The Ramadan Heart Transplant

{ O you who believe! Answer (the call of) Allah and His Apostle when he calls you to that which gives you life; and know that Allah intervenes between man and his heart, and that to Him you shall be gathered. } (8:24)

Symptoms and Causes for Concern

Atherosclerosis is the process of plaque build-up on artery walls from fats, cholesterol, and other substances. When the plaque overruns, blood flow gets constricted, which then causes an array of severe health concerns. But, when arteries in the heart are under the pressure of atherosclerosis for too long, heart disease soon follows after.

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), there are over 3,500 people every year who wait for heart transplants. The process is a source of immense stress. Stress doubly increases burdens on the organ. Heart disease is among the top five leading reasons that people get heart transplants, with more than 600,000 people dying every year, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

Ramadan is Here

As a sacred time eases into the eyesight of our Ummah, and as we attempt to find our way within a month unlike any other months, what a privilege is it to have the heart transplant we all call Ramadan. We’ve waited an entire year for a donor, a match, a team of specialists, and a capable surgeon to complete the transplant.

Allah SWT mentions in the ayah above from Surah Al-Anfal that it is He who “intervenes between man and his heart,” which illuminates that certainty in Him being the absolute transplant donor for clogged, hardened, and diseased hearts.

Everything We’ve Been Waiting For

Our match is Ramadan. Like a parent waiting in the evening for their child to pass through the door, the patience our community has had to have in waiting for our dear beloved is being rewarded now. Ramadan is our mirror. It shows us the gorgeousness of our souls when they are undistracted by the world.

The team of specialists is each and every single day we get to fixate on the indescribable mercy Allah SWT has shown us and the acts of kindness we will do away from sight of anyone’s eyes but his. It is the hours within those days where our hunger, or the hunger of others, reminds us where the source of true nourishment comes from.  Allah assures us in Surah Ibrahim, “And upon Allah let the believers rely” (14:11). The transcendent days in Ramadan are the specialists for our hearts we can place our faith in.

Lastly, prayer, putting our ego to the wayside, and submitting our bodies and souls to the care of Allah SWT is the skillful surgeon we’ve all needed for so long. This operation will occur over roughly a month, and we as a community pray that our new hearts are an object of constant affection and attention. We anticipate a process of building a stronger immunity against heart disease. Our longing for a donor, a match, team of specialists, and a capable surgeon has arrived. Let us rush to the operating table.