Ramadan and Dark Souls
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| Ramadan is almost over, but it's not done just yet |
Good Evening All!
Looks like Ramadan is in almost over, so a belated Ramadan Kareem to all my fellow Ramadaneers out there! I had this article written for the whole month, but just never got to posting it. So if anything seems out of place, sorry for that! I'm still early in on this blog, so I guess it would be a good idea to display my faith. It's the biggest part of my life and it does control what I do on a day to day basis. It also sort of dictates the type of games I play, though not by much. Anyways...
For those who don't know, the month of Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calender. We believe that our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was first given the first parts of the Qu'ran during this month. With that, it's also been prescribed by Allah (or God) that we fast during this month. It's also recommended to do more good in anyway you see fit. This could result in being more charitable, do more prayers, spend more time in state of reflection and self betterment, and also just being more productive in general. Lastly, the fasts start from the beginning of dawn (not sunrise like many people tell you) to sunset.
And for those who don't know, the game Dark Souls is from the developers From Software who are most notable for other games such as the King's Field series, Tenchu, and of course, the spiritual predecessor to Dark Souls: Demon's Souls. This game is generally known for it's unforgivable difficulty, unique style of multi-player, and it's very dark and mysterious story/mythos. Dark Soul's is an Action RPG in which much of anything you do in the game is based off of souls you collect from fallen enemies. The game makes for a very strategic and cautious battle system since pretty much any enemy in the game can and will kill you if given the chance. Progressing through this game requires being vigilant to your surroundings and very quick reflexes.
Now how does holy spiritual month have anything to do with a dark, dreary, and difficult video game? I bet many people don't understand since technically video games aren't really part of the "Ramadan Spirit." Heck, video games have nothing to do with religion altogether! It's true, but from being an avid gamer, I make pretty much anything into a goal oriented game. Ramadan already has this factor built into its system and requires its followers to have some of the same qualifications as what Dark Souls ask from its players. Let's go through a few and maybe this comparison will leave you a bit more knowledgeable about either the Muslim faith or the just how applicable video games can be to improving our lives spiritually.
1. Patience
I can't think of many games in recent memory that requires as much patience as Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. I think now would be a good time to explain why by talking about the game mechanics of both games. In the "Souls Series," everything is based around the currency: souls. Buying items, weapons, armor, upgrades, and even leveling up require souls. It creates a sort of challenge of figuring out if you want a better weapon or an increase in stats. So you always have this dilemma of buying more healing items or getting stats to get more maximum health or more strength. Combined with the difficulty of this game, it makes for more some tough choices down the road. And even just wanting something requires the painstaking process of collecting souls. Not to mention that when you die, you lose ALL your souls. Then you go back to the last checkpoint you came across and have to go all the way back to the spot you died to collect your lost souls. If you mess up and die again. You lose the souls forever. Oh, that level you wanted? Well, now you have to get the however-many-souls it takes to level all over again. This can easily be frustrating for many, many gamers. But in the Souls Series, you'll find yourself doing it over and over again anyways.
So patience is needed. The Soul Series requires you to not rush through their games, but rather take every step as a success. It's easy to run off an edge or run into a dead end and then die. There is too much at stake to not think before you act. Every enemy is a almost like a level, so there is a significance to every battle.
Ramadan requires patience in the same manner. Every day is a new challenge when it comes to fasting. You never know what is in store for you in terms of physical and mental activity. The lack of food and water can create a special challenge depending on the circumstances. And each fast is just as important as the next. The days are limited so you want to get as much out of the month as you can. But each day holds a certain amount of value that might not be present in the coming days. Abstaining from food and drink can leave a person frustrated and tired whether at school or work. So the patience and perseverance is required for the strength to go about your day while working through the "pain" (not really). Another event that happens during Ramadan are Taraweh prayers. They are night prayers that happen during the month of Ramadan that many people go to. Standing in prayer for over an hour can get tiring; getting through it requires a lot of patience and concentration. Especially for newcomers.
2. The Sense of Relief
Relief. It's the moment where all your waiting just melts into sweet comfort. Whether it's stress, anxiety, or fear, we all experience relief in some respect. Since both Dark Souls and Ramadan both stress the importance of patience they both produce a byproduct of what happens when the patience is suitably rewarded.
In Ramadan, your fasts are rewarded every day with comforts of something you do every day: eating and drinking. Never has it felt so glad to have that cool glass of water or maybe a fresh piece of fruit. Heck, biting into a hamburger would have you more than salivating. The minute you bite into whatever you're eating, you immediately have a serotonin shot right into your brain. Usually that prompts an "Oh God, thank you, this is so AMAZING!" response. Not only that, but food you regularly have every day seem to taste way better. Water seems to have this sweet taste to it that you never realized before. But the relief is only temporary. You'll be fasting the next morning, so pretty much everything resets as a new day rises.
Dark Souls' bonfire system works in a very similar fashion. Though there is auto-saving in Dark Souls, you're never truly out of harms way until you reach and light a bonfire. Bonfires are the only place of solace in the forsaken world and are always a sight for sore eyes. You're allowed to repair you're damaged weapons, level up, access your storage, and even become human for stat bonuses! The caveat? The world resets (which is a good and bad thing) but at least there is no danger for the time you stay in the vicinity. Whenever I found one, I would stay there as long as I could because the minute I left the danger of the world would once again be upon me.
3. Community
Like I said earlier, Muslims get together every night at their local mosque and prayer (Taraweh) together for a few hours. There is spiritual benefit in praying together though there is no compulsion to do so. The thing is that it's highly recommended to go to Taraweh (night prayers) because of the social aspect. You get this renewed sense of companionship talking to people who have also fasted during the day. Even if they are total strangers, relating your story of how the day went can resonate with other people. The common interest is also enough to make you feel not alone. And with this support, one can easily make it through the month. Many mosques also offer community iftaars (the meal in which a Muslim breaks his fast). These meals are more social than the night prayers (can't really talk while you're praying). The food is usually free and is usually good. Plus, it's just nice to not eat alone.
Dark souls community is just as important for keeping the player in the game. Being able to summon strangers and/or friends helps ease the difficulty level a bit. It also gives a sense of camaraderie for struggling players. Many players who overcome a difficult level or boss well usually turn around and help people get across the same hurdle. This type of teamwork also helps players learn more techniques and facts about the game. There are rarely two people who have the exact same build and armor and method of dealing with enemies. Being summoned by another player can expose novices to new and better techniques that they would otherwise be oblivious to alone. There are also many forums around the internet that help create a closer bond in community. Players are able to share stories of multi-player adventures or pranks done to other people. Players can also talk about weapons, armors, strategies, and even secrets hidden throughout the game.
4. Keeping It Fresh
I don't think anyone ever gets used to or complacent of Ramadan. Every year, new challenges come up. People have always adjust their schedules, make sacrifices of certain plans, and struggle throughout whatever weather their stuck with. Take this Ramadan for example. It landed straight inside a heatwave. Muslims around the States had to change plans and figure out strategies to stay cool without passing out from dehydration. Ramadan can also land in the winter where people can easily catch colds and other sicknesses which can either make their fasts tougher or delay them in finishing the required fasts. Sometimes work or school come up during Ramadan or you just moved in/out to a new place. Also, people can sometimes have different goals from Ramadan to Ramadan. Sometimes people use the month as a way of self-betterment. They end up quitting bad habits and start developing more productive ones. It's safe to say that no Ramadan is ever like one that proceeded before it. If it is, then you're probably doing it wrong ;P.
Dark Souls has a nifty little feature called new game plus. The enemies get tougher this time around, but you start anew and keep your stats and equipment. This not only gives a player a chance to perfect the way they play the game but it's also gives them a chance to pick up items they may missed the first time around or even try a new path they didn't try before. The game keeps it fresh, you are always going to have that high difficulty level since enemies stats scale up with every new game plus and you also can do things you could do before. Enemies in the beginning of the game maybe become way easier since you picked up a weapon at the end of the game that make short work of them. Or you may have found a different route to a destination that was blocked with a tough enemy like the first path you found. There are little nuances you end up seeing like hidden walls and random items on precarious ledges. Dark Souls is not game you play once and put down. It's a game you keep coming back to because of its constant call for challenge, its atmosphere, and its variety. From Software is also releasing a DLC for the game which will add new areas, weapons, enemies, and bosses. This would help in lengthening the experience for players. But you can see that the player gets what he/she wants out of the game. Which leads me to my last point I'd like to share...
5. The Experience Is Defined By You
All in all, both Ramadan and Dark Souls are defined by the person. Like I said with Dark Souls; you get out what you put in. The story is bare-bones thin which actually plays in the game's favor. This gives the player the ability to do whatever you want without feeling like you're straying off the narrative. The game gives you ability to explore what path to take. If you want to flesh out the story and explore everything you possibly can, it's available to you. If you want to collect every weapon, go ahead. If you want to just cause problems by invading other people's games, that's also there too. Dark Souls has so much to offer but it tells you to do so little. The game itself ends up becoming a tool. Did you figure out how to use this tool and end up becoming a better video game player? Or did you just give up and stick to easier challenges? This is a perfect segue to what I want to say about Ramadan.
Fasting the month in Ramadan is not the end goal. Fasting is the tool. Fasting restricts us from the things that are normally lawful for us Muslims so that it can free us to do other more productive and spiritual things. But it never tells the Muslim what to do. The end goal is to attain a higher level of God consciousness than what you had before. But how you do it is up to you. How much you want to get out of the month is up to you. Fasting maybe difficult, but the things you can do during this month are downright astounding. But, many Muslims just go through the motions during Ramadan. They don't try to immerse themselves in it, instead, they try to distance themselves from it. Basically, some Muslims take advantage of their time with Ramadan while many others end up "surviving." But the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had said, "Many people who fast get nothing from their fast except hunger and thirst, and many people who pray at night get nothing from it except wakefullness."
Just a few short words to close, Dark Souls is not the only game that does this. It's just one of my favorite games that I feel strongly resonates with Ramadan. My view ultimately is that video games are two sided. They are a tool to help us be better skilled with our hands and our eyes which ultimately can enhance our reflexes. But it also be a tool that can give meaning to the player. Video games can tell stories and have a good influence on people. It just takes a thinking game and a thinking mind to realize that.
Take care.
A Disclaimer: In no way am I saying that a video game can compared to benefit and blessing of Ramadan. I am just showing that there are certain characteristics of playing certain video games that can be related to the characteristics that Ramadan has.
So patience is needed. The Soul Series requires you to not rush through their games, but rather take every step as a success. It's easy to run off an edge or run into a dead end and then die. There is too much at stake to not think before you act. Every enemy is a almost like a level, so there is a significance to every battle.
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| Night prayers during Ramadan can also require just as much patience as playing Dark Souls |
Ramadan requires patience in the same manner. Every day is a new challenge when it comes to fasting. You never know what is in store for you in terms of physical and mental activity. The lack of food and water can create a special challenge depending on the circumstances. And each fast is just as important as the next. The days are limited so you want to get as much out of the month as you can. But each day holds a certain amount of value that might not be present in the coming days. Abstaining from food and drink can leave a person frustrated and tired whether at school or work. So the patience and perseverance is required for the strength to go about your day while working through the "pain" (not really). Another event that happens during Ramadan are Taraweh prayers. They are night prayers that happen during the month of Ramadan that many people go to. Standing in prayer for over an hour can get tiring; getting through it requires a lot of patience and concentration. Especially for newcomers.
2. The Sense of Relief
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| Oh ,Thank God! The comfort and warmth in this cold harsh world... |
In Ramadan, your fasts are rewarded every day with comforts of something you do every day: eating and drinking. Never has it felt so glad to have that cool glass of water or maybe a fresh piece of fruit. Heck, biting into a hamburger would have you more than salivating. The minute you bite into whatever you're eating, you immediately have a serotonin shot right into your brain. Usually that prompts an "Oh God, thank you, this is so AMAZING!" response. Not only that, but food you regularly have every day seem to taste way better. Water seems to have this sweet taste to it that you never realized before. But the relief is only temporary. You'll be fasting the next morning, so pretty much everything resets as a new day rises.
Dark Souls' bonfire system works in a very similar fashion. Though there is auto-saving in Dark Souls, you're never truly out of harms way until you reach and light a bonfire. Bonfires are the only place of solace in the forsaken world and are always a sight for sore eyes. You're allowed to repair you're damaged weapons, level up, access your storage, and even become human for stat bonuses! The caveat? The world resets (which is a good and bad thing) but at least there is no danger for the time you stay in the vicinity. Whenever I found one, I would stay there as long as I could because the minute I left the danger of the world would once again be upon me.
3. Community
Like I said earlier, Muslims get together every night at their local mosque and prayer (Taraweh) together for a few hours. There is spiritual benefit in praying together though there is no compulsion to do so. The thing is that it's highly recommended to go to Taraweh (night prayers) because of the social aspect. You get this renewed sense of companionship talking to people who have also fasted during the day. Even if they are total strangers, relating your story of how the day went can resonate with other people. The common interest is also enough to make you feel not alone. And with this support, one can easily make it through the month. Many mosques also offer community iftaars (the meal in which a Muslim breaks his fast). These meals are more social than the night prayers (can't really talk while you're praying). The food is usually free and is usually good. Plus, it's just nice to not eat alone.
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| Iftaar: The fast breaking meal at the end of the day |
Dark souls community is just as important for keeping the player in the game. Being able to summon strangers and/or friends helps ease the difficulty level a bit. It also gives a sense of camaraderie for struggling players. Many players who overcome a difficult level or boss well usually turn around and help people get across the same hurdle. This type of teamwork also helps players learn more techniques and facts about the game. There are rarely two people who have the exact same build and armor and method of dealing with enemies. Being summoned by another player can expose novices to new and better techniques that they would otherwise be oblivious to alone. There are also many forums around the internet that help create a closer bond in community. Players are able to share stories of multi-player adventures or pranks done to other people. Players can also talk about weapons, armors, strategies, and even secrets hidden throughout the game.
4. Keeping It Fresh
I don't think anyone ever gets used to or complacent of Ramadan. Every year, new challenges come up. People have always adjust their schedules, make sacrifices of certain plans, and struggle throughout whatever weather their stuck with. Take this Ramadan for example. It landed straight inside a heatwave. Muslims around the States had to change plans and figure out strategies to stay cool without passing out from dehydration. Ramadan can also land in the winter where people can easily catch colds and other sicknesses which can either make their fasts tougher or delay them in finishing the required fasts. Sometimes work or school come up during Ramadan or you just moved in/out to a new place. Also, people can sometimes have different goals from Ramadan to Ramadan. Sometimes people use the month as a way of self-betterment. They end up quitting bad habits and start developing more productive ones. It's safe to say that no Ramadan is ever like one that proceeded before it. If it is, then you're probably doing it wrong ;P.
 |
| New Content??? Holy crepe, this game just got way better. |
Dark Souls has a nifty little feature called new game plus. The enemies get tougher this time around, but you start anew and keep your stats and equipment. This not only gives a player a chance to perfect the way they play the game but it's also gives them a chance to pick up items they may missed the first time around or even try a new path they didn't try before. The game keeps it fresh, you are always going to have that high difficulty level since enemies stats scale up with every new game plus and you also can do things you could do before. Enemies in the beginning of the game maybe become way easier since you picked up a weapon at the end of the game that make short work of them. Or you may have found a different route to a destination that was blocked with a tough enemy like the first path you found. There are little nuances you end up seeing like hidden walls and random items on precarious ledges. Dark Souls is not game you play once and put down. It's a game you keep coming back to because of its constant call for challenge, its atmosphere, and its variety. From Software is also releasing a DLC for the game which will add new areas, weapons, enemies, and bosses. This would help in lengthening the experience for players. But you can see that the player gets what he/she wants out of the game. Which leads me to my last point I'd like to share...
5. The Experience Is Defined By You
All in all, both Ramadan and Dark Souls are defined by the person. Like I said with Dark Souls; you get out what you put in. The story is bare-bones thin which actually plays in the game's favor. This gives the player the ability to do whatever you want without feeling like you're straying off the narrative. The game gives you ability to explore what path to take. If you want to flesh out the story and explore everything you possibly can, it's available to you. If you want to collect every weapon, go ahead. If you want to just cause problems by invading other people's games, that's also there too. Dark Souls has so much to offer but it tells you to do so little. The game itself ends up becoming a tool. Did you figure out how to use this tool and end up becoming a better video game player? Or did you just give up and stick to easier challenges? This is a perfect segue to what I want to say about Ramadan.
Fasting the month in Ramadan is not the end goal. Fasting is the tool. Fasting restricts us from the things that are normally lawful for us Muslims so that it can free us to do other more productive and spiritual things. But it never tells the Muslim what to do. The end goal is to attain a higher level of God consciousness than what you had before. But how you do it is up to you. How much you want to get out of the month is up to you. Fasting maybe difficult, but the things you can do during this month are downright astounding. But, many Muslims just go through the motions during Ramadan. They don't try to immerse themselves in it, instead, they try to distance themselves from it. Basically, some Muslims take advantage of their time with Ramadan while many others end up "surviving." But the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had said, "Many people who fast get nothing from their fast except hunger and thirst, and many people who pray at night get nothing from it except wakefullness."
Just a few short words to close, Dark Souls is not the only game that does this. It's just one of my favorite games that I feel strongly resonates with Ramadan. My view ultimately is that video games are two sided. They are a tool to help us be better skilled with our hands and our eyes which ultimately can enhance our reflexes. But it also be a tool that can give meaning to the player. Video games can tell stories and have a good influence on people. It just takes a thinking game and a thinking mind to realize that.
Take care.
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| Contemplation... |
A Disclaimer: In no way am I saying that a video game can compared to benefit and blessing of Ramadan. I am just showing that there are certain characteristics of playing certain video games that can be related to the characteristics that Ramadan has.
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