In this Article we will learn about Answers to Your Essential Questions about Ramadan”- Navigate the Holy Month with Clarity: Clearing Common Doubts and Queries Surrounding Ramadan” The word you’re using, “Ramzan,” has several variations in spelling, including Ramadan, Ramadhan, and Ramazan.
Regardless of the spelling, they all refer to the same thing: the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and a holy month observed by Muslims worldwide.
Here’s a breakdown of the definition of Ramadan:
Key Characteristics:
- Month of Fasting: This is the most central aspect of Ramadan. Muslims abstain from food, drink, and certain other activities from dawn to dusk each day.
- Spiritual Growth: Fasting is not just about abstaining from food; it’s a time for increased prayer, reflection, and self-improvement.
- Commemoration and Revelation: Ramadan marks the month when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
- Community and Charity: This month emphasizes charitable acts and strengthening social bonds through communal meals and gatherings.
What exactly is Sawm (Fasting)?
The Qur’an urges Muslims to fast to show their commitment towards God even in times of adversity. Sawm, a fasting period that lasts from dawn to sunset, is a way to teach Muslims self-control, patience, endurance, and respect for God. Furthermore, it puts into the perspective of those who cannot afford regular, nutritious meals. When they fast, Muslims often discover inner peace that allows them to grow close to God.
In terms of physical fasting is the act of abstaining from eating food or drinking any beverage (including water) and having sexual relations with your spouse from dawn until sunset.
On a moral and spiritual level, it is about trying to build self-control, God-consciousness, and the practice of piety. Muslims try to stifle all negative thoughts and desires as well as unkind or negative thoughts and also to cultivate compassion, love, humility, and social awareness.
ya ‘ayWuha lWadhiyna amanuw kutiba `alaykumu lSWiyamu kama kutiba `ala~ lWadhiyna min qablikum la`alWakum tatWaquwna (Quran 2:183)
“O you who are a believer! Fasting is a requirement for you, just as it was for the previous generations, so that you can become holy” —
Also Read: The Holy Month of Ramzan Prayers into The Early Hours
The reason Ramadan is named Ramadan?
Ramadan is the 9th month in the Islamic lunar calendar. It is either 29 or 30 days, based on when the crescent moon’s new phase will be or is visible. The Arabic word Ramadan translates to intense heat. In the pre-Islamic period of Arab times, Ramadan was known as a burning summer month. According to the Islamic calendar, however, the time of Ramadan differs according to the year. An Islamic year lasts about eleven days less than the Gregorian year.
What is the significance behind Ramadan?
Ramadan is a fasting and spiritual development time and is considered one of the 5 “pillars of Islam.” Other pillars include the confession of faith, the daily prayer, alms-giving, and the trip to Mecca. Non-disabled Muslims are required to refrain from drinking and eating between dawn and sunset every day of the month.
Many practicing Muslims can also perform other prayers, particularly at night, and then attempt to recite the Qur’an. The prevalent belief in the majority of Muslims is that it was during the last ten nights of Ramadan when the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. The Qur’an was first made available to Prophet Muhammad.
Does Ramadan be winter?
Since the time of Ramadan is determined by the lunar calendar, Ramadan is 11 days later each year, and, over a 33-year time span, it traverses all four seasons, consequently shorter fasts during winter and longer fasts during the summer months.
What can Ramadan can we learn from it?
This month, known as Ramadan, is a time to learn how to be more holy and disciplined, maintain control of our behavior, and protect our hearts from the temptations of greed and immorality. Most importantly, the month helps us understand how to improve our relationship with the Almighty. This month, Ramadan is also a time to develop an understanding of others in us.
Categories: PRAYER (Salat), ALMS (Zakat), SAWN (Fasting) HAJJ (Pilgrimage) & DUA (Supplications), Hadith and Tafseer, The Holy Quran, Quran Jaz 1- 114
Topics: Hijab, Arabic Corner, Islamic History, Biography, Islamic Studies, Halal & Haram