Ramadan

How does one appreciate ramadan when it is the number of hours before iftar that they are obsessed with?

We check the time every now and then to see how long it is before we can break our fast, mindlessly worrying about our empty stomachs when what we should be worrying about is the empty stomachs of the poor fakir. We check the time every now and then to see how long it is before we can break our fast when what we should be checking is the number of good deeds we have done throughout the day.

Ramadan is a month of empathy such that we deprive ourselves of worldly pleasures so that we see how the less fortunate are faring. Ramadan is a month of forgiveness such that we seek forgiveness from Allah and those whom we have wronged one way or another. Ramadan is a month of physical, mental and spiritual cleansing such that we detoxify ourselves from the poisons in our body, mind and soul through fasting and prayer.