Ramadan

"O ye who believe!

Fasting is prescribed for you,
as it was prescribed for those before you,
so that you may become righteous."

This year Ramadan started on Monday 1st September 2008 and the final day of Ramadan was on 30th September with Eid Ul-Fitr being celebrated on the 1st October.  

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and a time when Muslims across the world will fast during the hours of daylight. 

The month of Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, prayer, doing good deeds and spending time with family and friends. The fasting is intended to help teach Muslims self-discipline, self-restraint and generosity. It also reminds them of the suffering of the poor, who may rarely get to eat well.

During Ramadan, Muslims celebrate the time when the verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This time begins on the night the first verses were revealed, a night known as Lailut ul-Qadr ('The Night of Power') which falls within the last 10 days of the month.

Reading the Qur'an is an important part of Ramadan, and many Muslims will attempt to read the whole of the Qur'an at least once during the Ramadan period. Many will also attend special prayers (Taraweeh) in the Mosque during which the Qur'an is read.

It is common to have one meal (known as the suhoor), just before sunrise and another (known as the iftar), directly after sunset. This meal will commonly consist of dates, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Because Ramadan is a time to spend with friends and family, the fast will often be broken by different Muslim families coming together to share in an evening meal.

At the end of the month, once fasting has been completed, a big celebration takes place known as 'Eid-ul-Fitr', the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. During this celebration Muslims dress in their finest clothes, give gifts to children and spend time with their friends and family. At Eid it is obligatory to give a set amount of money to charity to be used to help poor people buy new clothes and food so they too can celebrate.

Further information

The Department of Health has produced a good guide to the health aspects of fasting.  Further information here.

Homa Khaleeli has written an interesting article for the Guardian entitled "Feast or Famine".  You can access the article by clicking here.

Madina Masjid Ramadan Timetable for 2008

Note:  The fast starts at 'Sehr' time and ends at 'Iftar'.