Holy
month observed by Muslims at The Beach,
around the world
By
Gerry Wachovsky
On-line Forty-Niner
Last
Sunday Muslims in the United States and
across the world began their celebration
of the holiest month on the Islamic calendar,
Ramadan. The month, which is marked by fasting
and is considered to be a highly spiritual
time for Muslims, is observed by more than
one billion followers of the faith and continues
until Nov. 25.
When
observing Ramadan, Muslims typically fast
from sunrise to sunset, as well as abstain
from other desires, such as sensual pleasure
and water. The fasting, according to the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, provides
Muslims with "an increased compassion
for those in need of the necessities of
life, a sense of self-purification and reflection
and a renewed focus on spirituality."
Fasting
is done by all who are able to but those
who cannot fast, such as children and the
elderly, are encouraged to do acts of good
for other people, like feeding the poor.
"We
fast to see if we can control ourselves
and our desires," said Ahmad Almutawa,
president of the Muslim Student Association
at Cal State Long Beach. "This event
is celebrated by families gathering and
is a great opportunity for Muslims to be
close to each other, as well as to be closer
to their God."
Abdulaziz
Al-roomi, who can normally be found at the
association's dawa table educating students
and passers-by about Islam, says, "During
Ramadan, all the deeds as well as all the
sins are doubled, because this is the month
of God." Al-roomi also noted that Muslims
read the entire 600-page Quran during the
month of Ramadan and that it is the "best
time to do good deeds and offer apologies."
During
Ramadan, Muslims also say special prayers
called taraweeh, which Al-roomi said, "can
last for an hour or more."
According
to the council, Ramadan is believed by Muslims
to be the month when the prophet Muhammad
received "words revealed by God through
the Angel Gabriel," which Muhammad
memorized "and then dictated to his
companions." The council also points
out "Translations of the meaning of
the Quran exist in almost all languages."
Zahra
Billoo, public relations chair of the association
said "students at CSULB should know
about Ramadan because education and learning
about other cultures is what works to cure
ignorance, and ignorance just breeds racism
and hate and prejudice." Billoo also
conveyed how important this is especially
to Islam, seeing as how "one out of
every five people in the world is Muslim."
Billoo said he sees the month not only as
a spiritual time, but as an opportunity
to teach others about Islam and its tenets,
which can seem strange to some.
Islam
consists of five pillars that represent
the fabric of Muslim life -- the declaration
of faith, prayer, zakat, or concern for
the needy, fasting, and the pilgrimage to
Mecca, called hajj. Every Muslim is required
to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca at least
once in their lifetime, and this takes place
two months after Ramadan.
Because
Ramadan is marked by the lunar calendar,
the month ranges from 29 to 30 days. Interestingly,
each year Ramadan begins approximately 11
days earlier than the year before, and the
last 10 days of Ramadan are considered to
be the most spiritual days in the month.
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