What is Ramadan? This question comes to our mind when we come across the word Ramadan. The answer is, Ramadan is the ninth month of Islamic Calendar. The word Ramadan is derived from the Arabic word Ramida, meaning intense scorching heat and dryness especially the ground.
It is believed that in the month of Ramadan the Holy Quran was sent down from heaven as guidance and also as a declaration of direction and a means to salvation.
Ramadan is the month of fasting. It is the time for worship and meditation and the Muslims focus on their faith and spend less time on the worldly everyday lives.
Month long fast
The fast of Ramadan is one of the strictest fasts. One is not allowed to eat or drink during the daylight hours. At the end of the day the fast is broken with prayer and a meal called the Iftaar. After that one can eat or drink till the wee hours of the morning.
The day starts with eating of the Sehri. Sehri is the meal eaten before the sun rises. Once Sehri is done then Muslims who fast cannot eat or drink the whole day. After that the fast is again resumed and is broken only at the end of the day after sunset. This cycle continues for a month.
During Ramadan it is also common for the Muslims to go to the Masjid (Mosque) along with spending time praying and studying the Quran. With the usual five daily prayers, during Ramadan Muslims recite a special prayer called the Taraweeh prayer (Night Prayer). This prayer is much longer as compared to the daily prayers.
According to Islam Ramadan fast is the time when a Muslim can devote himself to God truly without giving much concern to other activities of the day.
On the evening of the 27th day of this month, Muslims celebrate the Laylat-al-Qadr (the Night of Power). The legend goes that on this night Prophet Muhammad first received the revelation of the Holy Quran. The entire night is spent in praying.
The end of the month of Ramadan is celebrated for three days called the Id-ul-Fitr meaning the "The Feast of Fast Breaking." The first day after the Ramadan month is called Shawwal. During the Eid-ul-fitr gifts are exchanged and there is visits to family and friends.
Ramadan Facts
Ramadan, the month for fasting for Muslims last for thirty days. During the entire month Muslims abstain from food, water and sexual activities. According to Islam it is best way of devotion of Muslims towards God, which one can devote in such busy life schedules.
There are a number of facts, associated with Ramadan like: Who All Should Fast
It is believed that all the Muslims above the age of twelve or passed the age of puberty should fast. All Muslims who are physically and mentally challenged should not fast.
Sometimes it is even said that the Muslims are not supposed to swallow their saliva when they are on fast.
Exemptions from Ramadan
Being a Muslim it is a duty to carry out Ramadan fast, which every Muslim must follow. Also Ramadan is said to be the holy month for Muslims as several believes are associated with it. Somehow, some of the conditions exempt some Muslims from Ramadan fast like:
· Children below seven years.
· Muslims who are physically and mentally challenged.
· Senior Muslim citizen.
· Muslims who travel for long distances.
· Pregnant women and nursing mothers.
· Women who are menstruating.
When does Ramadan begin?
The most important question to be answered is, how can one come to know when does Ramadan begin and end? The answer to this question is that Ramadan depends on the crescent moon, when sighted. Ramadan starts with the new moon. There is always a collision among Muslims to decide when would Ramadan begin and end? According to the Traditional method, mentioned in the holy book Quran it is to look at the sky and sight the crescent moon (hilal). This Sighting of the hilal marks the beginning of the Ramadan. If hilal is seen at night then the next day is the first day of Ramadan and fasting. On the similar lines when the hilal is visible again at the end of the month, it is the time to celebrate Eid-Ul-Fitr (break the fast).
So Ramadan and Eid-Ul-Fitr are totally dependent on the visibility of the crescent moon.
Lunar Year and Solar Year
The difference between the lunar and solar year is that the lunar year is thirteen days shorter than the solar year. It means that one cannot say if next year in 2007 Ramadan would fall on the same dates as of 2006 year. The dates change falling thirteen days earlier in each consecutive year. So whatever date Ramadan starts on a given year, it would start 12 to 13 days earlier next year and so on meaning that the holy month can fall in any season during the year. It takes around 35 years for Ramadan to complete a whole cycle through the seasons.
Lailatul Qadr: Night of Power, Night of Destiny or Night of Majesty
Rightly called night of power, Lailatul Qadr is full of blessings because the eminent Quran descended in it. It is believed that if one prays to God on the Night of Power with all our heart, He definitely answers all prayers. The Quran says: "Surely We revealed it (the Holy Quran) on the grand night. And what will make you comprehend what the grand night. The grand night is better than a thousand months. The angels and Gibreel descend in it by the permission of their Lord for every affair, Peace! It is till the break of the morning."
The Quran is peace by itself. It distinguishes between the good and evil and shows the path of eternal peace and bliss to all mankind forever. This being so, the Night in which this Divine Book was sent down is worthy of great esteem. During this night, as explained in the verse quoted above, the Angels and the Heavenly spirit (Hazrat Gibreel Alai-his-Salam) descend. Their nearness to earth gives a spiritual luster to the hearts and souls of the believers. The Holy Prophet and the 12 Imams passed this night in prayer and worship of God.
The exact date of revelation of the Holy Quran is not known so the practice is to pray every odd night after the 20th Ramadan, ie, 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th. This ritual is religiously carried out by staunch followers and clerics. But majority of people consider the 27th day of Ramadan as the day of revelation of Quran and offer prayers on this particular day. It is considered as the best night among the nights of the whole year. The "A`maal" (religious performances) of this night are better than the A`maal of 1000 nights. In this night the divine annual decree is passed. The Angels and Roohul Ameen (A highly dignified Angel) descend on this earth, in that night. These call on the Imam of the time, and what is ordained (by Allah) for everybody is presented before the Imam.
Five Pillars Of Islam
In Islam there are five pillars or duties, which need to be followed by a Muslim. Fasting is one of the pillars. It is believed that this is the most effective way when a Muslim can truly devote his soul to God. The other five pillars of Islam are:
1.Reciting the two-fold creed (profession of faith) - `There is no God but Allah` and `Muhammad is his prophet` (or `Muhammad is the Messenger of God`).
2. Prayer - At five set-times a day while facing towards the city of Mecca, i.e, west.
3. Alms-giving (zakat - means `purification`, an act of worship) -obligatory and voluntary giving to the poor.
4. Fasting (roza) - Especially during the `holy` month of Ramadan.
5. Pilgrimage (hajj) - At least once in a lifetime - to Mecca, Saudi Arabia if at all possible, known as The Hajj.
