Ælfwine Mischler

Fasting the lunar month of Ramadan is such an important Pillar of Islam that Muslims believe that if one dies without having made up the missed fasts, the guardian (or heir) must make them up, for they are a debt owed to God.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever observes fasts during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping to attain God’s rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven.”

Muslims believe that the influence of the devils on the believers who obey God is diminished during Ramadan. Muhammad said, “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.”

 

Month of the Quran

Muslims believe that the first verses of the Quran (96:1-5) were revealed in the month of Ramadan while Muhammad was in spiritual retreat in the cave of Hira ’ outside of Mecca. Years later when the fast of Ramadan was made compulsory,  Angel Gabriel used to sit with Prophet Muhammad every day during Ramadan so that the latter could recite all that had been revealed so far of the Quran. In his final year, the Prophet recited the entire Qur’an twice in Ramadan.

Muslims continue the tradition of reading the entire Quran at least once during Ramadan. In Muslim countries, it is not at all unusual in this month to see many people reading the Quran while riding the bus or metro to and from work. Others find time early in the morning, late at night, or at intervals throughout the day.

Many others read or recite the Quran during Tarawih Prayers, which are voluntary prayers held only during Ramadan, or in private late night Prayers called Tahajjud.

Muslims who cannot yet read Arabic well, spend some time each day listening to a tape or CD of the Quran being recited. Muslims consider Ramadan to be a good time to get into the habit of reading at least some of the Quran or its translation every day, and if they haven’t read either of them cover to cover, Ramadan is the time to do it.

 

Other Acts of Worship

In addition to reading the Quran, Muslims try to spend more time in remembrance of Allah during this month and make an effort to perform extra voluntary prayers, preferably in congregation. Muslims also sometimes perform the late night Prayer called Tahajjud. They may do this before or after eating the pre-dawn meal, just before the Dawn Prayer.

Ramadan is also a favorite time for Umrah—a visit to the Kaaba in Mecca. When performed in Ramadan, Umrah takes the same reward as the larger pilgrimage, Hajj (but it does not replace the obligatory Hajj).

 

How Muslims Fast

According to Muslims, fasting means abstaining not only from food and drink, but also from sexual intercourse, lying, arguing, and back-biting. While fasting, Muslims must be careful to restrain their tongues, temper, and even their gaze. Ramadan is the time for Muslims to learn to control themselves and to develop their spiritual side.

Basically, Muslims try to have a pre-dawn meal, known as sahur, before they begin fasting. The fast lasts from dawn to sunset. As soon as the sun has set, Muslims break their fast without delay. Generally, Muslims may break their fast with a small amount of food—the Prophet used to do so with an odd number of dates—and then perform the Sunset Prayer before eating a full meal.

 

Charity in Ramadan

Ramadan is also the month of charity. The Prophet Muhammad said, “…Whoever draws nearer (to God) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month), shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time; and whoever performs an obligatory deed in (this month), shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Paradise . It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer’s sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Hell-Fire, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all.”

One of the prophetic traditions states: “The Prophet was the most generous amongst the people, and he used to be more so in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel visited him, and Gabriel used to meet him on every night of Ramadan till the end of the month. The Prophet used to recite the Holy Quran to Gabriel, and when Gabriel met him, he used to be more generous than a fast wind (which causes rain and welfare).”

Thus Muslims should try to give generously in Ramadan, both optional and obligatory charity. Charity does not only have to be money. It can also be a good deed—such as helping another person—done for the sake of God and without expecting any reward from the person. Even a smile is considered charity in Islam. Most Muslims pay their obligatory charity during Ramadan because the reward is so much greater in that month.

It is obligatory for every Muslim to pay a small amount of alms before the end of Ramadan. This money is collected and given to the poorest of the poor so that they may also enjoy the festivities on the holiday of Eid, celebrated on the first day after Ramadan ends.

And because of the great reward for feeding a fasting person, in many places iftar (the break-fast meal at sunset) is served in mosques, with the food donated or brought by individuals to share pot-luck style. In some Muslim countries, tables are set up on the sidewalks or outside of mosques to serve iftar to the poor and others. Such traditions also build a sense of brotherhood and community.

Families and friends also like to share iftar. However, sometimes this generosity is exaggerated so that Ramadan becomes a month of lavish tables and overeating. This goes against the spirit of Ramadan and should be avoided.

 

The Last Third

Muslims also believe that the last ten days of Ramadan are the holiest of all, and try to make even greater efforts at that time to increase their worship. The holiest night of all, Laylat Al-Qadr, roughly translated as the Night of Power, falls on one of the odd numbered nights of the last ten days.

Laylat Al-Qadr is such an important night that Allah describes it in the Quran as being better than one thousand months, meaning that worship done on this night is worth more than worship done in a thousand months.

 

Eid Al-Fitr

The public celebration at the end of Ramadan, on the first day of the month after Ramadan in the Lunar Islam Calendar, is called Eid Al-Fitr. After sunset on the 29th of Ramadan, Muslims wait for the announcement of whether the new moon has been sighted, which means that Ramadan is finished and the next day is Eid. In that case, there are no voluntary prayers that night. If the moon has not been sighted, then there is one more day of fasting and the extra prayers are performed.

Eid is celebrated with public Prayers and a sermon, often followed by some form of celebration such as games for the children or sweets shared by everyone. It is a happy day for all. Although Eid Al-Fitr lasts only one day, in Muslim countries, schools, offices, and shops are often closed for two or three days.

 

It’s Not Over Till It’s Over

If any of the days of fasting were missed, they must be made up before the next Ramadan. Muslims generally should try to make them up as soon as possible because any days that are missed are considered as a debt to Allah. Muslims believe that if someone dies without having made up the fasts, the guardian or heir should fast the remaining days.

According to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), many Muslims also fast six additional days during Shawwal, the lunar month immediately following Ramadan. Muslims believe that if a Muslim fasts all of Ramadan and then fasts any six days in Shawwal, the reward will be as if he or she has fasted the whole year. Many Muslims do take advantage of this mercy from Allah.

http://www.islamonline.net/