Tonight is the first night of Ramadan and my heart is swelled with joy.

Oh it’s going to be hard, I know. The fast starts at dawn, about 4:15 am and ends at sunset about 8:53 pm, that’s 16 hours and 38 minutes without eating or drinking or marital relations in the height of summer.

Did it before.

When I was in my twenties it was this long.

And back then I was teaching Islamic summer school and was talking all day.

Now that was hard!

And yet I remember it still went so fast.

Reminds me of one of my favourite stories about the Prophet (peace be upon him).

There was a man who came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) during Ramadan and said that he had sinned. He’d had relations with his wife while he was fasting.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said he’d have to fast for two consecutive months to atone for the fast he’d broken.

The man said, “How am I going to do that when I wasn’t even able to go one day fasting properly?”

So the Prophet (peace be upon him) said he should free a slave to atone for the sin.

The man said he didn’t have any slaves.

So the Prophet (peace be upon him) said he should give a measure of dates in charity.

The man said he didn’t have any dates to give.

So the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave him the amount of dates and told him to distribute it to the poor.

The man said, “Who am I going to find who is more needy than me?”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) laughed so hard his molars were visible. He gave him the dates, told him he’d pray for his forgiveness and sent him on his way.

We believe the Prophet (peace be upon him) was sent as a mercy to mankind.

I heard that the gates of mercy open during the first week of Ramadan, I’m not sure but it definitely feels like it to me.

I’m going to try, once again, to accomplish my yearly feat of reading the Quran in the whole month.

Ramadan Mubarak everyone! (which means Ramadan blessings)

The devils are chained and let mercy and good will shine upon the earth!