05/07/2014
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic
calendar. It is a time of fasting for the Islamic
people. Each day during this month, Muslims all
over the world abstain from eating, drinking,
smoking, as well as participating in anything that
is ill-natured or excessive; from dawn until the
sun sets. Fasting is intended to educate the
Muslim in spirituality, humility and patience. It is
a time to cleanse the soul, focus attention on
God, and put into practice selflessness. Ramadan
is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of God
and to put forward more prayer than is
customary.
Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of the Islam
religion, and one of the main types of Islamic
worship. Restraint from everyday enjoyment and
curbing wicked intentions and cravings are
considered as an act of compliance and
obedience to God, as well as amends for sins,
faults, and mistakes. Ramadan is also called
Ramazan. During Ramadan, Muslims request
forgiveness for sins in the past, pray for direction
and assistance in abstaining from everyday
troubles, and endeavor to cleanse themselves
through self-control and great acts of faith.
In comparison to the solar calendar, the Ramadan
dates differ, moving forward approximately ten
days every year due to the fact that it is a
moving holiday which is dependent on the moon.
Ramadan was the month in which the initial
verses of the Qur'an were said to be shown to
Muhammad, the Islamic Prophet.
The name "Ramadan" had been the name of the
ninth month in Arabian tradition prior to the onset
of Islam; the word itself originated from an Arabic
root “rmd”, in words like "ramida" or "ar-ramad”
which means severe heat, burnt ground as well as
shortness of provisions. Individuals say it is
named Ramadan because it burns out the sins
with good deeds, as the sun scorches the ground.
In the Qu'ran, God declares that "fasting has
been written down upon you, as it was upon
those before you". In accordance with the first
hadith, this is in reference to the Jewish custom
of fasting on Yom Kippur.
The lunar cycle determines the Islamic calendar,
therefore the month of Ramadan, which is the
ninth month commences with a mixture of the
sighting of the new moon as well as astronomical
calculations. The precise time of Ramadan will at
times vary from place to place because some
depend a great deal on moon sightings, while
others rely on science. An Imam which is a
Muslim holy man will make known the correct
time of Ramadan right before it begins. The
fasting phase finishes upon the sighting of the
next new moon, which take place after 29 or 30
days.
