Ramadan falls on the ninth month of Islam’s lunar calendar, a system which determines each month by visual sightings of the crescent moon. Muslims observe Ramadan as a time of spiritual reflection and increased devotion towards God or Allah. Sawm, or fasting, is an annual practice in Ramadan, where Muslims physically and spiritually detoxify the body from worldly pleasures and sinful behavior. As Muslims participate in the fast, they exercise self-discipline, a trait which allows them to develop compassion by respecting the dignity of others. Ramadan is a time where Muslims fast together as an Umma, or common unity, to create the equality which is ideal in Islam. This essay will examine how Muslims practice the Sawm during the holy month of
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Muslims also refrain from sinful behavior such as insulting or cursing which may invalidate the fast. There are certain bodily elements such as menstruation, the ejaculation of semen, or the deliberate vomiting, which is enough to make the fast void. However, according to the Hadith of the prophet Muhammad, the following do not break the fast: eating or drinking out of forgetfulness, brushing teeth; rinsing the mouth, applying face cream, or swallowing saliva. Moreover, individuals who are ill, or undergoing hardships in their life are able to be exempt from fasting, while having the opportunity to make up the Sawm through charitable means, or participating in the fast at a more feasible time. As depicted in the Qur’an, “fasting is for a fixed number of days; but if any of you are ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number should be made up from days later. For those who can do it with hardship is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew”(Baqarah, 2:184). According to the Qur’an, fasting is obligatory for all Muslims, except those who are undertaking a strenuous hardship, women who are menstruating, experiencing post-natal discharges, or are in the midst of pregnancy. In most circumstances, “these people will make qada, or restitution by fasting for the …show more content…
Many will often gather in the street to enjoy a hookah or a small cup of Turkish coffee, while others will gather around street corners and listen to the Hakawati, or story teller, tell traditional stories of Ramadan. After the community gathering, Muslim men go to the Mosques to offer the Isha prayer, which is the last of the five daily prayers. Typically, women will not attend the mosque on a regular basis except on major Islamic holidays including eid al-Fitr and eid al-Adha. The women will stay at home to pray and help prepare the meals for when their husbands and children return home. After the men and sons return from the mosque, families rejoin and enjoy the Iftar, and the men will either return to the mosque or stay at home to take part in a voluntary prayer called the Taraweeh, which is offered by the congregation reciting the Qur’an. After the day is completed, the same routine is repeated for a total of twenty-nine to thirty days as determined by the Islamic
Muslims also refrain from sinful behavior such as insulting or cursing which may invalidate the fast. There are certain bodily elements such as menstruation, the ejaculation of semen, or the deliberate vomiting, which is enough to make the fast void. However, according to the Hadith of the prophet Muhammad, the following do not break the fast: eating or drinking out of forgetfulness, brushing teeth; rinsing the mouth, applying face cream, or swallowing saliva. Moreover, individuals who are ill, or undergoing hardships in their life are able to be exempt from fasting, while having the opportunity to make up the Sawm through charitable means, or participating in the fast at a more feasible time. As depicted in the Qur’an, “fasting is for a fixed number of days; but if any of you are ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number should be made up from days later. For those who can do it with hardship is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew”(Baqarah, 2:184). According to the Qur’an, fasting is obligatory for all Muslims, except those who are undertaking a strenuous hardship, women who are menstruating, experiencing post-natal discharges, or are in the midst of pregnancy. In most circumstances, “these people will make qada, or restitution by fasting for the …show more content…
Many will often gather in the street to enjoy a hookah or a small cup of Turkish coffee, while others will gather around street corners and listen to the Hakawati, or story teller, tell traditional stories of Ramadan. After the community gathering, Muslim men go to the Mosques to offer the Isha prayer, which is the last of the five daily prayers. Typically, women will not attend the mosque on a regular basis except on major Islamic holidays including eid al-Fitr and eid al-Adha. The women will stay at home to pray and help prepare the meals for when their husbands and children return home. After the men and sons return from the mosque, families rejoin and enjoy the Iftar, and the men will either return to the mosque or stay at home to take part in a voluntary prayer called the Taraweeh, which is offered by the congregation reciting the Qur’an. After the day is completed, the same routine is repeated for a total of twenty-nine to thirty days as determined by the Islamic