What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is a month-long observance that commemorates the first revelation of the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, according to Islamic belief. It is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and will last between 29-30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon. We wait for this month the whole year because it is the month of blessing and mercy.
Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, said that the month will begin with a period of mercy, followed by a period of forgiveness and then finally Allah (God) will forgive all of your sins.
What happens during Ramadan?
During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn (first light) until sunset. They fast from food, drink, smoking, and other physical needs. Before dawn we will share a small meal, Suhoor, which will give you strength to get you through the day. After that we pray the Fajr (Dawn) prayer, which is the first of 5 times of prayer during the day. We will read some of the Qur’an and begin our day with Allah’s blessings. During the day we act as normal, going to work or school, etc. We make time to pray Dhuhr around 1pm and at around 5 o’clock.
At sunset we come together to break our fast by eating dates and drinking water, then we pray the Maghrib prayer, and then we eat a full meal. After eating, we prepare ourselves to go to the Mosque and pray the Isha’a prayer, the final prayer time of the day. During Ramadan we have a special prayer called Taraweeh that we will end our day with. From this month-long commitment Allah will forgive our sins, purify our hearts, and strengthen our spirits.
Why do Muslims Fast?
Muslims fast to please Allah because Allah has ordered us to do so. It is considered to be one of the five pillars of Islam. Fasting helps us to clear our minds and open our hearts. By experiencing this struggle within ourselves we are able to empathize with the struggles of the poor and hungry and less fortunate. It helps us to truly appreciate the blessings we have in our lives. We are encouraged to go forward and help others, and to give more of what we have (whether time or money). We try our best during this month to act in good and righteous ways and this will allow our spirit to experience closeness with Allah.
All Muslims make this commitment together for the same period of time which unites us all for a common goal and purpose: to please Allah and to be better Muslims who can help others, feel for others, and share what they have with others. By making the choice to give up our physical needs for one month our spirit grows stronger and is purified and we are better able to face life’s challenges and temptations with integrity for the rest of the year.
Why is Ramadan special?
Ramadan is referred to as the month of the Qur’an, which is the word of Allah as revealed by the Angel Gabriel to Prophet Muhammed. In this month, the Qur’an began to be revealed to Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him. We commemorate the night of the first revelation, called the Night of Power (Laylat Al Qadr). If you spend this night worshiping, praying, reading Qur’an, and making supplication to Allah, he will accept your good deeds and reward you greatly. You will receive a better reward for worshiping with sincerity on this night than if you spend 1,000 other months in prayer and worship. There will be peace and blessings on this night from Maghrib prayer time until the Fajr prayer.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is a month-long observance that commemorates the first revelation of the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, according to Islamic belief. It is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and will last between 29-30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon. We wait for this month the whole year because it is the month of blessing and mercy.
Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, said that the month will begin with a period of mercy, followed by a period of forgiveness and then finally Allah (God) will forgive all of your sins.
What happens during Ramadan?
During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn (first light) until sunset. They fast from food, drink, smoking, and other physical needs. Before dawn we will share a small meal, Suhoor, which will give you strength to get you through the day. After that we pray the Fajr (Dawn) prayer, which is the first of 5 times of prayer during the day. We will read some of the Qur’an and begin our day with Allah’s blessings. During the day we act as normal, going to work or school, etc. We make time to pray Dhuhr around 1pm and at around 5 o’clock.
At sunset we come together to break our fast by eating dates and drinking water, then we pray the Maghrib prayer, and then we eat a full meal. After eating, we prepare ourselves to go to the Mosque and pray the Isha’a prayer, the final prayer time of the day. During Ramadan we have a special prayer called Taraweeh that we will end our day with. From this month-long commitment Allah will forgive our sins, purify our hearts, and strengthen our spirits.
Why do Muslims Fast?
Muslims fast to please Allah because Allah has ordered us to do so. It is considered to be one of the five pillars of Islam. Fasting helps us to clear our minds and open our hearts. By experiencing this struggle within ourselves we are able to empathize with the struggles of the poor and hungry and less fortunate. It helps us to truly appreciate the blessings we have in our lives. We are encouraged to go forward and help others, and to give more of what we have (whether time or money). We try our best during this month to act in good and righteous ways and this will allow our spirit to experience closeness with Allah.
All Muslims make this commitment together for the same period of time which unites us all for a common goal and purpose: to please Allah and to be better Muslims who can help others, feel for others, and share what they have with others. By making the choice to give up our physical needs for one month our spirit grows stronger and is purified and we are better able to face life’s challenges and temptations with integrity for the rest of the year.
Why is Ramadan special?
Ramadan is referred to as the month of the Qur’an, which is the word of Allah as revealed by the Angel Gabriel to Prophet Muhammed. In this month, the Qur’an began to be revealed to Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him. We commemorate the night of the first revelation, called the Night of Power (Laylat Al Qadr). If you spend this night worshiping, praying, reading Qur’an, and making supplication to Allah, he will accept your good deeds and reward you greatly. You will receive a better reward for worshiping with sincerity on this night than if you spend 1,000 other months in prayer and worship. There will be peace and blessings on this night from Maghrib prayer time until the Fajr prayer.
