Ramadan is not just about abstaining from food. It’s about truthfulness – something we can all learn from | Shadi Khan Saif

The cherished tradition reminds us to pause and reflect on our words and actions, and cultivates a profound sense of empathy

With its month-long array of beautiful rituals and meditations, Ramadan offers an enriching pause from the demands of daily life, allowing people to cultivate compassion and prioritise truthfulness in both small and significant ways.

As a Muslim observing the challenging yet cherished daytime discipline of refraining from food and water, the experience within a multicultural landscape is particularly fascinating. In a society often fixated on material pursuits and instant gratification, fasting provides a sense of contentment that cannot be found in worldly possessions.

Fasting has been prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may learn self-restraint.

Shadi Khan Saif is a Melbourne-based journalist and former Pakistan and Afghanistan news correspondent