Muslims the world over will begin observing the sacred as well as the holiest month of the Islamic calendar: Ramadan – the month of fasting. It is the ninth month of the Islamic (Hejira) calendar. It was during that holy month that the first verse of the Holy Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), fourteen hundred years ago, in the cave of Mount Hira, near the City of Mecca, not far from the Ka’aba, Islam’s holiest Mosque.
Islam would be the Message from Allah (God), the Almighty — communicated to Muhammed — the Prophet of Islam (pbuh), which was: to believe and worship the One and Only God (Allah) – a message that was not new because earlier Prophets: notably: Abraham, Moses and Jesus (pbut), among others, had preached the same to their followers.
during Ramadan. It is a scene that is repeated every evening at Iftar time. India has the
second largest Muslim population in the world.
Prophet Muhammed (pbuh), would continue to receive the divine revelations from Allah, through the Archangel Gabriel, piecemeal, during a period of twenty-three years by which time, Islam, as a ‘new’ religion, became a new spiritual force, that would, under Prophet Muhammed’s (pbuh), take the whole country of Arabia, so to say, ‘by storm’. And, thus, began a new chapter in the history of not only Arabia but of humanity as well. As a matter of fact, Islam would re-define history and as a religion would, in a way, come to impact civilization as we know it to-day.
What was remarkable about it all, was that it all began during the month of Ramadan – Islam’s holiest month. The Divine Message would be later collected in a book called the “Holy Qur’an” and, Muslims believe, the Holy Quran is the “Word of God” as revealed to the Prophet of Islam (pbuh). To-day, there are 1.7 billion believers in Islam in the world and Islam remains the world’s fastest growing religion.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims, as a rule, follow the lunar calendar. Therefore, the events commemorated by Muslims as ‘special’ occasions, in Islam, are NOT celebrated at the same time every year. That is because the Islamic calendar is based on the moon cycle – meaning every year, the month moves back by almost two weeks. Ramadan, thus, never falls during the same calendar month and still less on the same date the following year because every lunar month moves back by almost two weeks. Thus, the beginning of Ramadan, next year, will be fourteen days earlier. It must be stressed that before the arrival of Islam, the Jews and Christians were all also following the lunar calendar. We can say that the arrival of Islam, as a religion, ushered in a kind of ‘revolution’ in the religious lives of the people – the more so, of the Arabs.
Islam, as a religion, re-affirmed the faith of man in Allah, the one and only God – the God of Noah, Abraham, David, Moses and Jesus (pbut)…
“Ramadan Mubarak!” to all our readers of Muslim faith!
When I came to Canada at the end of March fifty years ago, the lunar cycle had not become full yet and it would take another thirty years or so to do so … Ramadan that year was around in the fall and winter months for the next few years – when the days are shorter and fasting is less hard … and less stressful. Sunset then comes around at that time around 6:00 p.m. for Iftar (breaking the fast time). In fact, all a believer, who is fasting in Ramadan in the winter months in North America, misses, is his/her regular Breakfast (Suhoor) and before he/she knows it, the day would be almost over and it would be time for Iftar (Break-the-fast) time. Compared to that, think of Iftar around 9:40 p.m. or even later in Arctic Canada.
However, it must also be said that when Ramadan falls during the long, hot months of summer when the day-light hours are long, hot and torrid, fasting in Ramadan is NOT easy. But the believers, wherever they are, they abide and obey the injunctions of Allah (God). And they will not miss the prescribed month of fasting because the rituals of fasting are based on faith and obedience to Allah’s commands and a Muslim is NOT deterred by the hard, long hours of sunshine and the heat and they will wait for sunset to arrive with renewed faith and trust in Allah. As a matter of fact, in the “Holy Qur’an,” Allah stresses the issue of fasting, unambiguously:
“O You who believe, fasting is prescribed upon you as it was prescribed on those before you!”
– meaning fasting, as practiced by Muslims, is NOT new. The notion of fasting is prevalent in all faiths. The “Holy Qur’an” only reinforces the idea to believers.
One of the glories of Islam, as a faith, is that Muslims look at the whole month of Ramadan as a month of blessings and mercy from Allah. Indeed, during Ramadan, to a Muslim, everything around him/her is special. The whole world around him/her appears different and beautiful. Mankind is beautiful. Allah is all pervasive and omnipresent! Indeed, a Muslim, who is observing the fast, shines with inner joy and happiness. All around him/her glows with splendour. One can ‘see’ happiness radiating in the eyes of the believer.
As a matter of fact, during the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims as a rule, try to be more pious, more charitable, more generous and more supportive of the poor and needy—and they visit the Mosque for worship more often. And the more so these traits become alive and more than ever visible in their deeds and actions towards each other during Ramadan.
Ramadan is also the month, when most Muslim pay their Zaka’at-ul-Maal, which is a ‘wealth-tax’ imposed by Islam on Muslims. The rate (2.5 %) has not changed since it was imposed during Prophet Muhammed’s time. Muslims have been abiding by Allah’s commands ever since without any fuss! In fact, Muslims believe that by paying their Zaka’at on their wealth, they help “purify their wealth in the eyes of Allah!”
The Zak’at ul-Maal is paid to the Za’kaat-ul-Maal Fund for community developments. While Muslims are allowed to dispense of their Zak’at any time during the year; however, most Muslims, as a rule, prefer to pay their Zaka’at during the blessed month of Ramadan.
Also, during Ramadan, Muslims are required to pay the Zaka’at-ul Fitr – which is an obligatory (tax) to be paid by every head of a family to the poor and needy families to help them have a good, decent meal on the joyous day of Eid-el-Fitr — the festival that marks the end of Ramadan.
Ramadan, in fact, is that period in a Muslim’s life that blows a breath of fresh spring air in his/her physical, spiritual and moral life as a believer in Allah, His Prophets and the teachings of the Holy Qu’ran and Prophet Muhammed (pbuh). Ramadan reinforces and re-invigorates the lives of Muslims and ever keeps them closer to Allah, and, as it is the month of Ramadan, Allah urges Muslims to seek the special blessings of the “Night of Power” (Lailat ul-Qadr) — which is a Night, the Holy Quran tells us is “better than a thousand months.” How do Muslims seek the virtues of “Lailat-ul Qadr” (Night of Power)? The Prophet (pbuh) advises his followers to “seek the Night of Power” during the last ten odd nights of Ramadan through prayers and supplications. Allah (God) Al-Mighty assures the believers that “He is oft forgiving and Oft Merciful.”
Ramadan Kareem to all our Muslim brothers and sisters.
PIC 1
The Blessed month of Ramadan is about to start.
“Ramadan Mubarak!” to all our readers of Muslim faith!
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PIC 2
Large crowds of Muslims in India gather at the Jama Masjid in New Delhi at “Iftar”
during Ramadan. It is a scene that is repeated every evening at Iftar time. India has the second largest Muslim population in the world.