Information concerning Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Islam uses a lunar calendar-that means each month begins with the sighting of the new moon. Because the lunar calendar is about 11 days shorter than the solar calendar used elsewhere, Islamic holidays “move” each year. In 2006 Ramadan began on Sept. 24. For more than a billion Muslims around the world-including some 8 million in North America-Ramadan is a “month of blessing” marked by prayer, fasting, and charity. This year Ramadan precedes Christmas and Chanukah.

Muslims believe that during the month of Ramadan, Allah revealed the first verses of the Qur'an (Koran), the holy book of Islam. Around 610 A.D., a caravan trader named Muhammad took to wandering the desert near Mecca (in today's Saudi Arabia) while thinking about his faith. One night a voice called to him from the night sky. It was the angel Gabriel, who told Muhammad he had been chosen to receive the word of Allah.

Muslims practice sawm, or fasting, for the entire month of Ramadan. Fasting serves many purposes. While they are hungry and thirsty, Muslims are reminded of the suffering of the poor. Fasting is also an opportunity to practice self-control and to cleanse the body and mind. And in this most sacred month, fasting helps Muslims feel the peace that comes from spiritual devotion as well as kinship with fellow believers. According to the Holy Quran:

One may eat and drink at any time during the night "until you can plainly distinguish a white thread from a black thread by the daylight: then keep the fast until night"

The good that is acquired through the fast can be destroyed by five things - the telling of a lie, slander, denouncing someone behind his back, a false oath, and greed or covetousness. These are considered offensive at all times, but are most offensive during the Fast of Ramadan.

Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which in 2006 occurred on Oct. 23. Literally the “Festival of Breaking the Fast,” Eid al-Fitr is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations (the other occurs after the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca). At Eid al-Fitr people dress in their finest clothes, adorn their homes with lights and decorations, give treats to children, and enjoy visits with friends and family. A sense of generosity and gratitude colors these festivities. Although charity and good deeds are always important in Islam, they have special significance at the end of Ramadan. As the month draws to a close, Muslims are obligated to share their blessings by feeding the poor and making contributions to mosques.