Ramadan occurs in the ninth month of the Muslim Calender. It is believed that during this month the Holy Qur'an (Ko-ran) was received. It is told that Muhammad was alone near Mecca (A City in Saudi Arabia) when the Angel Gabriel came to him. The angel told Muhammad to read but Mohammed could not so the angel taught Muhammad some verses over the next ten days. These verses are known as the Holy Qur'an.  The Qur'an holds the exact words of God.

The month of Ramadan is one in which the Quran (Muslim's Holy Bible) was sent down, a guidence for mankind.  Whoever believes in this amongst you witnesses this month, let him fast.

During the month, Muslims try to read as much of the Qur'an as they can.  Some spend part of their day listening to the recitation of the Qur'an in a mosque, meet for Quranic studies or for congregation prayers. Muslims should strive to worship Allah as best as they can from the beginning of the month, for that increases chances of the end of the month being good as well.Some spend the last ten days of Ramadan  in a mosque devoting the whole ten days for worshipping God.

The Meaning of Ramadan

Ramadan is a special month of the year for over one billion Muslims throughout the world. It is a time for inner reflection, devotion to God, and self-control. Muslims think of it as a kind of tune-up for their spiritual lives. Ramadan is a wonderful opportunity for accounting of one's sins and making repentance.  If one does not repent in Ramadan, when will he or she do so?
 There are as many meanings of Ramadan as there are Muslims.

Fasting in the month of Ramadan is compulsory on every Mulsim adult.  The Arabic word "sawm" is use for fasting, which means "to refrain", but as an Islamic term it means refraining from food, drink, and sexual activity from dawn to sunset.

Who is Exempt from Sawm?

Fasting is mandatory on every Muslim who is sane, adult, able and resident.  The following exemptions apply:
1. the insane
2. Children who are not adolescent yet
3. the elderly and chronically ill for whom fasting is unreasonably strenuous
4. pregnant women and nursing may postpone the fasting to a later time
5. the ill and the travelers can also defer their fasting

It is believed this fasting heightens spirituality and develops self-control.  Each day a special effort is made to say the five daily prayers. The morning prayer is said after suhur, the pre-dawn meal and a post-fast meal (iftar) after sunset.

Food in Ramadan

Since Ramadan is a special time, Muslims in many parts of the world prepare certain favorite foods during this month. Since Ramadan emphasizes community aspects and since everyone eats dinner at the same time, Muslims often invite one another to share in the Ramadan evening meal.

Some Muslims find that they eat less for dinner during Ramadan than at other times due to stomach contraction. However, as a rule, most Muslims experience little fatigue during the day since the body becomes used to the altered routine during the first week of Ramadan.

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Goals of Ramadan

Muslims should consider what is it that they truly want to achieve in Ramadan, whether they want to be from the winners or from the losers, and should make sure they do not perform acts of worship simply because it is the surrounding people's custom to do so. Muslims must be firmly aware that Ramadan is only a means and not the end.

The third "pillar" or religious obligation of Islam, fasting has many special benefits. Among these, the most important is that it is a means of learning self-control. Due to the lack of preoccupation with the satisfaction of bodily appetite during the daylight hours of fasting, a measure of ascendancy is given to one's spiritual nature, which becomes a means of coming closer to God. Ramadan is also a time of intensive worship, reading of the Qur'an, giving charity, purifying one's behavior, and doing good deeds. For Muslims, Ramadan is not merely a holiday, but an opportunity to gain by giving up, to prosper by going without and to grow stronger by enduring weakness.

As a secondary goal, fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing sympathy for the less fortunate, and learning to thankfulness and appreciation for all of God's bounties. Fasting is also beneficial to the health and provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits or overindulgence.

Devotion to God

The last ten days of Ramadan are a time of special spiritual power as everyone tries to come closer to God through devotions and good deeds. The night on which the Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet, known as the Night of Power (Lailat ul-Qadr), is generally taken to be the 27th night of the month. The Qur'an states that this night is better than a thousand months. Therefore many Muslims spend the entire night in prayer.

The end of Ramadan

The end of Ramadan is a joyous occasion known as Eid-ul-Fitr typically lasting three days. It is known as the festival of ever-recurring happiness and is celebrated with special prayers, feasts, sweets, and gift giving. This is also known as Kurban Bayrami, Hari Raya Puasa in South East Asia and Seker Bayrami in Turkey.
 

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