Unity of the Ummah in the School of Fasting: From Self‑Purification to Supporting the Oppressed

According to Taghrib News Agency(TNA), Sheikh Bilal Saeed Shaban, Secretary‑General of the Islamic Tawhid Movement in Lebanon, wrote in a commentary on the month of Ramadan: “We often blame the forces of disbelief for the weakness and decline we suffer, while the truth is that disbelief never wished for our unity or victory. The bitter reality is that we ourselves sowed the seeds of division through our disputes. We placed narrow ethnic and sectarian loyalties—and our own egos—above the essence of religion. Thus, the words of Imam al‑Shafi‘i became true about us: ‘We blame our era, while the fault lies within us; and our era has no fault but us. We criticize time, but if time could speak, it would criticize us. Even wolves do not eat the flesh of their own kind, yet we openly consume one another.’”
The Test of Faith: Gaza and the Ramadan Table
“As we prepare our tables with the finest foods for iftar, the cry of the Prophet (peace be upon him) must echo in our ears: ‘He does not truly believe whose stomach is full while his neighbor goes hungry.’”
Sheikh Shaban asks: “Will God accept our fasting while our brothers in Gaza cannot find a sip of water or a morsel of bread? Your responsibility in Ramadan is to stand with them; striving to save them is a religious duty. The purpose of fasting is taqwa, and true taqwa means that either we all remain hungry together, or we all eat together.”
Ramadan: Rebuilding the Human Being and the World
Ramadan comes to restore the human being to the divine nature upon which he was created. It is a month in which society finds a Qur’anic rhythm, and worship aligns with the cosmic order. Fasting begins with the sighting of the crescent, and prayer follows the movement of the sun—so that the human being may harmonize with every particle in creation that glorifies God.
The rotation of Ramadan through the seasons is a manifestation of divine justice,

allowing all people to experience the hardship of fasting in both summer and winter over the decades.
The Crescent of Unity Beyond Political Borders
One of the wonders of this month is that the crescent of Ramadan crosses artificial borders without permission, challenging the political divisions imposed by colonialism. The sighting of the crescent should be a declaration of unity for the Ummah. It is unreasonable that one country begins fasting while its neighbor—on the same longitude—breaks the fast.
Our faith calls us to rise above narrow political perspectives and embrace a spiritual vision that transforms two billion Muslims into an unbreakable force, rather than scattered fragments in the winds of global powers.
Cultivating Taqwa: Divine Oversight Instead of Human Surveillance
The ultimate goal of fasting is “that you may become righteous.”
Taqwa is the inner awareness that prevents you from drinking water alone in your room because you feel God’s gaze upon you.
If we succeed in reforming the self during Ramadan, then this taqwa must extend to our political positions and social choices. One who refrains from water during the day should refrain from harming others, and one who controls his temper despite missing his morning coffee is most capable of guiding his soul toward victory.
The Project of Islam vs. Modern Ignorance
Today we stand between two projects:

1-The project of Islam, built on values.
2-And the project of modern barbarism, which sacrifices human beings for wealth.

In Islam, a woman is honored, responsible, and a partner to man. In Western materialism, she is often reduced to an object of pleasure or a commodity in a new form of exploitation. Ramadan calls us back to an economy built on generosity, not hoarding; on charity, not usury.
Awakening and Unity—The Only Path Forward
“Even artificial intelligence,” Sheikh Shaban writes, “when asked what most frightens our enemies, answers: ‘The unity of Muslims.’”
We do not need countless armies as much as we need united hearts. If our vast Ummah were to rise with one heart—just as it fasts at one time and prays behind one Imam—there would be no place for oppression in our lands.
O God, renew this month upon us with blessing and faith.
Make us among the sincere and the united.
And return it to us while our lands and sanctities have been liberated.