TruthBook Religious News Blog

August 10
Priscilla Martinez

American Muslims will begin the annual Ramadan fast on Saturday, August 22. In keeping with the divine commandment in the Holy Qur'an,

"O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it has been prescribed to those before you in order that you may attain God-consciousness" (2:183),

Muslims will refrain from all food and drink during daylight everyday for about a month. The Eid al-Fitr holiday ends the month of fasting.

Fasting is an instrument for gaining closeness to God and achieving purification of heart and mind. Muslims look forward to the coming of Ramadan with great longing for the spiritual, physical, and emotional benefits this special season brings.

Ramadan is also important for Muslims because it is the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed by God to the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims consider the Qur'an to be God's speech recorded in the Arabic language and transmitted to humanity through Muhammad, the last of the prophets. This tradition of God-chosen prophets or messengers includes such figures as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus. Muslims believe that over a period of twenty-three years, various verses and chapters of the Qur'an were revealed to Muhammad through the Archangel Gabriel. The Qur'an is comprised of 114 chapters of varying length, with titles such as "Abraham," "The Pilgrimage," and "Mary."

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset every day. This means not consuming food or drink, including water, during the daylight hours. Muslims arise early in the morning during Ramadan to have a pre-dawn breakfast meal. They will then complete the fast at dusk by having a meal that usually includes dates, fresh fruits, appetizers, beverages and dinner.

Ramadan is also a month of heightened devotion. The five daily prayers are performed with greater intensity. The community gathers at the mosque nightly for extra prayers called taraweeah. During the last ten days of Ramadan, some families seclude themselves in the mosque for itikaf, a night spent performing even more prayers and reading the Qur’an. It is a spiritually intense period of reflection and devotion whose purpose is to seek guidance and ask for forgiveness.

There are many other important lessons learned during this month as well. In Ramadan, Muslims try to practice what's become known as "the five S's:"

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Labels: devotion, Eid al-Fitr, fasting, Islam, Koran, Muslims, Priscilla Martinez, Ramadan