The month of Ramadan is here and all Muslims have begun the fasting. However, some Christians are likely confused as to what it really means, so we decided to gather 10 important facts about Ramadan you should know.
1.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan, the ninth month on the Muslim calendar, is celebrated as the month when the first verses of the Quran were said to be revealed to the prophet Muhammad in 610 CE. Laylat al-Qadr, or Night of Power, is thought to be the actual day when the Quran was given to the prophet and usually falls within the last 10 days of the holiday.
2. What is the Purpose?
During Ramadan, observers are expected to abstain from food, drink, and other pleasures from dawn to dusk. Removing these comforts from daily routine is intended to focus the mind on prayer, spirituality, and charity and to purify the body and mind. Muslims are also expected to abstain from impurities such as gossip and cursing.
3. Who Are Those Who May Not Fast?
Several different groups are excused from fasting during Ramadan : pregnant women, people who are mentally or physically ill, and sometimes women who are breastfeeding. Children are not obligated to fast until they hit puberty, although many choose to observe the fast at least part of the month in preparation for later years.
Sometimes political factors can also get in the way of the fast. In
China , celebrating Ramadan has been banned by the government in Xinjian province, where ethnic Uighurs practice Islam.
4. How Do They Know When To Start?
The exact start of Ramadan is often up in the air until just before the holiday begins because it is determined by a sighting of the new moon. Many places still depend on someone seeing the new moon with the naked eye in order to declare the holiday. As a result, Ramadan’s start can vary from place to place because of weather conditions and other factors that affect how easily the moon is seen.
However, countries are increasingly relying on astronomical calculations and observatories, leading to a more uniform start time. The Arab Gulf states, as well as Egypt, have declared Wednesday, July 10, to be
the first full day of this year’s Ramadan, according to al-Arabiya.
5. Why Does The Date Change Every Year?
Islam functions on a lunar calendar that doesn’t quite line up with the solar Gregorian calendar that the secular world uses. So while Muslim holidays are always the same day on the Muslim calendar, they happen on different days on the Gregorian calendar – typically moving 11 or 12 days earlier each year. In 2012, Ramadan began on July 19.
6. How Does Ramadan Affect Other Activities?
In countries where Muslims are the majority, Ramadan has a drastic impact on daily life. Egypt p ushes the clocks back an hour during the holy month so that the fast feels like it is ending earlier and the evenings are lengthened. Work days are made shorter during the month to accommodate the additional time spent in prayer and in enjoying festive meals to end the daily fast.
According to bankers and economists in Muslim countries,
Ramadan almost always ushers in a month-long period of inflation as people drastically increase the amount of money spent on clothing and food. The prices of certain staples go up dramatically – according to a former Monitor correspondent in Cairo, during Ramadan a cup of tea can cost six times its normal price . However, economic productivity also declines because of the shorter working hours and the general malaise among those abstaining from food and water all day.
Ironically, many people gain weight during Ramadan. They are more sedentary during the daytime, eat richer food than normal at the fast-breaking iftar meal in the evenings, and get the majority of their daily calories at night, shortly before they go to sleep.
7. Can You Travel During Ramadan?
Though it is the holiest month of the year, Ramadan does not prohibit long-distance travel. Many Muslims will still celebrate even while in transit.
This year the Transportation
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