Ramadan of Islam - Essay Example

Ramadan of Islam One of the main sectors of religion is the various practices that are kept alive by their followers andcan be said to part of the identity of that particular religion. Some of these practices have been in existence since time in memorial ever since the conception of the religion and play a tremendous role in the lives of the believers. One such practice is the Ramadan of the Islam religion (Esposito 64). This is one of the main practices in the Islam religion and is followed devoutly by all who proclaim to be Muslim. Ramadan is actually the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and Muslims all over the world observe this month as a time for fasting. This is an annual tradition and is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam (Hedayetullah 84). As such, it can be said to be considered one of the most important aspects of being a Muslim and one cannot claim to be of this religion if they do not practice this act every year. Failing to do so is considered to be a sin of immense proportions and unthinkable for a devout Muslim. The length of this month is not set in stone but lasts between 29 and 30 days based upon the visual sightings of the crescent moon which signifies its close (Hedayetullah 88). Though this practice has to be upheld by all adult Muslims, there are certain exceptions that for various individuals whereby they may be excluded from participating in the fasting. These exceptions are in relation to an individual’s physical condition at the time of Ramadan such as if one is ill or a diabetic, in cases of women they are excepted if they are pregnant or happen to be going through their menstrual cycle at that point in time (Esposito 61). One is also allowed to be excluded from the fast if they are traveling as the Islam religion recognizes that one should eat to maintain their energies when involved in such an activity. Apart from the cases that have been mentioned above, every other Muslim is expected to uphold the practice of Ramadan when the time comes. Fasting during the time of Ramadan involves refraining form a number of things from a particular time of day (dawn) until a certain time (sunset) that is usually decided after calculations are done (Esposito 65). The time of the opening and closing of the fast during Ramadan may differ from region to region, but the period length remains the same everywhere. This is to say that, for example, individuals in a certain area that have began fasting at an earlier time than others in a different area will stop their fast before those who started after them (Tuner 43). During this period, one is to refrain from eating foodstuffs, drinking liquids, smoking, sexual relations and in some interpretations of the Quran, even swearing during this time is prohibited. Once the period of fast has closed, an individual is permitted to eat and drink again until the opening of the fast the next day. According to the Islam religion, it is believed that fasting brings about a lot of rewards (known as Sawab) from Allah and that during Ramadan, these rewards are multiplied and come in even more quantity for those who uphold the practice of Ramadan. Apart from refraining from the items and activities that have been mentioned, an individual is also expected to increase the number of times that they pray (known as salat) as well as their recitation of the Quran (Esposito 67). This is to note the devout nature of this time and indicate the fact that this period has been dedicated to Allah instead of the satisfaction of human desires. According to the Quran, Ramadan is considered to be the most sacred of all months as this is the time when the Islamic prophet Muhammad first received revelations form Allah and thus as a result the Muslim faithful are to maintain its sacredness through fasting and prayer during this period of time. The beginning of Ramadan occurs with the Hilal and is usually a day or more after the appearance of the new moon. As the new moon is a sign of the beginning of the new month, one can safely calculate when Ramadan is supposed to begin (Tuner 48). However, according to many Muslims, this is not the right way to do it and a visual confirmation in every region is usually recommended thus bringing about the differences in the opening and closing of the fasting period as a result. The reason behind fasting during Ramadan is to cleanse the soul from harmful impurities that have polluted it as a result of living in a sinful world (Hedayetullah 89). During this time, an individual is supposed to detach his heart from worldly activities signified by the act of fasting in order to purify the soul. This period is meant to teach Muslims about virtues such as self discipline, self control, empathy and generosity. The act of the last two virtues is practiced through compulsory charity known as (zakat) which means that a Muslim has to help whoever they come across in need during this period of time. An individual is expected to beginning the fasting of practice during Ramadan as soon as they reach puberty unless they are categorized in the exceptions that have been mentioned above. However, many Muslims even those who are ill also insist on fasting as well during this period in time (Hedayetullah 91). Those who do not fast because they are ill, traveling or pregnant among other exceptions are expected to make up the days that they skipped at a later date when they are feeling better (Esposito 69). In this way, no Muslim is exempted from performing their obligatory duty of observing the month of Ramadan even if they are unable to do it during the appropriate time. The meal that is consumed before the fast begins at dawn is known as suhoor while the meal that breaks the fast at sunset is known as iftar (Esposito 69. It should be noted that studies have shown that there are no adverse health effects to those who take part in fasting during Ramadan (Hedayetullah 103). As a matter of fact, it has been discovered that those who fast during this period have registered a reduction of the cholesterol that is present in their blood. This though is with regard to healthy people, not ones suffering from any physical complications at the beginning of the fast and thus do not pose a health risk to themselves. Those who are ill and wish to take part in Ramadan should do so under medical supervision so as not to cause any harm to themselves. Charity is paramount to the Islamic religion and especially so during Ramadan. The Zakat mentioned earlier is one of the pillars of Islam and thus considered obligatory for every Muslim whereby a fixed percentage of an individual’s savings is given to the poor (Esposito 76). Sadaqa can be referred to as voluntary charity and consists of an individual giving beyond what is required of them by the zakat (Esposito 76). All good deeds during the period of Ramadan are handsomely rewarded according to the Quran. The end of Ramadan is known as Eid ul-Fitr and occurs once the crescent new moon has been sighted in the following month. If no visual sighting is possible due to weather conditions, then the fasting breaks after 30 days have been completed (Tuner 54). This day is usually filled with festivities and celebrations among the Muslims as they come together to signify the end of Ramadan. Works Cited Esposito John. Islam: The Straight Path (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. Hedayetullah, Muhammad. Dynamics of Islam: An Exposition. Victoria: Trafford Publishing, 2006. Turner, Colin. Islam: the Basics. London: Routledge (UK), 2006. Read More