḥsān (spiritual excellence). 

The first of these three includes what are known as the Five Pillars of Islam: uttering the Testimony of Faith, upholding the ritual prayer, giving specified alms to poor Muslims, fasting Ramaḍān, and attending the Ḥajj pilgrimage if one is able do so. While each of these ‘pillars’ can be understood independently of the others, in reality the latter four are only achievable when preceded by the most important, the Testimony of Faith, or Shahādah. It is useful to imagine the metaphor of Islam not as a house constructed on five equal pillars, but one built on the four pillars of Ṣalāh, Zakāh, Ṣawm, and Ḥajj, all of which are atop a singular, mighty foundation: the Shahādah. 

This phrase, as one the ḥadīth’s many commentators Sa’d ad-Dīn Taftāzānī expounds, consists of two parts. The first, “I testify that there is no god but Allah”, expresses the utterer’s belief in the Oneness of Allah Most High: absolute exclusivity from all others in His Essence, Attributes, and Actions. The second, “and, [I testify that] Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah”, expresses one’s belief in Prophethood. 

Imam Taftāzānī says, “[Testimony towards the Oneness of Allah and in Prophethood] are two inseparable foundations in upholding the religion, by necessity of Islām being dependent on the two halves of the testimony.” Inseparable here can correctly mean that both parts are required to validate one’s belief; one alone does not suffice. But if we are to analyze this word further, in the language of the scholars of logic, it may further import that belief in each singular half of the Testimony leads one by necessity to the belief in the other. Thus, a thinking person’s belief in God should necessarily lead them to belief in Prophethood, and specifically to that of Muḥammad ﷺ. Likewise, one’s belief in Muḥammad ﷺ as a Messenger would lead them to believe in the Oneness of Allah Most High.

This latter half of this claim is clear: How could someone truly recognize the Messengership of Muḥammad and still claim divinity for other than Allah, with a fundamental, in fact the most fundamental component of the Message he preached and recited being the likes of, “So, be assured there is no god but Allah” (Qur’an, 47:19) and “Say, [the truth is] that Allah is One. Allah is Besought of all, needing none. He neither begot anyone, nor was He begotten. And never has there been an equal to Him” (Qur’an, 112:1-4).

However, it remains obscure, to many, how belief in Allah’s Oneness should lead us to accepting the prophethood of Muḥammad ﷺ, or any others among His noble Prophets, Allah grant mercy and peace to them and to our beloved Messenger, āmīn. Thus, the relation between the two concepts, God’s Oneness, and Prophethood, is worthy of further exploration.

Thankfully for us, authors of our illustrious Islamic inheritance, like Imam Taftāzānī, have authored an entire genre of works expounding their thoughts on this very subject, known as Uṣūl ad-Dīn, the Foundations of the Religion. While the scrupulous details of the science may be saved for a formal study of ‘aqīdah, which every Muslim is encouraged to embark on to know the beliefs fundamental to their religion, we hope here to take the holistic route of reflecting on the Qur’an as a guide to making our intended connection. Let us, then, turn our attention to the beginning verses of Sūrah al-Insān:

“There has come unto mankind a moment of time in which he was nothing worth mentioning.” (Qur’an, 76:1)

With this verse, we are instantly alerted to the most fundamental rule of not only our own existence, but the universe as a whole: change. Human beings, like all things, only came to exist through a process of continuous change and transformation. Reaching far back into the depths of time, we know that not only did humans not exist, but the universe itself cannot possibly have developed to what it is now via an infinite chain of similarly contingent events. To believe the opposite leads to a logical absurdity. It must thus have a beginning, and there must be a pre-existing actor capable of initiating that beginning. That actor, existing independently and eternally with no beginning nor end, is what we designate with the word God, Allah in the Arabic language.

This argument is summarized succinctly with the following assertions and conclusion:

The universe changes. Everything that changes is in need of an unchanging Creator. Thus, the universe is in need of an unchanging Creator.

So far, we have established God’s existence alone. But what of His qualities that we know of from the Qur’an, like Life, Power, Will, Knowledge, etc.? If we have established that the universe has a Creator, it is thus fundamental that these attributes be ascribed to Him. Else, the act of creating the universe would not be possible were the Creator nonliving, powerless, unwilling, and unknowing of His creation. As for His Oneness, it is absurd to imagine that God’s absolute Will to do a particular thing be even potentially rivaled by the contrary absolute Will belonging to any other being posited as a ‘god’. Thus, the only being capable of possessing that said Will and similar qualities of perfection and eternality is the One God. 

Let us proceed to the next verse:

“We have created Mankind from a mixed sperm-drop to put him to test; then we made him able to hear, able to see.” (Qur’an, 76:2)

What, thus far, is still missing in the creation of the universe as we know it, with all its complexity, beauty, terror, and specifically in the creation of Mankind, furnished not only with the physical components of life, but beautified further with an intellect capable of investigating difficult questions about the universe, his own place therein, and innovating solutions to solve many of life’s material and philosophical challenges? For all this to be the outcome, the Creator must be attributed with a quality necessitating assignment of order and ultimate purpose in all His actions. This attribute can be called Wisdom, and its opposite, an impossibility for God, is called foolishness.

The verse above illustrates the physical process of human development. By what intent did God carve out for us a notch in this universe, carefully nurturing us through the various stages of conception, embryo development, then emerging from the womb a fully formed human being? “To put him to test.” That is the purpose of our creation, exemplified also in Qur’an 51:56: “I did not create the Jinn and Mankind except for the purpose that they should worship me.” 

Further, Allah Most High made Mankind “able to hear, able to see”; he gifted us not only with the physical senses by which we experience His creation, but with the potential for insight necessary to draw conclusions regarding the universe’s absolute dependance on God and the purposefulness behind our own creation. Our beloved Messenger ﷺ informed us that, “there is no man born except upon his primal nature (i.e., that of recognizing his Creator)”. We are all born with the inherent ability to reason many essential truths about God and our subservience to His Majesty. While that ability does not necessarily go away, those of us who were not born amongst the Muslims are led down a path of spiritual blindness until those guided few of us, ultimately, may find our way back to reunite with the warmth of God’s intent for us through Islam. All praise be to Allah!

We must, somehow, figure out a way back to God. Yet there are various realities that are imperceptible to us. What other qualities belong to God? What is our purpose? How do we fulfill it? How can we gain real, lasting peace and felicity? Allah the All-Wise answers thus:

“We have shown him the way to be either grateful or ungrateful.” (Qur’an, 76:3)

Following the same idea of Divine Wisdom explained earlier, we recognize there are matters of reality and morality which cannot be explained with intellect alone. Thus, if we are to discover and fulfill the purpose of our creation, we need more information. Anticipating this in His infinite Knowledge, God inspired certain individuals with the message requisite to attain human perfection and the eternal felicity sought by all. This message is called Revelation, as it is dispatched from the realm of the unseen to God’s chosen prophets (upon them and upon His Final Prophet be peace), who then pass it on to their people to steer them towards God’s intent for them. Revelation teaches us to fulfill our place in the universe by willingly showing gratefulness to God, and it also shows us the ugliness of its opposite.

Here, we may encounter a problem: how can one differentiate between true and false claimants of Prophethood? This was also anticipated, and thus God supported every prophet with miracles: occurrences defying the laws of nature tied to their claim towards Prophethood. These occurrences are aptly called mu’jizah in Arabic, meaning that they rendered anyone’s denial of the divine nature of these occurrences utterly impotent. Mūsā silenced the influential magicians of his time when his staff turned into a living snake, ‘Īsā effortlessly cured ailments even the skilled doctors of the Roman Empire were clueless to handle, and finally, our Beloved Messenger Muḥammad ﷺ came reciting a scripture that astounded the most eloquent poets of the most illustrious language, bringing ocean-depths of meaning, masterful rhetoric, impossible accuracy regarding past and future and subtle events, and upright guidance for every person who walks this Earth. Being the Seal of Prophethood and culmination of God’s dispatching revelation to the entirety of mankind, his miracle is the one prophetic miracle we can continue to bear witness to over a thousand years later, and thus do we recognize the magnitude of his noble station among all of Mankind.

It is due to the perfection of his sublime message and person that his blessed name will forever be next to that of God’s, in the phrase, “I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.”

Tadabbur to Redemption

كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَـٰرَكٌۭ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوٓا۟ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ 

“This is a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they might deeply reflect (tadabbur) upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded”(38.29).

There lived a man, Imam al Haram-Rabbani, Shaykh al Hijaz, who was considered by all accounts to be of the highest caliber from knowledge, spiritual, and practical standpoints. However, as the famous Oscar Wilde quote goes, “Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.” Thus, before his illustrious rise, he spent many years as a shaatir, a highway robber, one of the most dangerous ones at that, between Sarakhas and Abyrd in Samarqand in the second century! His name was synonymous with evil. Born to a father who had traveled to Iraq and died when he was very young, he was part of a gang that ambushed caravans crossing his territory. His name and reputation as their terrorizing leader had spread far and wide. This young man was named Fudayl Ibn Iyad At Tamimi. He was also in love with a young woman. One night, he decided to scale the high walls of her dwelling and see her at midnight when suddenly he heard a verse of Surah al Hadid being recited.

أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ وَلَا يَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ مِن قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌۭ مِّنْهُمْ فَـٰسِقُون 

"Has the time not yet come for believers’ hearts to be humbled at the remembrance of Allah and what has been revealed of the truth, and not be like those given the Scripture before—˹those˺ who were spoiled for so long that their hearts became hardened. And many of them are still rebellious"(57.16).

A man who had negatively affected so many was suddenly paralyzed and in awe of what he had just heard. Something within him caused immediate and deep reflection. Muhasabah, an act Imam Ghazali (rah) mentions one should engage in daily, prompted him to start climbing down the wall and say, “قد انا" - "Yes, my Lord." He began looking for a dark place to sit and ponder. While in seclusion, he overheard people nearby mentioning the danger of staying in the area longer, as it was Fudayl's notorious domain. Fudayl ibn Iyad was deeply moved. He made his tawbah and, in his repentance, promised to live in the House of Allah in Makkah. It is mentioned that when he emerged, he reassured the people of the caravan not to fear and, in some traditions, even fed them.

After his tawbah, he immediately changed his location and embarked on his journey for 'ilm. Having newly returned to Islam, he learned from the greatest Tabi'een, including A’mash (rah), Muhammad Ibn Ishaq (rah), and Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (rah). He became a renowned 'alim, and his knowledge was sought by figures like Sufyan Ibn ‘Uyaynah (rah), Abdullah Ibn Mubarak (rah), Bishar Al Hafi (rah), and Imam Shafi (rah). His hadith can be found in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim. Known for his balanced gatherings, Abdullah ibn Mubarak called him a teacher of goodness. Reflecting on the numerous accounts of transformation and redemption seen in the lives of believers throughout Islamic history is not only unsurprising but also greatly astounding and motivating.

The redemption of Fudayl (rah) was sparked by a few moments of deep reflection over a single verse. When will such a moment arrive for us? I pray it is before the appointed time of meeting our Lord arrives. Ameen.

Spiritual Legacy

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When a person dies, all action is cut off for him with the exception of three things: sadaqah (charity) which continues, knowledge which benefits, or a righteous child who makes supplication for him" (Muslim). 

As Muslims, we live in this life (dunya) to plan and prepare for the next life (akhirah). We do not live for this temporary world for we will eventually leave it. We live for the next world for it is eternal and never ends. This life is only a test to see if we pass and enter paradise by Allah's grace; or if we fail and enter hellfire by His justice (may Allah protect us).

We are not guaranteed life but we are guaranteed death as it will come to all of us one way or another. The real question is not what you amassed and took from the life of this world, but rather what you left behind. What is your spiritual legacy that continues after you are gone that will benefit the generations to come? What will continue to benefit and reward you in your grave and hereafter? 

When you die, you will want people to say he left a continuous charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who supplicates for him. All other actions will be cut off and nothing else after death will really help you. We must live our lives planning and preparing for what really matters in the next life.