Of Ramadan and fasting

It's the 1st day of ramadan, which means the first day of fasting for the muslim in this holy month. Previously, ramadan is just a ramadan where my perception is it's a month that you have to fast for 30 days, with sahur, breaking the fast (iftar), the food, the terawikh and such. Such a shallow conception when i was a kid and maybe 2 years back of my age now. Looking and experiencing ramadan in foreign country today made me think differently of how it should be. Usually i would just asked mom of what the menu for today's breaking fast, i wondered should i go to solat terawikh tonight, or having a lots of other thoughts. As for today, I'm just being me with less expectation of what to cook or eat for iftar and i even agreed to my housemate's suggestion to go on the top of a church and have a view on Liverpool skies and city from a top above at 8pm. (Well since we're in summer, Fajr prayer starts around 2.45am and maghrib starts at 9.45pm. It's more than 18-hour of fasting, but bring it on! hehe)

Crazy isn't it? Well that is how environment actually shape your behaviour and doing despite what you've been practicing after all the years. As for me i think i come to a realisation that ramadan is more that just fasting, well shame on me to have it realised on my 27-years of life on earth, but it least it struck me on what else that i wanna gain through this holy month of ramadan? Being alone here also made you think and evaluate yourself of all the things that you have done. You are able to make changes without getting worried about other people perception or dogma. I've gone through a-second-day series of Ustaz Nouman Ali Khan's (he's indeed popular now! ekekeke)  youtube video on the Juz 2 of the Quran, ' Do you worship ramadan or Allah?' The verse explains how Allah asks us to fast whenever we are once the holy month is here unless you're not capable of doing it under certain circumstances. The question is, why Allah gives us 30 days to fast, why not 60 days or maybe 15 days? This is the question that maybe others may have different perception. The answer from Ustaz Norman is in the video that i've attached. One of the ways to make sure people click the play button and listen hehehe.  

As for me, it's more than a month itself. It's a month where Allah shapes us to be a good person in everything that we do within these 30 days. Have you ever encountered a saying that describes habits die hard and it's only take a certain amount of time to form and shape a new habit in your life. Let say after one month of behaving good, then later you're still back to the previous habits, doesn't it shows how pretentious we are during the month? So are we actually obliged to Allah or only for Ramadan? MashaAllah, if i'm not going to take this opportunity to become a better person then when will it be. This is the time where at least i can form new habits out of everything that you have been so far. It really made me think and think. Anyhow, this is just a first day of ramadan, and it's still a long journey to say I've made an improvement over myself, my work, my schedule or even towards the people around me. I really hope it does, even it's only a tiny bit. I really wish for it. huhuhuh Ahlan wasahlan ya Ramadan!