We are a unique creation made of two parts: body and soul. As alluded to in the Qur’an, the body is from the “created world” and is sustained by physical things that come from the same realm, whether that be the food we eat or the clothing we wear. On the other hand, the soul is from the “commanded world” and is nourished by spiritual things from the same sphere of creation, such as dhikr, recitation of Qur’an, spending time in the masjid, keeping good company, and other righteous deeds. What nourishes the body will not be able to nourish the soul, and vice versa. In order to become close to Allah ﷻ, one must suppress the bodily desires, or nafs, and elevate the soul. Ramadan is the perfect example of this paradigm – for thirty days, the nafs is deprived of its desires (i.e. food, lust) and the soul is fed with the abundance of righteous deeds, such that an individual feels closer to Allah ﷻ more than any other time. Performing good deeds and controlling evil desires becomes easy and pleasurable once this balance is restored, and we should be particular about maintaining this balance to preserve and grow our iman even after the blessed month concludes.
