Ramadan also known as Ramazan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar & is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad (S.A.W) according to Islamic belief.
What is Ramadan?
For Muslims, Ramadan is a month of fasting, prayer, reflection & community.
This annual observance is regarded as one of the five pillars of Islam. The month lasts 29–30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon 🌙.
Hadith:
The Prophet Hazart Muhammad (S.A.W) said:
“When the month of Ramadan starts, the doors of the Heaven are opened & the doors of the Hell are closed & the devils are chained”.
Why Do Muslims Fast?
The fast is intended to bring the faithful closer to ALLAH & remind them of the suffering of those less fortunate. Muslims often donate to charities during the month & feed the hungry.
Fasting is an exercise in self-restraint. It’s seen as a way to physically & spiritually detoxify by kicking impulses like morning coffee, smoking & midday snacking.
Ramadan is a time to detach from worldy pleasure and focus on one’s prayer. Many Muslims dress more conservatively during Ramadan & more time at the mosque than that any other time of the year.
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the Muslim declaration of:
1) Faith
2) Daily Prayer
3) Charity
4) Performing the Ummrah
5) Feed the hungry
How Do Muslims Fast?
Observant Muslims abstain from eating & drinking from dawn to dusk for the entire month of Ramadan, with a single sip of water or a puff a cigarette considered enough to invalidate the fast.
How Do Muslims Break Their Fast?
Muslims traditionally break their fast like the Prophet Hazart Muhammad (S.A.W) did some 1,400 years ago, with a sip of water & some dates at sunset. That first sip of water is by far the most anticipated moment of the day.
After a sunset prayer, a large feast known as “iftar” is shared with family & friends. Iftar is a social event as much as it is a gastronomical adventure.
Across the Muslim world, mosques & aid organizations set up tents & tables for the public to eat free iftar meals every night of Ramadan.
The End of Ramadan
It is marked by intense worship as Muslims seek to have their prayers answered during “Laylat- AL- Qadar” or “the Night of Destiny”.
It is on this night, which falls during the last 10 nights of Ramadan.
The end of Ramadan is celebrated by a three day holiday called Eid- ul- Fitr.
