Everything You Need to Know About Ramadan

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Tariq Mahmood, Toronto, Canada

You might be a new Muslim trying to figure out what it means to fast. Perhaps you’re an employee who’s trying to understand his coworkers better. More likely than not, you’re a Muslim, reading this to better understand what Ramadan is, and what it can mean to you.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the name of the ninth month in the Islamic Lunar Calendar, which also has 12 months. According to Muslims, God appointed this month for Muslims to fast. Muslims are taught to count their blessings, reminding them to consider those who are less fortunate, and encouraging them to give charity. They’re taught to feel hunger, and what it’s like not to have food available. Above all, Muslims are taught to try to build a connection with God.

There’s something special for a Muslim about praying while fasting; in that moment when thirst hits you and you pray to God, you feel profoundly weak and understand your own humanity.

What Does the Word Ramadan Mean?

The word ‘Ramadan’ is derived from the Arabic word ‘Ramd’, which means intensely hot or burning. Some speculate it’s because the Muslim feels hot, due to thirst, while others surmise that it refers to the burning of sins. Some also say this burning refers to the love that one feels for God during Ramadan. All of these are true in their own ways.[1]

What Can’t You Do During a Fast?

From dawn to dusk, Muslims cannot:

1. Eat food.
2. Drink water.
3. Have sexual relations.
4. Smoke cigarettes.

Muslims are also taught to control their anger. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) said: ‘Fasting is a shield; when one of you is fasting, he should neither behave in an obscene manner nor foolishly. If a man fights or abuses him, he should say: I am fasting, I am fasting.’[2]

Why Is Ramadan Important to Muslims?

The purpose of Ramadan is to connect mankind to their Lord. Allah the Almighty says, ‘The fast is for Me. So, I will reward (the fasting person) for it and the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times.’[3]

It’s the one time of the year when Muslims are taught to devote all attention to God. Most Muslims will describe it as a ‘spiritual high’ where they feel profoundly connected to God.

Is Fasting Mandatory?

Ramadan is mandatory upon every Muslim who is eligible to keep the fast, as the Holy Qur’an says, ‘O ye who believe! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous.’[4]

Although there is no physical punishment if someone decides not to fast, it is a sin in the eyes of God Almighty, so Muslims believe skipping a fast unnecessarily will cause punishment in the next life.

Are Children Supposed to Fast?

Muslims should start fasting around the age of 15. At this age, they should not keep all the fasts but should get into the habit of fasting slowly. When they reach the age of 18, they should consider it mandatory for themselves to fast during the entire month of Ramadan.

A story in Pakistan read that a child was forced to fast, his parents locking him in a room. When they unlocked the room at dusk, the child had already passed away. Such barbarism is why children should be allowed to develop fully, and only fast when they are strong. This is what Islam teaches.

When Is It Fine to Skip a Fast?

One should not fast if:

1. They are sick. This includes taking medicine. For example, Diabetics cannot fast if they have to take insulin.
2. They are on a journey. A journey qualifies as less than 15 days.[5]
3. They are taking exams, because this takes a strong physical toll on the body. If one can tolerate it, they can. Otherwise, if they aren’t able to study and take exams while fasting, they can make up the fasts later.
4. They are pregnant, breastfeeding or menstruating. Fasting while pregnant can harm the foetus, and fasting while breastfeeding may deprive the body of essential nutrients.

What Happens If Someone Breaks Their Fast?

If one breaks their fast for a valid reason, the expiation is to keep a fast on another day. Here, it is not deemed sinful because the matter was outside the person’s control.

One is not permitted to break a fast or purpose without reason. Allah commands us that if someone breaks a fast intentionally, they must fast for two months consecutively. If one cannot do so for health reasons, then they must feed 60 poor people.

How Does One Know Ramadan Has Started?

Ramadan begins upon witnessing the new moon. The Holy Prophet (sa) has stated that one should not fast until they know the new moon has come.[6] Nowadays, science has afforded us the ability to know well ahead of time when Ramadan will come. Therefore, Muslims begin Ramadan when the new moon comes out, and Ramadan ends when the next new moon is sighted once more.

Since the Lunar Calendar is 354 days and the Gregorian calendar is 365 days, the dates of Ramadan change with each passing year.

Is Fasting Exclusive to Muslims?

No, Islam is not the only religion which asks its adherents to fast. The Holy Qur’an says, ‘fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you.’[7] Here, the Holy Qur’an is referring to those who belonged to religions which preceded Islam.

Judaism observes several periods of fasting, such as the fasts of Yom Kippur. In Hinduism, fasting is known as Upavasa and changes in its length and type of fast depending on the person. Buddha (as) also fasted throughout his life, and Buddhist monks and nuns often fast.[8] Finally, the New Testament states that Jesus (as) told his followers regarding the attainment of high faith, that ‘this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.’[9] Christianity therefore also has components of fasting. Thus, fasting is truly a global practice, found in all major religions.

Why Do Muslims Read the Holy Qur’an so Often in Ramadan?

Ramadan is actually a celebration of the Holy Qur’an. It was during Ramadan that the Holy Qur’an started to be revealed, and in Ramadan, the Holy Qur’an was completed. Regarding this intrinsic connection, Allah the Almighty says:

‘The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur’an was sent down as a guidance for mankind with clear proofs of guidance and discrimination.’[10]

Allah the Almighty would also send the angel Gabriel (as) every Ramadan, as it is narrated regarding the Holy Prophet (sa): ‘Gabriel (as) used to meet him every night during Ramadan to revise the Qur’an with him.’[11]

Why Do Muslims Pray So Much in Ramadan?

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims make an extra effort to increase their prayer. The Founder of Islam (sa) says, ‘Whoever prayed at night in it (the month of Ramadan) out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.’[12] This shows Allah’s increased forgiveness and love during Ramadan, which Muslims try to reciprocate by praying often.

Where are Muslims Going for An Hour Every Night?

In the month of Ramadan, Muslims attend a special prayer called tarawih, which is offered after the last prayer, when the light of the sun fades from the night. The tarawih are offered in congregation. In some mosques, the whole of the Qur’an is recited piecemeal during these tarawih.

This regiment might sound hard, but shockingly, it’s the easy way out.

The greatest form of optional prayers is tahajjud, which is offered when a person wakes up early while it’s still dark out. The word tahajjud literally means to sleep a part of the night, and then leave the sleep to pray. Thus, many Muslims strive to sleep less and pray to Allah during the night during the month of Ramadan.

So, if you wondered why your co-worker or Muslim friend is rubbing his eyes all day, you have your answer.

What Does Charity Have to Do With Ramadan?

Islam connects the month of Ramadan with the welfare of the poor. Apart from empathising with them by fasting, Muslims are also encouraged to give back during this month. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) was once asked what the best form of charity was, to which he responded, ‘charity in Ramadan.’[13]

Regarding the Holy Prophet (sa) himself, one of his closest companions narrates that during the month of Ramadan, ‘Allah’s Messenger (sa) was most generous in giving charity like the blowing wind.’[14]

What is Eid?

Eid literally means ‘festival or holiday.’ The Eid at the end of the month of Ramadan is called Eid al-Fitr. Al-Fitr means to break the fast, and so, this celebration signifies the end of Ramadan. Muslims offer a special prayer called the Eid Prayer and gather with their families to rejoice at a month spent bettering themselves. In the months following Eid, Muslims long for the blessed days of Ramadan to come once more.

About the Author: Tariq Mahmood is a graduate of the Ahmadiyya Institute of Languages and Theology in Canada and serves as Secretary of The Existence Project Team for The Review of Religions.

[1] https://www.alislam.org/articles/significance-of-ramadan/

[2] Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 2363.

[3] Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1894.

[4] The Holy Qur’an, 2:184.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 2326.

[7] The Holy Qur’an, 2:184.

[8] https://www.alislam.org/articles/significance-of-ramadan/

[9] The Bible, Matthew 17:21.

[10] The Holy Qur’an, 2:186.

[11] Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3554.

[12] Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2008

[13] Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 663.

[14] Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2308a.