The holy month of Ramadan
 

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar, is considered as one of the holiest months of the year. It was in 610 A.D. when the prophet Muhammad was said to have received revelations from God that later became Islam’s holy book, the Quran (Koran).

The Quran (2:185) states that it was in the month of Ramadan that the Quran was revealed. In fact, Ramadan commemorates that part, of the Muslim year, when "the Qur'an was sent down as a guidance for the people" and also for the " judgment between the right and wrong". Another verse of the Quran (97:1) states that it was revealed "on the night of determination," which Muslims generally observe on the night of 26-27 Ramadan.

The holy season begins with the sighting of the crescent moon on the evening following the new moon and lasts for 29 or 30 days depending on the lunar cycle. According to the Quran, Muslims must see the New Moon with the naked eye before they can begin their fast. The practice has arisen that two witnesses should testify to this before a qadi (judge), who, if satisfied, communicates the news to the mufti (the interpreter of Muslim law), who orders the beginning of the fast. It has become usual for Middle Eastern Arab countries to accept, with reservations, the verdict of Cairo. Should the New Moon prove to be invisible, then the month Sha'ban, immediately preceding Ramadan, will be reckoned as 30 days in length, and the fast will begin on the day following the last day of this month. Ramadan, the ninth month, is observed throughout the Muslim world as a month of fasting. The end of the fast follows the same procedure. By fasting, Muslims believe they can learn the discipline and self-restraint that Mohammed preached. Thus fasting is taken as a form of worship and a time of empowerment.

Even though from dawn to sunset, Muslims abstain from food, drink and all sensual pleasures, that doesn’t mean food is entirely out of the picture. Two main meals are taken each day during Ramadan. The souhoor begins each day before dawn and the aftar breaks the fast after sunset. At the sundown each day the fast is broken with the dates and water or the apricot drink. Mostly this is followed by a traditional soup like lentil and a salad like 'fattoushi'. However, the main meal can be anything. There are no restrictions, olives, cheeses, meats, everything just goes. Every family has its traditional dishes to enjoy. Also sweets are also an important part of Ramadan food. Usually ladies at home prepare the special Ramadan dishes for the evening meal. Many go out to give the women a break. Visits are exchanged for a community get together and feasts within their own faith. But it is not prudent to indulge in eating too much while after the fast. Because the stomach shrinks during this fast. In fact, the fast loses its meaning with an indulgence.Fasting during the month of Ramadan, as laid down in the holy Quran (2:183-185), is the fourth pillar of the faith. According to the Quran, this entire month is ordained for fasting and abstinence by all adult Muslims. Fasting begins at daybreak and ends at sunset, and during the day eating, drinking, and smoking are forbidden.

A cloudy sky may delay or prolong the Ramadan fast. For, the the beginning and the end of the fast depends on the sighting of the crescent moon. It takes one trustworthy witness to testify before the authorities that the new moon has been sighted. And the Ramadan announcements are made accordingly.

According to Quran, for a person who is sick or on a journey, fasting may be postponed until "another equal number of days." The elderly and the incurably sick are exempted through the daily feeding of one poor person.

According to the Quran, the fast of Ramadan has been instituted so that believers may cultivate piety. The fast during Ramadan begins each day at dawn and ends immediately at sunset. During the fast period, Muslims are forbidden to eat, drink, smoke and make love. Before retiring for the night, special congregational prayers are offered in which long passages from the Quran are recited. The day after the end of Ramadan is Id-ul-Fitr, the festival that celebrates the breaking of the fast with special prayers and festivities.

In theQuran,the development of the Ramadan fast, which is one of the five Pillars, or basic institutions, of Islam, may be traced from the injunction to fast on 'Ashura' , the 10th of Muharram, probably once identical with the Jewish Day of Atonement. This injunction was abrogated by a command to fast during Ramadan (2:184).

Unlike the period of fasting observed in other major faiths, fast in Ramadan is seen less as an atonement and more as an obedient response to a command from God.


IFTAR


"Iftar" literally means breakfast. It is a meal served at the end of the day during Ramadan, to break the fast. The month of Ramadan brings the families closer sharing the evening meal, paying visits to each other after sundown, giving alms to the poor and fondly remembering the ones who are no more. The Quran forbids the Muslims to eat or drink anything during the daylight hours. Following the sunset, the Muslims break their daylong fast with the meal called “Iftar”. After they have taken their meal, it is customary for them to visit friends and families. The fast is again resumed the next morning.

An "Iftar" meal is not to be confused with a regular meal that you can invite your friends and families to share. It is considered impolite if one reaches late for the meal. It’s discourteous to keep somebody waiting over the meal. Once the Ramadan Canon and the call for prayers announce the end of the fast, everyone has to take to the table and break the fast. The meal is usually a sumptuous one and is wrapped up with Qatayef, a Ramadan delicacy that can only be found during the Ramadan month.

After the "Iftar" meal, people take on to the streets in jovial spirits and the festive mood spills over. The shops remain open well after the midnight. Some people stay up all night through until the “Suhour” meal that that is taken immediately before the resumption of the fast, early in the morning
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