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Ramadan
greetings written in Arabic calligraphy
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Fasting
the lunar
month of Ramadan is such an important Pillar of Islam that Muslims
believe that missed fasts are a debt owed to Allah.
The
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever
observes fasts during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and
hoping to attain Allah’s rewards, then all his past sins will be
forgiven.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari)
Muslims
believe that the influence of the devils on the believers who obey Allah
is diminished during Ramadan. The Prophet Muhammad said, “When the month
of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of
Hell are closed and the devils
are chained.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari)
Month
of the Qur’an
Muslims
believe that the first verses of the Qur’an (Surat Al-`Alaq 96:1-5) were
revealed in the month of Ramadan while the Prophet Muhammad was in
spiritual retreat in the cave of Hira’ outside of Makkah. Years later
when the fast of Ramadan was made compulsory, the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel)
used to sit with the Prophet Muhammad every day during Ramadan so that the
latter could recite all that had been revealed so far of the Qur’an. In
his final year, the Prophet recited the entire Qur’an twice in Ramadan.
Muslims
continue the tradition of reading the entire Qur’an at least once during
Ramadan. In Muslim countries, it is not at all unusual in this month to
see many people reading the Qur’an while riding the bus or metro to and
from work. Others find time early in the morning, late at night, or at
intervals throughout the day.
Many
others read or recite the Qur’an during Tarawih Prayers, which are held
only during Ramadan, or in private late night Prayers called Tahajjud.
Muslims
who cannot yet read Arabic well spend some time each day listening to a
tape or CD of the Qur’an being recited. Muslims consider Ramadan to be a
good time to get into the habit of reading at least some of the Qur’an
or its translation every day, and if they haven’t read either of them
cover to cover, Ramadan is the time to do it.
Other
Acts of Worship
In
addition to reading the Qur’an, Muslims try to spend more time in dhikr
(remembrance of Allah) during this month and make an effort to perform
Tarawih Prayer, preferably in congregation. Muslims also sometimes perform
the late night Prayer called Tahajjud. They may do this before or after
eating the pre-dawn meal, just before the Fajr (Dawn) Prayer.
Ramadan
is also a favorite time for `Umrah—a visit to the Ka`bah in Makkah. When
performed in Ramadan, `Umrah takes the same reward as Hajj (but it does
not replace the obligatory Hajj).
How
Muslims Fast
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Ramadan is also the month of charity and generosity
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According
to Muslims, fasting means abstaining not only from food and drink, but
also from sexual intercourse, lying, arguing, and back-biting. While
fasting, Muslims must be careful to restrain their tongues, temper, and
even their gaze. Ramadan is the time for Muslims to learn to control
themselves and to develop their spiritual side.
Basically,
Muslims try to have a pre-dawn meal, known as sahur,
before they begin fasting. The fast lasts from dawn to sunset. As soon as
the sun has set, Muslims break their fast without delay. Generally,
Muslims may break their fast with a small amount of food—the sunnah
is to do so with an odd number of dates—and then perform the Maghrib
(Sunset) Prayer before eating a full meal.
For
more information on the rules of fasting, including who is exempted, see The
Meaning and Rules of Fasting.
Charity
in Ramadan
Ramadan
is also the month of charity. The Prophet Muhammad said, “…Whoever
draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in
(this month), shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory
deed at any other time; and whoever performs an obligatory deed in (this
month), shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any
other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is
Paradise. It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer’s
sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break
his fast shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the
Hell-Fire, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person,
without his reward being diminished at all.” (Reported by Ibn Khuzaymah)
Ibn
`Abbas, one of the Prophet’s Companions, narrated: “The Prophet was
the most generous amongst the people, and he used to be more so in the
month of Ramadan when Jibreel visited him, and Jibreel used to meet him on
every night of Ramadan till the end of the month. The Prophet used to
recite the Holy Qur’an to Jibreel, and when Jibreel met him, he used to
be more generous than a fast wind (which causes rain and welfare).”
(Reported by Al-Bukhari)
Thus
Muslims should try to give generously in Ramadan, both sadaqah (optional
charity) and zakat al-mal (obligatory charity). Sadaqah does not only have
to be money. It can also be a good deed—such as helping another
person—done for the sake of Allah and without expecting any reward from
the person. Even
a smile is considered charity in Islam. Most Muslims pay their
zakah during Ramadan because the reward is so much greater in that month.
It
is obligatory for every Muslim to pay a small amount of zakat al-fitr
before the end of Ramadan. This money is collected and given to the
poorest of the poor so that they may also enjoy the festivities on `Eid
Al-Fitr.
And
because of the great reward for feeding a fasting person, in many places
iftar (the break-fast meal at sunset) is served in mosques, with the food
donated or brought by individuals to share pot-luck style. In some Muslim
countries, tables are set up on the sidewalks or outside of mosques to
serve iftar to the poor and others. Such traditions also build a sense of
brotherhood and community.
Families
and friends also like to share iftar. However, sometimes this generosity
is exaggerated so that Ramadan becomes a month of lavish
tables and overeating.
This
goes against the spirit of Ramadan and should be avoided. (See also: Distinguishing
Culture from Religion in Ramadan)
The
Last Third
Muslims
also believe that the
last ten days of Ramadan are the holiest of all, and try to make
even greater efforts at that time to increase their worship. The holiest
night of all, Laylat Al-Qadr, falls on one of the odd numbered nights of
the last ten days.
Laylat
Al-Qadr, roughly translated as the Night
of Power, is such an important night that Allah describes it in
the Qur’an as being better than one thousand months, meaning that
worship done on this night is worth more than worship done in a thousand
months.
`Eid
Al-Fitr
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Muslims
in Egypt waiting for the `Eid Prayers
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The
public celebration at the end of Ramadan, on the first day of the month of
Shawwal, is called `Eid
Al-Fitr. After sunset on the 29th of Ramadan, Muslims wait for the
announcement of whether the new moon has been sighted, which means that
Ramadan is finished and the next day is `Eid. In that case, there are no
Tarawih Prayers that night. If the moon has not been sighted, then there
is one more day of fasting and the Tarawih Prayers are performed.
The
`Eid is celebrated with public Prayers and a sermon, often followed by
some form of halal (lawful) celebration such as games for the children or
sweets shared by everyone. It is a happy day for all. Although `Eid Al-Fitr
lasts only one day, in Muslim countries, schools, offices, and shops are
often closed for two or three days.
It’s
Not Over Till It’s Over
If
any of the days of fasting were missed, they must be made up for before
the next Ramadan. Muslims generally should try to make up for them as soon
as possible because any days that are missed are considered as a debt to
Allah.
For
Muslims, it is a sunnah
to fast six
days during the month of Shawwal, the lunar month immediately
following Ramadan. Muslims believe that if a Muslim fasts all of Ramadan
and then fasts any six days in Shawwal, the reward will be as if he or she
has fasted the whole year. Many Muslims do take advantage of this mercy
from Allah.
**
Ælfwine Mischler is an American convert to Islam. She has an M.A.
in Linguistics and Teaching English as a Foreign Language. She is a writer and
is currently the head of the Copyediting Unit in IslamOnline.net.
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