Mufti Ismail Menk delivering the lecture.
Doha, Qatar: As part of its advocacy efforts to promote Ramadan values and instil Islamic morals, the Abdulla Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Centre, affiliated with the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, organised an educational lecture in English entitled “Why Ramadan?”
The lecture was delivered by preacher Mufti Ismail Menk on the wisdom behind Ramadan fasting for Muslims. Around 2,700 people attended the lecture at the Eid prayer ground in the Msheireb Downtown Doha.
The preacher Mufti Mink explained that Ramadan comes every year in the life of a Muslim to renew his pledge to worship and various Islamic rituals, including fasting, standing in prayer, and connection to the holy Quran.
“Ramadan teaches us patience and trains us to be patient, by abstaining from the permissible things that are familiar to us, such as eating, drinking, and other things that are permissible in other months, from sunrise to sunset,” he said.
Mink said that the month of Ramadan is an intensive cycle of various acts of worship, which comes every year in the life of a Muslim to renew his pledge to the various Islamic values and to renew his connection with Allah through the spiritual atmosphere that is not available except in Ramadan.
He said that Ramadan comes to change the life of the Muslim for the better and to prevent him from the negative things that he has become accustomed to and used to. “It is an opportunity for all of us to change our behaviour for the better by adhering to the Islamic Ramadan etiquette.”
During the lecture, the preacher also spoke about the negative habits that accompany Ramadan worship, which sometimes overwhelm it, causing worship to lose its spirit and turn it into a habit for people. He noted that fasting is meant to change a Muslim’s entire life, including his daily habits.
Mink said that Ramadan aims to make us more aware of the value of time and the value of life through intensive training in worship.
Commenting on the lecture, Dr. Saleh bin Ali Al Marri, Director of Abdulla Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center, stressed that preacher Mufti Ismail Menk enjoys wide acceptance and great influence, and has a distinctive style in preaching and speaking to people.
He explained that his preaching approach combines scientific foundations with the ability to deliver information to all segments of society, emphasising the centre’s continued commitment to fulfilling its religious guidance mission through the various activities it sponsors and organises.
