4 Useful Tips For Adopting Ethical Behavior in Ramadan

Islam is a religion that calls of ethical behavior in every area of life whether it is business, personal relationships or any acts involving most of the society. Our final Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was an epitome and paragon of ethical behavior. Islam wants Muslims to live and operate in harmony with the surroundings and serve community at large. 

Ramadan, the ninth month in Islamic calendar, is the most special and exclusive month for Muslims.  It offers an opportunity to all of us to re-think and re-evaluate our lives and behaviors.  A true Muslim does not only take responsibility for himself but the community and society they live in. Their aim is always to improve and better themselves and benefit the society by contributing to it according to their capacity. 

The ethical behavior in Ramadan and outside can be adopted by several ways and below are the five effective ways: 

Eat Less

Ramadan offers us a great opportunity each year to transform and change our eating habits permanently to live a more healthy and energetic life. In Islam, moderation in all affairs of life including eating has been emphasized. Allah says in Quran: 

"Eat and drink but waste not by excess, for Allah loves not those who waste,” (Qur’an, 7:31).

Clearly, Allah does not like the people who eat excessively and therefore has advised against it. Science has also pinpointed the benefits of eating less and its correlation with longevity and long life.

Our Prophet Muhammad(SAW) has also advised eating less as the following hadiths say: 

"One third [of the stomach] for his food, one third for his drink and one third for his breath.” (Hadith, Tirmidhi)

“Food for two suffices three, and food for three suffices four.”

Another upside of eating less is that it always costs you less and you will never be stressed with your grocery bills. Ramadan allows us to have more control over what we eat and our overall eating patterns. Practice this golden rule and it will result in better health and less psychical problems such as lethargy, fatigue or obesity. 

Reduce Food Wastage 

Food wastage has become a massive global problem and in some countries third of all food goes to waste which shows how serious the problem is. Even in Muslim countries, people do not take food wastage as a serious issue which requires their attention. Not only food wastage creates negative environmental issues, it also goes against the basic teachings of Islam and our prophet Muhammad (SAW). A Hadith says it is forbidden for a Muslim to waste water even if "even if you are by a flowing river.”

Reduce CO2 Emissions 

Cut back on processed foods for they are responsible for creating more CO2 emissions in the environment. In Ramadan, try to adopt the habit of eating more natural and unprocessed foods which include vegetables and fruits. Go out for a walk after Suhoor or Iftaar and bicycle your way to office if its near your house. Play your little role as a dutiful and responsible Muslim no matter what the country you are living in. 

Focus More On Spiritual Needs Than Psychical

Ramadan offers us a great opportunity to engage more in spiritual pursuits. The first tip is to de-clutter and donate your unused clothes and other material possessions to those who are less privileged and are in need of these items. Practice gratitude and repentance as often as possible. 

Unplug yourself from TV and gaming consoles for they are largely a time-waster and you learn nothing significant in those activities. They are often distractions which you should cut back on. Use mobile phones and laptops to browse and learn Islamic stuff and increase your knowledge. This practice will teach us more self-control--a necessary element to a balanced lifestyle. 

 

Key Duas related to fasting

➝ Dua for Suhur (Sehri) & intention to start your fast ➝ Dua before Iftar or when breaking your fast ➝ Prophet ﷺ Dua after Iftar ➝ Dua for Taraweeh prayer

Important Ramadan Dos & Don'ts

➝  How giving iftar to others will increase your blessings ➝ Say no to these 9 bad activities during this Ramadan ➝ 11 common things you probably thought would break your fast but actually they don't ➝ 6 things that will nullify (break) your fast