Ramadan
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Ramadan 2010 (the year 1431 AH, according to the Muslim reckoning) runs from approximately August 11 to September 9. The exact dates depend on one's geographical location.
A blessed month has arrived. Observing it in fasting is mandated on you. During this month, the gates of Paradise will be opened and the gates of Hellfire will be closed. (Abu Hureirah)
Ramadan mubarak! (a blessed Ramadan!)
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and the most sacred of the twelve months. The name Ramadan derives from the Arabic word for intense heat and sun-scorched ground. A number of reasons have been advanced to explain the linguistic connection:
- It refers to the hot, dry sensation of thirst during this month of fasting
- Ramadan scorches out evil like the sun scorches the earth
- Just as heat shapes and influences all matter — organic and inorganic — so does Ramadan shape and influence the believer
Fasting
The Koran mandates fasting during the month of Ramadan:
The month of Ramadan is that in which the Koran was revealed, a guidance to men and clear proofs of the guidance and the distinction; therefore whoever of you is present in the month, he shall fast therein, and whoever is sick or upon a journey, then (he shall fast) a (like) number of other days... (sura 2.185, known as The Cow)
Fasting, or sawm, during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Sunni Islam.
Why fast?
- to develop patience and self-control
- to learn sympathy for the deprived
- to cleanse the body and mind
- to gain appreciation for Allah's bounty
- to demonstrate the depth of one's commitment
- to protect against sin. A hadith states: "Satan runs in the circulatory system of the son of Adam in the same way blood circulates in our system; so tighten his passages with hunger."
There are, then, three levels of the Ramadan fast:
- refraining from the physical things that are forbidden (performed with the mouth/stomach/sexual organs)
- restraining oneself from saying, hearing and looking at forbidden things (performed with the senses)
- renewing one's devotion to Allah (performed with the heart and mind).
Special meals are eaten before and after each day of fasting: suhoor before the dawn prayers, and iftar, the evening meal often eaten communally and often including dates.
I swore by the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, the breath of the faster is sweeter to Allah on the Day of Judgment than the scent of musk. (Abu Hureirah)
In addition, Ramadan is a time for increased devotion, reading of the Koran, self-improvement, community involvement, charity and good deeds.
He who does not desist from obscene language and acting obscenely, Allah has no need that he did not eat or drink. (Bukhari)
Ramadan and the new moon
When does Ramadan begin and end? This question is complicated by a number of factors. One, the Islamic calendar (hijrah) is based on the moon, and does not compensate for the extra days the solar calendar has over the lunar one. Thus, while the fast of Ramadan always begins on 1 Ramadan according to the Islamic calendar, the Gregorian date changes every year. So whatever date Ramadan starts on a given year, it'll start about 11-12 days earlier next year, and so on. This means the holy month can fall in any season of the year; it takes about 35 years for Ramadan to complete a whole cycle through the seasons.
Second, the beginning of Ramadan (as with all months of the Islamic calendar) is traditionally based on a sighting of the hilal — the crescent, or new, moon. If it is reported by a witness in front of a committee of elders by the evening of the 29th day of the previous month, Sha'aban, then Ramadan starts on day 30. If not — because the sky is cloudy or the moon set before the sky grew dark enough to see it — then Sha'aban lasts 30 days and Ramadan starts the next day. Western countries are more likely to begin Ramadan a day earlier than eastern countries, since moonset occurs later farther west and there's more chance of the moon being seen on the 29th of Sha'aban.
Some Islamic legal opinions rule that the date of Ramadan can be determined by astronomical calculations and does not require the sighting of a new moon.
The same procedure applies at the end of Ramadan.
The night of power
The Night of Power is better than a thousand months,
The angels and the Spirit descend in it by the permission of their Lord for every affair,
Peace, it is, until the break of the dawn. (Sura 97)
Laylat al-Qadr (lit., the night of destiny) is the night of revelation and the night of judgment. This night lends Ramadan its special character. On this night, Muhammad, alone in the wilderness near Mecca, was first taught Koranic verses by the angel Jibril, and the teaching continued for 10 days. Also on this night, Allah determines the course of the world for the coming year. Thus, pious Muslims spend the night (when possible, the entire 10-day period) in their mosques and devote themselves to extra prayers and study. Children are taught to watch for the opening of the sky on Laylat al-Qadr and make a wish.
There is no consensus which night of Ramadan is Laylat al-Qadr. It could be any odd-numbered night from the 19th to the 29th. Sunni Muslims tend to celebrate this night on the 23rd, while many Shias believe it falls on the 27th.
Breaking the fast
When Ramadan is over, on the first day of the next month, Shawwal, Muslims celebrate Id al-Fitr (lit., feast of the breaking of the fast).
Id al-fitr is a day of joy, thankfulness, piety, forgiveness, peace and brotherhood. Worshipers dress in their finest clothes, preferably new ones, and, after special early-morning prayers held in large mosques or other venues, visit each other to exchange greetings and good wishes. Special alms, zakat, are given; children receive gifts; and feuds and disputes are settled. Together with the sadness at the end of Ramadan comes the joy at having been granted by Allah the strength to perform the fast.
Eid mubarak!
See also:
Basic Muslim Beliefs
Pillars of Islam (Sunni)
Branches of Religion (Shia)
List of battles fought during Ramadan by Muslims
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American Heritage Dictionary:
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Ram·a·dan
(răm'ə-dän', răm'ə-dän') 
n.
n.
- The ninth month of the year in the Islamic calendar.
- A fast, held from sunrise to sunset, that is carried out during this period.
[Arabic Ramaḍān, from ramaḍ, dryness, from ramiḍa, to be scorched.]
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:
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Ramadan
In Islam, a holy month of fasting, the ninth month of the Muslim year, commemorating the revelation of the Qurn to Muhammad. As an act of atonement, Muslims are required to fast and abstain from sexual activity during the daylight hours of Ramadan. Determined according to the lunar calendar, Ramadan can fall in any season of the year. The Ramadan fast is considered one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and the end of the fast is celebrated as one of the important religious holidays of Islam.
For more information on Ramadan, visit Britannica.com.
Columbia Encyclopedia:
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Ramadan
Ramadan (rämädän', răm'ədän'), in Islam, the ninth month of the Muslim year, during which all Muslims must fast during the daylight hours. Indulgence of any sort is forbidden during the fast. There are only a few who are exempt, e.g., soldiers, the sick, and the young. Because of the purely lunar calendar, Ramadan falls in different seasons. The final day of Ramadan, Id al-Fitr, is celebrated by a day of feasting. The first revelation of the Qur'an is commemorated in this month.
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Ramadan, the major fast of the Islamic year, falls in the ninth lunar month. Traditionally, Ramadan commences and ends with the sighting of the new moon, though now a standard calendar is more commonly used.
The month-long fast involves abstinence from food, liquids, smoking, and sexual intercourse between the hours of sunrise and sunset, but at night the holiday has turned into a feast in many Arab countries, each of which has its favorite special Ramadan foods and recipes. Moreover, fasting must be undertaken with spiritual intent (niyyah), and this intent must be renewed each day before dawn. Mean-spirited words, and thoughts and deeds such as slander, lying, and covetousness negate the value of fasting. The fast commences each day at dawn, immediately prior to which an early morning meal, suhoor, should be eaten. It usually includes a special bread called mushtah and a sweet cream-filled pastry called kilaj, which are served only during Ramadan. During the day no food or drink may be taken, which can be a severe test when Ramadan falls during the hot summer season. The day's fast is broken with a small meal, iftar, taken as soon as possible after sunset. Traditionally, this is dates and water in remembrance of Muhammed, who always broke his fast by first eating dates, followed by lentil soup and salad. A larger, often quite elaborate meal may be eaten later at a mosque or shared with visiting friends and family. There are no particular rules governing what should be served for the main course. Sweets are very popular during Ramadan.
Although the fast is obligatory for all sane adult Muslims in good health, a number of exemptions are allowed. These are seen as proof of Allah's wish not to place too onerous a burden on His people.
- Children are not required to fast until they reach the Age of Responsibility (twelve years for girls; fifteen years for boys). Children from the ages of six to eight may fast for half the day, gradually increasing the duration until old enough to fully observe the fast.
- The elderly and the chronically ill whose health may be compromised by fasting may substitute the feeding of one poor person for each day of fasting missed.
- Pregnant and nursing women, women in post-child-birth confinement, and menstruating women may postpone the fast and make up the days later.
- Those who are sick, traveling, or engaged in hard labor may make up missed fast days later.
Unintentional breaking of the fast is not punished, and Muslims are enjoined to break their fast if there is a threat to health. Other types of infractions require restitution. This is of two kinds: Qada, which involves making up missed days, and Kaffarah, which additionally exacts a penalty from the transgressor.
Fasting in a religious context is often undertaken for reasons of self-denial, penance, or mourning. In contrast, the Ramadan fast is a festive occasion of gratitude and thanksgiving to God. It has also acquired moral, social, and physical virtues. Observance of the fast is commonly seen as a way of receiving pardon for past sins; it creates empathy with the plight of the hungry, and it teaches self-control and endurance of deprivation.
Following Ramadan there is a three-day festival of prayer and feasting known as ʿAl Id-Fitr. Special sweet dishes are prepared, giving the festival its other name of Sweet Id. Muslims give thanks to Allah for enabling them to perform their duty of fasting, and there is much visiting and exchange of gifts, including food, with family and friends. Charitable giving is also encouraged.
Bibliography
Maulana, Muhammad Ali. The Religion of Islam: A Comprehensive Discussion of the Sources, Principles and Practices of Islam. 6th ed. Lahore: Ahmadiyya Anjumun Isha'at Islam, 1990.
Wagtendonk, K. Fasting in the Koran. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1968.
Welch, Alford T. "Islam." In A New Handbook of Living Religions, edited by John R. Hinnells. Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwell, 1997.
—Paul Fieldhouse
Islamic Dictionary:
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Ramadan
The ninth month of the Islamic calendar (the Hijra). It is a holy month of fasting, celebrating the time at which the Qur'an was first revealed. The month of Ramadhan begins after the sighting of the lunar crescent on the previous evening, so it may begin on different days in different parts of the world. During the Fast of Ramadan Muslims do not eat or drink during the daylight hours. No smoking or marital relations are allowed. The fast may be broken after sunset with prayer and a meal of dates called the "iftar." The fast is resumed the next morning after a pre-dawn breakfast known as a "suhur." Muslims universally greet each other with 'Eid mubarak "a blessed 'Eid" on 'Eid ul-Fitr. For more information about Ramadan, click here. The word "Ramadan" comes from the Arabic root *rmd as in "ramida" or "ar-ramad" denoting intense scorching, heat, and dryness. Words from the same root include ramdaa "sunbaked sand" and the famous idiom: kal mustajeer minar ramadaa binnar "to jump out of the frying pan into the fire."
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categories related to 'Ramadan'
- Annual National and Religious Holidays - Ramadan: Islamic: ninth month of Islamic calendar, period of fasting commemorating revelation of the Koran to Mohammed
- Islam - Ramadan: sacred month of fasting from sunrise to sunset during ninth month of lunar calendar
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Ramadan (calendar month)
This article is about the Islamic calendar month called Ramadan. For information about the holiday and religious observances during that month of the same name, see Ramadan.
Ramadan (Arabic: رمضان) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and the month in which the Quran was revealed.
Ramadan is the holiest of months in the Islamic calendar, and fasting in this month is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month is spent by Muslims fasting during the daylight hours from dawn to sunset. Muslims believe that the Qur'an was sent down to the lowest heaven during this month, thus being prepared for gradual revelation by the Angel Jibraeel (Gabriel) to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Furthermore, Muhammad told his followers that the gates of Heaven would be open all the month and the gates of Hell (Jahannum) would be closed [1]. The first day of the next month, Shawwal, is spent in celebrations and is observed as the "Festival of Breaking Fast" or `Eid ul-Fitr.
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Timing
The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, and months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year and contains no intercalation, Ramadan migrates throughout the seasons. The Islamic day starts after sunset. The actual and estimated start and end dates for Ramadan in 2007–2017 were and are as follows:[2]
| CE / AD | AH | First day | Last day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 1428 | 13 September | 12 October |
| 2008 | 1429 | 1 September | 30 September |
| 2009 | 1430 | 22 August | 20 September |
| 2010 | 1431 | 11 August | 9 September |
| 2011 | 1432 | 1 August | 29 August |
| 2012 | 1433 | 20 July | 18 August |
| 2013 | 1434 | 9 July | 7 August |
| 2014 | 1435 | 28 June | 27 July |
| 2015 | 1436 | 18 June | 16 July |
| 2016 | 1437 | 6 June | 5 July |
| 2017 | 1438 | 27 May | 25 June |
| Ramadan dates between 2007 and 2017 | |||
Many Muslims insist on the local physical sighting of the moon to mark the beginning of Ramadan, but others use the calculated time of the new moon or the Saudi Arabian declaration to determine the start of the month. Since the new moon is not in the same state at the same time globally, the beginning and ending dates of Ramadan depend on what lunar sightings are received in each respective location. As a result, Ramadan dates vary in different countries, but usually only by a day. This is due to the cycle of the moon. When one country sees the moon, mainly Saudi Arabia, the moon travels the same path all year round and that same moon seen in the east is then seen traveling towards the west. All the countries around the world see the moon within a 24 hour period once spotted by one country in the east.
Each year, Ramadan begins about eleven days earlier than in the previous year.[3] Astronomical projections that approximate the start of Ramadan are available.[4] It takes about 33 years for Ramadan to complete a twelve month move across the yearly calendar plus 5 days. As Ramadan March 28, 1990 to Ramadan March 22, 2023.
Events
- Ramadan is observed by Muslims during the entire lunar month by the same name. The month of religious observances consists of fasting and extra prayers.
- 02 Ramadan, the Torah (Tawrat) was bestowed on Moses (Musa). (According to Shia Islam)
- 10 Ramadan, death of Khadijah bint Khuwaylid – first wife of Muhammad
- 12 Ramadan, the Gospel (Injil) was bestowed on Jesus (Isa). (According to Shia Islam)
- 15 Ramadan, birth of Hasan ibn Ali
- 17 Ramadan, the Battle of Badr was won by the Muslims.
- 18 Ramadan, the Psalms (Zabur) were bestowed on David (Dawood). (According to Shia Islam)
- 19 Ramadan, Ali bin Abu Talib was struck on the head by a sword.
- 21 Ramadan, Ali bin Abu Talib died due to injuries he sustained by a sword.
- Laylat al-Qadr is observed during one of the last ten odd numbered days of the month. Muslims believe that this night which is also known as "The Night of Destiny" is better than a thousand months. This is often interpreted as praying throughout this night is rewarded equally with praying for a thousand months (just over 83 years i.e. a lifetime). Many Muslims spend the entire night in prayer.
- In the Ottoman Empire, the sultan presented trays of baklava to the Janissaries in a ceremonial procession called the Baklava Alayı.
- 10 Ramadan, in 1973, Operation Badr took place, starting the Yom Kippur War.
See also
References
- ^ Hadith al-Bukhari 3:123
- ^ Predicted by the Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia
- ^ "§2 What is the Islamic calendar?". General Ramadan FAQ. Ramadan Awareness Campaign. http://www.ramadan.com.au/faq.
- ^ "Moonsighting". Committee For Crescent Observation. http://moonsighting.com/. Retrieved 2008-09-01. Click on the "Ramadan" tab.
External links
- Ramadan 2012 Announcement
- Ramadan 2012
- Islamic-Western Calendar Converter (Based on the Arithmetical or Tabular Calendar)
- The Umm al-Qura Calendar of Saudi Arabia
- The Islamic Calendar for Makkah
- Ramadan 2011 – Sehr o Iftar Timing (Pakistan
- Predicting the First Visibility of the Lunar Crescent (with lunar crescent visibility maps to 2019)
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Translations:
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Ramadan
Dansk (Danish)
n. - Ramadan (muslimsk fastemåned)
Français (French)
n. - ramadan
Deutsch (German)
n. - Ramadan, (mosl. Fastenmonat)
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (θρησκ.) Ραμαζάνι
Português (Portuguese)
n. - ramadã (m) (Rel.)
Русский (Russian)
рамадан, мусульманский пост
Español (Spanish)
n. - ramadán
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - ramadan
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
伊斯兰教历的九月, 斋月, 斋月的斋戒
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 伊斯蘭教曆的九月, 齋月, 齋月的齋戒
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ラマダーン, ラマダーンの断食
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) شهر رمضان
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - רמדאן, חודש הצום באסלאם
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