In the spirit of being a citizen of the world, I love to know about and understand celebrations and holidays from around the world. I am particularly interested in how other cultures celebrate or practice their belief in God. One such holiday is Ramadan.
Ramadan or Ramadhan is the holiest month in Islam. The month of Ramadan is when it is believed their Holy Quran was sent down from heaven as a guidance for man, a declaration of direction, and a means of Salvation.
It is always celebrated in the 9th month of the Islamic calendar (based on the lunar cycle) which this year is August 11th until the 9th of September. Each day during this past month, Muslims all over the world abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, as well as participating in anything that is ill-natured or excessive; from dawn until the sun sets. While only required of adults, many children also partake in this tradition in honor of their religion. Ramadan is a time to practice self-restraint; a time to cleanse the body and soul from impurities and re-focus one’s self on the worship of God.
Why Fast?
Fastingis intended to educate the Muslim in spirituality, humility and patience. It is a time to cleanse the soul, focus attention on God, and put into practice selflessness. Ramadan is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of God and to put forward more prayer than is customary. During Ramadan, Muslims request forgiveness for sins in the past, pray for direction and assistance in abstaining from everyday troubles, and endeavor to cleanse themselves through self-control and great acts of faith.
Fasting also helps one to experience how a hungry person feels and what it is like to have an empty stomach. It teaches one to share the sufferings of the less fortunate. Muslims believe that fasting leads one to appreciate the bounties of Allah, which are usually taken for granted, until they are missed!
Throughout the day, Muslims are encouraged to go out of their way to help the needy, both financially and emotionally. Some believe that a reward earned during this month is multiplied 70 times and more. For this reason, Ramadan is also known as the month of charity and generosity.
When the fast month ends (today, September 9, 2010) it is celebrated with a three day holiday called Id-al-Fitr (the ‘Feast of Fast Breaking’). Then, gifts are exchanged. Friends and family gather to pray together, and for large meals. And in some towns fairs will be held to celebrate the end of the ‘Fast of Ramadan’. The feast of food with close family and friends in celebration of a month of devotion is prepared and enjoyed in appreciation of all gifts from Allah or God.
Understanding our fellow human beings is indeed a Little Bit of Beauty™!
Ramadan Mubarak.
Thanks to the Boston Globe for their Big Picture of Ramadan and these terrific photos!Comments
19 Comments
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My minor in college was Religion Irene and I studied all the major world religions along with philosophy and ethics. It’s my belief that if people know more about other religions and their beliefs then there might be greater understanding in the world. So thanks for this post and I hope this helps along that path.
ledington.aupairnews.com -
Irene, wonderful video. Thanks for a sound summary of Ramadan. It is important to understand the spiritual underpinnings of major religious observances to understand both the Faith and the people.
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Thanks Irene. This was very interesting.
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Thanks for the description of Ramadan, I have not studied religion and did not know the details of it. I find it interesting that the thing that teaches tolerance (religion) is often the very thing used to support intolerance. We all need to seek to understand first.
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Thank you so much for a post that the country really needs right now. A few years ago the conclusion of Ramadan coincided with Yom Kippur, a very significant Jewish holiday. At my synagogue, which encourages interfaith discussion and sometimes worship, celebrants came together for a combination honoring of Ramadan-Yom Kippur. Anyone interested in the interfaith work of an Imam, Rabbi, and Pastor, can check out Interfaith Amigos, http://www.interfaithamigos.com/Home.html.
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Thank you for sharing this interesting description of Ramadan and the Islamic faith. It is always fascinating to see how other people believe and express their beliefs, and it is also interesting to see the many similarities between different religions — things such as fasting, sacrificial giving, abstinence, prayer, are common threads. It is important to remember, too, that the most common thread is belief in an omnipotent God.
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Interesting information – thanks for the post 🙂
Brandy Mychals
Split Second Perceptions -
Thanks for the beautiful and haunting video.
I was struck in your description about the similiarities to rituals of other religions. If each religion could just stop saying they they are the only one and the best, and take the time to learn about each other, I think they would see how much they have in common. But that’s not the politic thing to do.
Candace Davenport
http://www.ourlittlebooks.com ~ Little Books with a Big Message -
Hi Irene! You always have something new and interesting. What popped out at me personally, was the fasting aspect of Ramadan. Once a year I do a fast in conjunction with a cleanse (not a strict fast as Muslims do). It is hard to explain to people the spiritual nature of what you feel when getting in touch with your body unless they have experienced it themselves.
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Irene thanks for the quick background. It’s funny that when you get to the essence of most religions, they’re pretty much the same.
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I find it fascinating that fasting is common to several religions.
Thank you for sharing this detailed explanation of Ramadan.
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Irene, thanks for the explanation, I knew a bit about Ramadan, but this is a more complete synopsis.
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Thanks for the great explanation Irene! Always good to learn how others “tick”.
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