Ramadan: what is it and what are the customs

O Ramadan or Ramadan it is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (based on the cycles of the Moon). Muslims believe that this month, in 610, Prophet Muhammad received the revelation of the word of Allah. Thus, as it is a holy month, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.

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What is Ramadan?

Ramadan, also written as Ramadan, is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is based on the cycleslunar and is 354 or 355 days old. This is a holy month for Muslims as, in the Islamic religion, it was the moment when the archangel Gabriel descended from heaven with the message of Allah to Muhammad (Mohammed): the Qur'an.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is the holiest of them, being marked by fasting, prayers, recitations of the Qur'an and charitable works.[1]

The revelation of the Quran would have taken place in the Saudi Arabia, when Muhammad was meditating in the desert, around the year 610 d. Ç

. During the revelation, Muhammad recited a verse that belonged to the word of Allah, and this event became known as NightofDestiny. From there, Muhammad proceeded to carry Allah's message, which is as follows: there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.

This event made Ramadan a very important month for Muslims, and that is why the fasting ritual takes place. That fast is performed in celebration of the revelation of the word of Allah and is one of the fivepillarsofIslam. His aim is to allow the children of Allah to approach him and grow spiritually.

The start of Ramadan is determined through calculations or astronomical observation. The milestone for the end of Shaaban (the eighth month of the Islamic calendar) is the crescent moon rise. On the 29th day of that month, the crescent moon is looked for in the sky, and, if sighted, Ramadan begins the next day.

If the Moon is not seen and calculations do not point to the beginning of it, the next day will be the 30th day of Shaaban, and thus Ramadan will start after it ends. This process is also used to define the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar.

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This process must be carried out very carefully because the appearance of the crescent moon is a phenomenon that takes approximately 20 minutes. At the year 2021, Ramadan will extend from April 13th on May 12th. Since it is a celebration based on a calendar with a shorter duration than the Gregorian calendar, this means that, in each year, the celebration takes place at a different period.

We have seen that Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The other months on this calendar are as follows:

1. muharram
2. get away
3. Rabbi al-Awwal
4. Rabbi al-Akhir
5. Jamadi al-Awwal
6. Jamadi al-Akhir
7. rajab
8. Shaaban
9. Ramadan
10. Shawwal
11. Dhu al-Qidah
12. Dhu al-Hija

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What are the customs of Ramadan?

Ramadan extends over 29 or 30 days, and during this period Muslims must fast (sawm) as a celebration of the revelation of the Qur'an to Prophet Muhammad. As mentioned, fasting is a practicemandatory of Islam and is part of the five pillars of that religion. The importance of fasting can be identified in the Qur'an itself:

183. Ò you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as prescribed for those who went before you, to be godly.

184. For days gone by. And whoever of you is sick or traveling, let him fast the same number of days. And it is up to those who can do it, but with great difficulty, a rescue: feeding the needy. And whoever else does it voluntarily, aiming for the good, will be better for him. And fasting is better for you. If you only knew!|1|

Fasting is, therefore, an obligatory practice of every Muslim, and, in the period of Ramadan, it should be performed between the sunrise until the time the star sets. In the meantime, Muslims must abstain from all kinds of food and drink (including water), sexual activities, and sinful activities such as uttering unkind words.

The above quote also helps us to realize that, although mandatory, the Islamic faith allows someexceptions to fasting. Thus, sick people, the elderly, children, pregnant, nursing or menstruating women and people traveling are not required to fast. In such cases, the fast can be resumed for the remainder of the year before the next Ramadan. Ultimately, if a person is unable to carry out the fast, he or she must feed one person in need each day of Ramadan.

The physical sacrifices charged with fasting are only a part of Ramadan, as this month, being sacred, is a time when people draw closer to Allah. Ramadan is considered the month of forgiveness, so it is a time for Muslims to reconnect with Allah in order to have their sins forgiven and to become better people.

Thus, some Muslim practices are reinforced during this period. In this case, we are talking about the prayers and recitations of the verses present in the Qur'an. During Ramadan, the charitable practices, another of the pillars of Islam. Muslims also avoid fights, disagreements and all sorts of lies.

A Muslim's day during Ramadan starts early as, around four o'clock in the morning, the Suhur, the first meal of the day. Soon after, the Fajr, the first prayer of the day. After the sun sets, Muslims perform the Magrib, a prayer, and the Iftar, the evening meal and which is seen as a moment of communion among people. A very important food throughout the Ramadan period is the dates.

After the sun sets, Muslims perform Iftar, the evening meal.

It is also very common that, throughout the day, people gather in mosques to say their daily prayers. Also, people tend to increase their devotion in the final 10 days of Ramadan, as the revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammad is believed to have taken place in the last 10 days of that month.

Ramadan ends with a celebration known as Eid al-Fitr, which translates as “festivalinsmashinfast”. In this festival celebrations are held that last for three days and where there is a lot of food. These three days are understood to be a holiday in many Muslim countries, and in them it is very common for people to exchange gifts with each other.

Note

|1| NASR, Helmi. Translation of the meaning of the noble Koran into Portuguese. To access, click on here.

Image credits:

[1] hikrcn and Shutterstock

By Daniel Neves
History teacher