The Holy Month of Ramadan
Islam is based on five beliefs. These are called The five pillars of Islam .The first belief is that
there is no god but Allah and that
Muhammad ( peace be upon him ) is His messenger. The second is that a Muslim must give a percentage of his saving to the poor. The fourth is the fasting of Ramadan. The fifth is that all Muslims who are able should perform Al-Hajj ( pilgrimage) at least once in their life.
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. All adult Muslims must fast during the daylight hours. They are not allowed to eat or drink between dawn and sunset for the whole month . Fasting strengthens a person by increasing his self-control. Fasting also helps a Muslim to remember Allah and his obedience to Him. During Ramadan , the pain of hunger is shared by everyone .In this way , everyone is equal in Allah s eyes.
Some people ( children, for example) are excused from fasting .Some may be to old or to ill. Others are on journeys. Women who are expecting or nursing a baby cannot fast at that time, either. However, all those who are able must complete the fast later .
Ramadan customs are very special. Many Muslims prefer to change working hours so that they can focus on the Islamic duties of the Holy month. At sunset, a cannon goes off and people break their fast with dates and water. Then, they go to mosque for the sunset prayer (Maghrib). The exact time of sunset is very important, of course.
There is a special night known as( Lailatul Qadr) .No one knows exactly which night it is, but it is definitely one of the last ten nights of the month. Around this time, Muslims try to stay awake all night and perform special prayers.
Immediately after the last day of Ramadan, there is a celebration called Eid al-fitr. Muslims all over the world celebrate this holiday. During Eid, Muslims children wear new clothes and receive gifts. Families everywhere enjoy themselves with friends and relatives. They thank Allah for His great blessing in revealing the Quran during the Holy Month of Ramadan.
( سامحوني على الكتابة بالإجليزية )
لكم خالص محبتي وكل عام وأنتم بخير
