RAMADAN IS COMING…… Part2

What does Ramadan celebrate?

Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, worship, and prayer. It celebrates the creation of the Quran, which is the holy book for people who practice the Islamic faith. Muslims believe that the prophet Muhammad received revelations directly from God, which were documented and collected in what eventually became the holy book. A passage in the Quran explains, “The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Quran was revealed as guidance for mankind, and as clear signs that show the right way and distinguish between right and wrong.”

Khan-Mukhtar says that Ramadan is also celebrated as a time for a clean start.

“What I would love for people to know is that Ramadan is a time of hope and renewal and trying to have a fresh start,” she explains. “It’s really a time of rejuvenation, where it’s like, ‘I’m going to go through this month and I’m really going to turn to God, and ask for forgiveness and ask for blessings,’ and then you come out of it with a lot of hope for starting all over again on a good foot.”

When is Ramadan celebrated?

The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle, which means that the beginning of each new month starts on the new moon. Ramadan takes place in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, but because of the lunar cycle, the specific dates for Ramadan vary year to year.

This year, Ramadan is expected to begin on Saturday, April 2nd, 2022 and conclude on Monday, May 2nd, 2022.

Why do people fast during Ramadan?

During Ramadan, healthy adult Muslims fast during daylight hours. As part of the fast, they abstain from all food and drink, as well as sexual activity. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which are the core beliefs and practices that define the religion.

In a piece about Ramadan written for Vox, Muslim writer Jennifer Williams explained, “The practice of fasting serves several spiritual and social purposes: to remind you of your human frailty and your dependence on God for sustenance, to show you what it feels like to be hungry and thirsty so you feel compassion for (and a duty to help) the poor and needy, and to reduce the distractions in life so you can more clearly focus on your relationship with God.”

Khan-Mukhtar also explained that while there are lots of reasons for Muslims to abstain from food and drink during Ramadan, ultimately the main reason to fast is because they are commanded to do so in the Quran.

Do all Muslims fast during Ramadan?

There are some people that have been exempted from fasting according to the holy Quran and the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Mercy of Allah be upon him). These groups include children who have not reached puberty, the elderly, menstruating women those who are physically or mentally incapable of fasting, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and people who are traveling. though pregnant woman and breastfeeding mothers will have to pay back their missed fasting and they both can feed another fasting person to make up for the missed fasts.