بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Ramadan :

is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth
month of the Islamic calendar, believed to be the month in which the
Qur'an began to be revealed. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in
which Muslims don't eat or drink anything from sunrise 'till sunset.
Fasting is meant to teach the person patience and humility. Many
scholars are of the view that competing in sports or exercise should be
refrained during the daylight hours since it causes one to be more
thirsty, and thus, less patient. Most people who keep fasts choose to
exercise in the night after the fasts are broken.

Name origin

The name "Ramadan" is taken from the name of this month; the word
itself derived from an Arabic word for intense heat, scorched ground,
and shortness of rations. It is considered the most venerated and
blessed month of the Islamic year. Prayers, sawm (fasting), charity,
and self-accountability are especially stressed at this time; religious
observances associated with Ramadan are kept throughout the month.

Laylat al-Qadr, which falls during the last third, commemorates the
revelation of the first verses of the Qur'an and is considered the most
holy night of the year. Ramadan ends with the holiday Eid ul-Fitr, on
which feasts are held. During the month following Ramadan, called
Shawwal, Muslims are encouraged to fast for a further six days.

Practices during Ramadan
Fasting

The most prominent event of this month is the fasting (sawm) practiced
by the most observant Muslims. Every day during the month of Ramadan,
Muslims around the world get up before dawn to eat the Suhoor meal (the
pre dawn meal) and perform their fajr prayer. They break their fast
when the fourth prayer of the day, Maghrib (sunset), is due.

During Ramadan, Muslims are expected to put more effort into following
the teachings of Islam and to avoid obscene and irreligious sights and
sounds. Sexual activities during fasting hours are also
forbidden.[Qur'an 2:187] Purity of both thought and action is
important. The fast is intended to be an exacting act of deep personal
worship in which Muslims seek a raised level of closeness to God
Almighty. The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from
worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the inner soul and
free it from harm. Properly observing the fast is supposed to induce a
comfortable feeling of peace and calm. It also allows Muslims to
practice self-discipline, sacrifice, and sympathy for those who are
less fortunate, intended to make Muslims more generous and charitable.
Muslims can eat after the sun has set. Pregnant women, the elderly, the
ill and children less than 12 years of age are all exempt from fasting
as lack of food could damage health.

Prayer and reading of the Qur'an

Sunni Muslims tend to perform the recitation of the entire Qur'an by
means of special prayers, called Tarawih, which are held in the mosques
every night of the month, during which a whole section of the Qur'an
(juz, which is 1/30 of the Qur'an) is recited, so that by the end of
the month the entire Qur'an has been completed. Tarawih is an Arabic
phrase referring to those extra prayers. This prayer is performed after
salah of Isha'a, but before the witr rakat. Tarawih is not practiced by
Shia Muslims, as they believe it was introduced into Islam by the
second Caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab.

Muslims also pay Zakat (only applicable if one can afford it) during
the month. For those who qualify to pay Zakaat, as per the Islamic
Nisab (that is those whose wealth exceeds their necessities), of the
leftover of their wealth earned in that Islamic calendar year. Although
Zakat can be paid any time of the year, it has to be calculated on a
year to year basis, and many Muslims use Ramadan as the month for
calculation and disbursement.

Ramadan is also a time when Muslims are to slow down from worldly
affairs and focus on self reformation, spiritual cleansing and
enlightenment, establishing a link between God Almighty and themselves
by prayer, supplication, charity, good deeds, kindness and helping
others.


Since it is a festival of giving and sharing, Muslims prepare special
foods and buy gifts for their family and friends and for giving to the
poor and needy who cannot afford it, this can involve buying new
clothes, shoes and other items of need. There is also a social aspect
involved - the preparing of special foods and inviting people for the
Iftar meal (the meal to break the Fast).

In many Muslim and non Muslim countries with large Muslim populations,
markets close down in the evening to enable people to perform prayers
and consume the Iftar meal (the meal to end the fast) - these markets
then re-open and stay open for a good part of the night. Muslims can be
seen shopping, eating, spending time with their friends and family
during the evening hours.

Events of Ramadan

Laylat al-Qadr ( known as Shab-e Qadr in Persian), literally the "Night
of Decrees" or "Night of Measures", is the anniversary of two very
important dates in Islam that occurred in the month of
Ramadan.[citation needed] Muslims believe that it was the night of the
Laylat al-Qadr that the Quran's first verse was revealed. The exact
night of the Laylat al-Qadr is only known to God and Muhammed but he
chose to keep it to himself so that Muslims won't pray only that night.
That is why Muhammad indicated that it was one of the last ten odd
nights of Ramadan.

The Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr :
marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and the first day of the
following month, after another new moon has been sighted. The Eid falls
after 29 or 30 days of fasting, as per the lunar sighting. Eid ul-Fitr
means the Festival of Breaking the Fast, a special celebration is made.
Food is donated to the poor (‘Zakat al-Fitr’), everyone puts on their
best, preferably new, clothes, and communal prayers are held in the
early morning, followed by feasting and visiting relatives and friends.
The prayer is two rakaahs only, and it is an optional prayer as opposed
to the compulsory 5 daily prayers. According to one current school of
thought (Ankaboot), it is suggested that North American Muslims arrange
their work-schedule for Eid by requesting the two most likely days of
Eid as Holidays or simply as days off from work. This allows for
quality family time, and is akin to the Christian/North American
tradition of taking Christmas and Christmas Eve off as holidays. This
also allows for time off to celebrate the Eid prayer at a mosque and
with family. The fast always ends after 29 or 30 days of fasting, and
thus the request would be for the 29th and 30th day after the start of
the fast.

Muslims are encouraged to fast six days in Shawwal, the month following
Ramadan that begins after Eid ul-Fitr; these days need not be
consecutive.[1] According to hadith, one who fasts the month of Ramadan
and six days during Shawwal will be rewarded as though he fasted the
entire year.

 الموضوع الأصلي : Ramadan  المصدر : مُنتَدَيَاتْ صُـوتــْ بَــلَــدْنََــا

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