Ramadhan Diaries: Forgiveness – Positive Reflection Of The Week

Ramadhan Diaries (Part 4) – Forgiveness, The Way To Peace

This is the last segment of my “Ramadhan Diaries”. I hope that you will enjoy this read as you have the others. The most important and sought-after days of Ramadhan are the last ten nights, knows as the Nights of Qadr (Night of Light, Night of Power).

On these Nights, it is believed that the heavens are open and it is a chance for one to catch up or make up for any shortcomings in worship during the beginning and middle of Ramadhan. It is also the Night where the decree of every human being is written. On this particular night, all the provisions, wealth, agricultural products, who is to live and die that year, and everything on the Earth concerning mankind, is to be decided.

But one does not merely enter the nights of Qadr expecting to attain maximum benefit. There are certain criteria and the three most important, aside from daily practices in Ramadhan are, Charity, Making Dua (Supplication), and Seeking Forgiveness – which were the basis of these Ramadhan Diaries.

FORGIVENESS FOR SELF

For one to receive the mercy of God, one must:

Recognize the offense – a very grave step in seeking forgiveness, as many times, the ego prevents one from acknowledging the wrong that they have committed.

Make an intention not to repeat the offense again – sincerity in seeking forgiveness comes from the understanding that the crime, sin, or mistake will not be knowingly committed again. However, even if one does accidentally commit the same offense, forgiveness should be sought again, for there is no limit to God’s forgiveness.

Asking for forgiveness from God – surely, the words “Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful” are repeated many times throughout the Quran, to demonstrate the forgiving nature of our Lord. One should seek forgiveness with the belief that God will show them mercy.

FORGIVENESS TOWARDS OTHERS

This is a very important aspect of forgiveness and something that I would like to focus on in this article.

It is very difficult for us to find forgiveness in our hearts towards those who may have wronged us. Or we may find ourselves “forgiving” them while we still harbor ill feelings towards them in our hearts.

It is believed that one must forgive to be forgiven, and the benefits of forgiving others outweigh the feelings of resentment that linger within.

The benefits of forgiving others can be summed up into three categories:

Spiritual Benefits – One of the biggest benefits of forgiving others is suppressing our Egos. When we forgive those who have not sought forgiveness from us, we are humbling ourselves and strengthening our relationship with each other. There is nothing more that pleases God than crushing our egos and building strong bonds with our fellow brothers and sisters. Also, how can we expect God to forgive us when we are not willing to forgive others?

Psychological Benefits – When we fail to forgive others, we carry a lot of hurt and insecurity within us, and we tend to project these feelings of bitterness and anger onto others.  When we reflect on the hurtful behavior of others, we are able to empower ourselves and become better people by ensuring that we do not do the same to others. When we forgive others, it makes us sympathetic towards the situations that cause people to act in such hurtful ways, thus
separating the person from their deeds.

Physical Benefits – Modern science has been able to establish a direct relationship between body pain and emotional wellbeing. When we carry a lot of grudges and negativity within us, we often suffer from stress-related ailments such as backaches, increased pressure, and heart rates, insomnia, stomach problems, feelings of depression, and lack of control. By letting go of the negativity and forgiving others, our hearts are lightened and we are able to function more productively.

It has been a wonderful experience covering this journey of Ramadhan with you. I pray that these small pearls of wisdom have benefited you, my dear readers.

As we come to the end of Ramadhan, and as we take account of ourselves, I pray that may we receive the strength to forgive others for their faults, and may we be forgiven our own.

With Blessings and love, until the next Ramadhan.

Alia Datoo, Transformational Holistic Energy Coach
Founder, Women who Hike – Africa Ltd