STUDY ISLAM - This is an introduction to a Ramadan, the Holy month of Muslim's society all over the world, and the month of fasting. During the blessed month of Ramadan, Muslims all over the world abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs during the daylight hours. As a time to purify the soul, refocus attention on God, and practice self-sacrifice, Ramadan is much more than just not eating and drinking. Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of the religion of Islam and one of the highest forms of Islamic worship. Abstinence from earthly pleasures and curbing evil intentions and desires is regarded as an act of obedience and submission to God as well as an atonement for sins, errors, and mistakes.
Muslims fast as an act of faith and worship towards Allah, seeking to suppress their desires and increase their spiritual piety. Therefore, the command to fast is addressed only to those who believe, as Allah says in surah Al-Baqarah 2:183 :
O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you As it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint, [QS. Al-Baqarah 2:183]Someone who does not have faith, will not be called by this verse. Without any faith, a Muslim may not be able to fast.
Ramadan brings out a special feeling of emotional excitement and religious zeal among Muslims of all ages. Though fasting is mandatory only for adults, children as young as eight willingly observe fasting with their elders. Children look forward to the excitement of sighting the moon and eating special meals with their families. Adults appreciate the opportunity to double their rewards from God and seek forgiveness for past sins. As Ramadan emphasises Muslim brotherhood and community all feel a particular closeness.
Muslims have to change their whole physical and emotional selves during this 30 long days of fasting. A typical day of fasting begins with getting up early, around 4:30 a.m. and sharing a meal called Sahur together before the fast begins at dawn, about 5:10 a.m. As dawn breaks, the first of five daily prayers, Fajr, is offered.
Fasting helps one to experience how a hungry person feels and what it is like to have an empty stomach. It teaches one to share the sufferings of the less fortunate. Muslims believe that fasting leads one to appreciate the bounties of Allah, which are usually taken for granted—until they are missed!
Throughout the day, Muslims are encouraged to go out of their way to help the needy, both financially and emotionally. Some believe that a reward earned during this month is multiplied 70 times and more. For this reason, Ramadan is also known as the month of charity and generosity.
To a Muslim, fasting not only means abstaining from food, but also refraining from all vice and evils committed consciously or unconsciously. It is believed that if one volunteers to refrain from lawful foods and sex, they will be in a better position to avoid unlawful things and acts during the rest of the year.
The fast is broken at sunset. The prophet Mohammed recommended breaking the fast with fresh dates and a sip of water. Muslims are urged to invite others to break the fast with them. These gatherings are called Iftar parties.
Just after breaking the fast, and before dinner, Muslims offer the fourth of the five daily shalat (prayers), which is called shalat Maghrib. After dinner, Muslims go to their houses of worship, called Mosques, to perform shalat Isha, which is the last of the five daily prayers. The day ends with a special voluntary/sunah shalat (prayer), the Taraweeh, offered by the congregation reciting the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam. Taraweeh is a very special prayer, because shalat taraweeh performed only in the month of ramadan
After 30 days of fasting, the end of the month of Ramadan is observed with a day of celebration, called Eid-ul-Fitr. On this day, Muslims gather in one place to offer a prayer of thanks. It is traditional to wear new clothes, visit friends and relatives, exchange gifts, eat delicious dishes prepared for this occasion, and wait patiently for the next year.
0 comments:
Post a Comment