The handshake and lessons to be learned from Ramadhan

[Photo: Courtesy]

Today is the start of Ramadhan, Islam’s holiest month and a period dedicated to meditation and devotion for Muslims. The Prophet of Islam said regarding fasting, “Allah gives this reward to whoever feeds a fasting person even with just a taste of milk or dates, or a drink of water. Whoever quenches the thirst of a fasting person, Allah the Almighty makes him drink from his pond such that he will never feel thirsty again until he enters Paradise.”

It is a month whose beginning is mercy, whose middle is forgiveness and whose end is emancipation from hell. In my view, there is a direct relevance between the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga, and fasting during Ramadhan. Other than transcendental and spiritual purposes for Muslims, other virtues of fasting include bringing people together.