All praise is for Allah; we praise Him, we seek His help, we ask for His forgiveness, and we seek refuge with Allah from the evils of our souls and the wickedness of our actions; whomever Allah guides, none can lead him astray, and whomever Allah allows going astray, none can lead him to the right path.

Ramadan Kareem to all those who intend fast in this Holy month of Ramadan, fast in keeping with the injunction of our Creator. 

Although today April 2, 2022, Muslims have come to the beginning of this year’s holy month of Ramadan, I believe that a greater acceptance by Gambians of its critical lessons of self-denial and sacrifice will serve our dear country well as we strive to overcome our present challenges, undo the damage done by years of bad governance and accelerate the pace of national development. 

However, reviewing our dire circumstances and the many missed opportunities of the past, some commentators and observers have said that this is the Gambia’s last chance to get its act together and finally begin to fulfill its God-given potential for greatness. 

While not going that far, I certainly believe that now, more than ever before,  the Gambia needs greater self-denial, sacrifice, and patriotism from all of her citizens if we are to quickly recover from our numerous problems and start moving in a positive direction. 

This current period of our life as a nation offers us an excellent opportunity to break from the vicious triangle of insecurity, toxic politics, corruption,  poverty, youth unemployment, under-development, misogyny, hate speech, and tribalism. 

We must collectively resolve to seize this opportunity and unite to confront our problems. We must be committed to giving the required leadership towards undoing the wrongs of the past, ensuring that the Gambia truly begins to unlock its great potential and that the benefits of our immense national resources are shared and enjoyed by all, not just by successive cabals of corrupt leaders and their cronies. 

However, we need our continued support from the government and the political class, understanding, and patience to succeed. 

We must thoroughly understand and share our thirst and long-suffering compatriots for fighting corruption, bribery, and free public institutions to work efficiently to deliver visible development for the benefit of all citizens. 

There is indeed much work to be done. However, we must do it well and carefully to ensure that the great opportunity we now have is not lost to the “business as usual” group who selfishly or shortsightedly prefer a status quo that panders to their personal or group interests and the adverse effects of years of rot, corruption, inept and lousy governance on our nation are immense.

But certainly not insurmountable if we all resolve now to place the well-being of our nation above all other considerations and work whole-heartedly with the present administration to achieve greater peace and security across the nation, and reposition our country for faster economic development and progress.

The holy month of Ramadhan has been singled out for special worship (Ibadat) and exclusive favours. It is a month, unlike other months. One reason for this, as defined by the Qur’an, is that the Holy Qur’an was revealed in the month of Ramadan. 

So says Allah in Sura Al­-Baqarah: “The month of Ramadhan, that in which the Qur’an was sent down; guidance for humanity, and clear signs of guidance and distinction” (2:185). 

In fact, according to a hadith of the 6th Imam (a), the other holy books were also revealed in this month.

April 2, 2022, is the commencement of this most beautiful period in the life of all Muslims. Therefore, as we wake up today (Saturday, April 2022) to the start of this blessed time of abstention, permit me to reiterate to every Muslim and those of other faiths who are our neighbours, brothers, sisters, and compatriots what the ideal of Ramadan is and its significance in the lives of us who submit to it.

In this day and age of transgression, sacrilegious entertainment, profane pop culture, venal individualism, and the attractiveness of non-conformity, it is easy for the ideal and message of Ramadan to get shrouded by the lurid articulation of an alternative value. 

Unfortunately, this also happens during Christmas, Easter, or Lent, when Christians worldwide are expected to continue embracing the message of love, peace, patience, and honour that Christianity represents.

While the idea of Ramadan is the same for every Muslim and almost identical to the ideals of the fasting rituals of Christianity and Judaism, the meaning and lessons one derives from it are, in the main, unique to each individual. 

Apart from the fact that it is the most important month in the Islamic calendar, it is also a most remarkable bequest from the Almighty. A gift that signifies the dawn of the day in the landscape of Islam when the morning breaks, sunrises, cocks crow, and God’s creatures emerge bright and refreshed.

With every other form of fasting in other religions, Ramadan empowers us as human beings because it teaches us that life is about the body and especially the soul. 

What establishes man’s worth lies within the soul, not the body. We deny our body food in the spirit of faith only means that we are enriching and fortifying our souls. A person can enrich their souls not only by being tolerant and determined in the face of struggles but by being resolute in steering clear of sin despite the enticements. 

Being able to withstand hunger and thirst during fasting and keep the hands, ears, eyes, and minds away from sin provides a training ground for the important quality of patience and perseverance that Ramadan also stands for. 

One can understand the importance of restating the message of Ramadan if one keeps in mind that the avaricious and epicurean ideals of the times we are living in are in direct conflict with the ideals of fasting in any faith.

Almost everything in this life and this world navigates us towards the satisfaction of our bodies. Day in, day out, we seek ways of fulfilling the unappeasable desires we feel, be it through the consumption of food or adorning ourselves with trinkets of beauty in a quest for perfection. 

Such worldly aspirations generate limitless desires, which subsequently lead to unlimited conflicts. To meet up with those unbounded desires, all manners of intrigue are put into play. 

Such infinite aspirations create vast dissatisfactions because it is impossible for any living soul to fill the gap between their desires and achievements. The lack of fulfillment gives way to a plethora of pandemonium, unhappiness, and repression. 

The gift that Ramadan and other forms of fasting give us is that it allows us to let go of all those worldly pleasures that are so addictive. This helps us distinguish and focus on worldly responsibilities instead of pleasures.

Fasting allows us to take a break from the material things we enjoy in life to reflect on what is essential in our existence. By depriving ourselves in the name of our spiritual beliefs, we are voluntarily bidding farewell to the vain quest for happiness in all forms of corporeal hedonisms and reflecting on the direction of our lives and the hereafter.

We have come to learn and appreciate the beauty of what this holy month means to an individual. Although we see it as a complete overhaul of our life from the beginning to the end of Ramadan, Muslims feel inspired, encouraged, and faith that any situation can be resolved with the strength of the prayers offered. 

That is a far cry from people’s perception of Muslims when we thought of Ramadan as a period of pure starvation and a minor alteration in mealtimes. 

Now, apart from Ramadan symbolising spiritual empowerment to every Muslim, it is a time of enhanced charity and kindness. We are told that whosoever feeds people of lesser means or gives another person food to break his fast shall be blessed and rewarded by God. 

With the level of suffering, poverty, and hunger in the Gambia and worldwide, this idea of fasting to embrace and perform charity cannot be overemphasised.

Muslims all over the country should use this Ramadan period as a route to rediscover their inner beings while dedicating themselves and time to the Creator. 

Apart from reading the Holy Scriptures, voluntary worship, engaging in prayer, and conversing with God, Muslims must remember that every action we take as representatives of the Deen reflects on the perception of Islam. 

With accounts of people in the country blackmailing each other in the name of religion, personalities supporting inept political candidates based on religion.

And much older men marrying underage girls or minors young enough to be their granddaughters in the so-called fulfillment of religion, it is a blessing that a period of reflection is upon us. 

This period of Ramadan, without doubt, is the perfect time for such Muslims to reflect and ask themselves whether their actions were indeed done in the interest of Islam and what effect it is to have on the Deen. 

However, on the other hand, suppose they genuinely care about Islam and put the best interest of Islam above their whims. In that case, they need to ask themselves that question earnestly. 

In a sermon to prepare people mentally for the sacred month of Ramadan, The Rasul (PBUH) once said:

“Oh people! A great month is coming to you. A blessed month. A month in which there is one night that is better than a thousand months. A month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night. Whoever draws nearer to Allah by performing any of the voluntary good deeds in this month shall receive the same reward for performing an obligatory deed at any other time. And whoever discharges an obligatory deed this month shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward for patience is Heaven. It is the month of kindness and charity. It is a month in which sustenance is increased…”

One hopes that throughout the month of Ramadan and long after its conclusion, people will do whatever they can to imbibe the essence of such a sermon and the spirit of the season so that the ideal can inform their actions and ideas of Ramadan. 

An ideal that preaches peace, sharing, love, patience, respect, and understanding towards our Christian and us and other faith-based brothers and sisters. May all the religions in the Gambia live together in mutual harmony, understanding, and appreciation.

Whether one is embarking on ‘itikaf’ or seclusion in a Mosque to devote their entire month of Ramadan to remembering the Creator, devoting the last ten days of the fasting to worship, or taking it within their stride to meet the primary obligation of fasting, I take this opportunity to wish everybody that is participating in the Ramadan a very blessed, fulfilling, and rewarding worship. 

Ramadan Kareem.

By Alagi Yorro Jallow