On the Eve of Ramadan, the Muslim Holy Month of Fasting

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, during which the first verses of the Qu'ran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims observe by fasting from food and drink, from sunrise to sunset. It is also a month of quiet reflection, prayer, charity and thanksgiving. During this month, believers seek to draw closer to the Divine, by purifying their minds and hearts. In the political sphere, I sincerely hope this might translate into less violence and more compassion for all. Ramadan Kareem

I hope to, at least, fast a part of this month and share, below, a poem of mine that is a kind of prayer:

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Ramadan

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month of quiet strength
and loud weaknesses

when our stubborn habits
and discarded resolutions

are re-examined under the regard
and rigorous slowness of fasting

testing our appetite
for transfiguration

month of waiting and wading
through the shallows to the Deep.

© Yahia Lababidi

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