Ramadan Kareem to our Muslim brothers and sisters

By Yvonne Gichuru

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar that is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community.

Each day during this month, Muslims all over the world abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, as well as participating in anything that is ill-natured or excessive; from dawn until the sun sets. Fasting is intended to educate Muslims on spirituality, humility and patience.

It is a time to cleanse the soul, focus attention on God, and put into practice selflessness. It is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of God and to put forward more prayer than is customary.

According to Sheikh Rashid Muhammad - Imam (Muslim Chaplain), KNH, the Holy month of Ramadan is a month where we are told by the Almighty that “O you who believe fasting has been prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those who were before you so you may have the fear of God.”

Ramadan lasts 29-30 days depending on the sighting of the moon in line with the Islamic calendar which is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days that is used to determine the proper days of Islamic holidays and rituals.

“Ramadan is one of the pillars of Islam. Islam has 5 pillars: the Shahada which is the assertion of faith, the Salah which is prayer, Zakāt which is alms giving or charity, Sawm which is fasting and the final Pillar - performing the Hajj which is pilgrimage,” Sh. Muhammad told Newsline.

Fasting during the month of Ramadan, is considered one of the five pillars of Islam that shape a Muslim’s life. The Arabic word for fasting means “to refrain,” not only from food and drink but also from evil actions, thoughts, or words.

The physical fast takes place on a daily basis from sunrise to sunset. Before dawn, those observing Ramadan will gather for a prefast meal called the suhoor; at dusk, the fast will be broken with a meal called the iftar. Both meals may be communal, but the iftar is an especially social affair when extended families gather to eat and mosques welcome the needy with food.

“Fasting is observed by all Muslims, the only people who are not supposed to fast during this holy month are: the sick people, people who are traveling, very old and very young people, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. They are however expected to pay (fast) later; for instance, the breastfeeding mothers can fast after delivering the baby.

Ramadan is also a month of repentance; Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said, “all human beings make mistakes; nobody is created perfect.” There is no perfection in Islam. During the holy month of Ramadan, we are forgiven our sins when we fast, as it is one of the virtues of Ramadan,” he added.

The Muslim chaplain department was introduced in 2021 with Sheikh Rashid Muhammad being the firstever officiating Chaplain of the KNH Muslim mosque.

“Before there was a Muslim chapel in KNH, there were no Ramadan programs, most visitors were not well guided on the hospital protocols; visiting times and etiquette while visiting their loved ones. They also did not quite know how to pray and fast in the hospital during Ramadan as well as how to get their Iftar (food), for patients who could not eat hospital food during the scheduled meal times. They often used to open their fast with food from the tuck shop within the hospital.

Now, we have been able to work with Muslim staff and students to organize food for them to feed them during opening of their fast. Some of the food include; dates, bananas, water, pilau and meat among others. All these come from donations made by Muslim organizations. We are also able to serve visitors who are unable to go back to their homes when it gets late; when they come to the mosque, we give them food to open their fast,” said Sh. Muhammad.

During Ramadan, prayer is an important element for much of the Muslim faithful. Muslims are encouraged to pray and attend a mosque for special services. Nightly prayers called tarawill are common, as is re-reading the Quran over the course of the month, often in the form of an epic prayer. At the end of Ramadan, before the final fast is broken, Muslims also recite a prayer called Iddul Fitr, which gives praise to Allah and acknowledges His supremacy.

“Previously there were also no night prayers, but now we do, this is the first ever year we have conducted them. Prayers are very important especially when done in the hospital, because not only do we pray for ourselves and our families, but also we pray for the patients and staff here as well. In Islam, when you pray, your prayer has to be inclusive.

Some people have the misunderstanding that Muslims pray only for themselves, if I go to the Wards, I believe my prayer benefits all because God is not only for the Muslims, but for all of us because He is a God of Mercy. Islam encourages us to pray for the leadership; and obey people above us because we believe it is God who put them in those senior positions,” Sh. Muhammad told Newsline.

Muslims are also encouraged to give regularly as part of their faith (zakat), or they may make a sadaqah, an additional charitable gift. During Ramadan, some Muslims choose to make particularly generous sadaqahs as a demonstration of their faithfulness.

Sh. Muhammad added that they give free prayer mats to the patients and their guardians, do intensive weekly lectures for students and staff every day at 1 O’clock where the focus is mainly on the translations and explanations of the verses of the Quran.

“We encourage the staff and students to give a lot, we try to pay NHIF for patients and contribute as much as possible through our Zakat. This is not only done for Muslims but generally all patients in need of help.

During this Ramadan period, there is a program students are currently having for the mothers at level 3 where they are raising KShs. 50,000 to buy things the children need such as toys and clothes. Last year we also had a donor who paid hospital bills for a large group of patients including the Christians,” he said.

“When help is given, most times we do not document or record it because in Islam, we are taught that when you give, it has to be a secret, because when you give with the right hand the left hand should not know what you are giving.

As Muslims we do not discriminate, we make sure to include everyone. There is a perception that Muslims are racist and do not want to coexist with others and that we segregate others. To us, helping a non-Muslim is even better than helping a Muslim because the non-Muslim will appreciate the kindness more,” he added.

The Quran says; ‘you pay well by doing well to someone who does you good, if someone does you good, treat them better.’

“Islamic chaplaincy is beneficial to our patients. It is a rewarding experience despite the workload especially during Ramadan to ensure all these activities are running smoothly. Trying to improve the existence of the Muslim faith has not been easy, but we have for sure made a difference so far.

Sheikh Rashid Imam, Muslim Chaplaincy KNH

PHOTO | STEVE ARWA

I appreciate KNH for the capacity-building opportunities they have been able to offer me, to be well-empowered in order to serve the hospital better,” he remarked.

Working here at KNH, one begins to understand and appreciate the culture in a hospital setting, and it correlates with Islam since we all share the same values. Now I can say Muslims are very positive about KNH and the inclusivity it offers particularly with the variety of places for us to pray.

During this holy month of Ramadan, we are reminded that Prophet Jesus fasted for 40 days. It reminds us of our similarities to other religions. I would like to call upon other Christians and the hospital to support us, especially during Eid-al-Fitr as we plan to celebrate with other patients. This be done by