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Ramadan, a month
of Muslim fasting
By Monesia Hobbs
Special to the On-line Forty-Niner
It's the holiday season. Time for Thanksgiving, Christmas,
Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year's and Ramadan.
Ramadan?
Yes, Ramadan, a time of prayer, fasting and charity that,
unlike the other holidays mentioned, has not become widely
commercialized.
Ramadan is the ninth month on the Muslim calendar. Over eight
million Muslims in this country believe it is a time for blessings
and fasting.
It was in this month, over 1,000 years ago Muslims believe
their god, Allah, revealed the first verses of the Qur'an
to Muhammad.
Muhammad was a caravan trader and while contemplating his
faith the angel Gabriel told him he was chosen to receive
the word of Allah. Muhammad was soon speaking the scriptures
that would become the Qur'an.
Ramadan, like Thanksgiving, starts on a different day every
year because Muslims use the lunar calendar where each month
begins with the new moon. The lunar calendar falls 11 days
behind the solar calendar, which is used in most Western countries.
Therefore, this year Ramadan begins on Nov. 16, while next
year it will begin on Nov. 6.
One of the most important practices during the month of Ramadan
is fasting. Muslims may not eat or drink anything, including
water, while the sun is shining. This ritual reminds Muslims
of the suffering of the poor and is a chance to practice self-control.
Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr or the Festival
of Breaking the Fast. This year it will occur on Dec. 17.
Muslims commemorate this festival by adorning their homes
with lights and dressing in their finest clothing.
They give their children treats and family's joins together
to celebrate. By the end of month Muslims are expected
to feed the poor and make donations to local mosques as a
way to demonstrate the blessings they received.
This year Ramadan is particularly important. As a result of
Sept. 11, the Taliban's religious police have released many
Muslim Afghanis. They are free to celebrate Ramadan
freely without the fear of being punished.
"The Taliban were very strict about these things.
Even laughing they didn't like during Ramadan," Sher
Mohammed, an Afghan native told the Associated Press.
This is the Muslim time to celebrate beginnings, family and
blessings.
The Cal State Long Beach Muslim Student Association, in conjunction
with the Islamic Center of Long Beach, will be hosting events
throughout the month to celebrate this month of blessings
and fasting. For more information, see
www.iclb.org.
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