Ramadan blog - week one
Monday 16th August – Sixth day of Ramadan 4.10am - 8.40pm
“Geordie Land and the example of Prophet Muhammad...”
I arrived in Newcastle at midnight after a dreary six hour coach ride!
Besides the fact I had zero leg space, no sockets to charge my mobile and no Wi-Fi for my laptop, National Express’ promised services had tested my patience.
The excitement of seeing my sister and my beloved niece made me endure the claustrophobic atmosphere and I decided to appreciate the northern countryside.
During the lengthy journey, my thoughts went beyond the scenery and I began pondering on the different role models I’ve had in my life.
Every human has something or someone they look up to whether it is a charismatic politician, landmark historical figure or multi-millionaire celebrity.
For me it was the Power Rangers (red ranger in particular) and every consumer product HAD to be attained as a symbol of my devotion.
My teenage years were a mix of Tupac Shakur, Al Pacino and Steven Gerrard.
After realising Tupac’s gangster rap wouldn’t help me get to university, Al Pacino’s acting will not put food on my family’s table and Gerrard’s celebrity stardom will not pay my tuition fees, I established I was in dire need of a new role model.
Obviously my father was a man of great example but the age and time difference between our eras created a barrier of relation.
When I went off to university in Norwich in the absence of my mother’s nurturing and my father’s discipline, I acknowledged that a person of guidance had to get me through life’s first stage of responsibility.
I looked into Islam to see what my religion had to offer and the only personality that stood out was Prophet Muhammad.
Muhammad in Arabic means ‘the praised one’ and it’s my belief that he lives up to that definition.
After reading his seerah (biography) and numerous lectures that discussed his life, I was in absolute surety that I found the role model that’d not only get me through the three years at university but the rest of my life.
Within 23 years Muhammad became a political, military, religious, spiritual, lawmaking and family leader to name but a few. An illiterate man who lived a simple and honest life before the age of 40 changed the decadent society of the Arabian Peninsula and ignited a force of global change after receiving the miracle of the Quran.
His teachings led me to take his example as the blue print for my success in this life and after.
I have found that a real role model is one that assists in life’s problems, sheds light at dark times, leads by example and offers experiences to which you can relate.
