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Ramadan
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Page)
| What is Ramadan? | |
| Ramadan is a special month of the year for Muslims throughout the world. It is the 9th month of the Islamic (lunar) calendar. Because the lunar calendar is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, the start of the month of Ramadan moves each year. This year, it started on October 26.. |  |
For more than a billion Muslims around the world, including some 8 million in North America, Ramadan is a "month of blessing" marked by prayer, fasting, and charity. Muslims believe that during the month of Ramadan, Allah revealed the first verses of the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. Around 610 A.D., a caravan trader named Muhammad took to wandering the desert near Mecca (in today's Saudi Arabia) while thinking about his faith. One night a voice called to him from the night sky. It was the angel Gabriel, who told Muhammad he had been chosen to receive the word of Allah. In the days that followed, Muhammad found himself speaking the verses that would be transcribed as the Qur'an. |
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| The Month of Fasting | |
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Fasting is the third "pillar"
or religious obligation of Islam. Muslims practice fasting, for the
entire month of Ramadan. This means that they may eat or drink nothing,
including water, from dawn to sunset.
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Some families get up early for for suhoor (a meal eaten before dawn). After the sun sets, the fast is broken with a meal known as iftar. Iftar usually begins with dates and sweet drinks that provide a quick energy boost. Fasting serves many purposes. While they are hungry and thirsty, Muslims are reminded of the suffering of the poor. Fasting is also an opportunity to practice self-control and to cleanse the body and mind. And in this most sacred month, fasting helps Muslims feel the peace that comes from spiritual devotion as well as kinship with fellow believers. |
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| Eid al-Fitr | |
| The end of the month is marked by the celebration of
Eid-al-Fitr. Eid al-Fitr is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations (the other occurs after the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca). At Eid al-Fitr people dress in their finest clothes, adorn their homes with lights and decorations, give treats to children, and enjoy visits with friends and family. A sense of generosity and gratitude colors these festivities. Although charity and good deeds are always important in Islam, they have special significance at the end of Ramadan. As the month draws to a close, Muslims are obligated to share their blessings by feeding the poor and making contributions to mosques. |
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