Ramadan on Campus: Better Taqwa, Beyond Temptation, Between Muslims and Allah
Jakarta, UIN Online News - For each Ramadan, fasting becomes a religious duty for Muslims. It encompasses not only the physical deprivation but also the spiritual devotion from any temptation of oneself.
Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 183, articulates Allah SWT's mandate for believers to observe fasting to achieve taqwa: "O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you—as it was for those before you—so perhaps you will become mindful.".
Taqwa, which means piety, means following Allah SWT's commands and staying away from His prohibitions. This makes His followers aware of Allah's presence in all things, which makes them feel revered.
"Taqwa is obedience, compliance, and reverence for something incredibly awe-inspiring, which is why we must always pray to Allah SWT to ease our fear." Dr. Akhmad Sodiq, M.Ag., professor in the Islamic Religious Education Master's Program, explained.
What methods should one use to enhance their degree of taqwa?
Desire for taqwa
Dr. Akhmad said that an individual might achieve taqwa by mastering their desires: "Desire is a fundamental characteristic that often compels individuals to defy Allah SWT.".
Desire is analogous to a primal instinct that is difficult to restrain, which requires hunger to suppress it. Through intensive days of fasting, Allah SWT taught His believers to master their cravings and enhance their compliance. Thus, regulating cravings through fasting becomes an excellent method for attaining taqwa.
Dr. Akhmad noted that one's degree of taqwa is shown through their self-regulation, as stated in Surah Al-Imran verses 134-135: "Those who donate in prosperity and adversity, control their anger, and pardon others. And Allah loves the good-doers. Those who, upon committing an evil deed or wronging themselves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins—and who forgives sins except Allah?—and they do not knowingly persist in wrongdoing?"
The signs of a devout individual are as follows:
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Giver
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Stoic
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Absolver
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Upon committing an error, they will always recall Allah SWT and only seek His absolution.
Therefore, it is evident that the purpose of fasting is to curtail desires in order to attain a heightened level of taqwa. It helps people control their bad impulses, become more patient, and become more self-aware, which makes it easier to follow Allah SWT's instructions and stay away from His prohibitions.
If you are more interested in this Ramadan news series, you can watch this YouTube video below.
Also watch: Fasting in the perspective of Quran and Hadith | Dr. Akhmad Sodiq, M.Ag. | Ramadan Kareem
(M. Hanif Al-Fatih/Zaenal M./Muhamad Arifin Ilham/Photo: PIH)