Recently
in the news, there has been conversation about the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr,
the holiday that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, becoming an
official religious holiday in NYC public schools. I was always curious about
the Muslim observance of Ramadan as I didn’t learn much about Islam or any
religion in school. I feel that many people misunderstand what Ramadan is and
why Muslims observe it, so I was curious to learn more.
Ramadan is the ninth month of
the Muslim calendar and the holy month of fasting. It begins and ends with
the appearance of the new moon. Islamic tradition states that on the 27th day
of Ramadan, Allah revealed
the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad. For Muslims, Ramadan is a period of reflection, prayer, and reading of the Qur’an. Past sins of those who observe the
holy month faithfully are forgiven. Ramadan is
a time for Muslims to practice self-restraint,
in agreement with ṣawm,
one of the Pillars of Islam. Sawm is the obligation to refrain between
dawn and dusk from eating, drinking and all forms of immoral behavior. Even
unkind thoughts are considered inappropriate during Ramadan.
Able-bodied adults and older children fast during the day from
dawn to dusk. Ṣawm can be invalidated by breaking fast at
the wrong time, but the can be made up with an extra day of fasting. Pregnant
women, young children, the old, and the sick are excused from fasting. Volunteering,
performing good deeds, or feeding the poor can be substituted for fasting in
some cases.
Muslims break their fast each evening by eating dates and
reciting a sunset prayer before dinner. Their evening meal, called iftar,
is shared with friends and extended family to foster a sense of community and involves
many courses of food. In some Muslim communities, the workday is shortened during
Ramadan so that people have time to eat and visit relatives. Bells are rung
early in the morning, before the sunrise to signify that it is time for the
meal before dawn, called suhoor. The end
of the Ramadan fast, Eid al-Fiṭr can
involve large celebrations and gift exchanges. Some common expressions
used during Ramadan include عيد مبارك (“A blessed holiday") and كل عام و انتم بخير
("May you be well throughout the year"). Ramadan serves as a reminder all the things one has to be thankful
for and to keep in mind the less fortunate.
No comments:
Post a Comment