It has been close to around 1,500 years that the observance of Ramadan has been an integral part of the Muslim society, an aspect of Islam that both challenges and uplifts Muslims. Like the Haj, where every man and woman are made equal before Allah and one another through the donning of identical clothing and the performance of identical rituals, Ramadan is a great equalizer in that one person's body functions identically to the next one's, regardless of their station in life. The rich endure fasting no more easily than the poor. The old and the young are the same. The denial of the body's demands during Ramadan also enables observers to concentrate more thought and consideration on the less fortunate, especially those around the world who experience hunger on a daily basis, as well as on the spiritual aspects of human life that transcend the needs of the body. Ramadan creates a tremendous sense of togetherness. We find ourselves today, however, in a society and a world very different from that which confronted previous generations. Iftar, also once (and often still) a relatively modest affair has become a social affair, entailing invitations to extended families and to old and new friends to break the fast at sunset. Under some circumstances, it becomes such a socially conscious affair that some people will try to outdo their friends, offering increasingly elaborate feasts meant more to impress than to honor the requirements of Ramadan. As usual in this age, however, everything tends toward extravagance and exaggeration and the root meaning becomes obscured. Ramadan is not only a very moving expression of the unity of the Muslim world and represents the times forgotten but also a reminder of a very profound truth that we all have been created equal and that death approaches all of us regardless of our station in life and is the great leveler. In this, we share a human and spiritual bond that deserves embracing and celebration. Ramadan Kareem. __
