Ramadan: The Islamic Month of Fasting
The crescent moon marks the beginning of Ramadan
Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, is the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar. It's a holy month for Muslims because it's the month in which the Qur'an was sent down from God to Prophet Mohammad.
There's a debate among Muslims on how to decide the beginning of Ramadan; it begins when the thin crescent moon is seen in the sky; when it's seen at night, Ramadan begins the next day, and it ends by seeing the crescent moon again by the end of the month. That is why Ramadan may begin one day earlier or one day later in countries around the world.
Fasting in Islam includes abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations, from dawn to sunset, but it's more than abstaining from these physical needs, it's also about abstaining from all bad habits. People who cannot fast during Ramadan, like the sick and pregnant women, are exempt from fasting, but they have to fast after Ramadan to make up for the days that they missed during the month.
Ramadan is a very special month for Muslims all over the world; it's a month of spiritual reflection during which people try to be as pious as they can, and that's by doing various things like: reading Qur'an and worshiping God, doing charity, helping others and sympathizing with the poor, and refraining from the use of obscene language...
Fasting during this month aims at teaching Muslims self-control and patience; it makes them experience what the poor go through and then thank God for all the gifts he blessed them with, and through the increasing charity, people learn how to love others and care for them.
The major meals in this month are two:
- The Iftar (breakfast): when the sunsets, after maghrib (sunset) prayer.
- The suhoor: A light meal just before fajr (sunrise) prayer, to help the fasters during the day, and it includes drinking a lot of water.
A beautiful thing about this is that it gathers all the members of the family around one table at a specific time, so it's a means of strengthening familial relations. A well known tradition in Ramadan is the making of "Fanoos", which is a colorful lantern that children like to make.
After Ramadan, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr, a three-day holiday , during which Muslims visit each other, exchange presents , and give "Zakat" or alms for the poor.
