FEAST OF RAMADAN BEGINS WITH FASTING AND PRAYER.
It is that time of the year again our Muslim brothers and
sisters gather at the mosques or homes in large numbers, to
pray, fast and engage in the works of charity and almsgiving.
The fasting of the day ends at the sunset then begins the dinner
at the twilight. It was during Ramadan, the ninth month of the
Islamic calendar, that the Holy Quran is believed to have been
sent down from heaven and revealed to Prophet Mohammad.
The much-anticipated start of the month is based on a
combination of physical sightings of the moon and astronomical
calculations. During this month, Muslims fast from sunrise until
sunset. The fast lasts the entire month, but only during the
daylight hours. The fast of Ramadan is the most carefully
observed of all religious duties of many Muslims. The daily
period of fasting starts at the breaking f dawn and ends at the
setting of the sun. Not only must they refrain fro food ad drink
between dawn and dark, but also they must not commit any
unworthy act. One lie can make a day’s fast meaningless. The day
is supposed to be spending in prayer and meditation. Once the
sunset gun has sounded, the feasting begins. The usual practice
is t have a pre-fast meal before dawn and a post-fast meal –
iftar –after sunset.
The Ramzan fast is mandatory for all healthy Muslim adults. It
means total abstention from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual
relations from dawn to sundown for 29-30 days of the month.
Muslims get up early during Ramzan to take their pre-dawn meal,
before starting their fast. At the end of each day, the fast is
broken with prayer and a meal (Iftaar).
Iftaar gatherings are common in
India,
where Muslims visit their friends and relatives and together
break their fast. In India, Iftaar parties are also
hosted by prominent non-Muslims for their Muslim friends. During
this period, the focus is on fasting, prayers, a strict moral
code, restraint and compassion for the poor and needy. Spiritual
consciousness and social responsibility take precedence over the
concerns of daily life during Ramzan.
Muslim children are encouraged to keep this tough fast, though
it becomes mandatory only after they reach puberty. Though this
fast is essential for all adult Muslims, some people can be
exempted under specific circumstances. The elderly, the
chronically ill, pregnant or nursing women can miss the fast,
but then, they have to feed at lest one poor person every day in
Ramzan. In case someone is very ill, he/she can postpone the
fast and keep the fast another day after Ramzan.
The 27th day of Ramzan has a special significance for
Muslims. It is called the “Night of Power.” It was on this night
during Ramzan that the Quran was believed to have been revealed
to Prophet Mohammad in parts over 23 years. It is believed that
Allah sends down his angels to ray for the salvation of
believers on this night. It is also called the night of mercy
and light and prayers on this night are said to have greater
power than a thousand other prayers. According to the Quran, on
this night God determines the course of the world for the
following year. It is said that on this “Night of Power” the
gates of Paradise are open, the gates of Hell shut and the
devils are tied in chains. The last ten days of Ramzan are a
time of special spiritual power as everyone tries to come closer
to God through devotions and good deeds.
So what can we learn from our Muslim brothers and sisters? I do
not think we are called to imitate them literally in the way
they fast. But let their readiness to abstain totally from food
and drink during daylight hours act as a witness to us. Let us
find in their simple and unquestioning obedience to God’s
commands a lesson for us to obey God in whatever He asks of each
one of us. Let their special awareness of God remind us to find
our own ways to turn to God and to thank Him for all He does for
us.
