What is Ramadan?
Introduction
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is based on a 12 month lunar year of approximately 354 days. Because the lunar year is 11 days shorter than the solar year, each lunar month moves 11 days earlier each year. It takes 33 solar years for the lunar months to complete a full cycle and return to the same season. This year, the month long fast of Ramadan is set to begin on Friday, August 21, 2009. The month traditionally begins and ends based on the sighting of the first crescent of the new moon. Starting on August 20, Muslims throughout the United States and the rest of the world will begin to search the sky for the new crescent, or in some cases, they will follow a pre-determined date based on astronomical calculation.
The month of Ramadan commemorates the revelation of the Quran (divine scripture and holy book of Islam). During this month, Muslims fast from pre-dawn until sunset, forgoing eating and drinking during the sunlight hours. The purpose of the fast is to grow in God-consciousness and moral excellence. In commemoration of the revelation of the Quran, Muslims gather at their mosques to hold special prayers in which the entire Quran is recited by the end of the month.
Purpose of Fast
This year, Muslims will fast from pre-dawn to sunset -- a fast of about 13 hours. The fast of Ramadan entails forgoing food and drink, and if married, abstaining from sex during the fasting hours. For Muslims, the period of Ramadan is an effort to train themselves both physically and spiritually by avoiding any negative acts such as gossiping, backbiting, lying or arguing. Muslims welcome Ramadan as an opportunity for self-evaluation, spiritual improvement and growth. Ramadan is also a highly social time as Muslims constantly visit each other to break fast together and meet for prayers at the mosque.
The ultimate goal of fasting is greater God-consciousness. The Quranic (Arabic) word is taqwa, which literally means "being on guard", signifying a state of constant awareness of God. From this awareness a person should gain discipline, self-restraint and a greater incentive to do good and avoid wrong.
Who Fasts
All Muslims who have reached puberty are obliged to fast. Exempted from the fast is anyone who is sick or traveling; women who are pregnant, nursing, or on their menses; or older people who are too weak or ill to fast. Anyone who is exempted must make up the fast later, except for those who cannot fast due to age or chronic illness. Instead, they can feed a poor person for every day of fasting they miss.
Children
While children are not required to fast until they reach puberty, it is customary for children beginning around seven years of age to perform limited or symbolic fasting -- fasting half a day or on weekends. This trains them gradually and helps to engender a sense of inclusion during the month long observance. Mosques often give special recognition to children who are fasting their first full day or first Ramadan.
Family Routines
A Muslim family usually rises about 5:00 a.m. before the first of dawn and eats a modest, breakfast-like meal called suhur. After the meal, morning prayers are performed and depending on the circumstances, the family goes back to bed or begins the day. Often a nap is taken in the late afternoon after work or school. At sunset, around 7:00 p.m., a few dates and water are eaten to break the fast, which is referred to as iftar. After performing the sunset prayers, the family reunites to eat dinner. Inviting guests to break the fast or going to someone else's house for iftar is very common in Ramadan. Many families then go to the mosque around 8:30 p.m. for the night prayers and a special Ramadan prayer called taraaweeh. After their prayers, the families will return home around 10:30 p.m. (All of these times vary depending on the time of year, with shorter days in the winter and longer days in the summer.)
Special Activities
Many mosques host daily community dinners where Muslims can break their fast together. This is a great service for students, the poor and anyone who want a break from cooking. Almost all mosques also host a community dinner on the weekends.
Special Ramadan prayers called taraaweeh are held in most mosques after the evening prayer. During taraaweeh, the prayer leader recites at least one thirtieth of the Quran so that by the end of the month the entire Quran will have been recited. The Quran is about the length of the New Testament.
Since Ramadan is a time for Muslims to be especially charitable and fasting helps Muslims feel compassion for the hungry and less fortunate, many mosques hold food drives or fundraisers for charity during Ramadan. Many mosques also host open houses for their friends and neighbors of other faiths to join them for their daily community dinner at the end of the fasting day.
The night of majesty known as Lailat al-Qadr, which is believed to fall on one of the odd nights during the last ten days of Ramadan, is observed most widely on the 27th night of Ramadan. This evening is considered the most blessed night in Ramadan because it is believed to be the night when the Quran was first revealed. Mosques are open all night as Muslims hold vigil in prayer, Quranic recitation and contemplation.
Dates and Special Foods
Eating dates to break the fast is the only strictly traditional culinary custom associated with Ramadan. It is interesting to note the suitability of dates for this purpose as they are a concentrated source of energy and easily digestible. Various Muslim countries have special dishes and desserts for Ramadan.
Benefits of Fasting
Doctors agree that fasting is extremely beneficial for lowering cholesterol levels, and for other health benefits. Fasting is a means of purifying the body as well as the spirit, as it gives the body a rest from the continuous task of digesting food.
Eid al-Fitr
At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate one of their major holidays called Eid al-Fitr or the “Festival of the Breaking of the Fast”. This year, it will be held on September 20, 2009. Children traditionally receive new clothes, money or gifts from parents, relatives and friends. A special prayer and sermon are held the morning of Eid day, followed by a community celebration usually in a park or large hall. Food, games and presents for children are important parts of the festivities, as friends and family spend the day socializing, eating and reuniting with old acquaintances.
