Ramadan and I – Reflections on Drawing Closer to our Fitrah Everyday
.Ramadan is a protected and sacred blessing from Allah to us in this space and time of dunya. It is a favour towards us to say the least - a clear and transparent reflection of who we are, where we stand in our relationship with our Creator and ourselves, and an opportunity to move in a direction we are inspired to in all honesty when all interference is locked away.
As a mental health counselor, I get to work with a lot of people who are struggling to place themselves in this world. Where they would feel like they don’t belong. This is true for most of us to some degree, whether we are thinking about what career path to take, which city to live in, what type of clothes to buy, and so on. In some cases, people also struggle to place themselves in their own life. This happens as we replace “I” with “we” or “us” almost entirely. Science and Culture have identified many social, psychological, and emotional reasons why such an imbalanced narrative that excludes or is apologetic of “I” is unhealthy. However, there is a much more profound religious perspective on why building, honing, nurturing, and pondering over our individual Self and all we are connected with, all that sustains us, and all that is impacted by us, is crucial for life in both dunya and akhirah.
Along came Ramadan 2025! As I continued to work with my clients and pondered over the names of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala), it became ever so clear to me that He (SWT is Al-Malik (The King and Owner of Dominion) but also Al-Malik of our individual Self - “I” - my Al-Malik! He (SWT is Al-Jabbaar (The Compeller, The Restorer) but also my Al-Jabbar, and so on.
I realized yet again the gift of submission to Him (SWT) that keeps on giving … giving me. The weight of this realization embraced me in a warm and firm hug; like the hug from a dear one who wants to let you know that you are not alone in this and that they’ve got your back, a hug that steadies you in a moment when your world is wobbly. It was like that, but more. It was not a momentary realization, it was such that it stayed with me and sank deeper and deeper into my being as I saw more and more of its evidence playing out in my life and life of those who ever so vulnerably and courageously opened up to me. Even as the birds sang in the early promise of Spring, and I could hear them, it was clear that was for me from my Ar-Razzaaq (The Provider).
This seemingly simple, yet life-altering realization in Ramadan has led me to write this piece: to share that for you and I to arrive in this sacred month this year is certainly not by chance, but surely by design—a design that was very specifically and lovingly planned for you and I by our Al-Khaaliq (The Creator, The Maker), Al-Baari’ (The Originator), Al-Musawwir (The Fashioner)
Such a perspective can lead to our Self and our relationship with our Creator being at the center of our narrative. A narrative that is steady and anchored to Al-Mateen (The Firm, The Steadfast). “I” came into this dunya by Al-Muhyee’s (The Giver of Life) Will, “I” will receive anything in this world by Al-Muqeet’s (The Sustainer, The Maintainer) Will, and “I” will go back to Him by Al-Mumeet’s (The Creator of Death), Al-Hakeem’s (the All-Wise) Will.
I hope this reassuring perspective steadies and groundsthe mind when it wanders and the heart when it is troubled, for what better place to belong than the Al-Haqq (The Absolute Truth)?
Written by Shamyle Rizwan Khan - Mental Health Counselor at Sakeenah Canada.
About Sakeenah
Sakeenah Canada, a national charitable organization, was founded in 2018 in response to a gap in culturally and religiously sensitive services available for women and children facing domestic violence and homelessness. Since then, our services have expanded to include mental health therapy and counseling. Sakeenah has also started The People’s Market, a food program that helps combat food insecurity, and has become the first licensed foster care agency for Muslim children in all of North America. We currently operate 8 transitional homes across Canada: Toronto, Brampton, Milton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Regina, in addition to the first long-term housing program for Muslim women and children in Canada, in Windsor.
