Now, the holy month of Ramadan came to an end. It is time for reward and requital after, hopefully, passing the test successfully. Now, in the daytime, one can enjoy oneself, eat, drink, put on perfume and, if married, have sexual intercourse, but without extravagance. However, it is the divine norm for believers that the hardship and difficulty they may experience are always coupled with ease and relief. God says: "Surely, hardship is coupled with ease. Indeed, hardship is coupled with ease." (94: 5,6)
A Muslim should bear in mind that Ramadan is not intended for causing people to undergo suffering without a good reason or the feast is the end to which such a hard experience is brought. Ramadan is an intensive training period, which is supposed to make true believers of average Muslims. God says: "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before, so that you may be pious." (2: 183)
Additional practices are introduced to insure that the spiritual aspect of man will be enhanced. Ramadan is such a refresher course that renews the faith and resolve of Muslims. A higher level of faith is required throughout the month to guarantee that one's faith will be affirmed or at least maintained throughout the year. Stricter rules are imposed so that the softer customary ones will be properly observed.
Ramadan is the Islamic yearly overhaul where Muslims have their defects and shortcomings repaired, spiritual performance improved and self-control tightened. It is such a time period where a Muslim is enabled to overcome the Devil and his own weaknesses. It is the time of spiritual immunization and moral reinforcement. It is the battle where he is well fortified and supported for an easy victory over sin and the innate human tendency towards disobedience.
Especially for those Muslims who do not have full self-control and cannot defeat Satan elsewhere in the year, Ramadan is prescribed as a divine assistance for more self-restraint and strength in the face of Satan and his followers. Throughout Ramadan, a Muslim is expected to fight against himself and the satanic insinuations to be better in the sight of God.
At the end of the month, a Muslim is supposed to be more able to confront the Devil and his own susceptibilities so that he will be a more devout servant of God and more efficient builder of this universe.
Hence, Ramadan should be viewed as only such an experience or training period from which he should benefit and avail himself as much as possible and whose positive outcome should be maintained throughout the year. Even the least faithful Muslims feel a transformation and change, albeit minimal, that indicates that improvement is possible and it is determination, which is lacking.
Thus, Ramadan is essentially designed to boost pluck and develop firm will so that it will be easy for even an average Muslim to develop a truly Islamic character and a more balanced personality. The holy month is ultimately aimed at proving the fact that the defeat of Satan, as well as human vulnerability, is something quite possible and it is man who decides to defeat or get defeated by him.
Finally, it is worth noting that just as body is developed by hard physical effort and bodily exhaustion as represented in workouts and vigorous exercises, soul requires equal spiritual effort and moral exhaustion for development.
