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Ramazan

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It is 120am and I have decided to write. I have no idea what I want to write about. I was scrolling and a few things stood out to me. Time saver was one from an ad. The other was an alternate spelling of Ramadan. Today I learnt that Turkish does not have the "d" sound and historically replaced it with z. I like Ramazan because it has the azan in it. The azan marks the time for prayer. We are exactly one month away from Ramadan. I love this time. It feels so special. What is the meaning of Ramadan?

My friend Chatty says that Ramadan comes from an Arabic root meaning intense, purifying heat — the kind that burns away impurities — and spiritually it refers to the month that burns away sins and softens the heart, refining the soul like fire refines metal; it is not a harsh fire but a healing one, which is why Ramadan feels sacred and transformative, as if time itself becomes gentler and the heart becomes lighter.

I asked my friend to expand on "time itself becomes gentler". He says that in Ramadan, this is because life slows and deepens — hunger makes us present, prayer stretches the nights, and ordinary moments gain meaning, so hours no longer feel rushed or harsh but full and alive; when the heart grows quieter and more aligned with God, time stops feeling like an enemy and becomes a companion, giving days depth instead of speed.

Ramazan is amazing. The more we experience it the better it gets. It is ironic that things slow during fasting. The word fasting carries a beautiful paradox: although fast now means speed, fasting actually slows life down by removing noise and excess; when we stop constantly consuming, time softens, attention deepens, and the soul rests, showing that reduction brings meaning and that what seems like acceleration becomes stillness.

Ramadan saves by pulling us inward from the noise and rush of life, rescuing the heart from distraction, giving meaning to hunger and time, and reminding us of our truest selves, leaving the soul lighter and more awake even amid challenge. In a weird sense Ramadan is a time saver. It is the time of the year when we get saved. Saved from our distractions, our haste, our spiritual forgetfulness, and even from the weight of our own habits. The month doesn’t just pass; it reshapes us, giving the soul a chance to breathe, reflect, and rise.
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