Ramadan is the fasting month for Muslims, 29 or 30 days from the moment it gets light until the moment the sun sets, without eating, drinking, smoking or having sex. A month of reflection, but also of extra tasty food at times when it is allowed. Almost all religions include a place for fasting, in all kinds of ways. It is also referred to in the Qur’an, in the second Surah, verse 183: ‘O believers, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you…’ Fasting is a form of devotion and self-discipline that has a natural attraction exerts on the people. However, Islam has changed the form of fasting from the ways it occurred in other religions and cultures.
Reasons why people fast
Fasting, like prayer and almsgiving, is a form of worship and it serves the same functions for Muslims as any other form of prayer. These functions are the moral elevation and spiritual progress of man. It’s a way to practice self-control. The intention is for the fasting person to become closer to God/Allah.
The time to fast
Islam uses the lunar calendar, so the month of Ramadan falls at a different time of the year each time. This means that the month sometimes falls in summer, but sometimes also in winter. In summer the days are long and hot (especially in the Middle East), which places a lot of demands on a fasting person, in winter it is a lot easier. The month of Ramadan begins when the new moon appears, which should in principle be visible to the naked eye. In some countries the moon rises a day later than in others and most commentators point out that the moon must have been seen in one’s own area or country in order to begin fasting. In the Netherlands the situation is often complicated by the fact that the sky is often cloudy, which is why many Muslims in the Netherlands start fasting when they start in their country of origin.
Within Islam there are other days on which fasting takes place, in addition to the month of Ramadan. However, fasting always follows the same pattern. One eats as soon as possible before dawn and one breaks the fast as soon as possible after sunset. The fast is often broken with water and dates, because the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) did so too. Many people then pray and then eat a more extensive meal, but others immediately eat an extensive meal.
Prayers
During the month of Ramadan, a special prayer is performed daily, the ‘Tarawih prayer’.
Things to refrain from during fasting
First of all there are the familiar things, food, drink and sex. However, emphasis is also placed on other things, things that are normally not recommended, but which every person is guilty of sometimes. People should try to refrain from lies and gossip and obscene language. Scholars disagree on whether these things actually break the fast. A hadith is often quoted where the Prophet Muhammad said: ,There are a large number of fasters for whom hunger and thirst are the only results of their fasting.,
The fast is certainly broken when one deliberately eats or drinks something or has sex. When one eats or drinks deliberately, one has to make up for the day later. When one has sex one has to make up for the day and also free a slave (which is of course no longer possible nowadays) or fast for two extra months or feed 60 poor people. Intentional vomiting is also a way to break the fast, which can be made up by fasting another day.
However, if someone accidentally eats or drinks something (e.g. someone tastes something while cooking), this does not break the fast. Muslims often say that Allah has fed this person. Even someone who makes a mistake in time and therefore eats or drinks something does not break the rules.
People who don’t have to fast
A number of groups of people do not need to fast. In principle, every adult, mentally healthy person should fast. However, a number of categories are excluded. Women who are menstruating should not fast, nor should women who bleed after childbirth. However, the women must make up for lost days. Sick people and travelers do not have to fast either, but the same applies here, the days must be made up later. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding do not need to fast but must catch up on the following days. For this reason, most women continue to fast anyway, because it is easier to fast when everyone else is doing it than to just make up days. The latter is also the reason that travelers often try to fast.
The night of the decision
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) received the first verse of the Quran on the night of the Decree (Layl al-Qadr). This night is especially blessed, in the Quran it is even said that this night is better than a thousand months. It is one of the last nights of Ramadan, many Muslims spend this night awake and praying. During those nights, the mosques are full of worshipers and people often eat in the mosque that night. However, it is not exactly clear which night it concerns. Muslims believe that on this night the gate to heaven is slightly ajar and that God/Allah hears people’s prayers with special attention during this night.
Daily life during Ramadan
In Muslim countries, the rhythm of daily life is adapted to the fasting month. Schools are closing in Saudi Arabia, and the schedule is being adjusted in other countries. There is also an extra great interest in food. Special programs related to religion are broadcast on TV, but also programs just about cooking. Special things are bought on the street, every country has its own special Ramadan specialties. And although the intention is to avoid cursing and swearing, towards the end of Lent the emotions of hungry and thirsty people often run high. That is also part of Ramadan. In the evening it is often extra busy on the streets. Shops stay open longer and towards the end of the month they often even stay open all night, as most people buy new clothes, cakes and sweets in anticipation of Eid al-Fitr.
Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Fitr
After Ramadan it is time for celebration, Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Fitr. There is a special prayer in the mosque and an lavish breakfast is often served. Many Muslims also visit the graves of relatives on this day. Then it is time to visit family and friends, where visitors are offered cakes and sweets everywhere (hence the Dutch name Eid-al-Fitr). Everyone dresses up in their best clothes and the streets are busy, greeting friends, family and acquaintances and wishing them a pleasant party.