The Ramadan Blessings of the Number Thirty-Three

This is Day Six of the 2017 #30Days30Writers Ramadan series – June 1, 2017

By Bashirah Mack

Today I was reminded that there are 33 vertebrae in the human spine.

Thirty-three.

The sum of which provide necessary support to our entire being allowing us to stand, bend, and prostrate before Our Lord.

Thirty-three.

The number of rotations I have made around the Sun. The number of years I have walked Allah’s generous Earth navigating His seasons. Seasons marked by joy and pain; life and death; birth and renewal. I approach each season emboldened by the intersecting identities of #BeingBlackAndMuslim as bestowed upon me by Al-Wahhab, The Bestower.

Thirty-three.

The number of years it takes our beloved Ramadan to complete a seasonal cycle. A cycle fashioned by Al-Musawwir, The Fashioner. A cycle that allows us to experience the blessings of Ramadan during the death of winter. A cycle that allows us to bear witness to Allah’s mercy during the renewal of spring. A cycle that allows us to greet the Month of the Qur’an in the heat of summer. A most beautiful cycle that allows us to know the Holy Month through the transitions of fall.

Thirty-three.

The number of beads on my tasbih. That of which remind me to stay in remembrance of As-Samad, The Eternal.

All praise be for Ramadan reflections at 33.

Bashirah Mack is the social media coordinator for Sapelo Square: An Online Resource on Black Muslims in the United States. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @SapeloSquare.