The practice of fasting during Ramadan means that Muslims may not eat or drink anything including water while the sun is shining. Fasting is one of the five pillars or duties of Islam.
As with most other religious practices in Islam, Muslims participate in the fast from the age of One of the most important aspects of the Ramadan fast is called niyyah.
Niyyah literally means "intention. To achieve this requirement, a Muslim must "intend in heart that [the fast] is meant to be a worship for Allah alone. In fact, according to scripture, "Whoever does not make niyyah before dawn, would not have fasted. In much of the Muslim world, restaurants are closed during the daylight hours of Ramadan. Families wake up early, before the sun rises, and eat a meal called sohour. After the sun sets, the fast is broken with a meal called iftar.
Iftar often begins with eating dates and sweet drinks to give fasting Muslims a quick energy boost, and it is a rich meal. It can include any type of food, but the dessert almost always includes konafa or qattayef. Since it's usually still pretty early, many go back to sleep for a bit before waking up again to get ready for the day I certainly do. Muslims are not supposed to avoid work or school or any other normal duties during the day just because we are fasting.
In many Muslim countries, however, businesses and schools may reduce their hours during the day or close entirely. For the most part, though, Muslims go about their daily business as we normally would, despite not being able to eat or drink anything the whole day. When the evening call to prayer is finally made or when the alarm on your phone's Muslim prayer app goes off , we break the day's fast with a light meal — really more of a snack — called an iftar literally "breakfast" , before performing the evening prayer.
Many people also go to the mosque for the evening prayer, followed by a special prayer that is only recited during Ramadan. This is usually followed by a larger meal a bit later in the evening, which is often shared with family and friends in one another's homes throughout the month. Then it's off to bed for a few hours of sleep before it's time to wake up and start all over again.
Note: There are good reasons for only having a small snack to break your fast before performing the evening prayer and then eating a bigger meal later. Muslim prayers involve a lot of movement — bending over, prostrating on the ground, standing up, etc. Doing all that physical activity on a full stomach after not having eaten for 15 hours is a recipe for disaster. Just trust me on this one. Some of you may be thinking, "Wow, that sounds like a great way to lose weight!
I'm going to try it! That's because eating large meals super early in the morning and late at night with a long period of low activity bordering on lethargy in between can wreak havoc on your metabolism. But if you're careful, you can avoid putting on weight, and you may actually lose a few pounds. One meta-analysis of scientific studies on the effects of Ramadan fasting on body weight found that "[w]eight changes during Ramadan were relatively small and mostly reversed after Ramadan, gradually returning to pre-Ramadan status.
Ramadan provides an opportunity to lose weight, but structured and consistent lifestyle modifications are necessary to achieve lasting weight loss. So just like with any other extreme diet plan, you may lose a few pounds, but unless you actually make "structured and consistent lifestyle modifications," you're probably not going to see major, lasting results. For religious matters, Muslims follow a lunar calendar — that is, one based on the phases of the moon — whose 12 months add up to approximately days.
That's 11 days shorter than the days of the standard Gregorian calendar. Therefore, the Islamic lunar calendar moves backward approximately 11 days each year in relation to the regular Gregorian calendar.
So that means that the first day of the month of Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, moves backward by about 11 days each year. This has a large impact on how people experience Ramadan from year to year.
When Ramadan falls in the winter, it's much easier to fast: the days are shorter, which means you don't have to fast as long, and it's colder out, so not being able to drink water all day isn't as big of a deal because you're not sweating as much. Conversely, when Ramadan falls in the summer, fasting can be brutal.
In many Muslim countries in the Middle East and Africa, summer temperatures can reach levels usually reserved for the deepest bowels of hell. And in some Northern European countries such as Iceland, Norway, and Sweden where, yes, there are Muslims , fasting can last an average of 20 hours or more in the summer. And in a few places above the Arctic Circle, the sun never actually sets in the summer.
In these cases, Muslim religious authorities have decreed that Muslims can either fast along with the closest Muslim country or fast along with Mecca, Saudi Arabia. There's a reason "Ramadan start date" is one of the most-searched phrases every single year. That's because Muslims around the world do not know when exactly Ramadan is actually supposed to start.
If you Google it, you'll see there's a little disclaimer under Google's answer that says "Dates may vary":. You're also thanking Allah for the strength to fast. Wear your best threads. Consider buying a new outfit for this celebration. Children, especially, usually get new clothes for this festival, but you can join in the fun, too.
If you don't want to buy a new outfit, dress up in your fanciest outfit for when you go visiting. Decorate your house. If you didn't decorate for iftar, decorating for Eid al Fitr can be fun, especially if you're going to have family visit. Lanterns, moons, and stars are traditional, but you can decorate however you see fit.
Hand out treats to the kids. Some Muslims exchange gifts with all their friends and family, but the focus is really on the kids. Kids usually get sweet treats, candies, and gifts of money during this time period.
Go visiting. Now is a great time to go visit family and friends, as well as have family and friends to your house. It's easier to travel now that you don't have to fast, and it's a good way to celebrate. Typically, you'll go visit your parents, kids, or other family members, as well as friends you haven't seen in a while.
Don't forget to give to those in need. Though the fasting has drawn to a close, charity is still important. In fact, many consider it more important during Eid al Fitr. Consider giving money to those in need and volunteering your time to help others. What would happen if I'm celebrating Ramadan while feeling sick? Would I still be able to fast?
You are obliged not to fast if you are under the required age, pregnant, old, or sick. Yes No. Not Helpful 2 Helpful Ramadan lasts for an entire month. You should not take off for the entire month. You must fast during daylight hours and avoid sex, cigarettes, and negativity arguments, etc. For the most part, you should be able to do these things while still going to work unless your job is very physically active.
Not Helpful 5 Helpful How is Ramadan celebrated in other ways than this, and who celebrates Ramadan except for Muslims? Only Muslims celebrate Ramadan. Ramadan is the month of fasting for Muslims. It's celebrated as described in the article. Not Helpful 3 Helpful Ramadan is the month after Sha'ban. It starts when the moon has been sighted. Not Helpful 4 Helpful Yes, but do it properly and respectfully.
Don't do it if you're not fully committed. Not Helpful 15 Helpful It is greatly disliked, so try not to do it while fasting. It distracts you from the worship of Allah, and usually does more harm than good.
It's also a waste of time, something that is crucial in Islam. Restaurants are also able to serve meals outdoors.
For those who have been unable to meet, many virtual iftar events and online Islamic lectures have taken place. Another change from is that mosques have been open throughout the UK, and able to host Taraweeh prayers in the evening. Mosques in England are asking worshippers to wear a face covering, bring their own prayer mat, and socially distance. Many mosques have also reduced the length of prayers to minimise the time spent in congregation.
The Islamic calendar follows the lunar calendar of 12 months. The month of Ramadan is the ninth of the year, and Eid is celebrated at the beginning of the 10th month, Shawwal.
Each month begins with the sighting of the new crescent moon and lasts either 29 or 30 days. In the past, this was done by the naked eye, but in recent years, telescopes and technology have been used.
Muslim countries are spread across a large geographical area, from Indonesia to Morocco, meaning that some Muslims may see the new moon earlier than others. The lunar calendar is about 10 days shorter than the Western calendar. Fasting should only be done by people who are in good health. Although Eid al-Fitr has become a well-known event in the UK, this is not the only Eid celebration in the Islamic calendar.
Eid al-Adha is celebrated during the month of Dhul-Hijjah. This is the month where Muslims from across the world make the pilgrimage to Makkah known as Hajj. Image source, PA Media.
0コメント