 | | Ramadan…Fasting, feasting, praying, partying   | |  |
DUBAI (AlArabiya.net) Ideally, Ramadan is the month where Muslims should not only abstain from food, drink and sex from dawn to dusk, but also practice self-discipline, sacrifice, patience and sympathy for those less fortunate.
Fasting in Ramadan is one of the five pillars (duties) of Islam and is believed to be the month during which the Muslim Holy book known as the Qur'an was revealed. It is defined as the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic calendar.
In reality, things are not that perfect. Ramadan banquets mean people eat more food in this month than any other. The youth in some countries turn to drugs when alcohol is banned from restaurants. And people spend copious amounts of time watching special TV sitcoms and soaps.
Ramadan changes almost every aspect of a Muslim's life, especially in the Arab world. Work hours are shorter in both public and private sectors. Mosques are packed, especially during the evening prayers that are followed by tarawih (prayers peculiar to the month of Ramadan).  | Ramadan Banquets Pakistani Muslims at a Ramadan banquet One of the most unique features of Ramadan is Iftar banquets -- “Mawaid Al-Rahman” or literally “Banquets of the Gracious”. Large banquets offering free Iftar meals to the poor or passers-by at Iftar are a common scene in the Arab and Muslim worlds in Ramadan. Rich people race to offer the symbol of solidarity among Muslims during the holy month of fasting. The tradition has expanded vastly in the last three decades. In Egypt, even the church and some Christian businessmen offer Ramadan banquets as a token of national unity among Muslims and Christians in the biggest Arab country. | | Price Hikes Through the years, certain traditions have become associated with the month of Ramadan in the Arab world, which are not necessarily religion-related.
The prices of foodstuff soar during the month of fasting, without apparent reasons. The problem has been an annual ritual in the most populous Arab country, despite government promises to introduce strict measures to control Ramadan prices. All Arab countries face the same problem. The UAE, this year, introduced consumer protections against price hikes during the holy fasting month.This year Ramadan has been especially expensive as worldwide inflation has caused the price of basic staples and Ramadan specialties like dates and sweets to rise astronomically. | | Traffic Jams Traffic gets heavier before Iftar During Ramadan, Arab capitals and major cities tend to witness almost daily traffic jams, especially at rush hours. Ramadan rush hours are usually an hour or two before Iftar, when everybody is keen on making it home in time for the meal. Streets of all Arab capitals and major cities (Cairo, Riyadh, Damascus…etc) also tend to look almost deserted during Iftar time. | | TV Drama Another aspect associated with the holy month is the large number of TV series produced and broadcast in Ramadan around the Arab world. Egypt’s TV is the oldest in the Arab world and it has for decades set the tradition of showing its most viewed shows in Ramadan. With the advent of satellite channels, the race to win the highest Ramadan ratings intensified further. MBC, for example, shows eight special TV series.
Ramadan turns into a season for TV series because people tend to spend more time at home or visiting family. After the iftar banquet, men go to pray at a mosque and then families sit together to watch Ramadan shows.
While work hours are two or three hours shorter during the month, primetime TV programming tends to expand to 10-12 hours daily. | | Ramadan cannon The Ramadan cannon has sounded for 562 years “Madfa’ Ramadan” – the Ramadan cannon -- dates back to the Memluk era in Egypt and the Arab world. Over 563 years ago, Memluk Sultan Khoush Qadam accidentally triggered a tradition that still stands today. The Sultan received a German-made cannon and wanted to try it. It was almost sunset of the first day of Ramadan and when the cannon went off, people thought it was a sign to break their fast. Seeing how happy the people were, the Sultan made it a daily tradition in Ramadan. | | Historic Month The month of Ramadan has witnessed some of the most important Muslim victories since the advent of the Islamic era over 14 centuries ago. The first Muslim victory was against the infidels of Quraish in the battle of Badr in 624 (Ramadan 17). Every year Muslims celebrate Badr in Ramadan 17. The conquest of Mecca happened in Ramadan 630. Other Ramadan victories are the famous battle of Hittin, when Muslims led by the great leader Saladin Al-Ayubi crushed the crusaders and regained Jerusalem and the battle of Ain Jalut against Tatars in 1260. Finally, Muslims, especially Egyptians and Arabs, celebrate the 1973 victory against Israel which fell on Ramadan 6. | | Pillar of Islam Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Islam is built upon five pillars: testifying that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, performing Prayers 5 times a day, paying the Zakah (a certain sum paid by capable Muslims to help sustain the poor), making the pilgrimage to the Sacred House in Mecca, Saudi Arabia (Hajj), and fasting the month of Ramadan.”
The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar. Months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. With the Islamic lunar calendar year being 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year, Ramadan migrates throughout the seasons. In 2006, Ramadan started September 23 in most Arab and Muslim countries, with a few exceptions. This year, Ramadan started September 13.
Fasting in the month of Ramadan is obligatory upon every Muslim, male or female, who is adult and sane and who is not sick or on a journey.
During Ramadan, Muslims around the world fast from dawn until dusk, refraining from food, drink and all vices. After "iftar" (the breaking of the fast or "breakfast") Muslims enjoy a feast of treats but must still refrain from all vices, such as anger, envy, greed, backbiting, gossip and lust.
Refraining from food and drink from dawn till dusk is not enough, slowing down from worldly affairs and focusing on self reformation, spiritual cleansing and enlightenment through prayers, fasting, charity, and self-accountability should also be stressed during the month.
Fasting is intended to be an act of deep and personal worship in which the individual seeks a raised level of closeness to God, taking his/her heart away from worldly wants and desires and cleansing the soul.
Properly observing the fast is supposed to induce a comfortable feeling of inner peace and tranquility.
Since Ramadan is a festival of giving and sharing, Muslims prepare special foods and buy gifts for their family and friends and generally are more charitable by giving to the poor and needy.
Eid al-Fitr -- the Festival of Breaking the Fast -- marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and the first day of the following month, when a special celebration is made.
(Compiled by Khaled Mamdouh and Mona Moussly). |
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