Ramadhan 2020

Assalamualaikum.

Hi folks, what's up?

Been itching to write this post for a few days.

See, I cannot keep up daily blogging update because I will think about what to write for days, sometimes months but in the end I didn't post it.

Or the idea just being forgotten.

Putting that aside, Ramadhan this year was a hell lot different than last year.

Last year's Ramadhan, our family was tested with the health of my father. Alhamdulillah that was in the past and Alhamdulillah we get to meet Ramadhan again with father's health getting steadier.

This year is different for me because I was still in my confinement day on the 1st of Ramadhan and just manage to start fasting on the final tenth. But still have to skip a day or three :(

I love Ramadhan because I always feel safe during this holy month. Mainly because of this famous hadith;

The report in as-Saheehayn from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with
him) who said: 

The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) said: 

“When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened
and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are put in chains.” 

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3277) and Muslim (1079).

Directly taking that into context, in my head it would be like

No Devils = No ghosts 

So it will be perfectly safe for me to travel here and there by myself because a) there is no ghosts,and b) because no devils means there is no impure thoughts hence my safety is guaranteed.

Is it?

Truth to be told, the more I think about it, the more it became clear to me.

Mind

over

Matter

It occurred to me that what myself has been speculating is actually a mind boggling conundrum. I would not want to delve further into the hadith because it is not my expertise but what is actually behind it is that, in this holy month people are busying themselves worshipping Allah and competing with each other to do good deeds. So maybe less lagha, less drama, less doing evil things that it is interpreted as if the devils are in chains.
(I am doing a research as I am typing but I cannot find crime rate statistics in Malaysia to prove a point. What a shame!)

Ultimately, we define ourselves upon the hadith above. Each for their own.

It came to me that Ramadhan, being the holy month in Islamic calendar, is also the month of discovering oneself.

To figure out either you are the pious worshipper of Allah,

or are you the living devil itself?

Wallahualam.