Ramadan is a time for worship, family, and reflection. It's a time in which we detox from our bad habits in the hope of becoming less reliant on them after the holy month is up.
Mosques are usually buzzing with energy and Muslim strangers are more likely to smile at each other and greet each other with peace (as salam-u-alaikum) as we all embark on this month-long journey with the sense of community that we are supposed to feel throughout the year.
It's a struggle and a blessing and it's a time we enjoy, but also dread.
Here are some facts you want to know about Ramadan:
1. What is Ramadan
Practically
speaking, it’s the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Ramadan is the most sacred month of the year for
Muslims. The Prophet Mohammed reportedly said, "When the month
of Ramadan starts, the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are
closed and the devils are chained."
Muslims believe it was during
this month that God revealed the first verses of the Quran, Islam's sacred
text, to Mohammed, on a night known as "The Night of Power" (or
Laylat al-Qadr in Arabic).
During the
entire month of Ramadan, Muslims fast every day from dawn to sunset. It is
meant to be a time of spiritual discipline — of deep contemplation of one's relationship
with God, extra prayer, increased charity and generosity, and intense study of
the Quran.
2.
How does Fasting work
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars — or duties —
of Islam, along with the testimony of faith, prayer, charitable giving, and
making pilgrimage to Mecca. All Muslims are required to take part every year,
though there are special dispensations for those who are ill, pregnant or
nursing, menstruating, or traveling, and for young children and the elderly.
The practice of fasting
serves several spiritual and social purposes: to remind you of your human
frailty and your dependence on God for sustenance, to show you what it feels
like to be hungry and thirsty so you feel compassion for (and a duty to help)
the poor and needy, and to reduce the distractions in life so you can more
clearly focus on your relationship with God.
During Ramadan,
Muslims abstain from eating any food, drinking any liquids, smoking cigarettes,
and engaging in any sexual activity, from dawn to sunset. That includes taking
medication (even if you swallow a pill dry, without drinking any water).
Chewing gum is also prohibited.
3.
Are
there exceptions to the fast?
Yes.
Though you’re expected to fast post-puberty, there are circumstances that allow
for abstention, like pregnancy and mental or physical illness.
4.
Reasons why date of Ramadan change every year
For religious
matters, Muslims follow a lunar calendar, that is, one based on the phases of the moon whose
12 months add up to approximately 354 days. That's 11 days shorter than the 365
days of the standard Gregorian calendar. Therefore, the Islamic lunar calendar
moves backward approximately 11 days each year in relation to the regular
Gregorian calendar.
So that means that
the first day of the month of Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic
lunar calendar, moves backward by about 11 days each year.
5. Dates are a staple
The Prophet Mohammed
broke his fast with dates, making it a sunnah.
Muslims across the world continue this tradition.
6. Taraweeh prayers
After iftar, some Muslims, depending
on which school of thought they follow, take to the Mosques to pray Taraweeh
prayers, which are optional prayers that continue through the night.
The
Ramadan nightly prayer has a special merit over other nights. The Messenger of
Allah said: "Whoever observes night prayer in Ramadan as an expression of
his faith and to seek reward from Allah, his previous sins will be blotted
out."
7. Not everyone breaks their fast at the same time
Breaking your fast
depends on when the sun rises and sets in your country - meaning some people
fast for six hours a day, while others fast for 20.
The time of breaking your fast also differs per sect. Sunnis tend to break their fast once the sun begins to set, whereas Shias often wait until the sun has set completely before they break their fast.
The time of breaking your fast also differs per sect. Sunnis tend to break their fast once the sun begins to set, whereas Shias often wait until the sun has set completely before they break their fast.
8. We love communal eating once the sun goes down
One of the beauties of
Ramadan is that we all come together. Families who may not have the habit of
eating at the same time usually come together over the dining table.
Muslims also host community iftars which usually happen at Mosques, parks, or community centres.
One of the largest (and most absurd) myths is that iftars are strictly for Muslims, or that it's rude to eat with people who have been fasting all day. If anything, we welcome more people and love it when non-Muslims share the experience of eating with us, so please come along!
Muslims also host community iftars which usually happen at Mosques, parks, or community centres.
One of the largest (and most absurd) myths is that iftars are strictly for Muslims, or that it's rude to eat with people who have been fasting all day. If anything, we welcome more people and love it when non-Muslims share the experience of eating with us, so please come along!
9. You can (and most likely will) gain weight
Islam promotes living
life with a sense of moderation and sustaining a healthy lifestyle. And while
Ramadan is also known as a month to detox and to stick to healthy food, due to
the types of food that are usually cooked in Ramadan, and the sheer amount of
sweets available, weight gain is almost inevitable.
Also, as much as we
should, and even plan to do so, who really exercises during Ramadan?
Source:
alaraby.co.uk
alternet.org
vox.com
No comments:
Post a Comment