In a recent meeting, US President Donald Trump, during a meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, warned that if the war in Ukraine does not end soon it could lead to a “third world war.” Other world leaders, including Pope Francis and His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the spiritual caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, have anticipated this deterioration and pointed out that for years we are witnessing the third world war, in bits and pieces.
Yet, as I write this, there are more than 50 armed conflicts in the world. Specifically, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have cast a shadow over world peace. In recent months, both regions have ‘polluted’ the planet with the blood of thousands of innocent people. The bombs have dynamited not only the lives and homes of the people there, but also our relationships, our hopes and our dreams for a more humane world. These ongoing wars have created deep fissures and divisions in our coexistence, and the loss of each innocent life is comparable to one more obstacle on the road to healing.
In the face of such a dark prognosis, a spark of hope is manifesting itself next week, especially for the Muslim world which is suffering from the chapters of war in their own societies, be it in the Middle East, in Syria, in Sudan or in Burkina Faso. For this reason, many Muslims are looking forward to the first of March, which will mark the beginning of the month of Ramadan this year. Fasting during this period, which is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is an obligatory commandment for all Muslims, although there are some exceptions. For example, exemptions are made for those who are ill or in poor health, pregnant or breastfeeding women and those going through their menstrual period, children and adolescents who have not yet reached physical maturity and those who are travelling. These worshippers can complete the missed days of fasting afterwards or, as atonement, feed a needy person for the same number of days missed.
At its core, Ramadan is an extremely important month in the life of every Muslim. During this period, one not only abstains for a month from dawn to dusk from food, drink and sexual intercourse, but strives for the improvement of one's spiritual and moral state. Therefore, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “God does not need the renunciation of food or drink from the person who does not renounce the practice of falsehood and evil deeds.”
The spirit of Ramadan, with the performance of intense prayers, frequent recitation of the Holy Qur'an and vehement effort against one's ego, provides believers with the unique opportunity to experience a spiritual rebirth. Fasting is not merely a diet, but a way to live in peace and find the peak of our spirituality.
In conclusion, while many of us will fast during the month of Ramadan by choice, let us not forget in our thoughts and prayers those corners of the globe where fasting is not a choice, but an imposition and the consequence of war. It is my deep wish that this Ramadan will be a point of reconciliation for every believer with His Creator and, at the same time, for all societies and groups in confrontation, especially in Ukraine and Gaza.
*Marwan Gill is Imam (Islamic theologian) and President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Argentina.
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