Ramadan
Ramadan
What is Ramadan? "The Holy Month of Ramadan"
Ramadan is considered the holiest month of the year for Muslims. The month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is the period in which Muslims are required to fast.
When does Ramadan take place?
Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, which is based on a 12-month lunar year of approximately 354 days. Because the lunar year is 11 days shorter than the solar year, each lunar month moves 11 days earlier each year. It takes 33 solar years for the lunar months to complete a full cycle and return to the same season. The month traditionally begins and ends based on the sighting of the first crescent of the new moon.
Learn More About Ramadan
Who Fasts and Why
The Length and Purpose of Fasting
Muslims fast from pre-dawn to sunset, a fast of between 11-16 hours depending on the time of year for a period of 29-30 days. The fast of Ramadan entails foregoing food and drink. For Muslims, Ramadan is a time to train themselves both physically and spiritually by avoiding any negative acts such as gossiping, backbiting, lying, or arguing. Muslims welcome Ramadan as an opportunity for self-reflection, and spiritual improvement. Ramadan is also a highly social time as Muslims invite each other to break fast together and meet for prayers at the mosque.
Why do Muslims fast?
The ultimate goal of fasting is gaining greater God-consciousness, in Arabic, taqwa, signifying a state of constant awareness of God. From this awareness a person should gain discipline, self-restraint and a greater incentive to do good and avoid wrong. In commemoration of the revelation of the Qur’an, Muslim’s holy book, which began during the month of Ramadan, Muslims attempt to read the entire book during Ramadan and gather nightly at mosques to hold special prayers during which the entire Qur’an is recited by the end of the month.
Who fasts?
All Muslims who have reached puberty are obliged to fast. However, for people in situations where fasting would be a hardship, they are exempted from fasting. This includes anyone who is sick or traveling; women who are pregnant, nursing, or on their menses; or older people who are too weak or ill to fast. Anyone who is exempted must make up the fast later, except for those who cannot fast due to age or chronic illness. Instead, they can feed a poor person for every day of fasting they miss.
What about children?
While children are not required to fast until they reach puberty, it is customary for children beginning around seven years of age to perform limited or symbolic fasting such as fasting half days or on weekends. This trains them gradually and helps to engender a sense of inclusion during the month-long observance. Mosques often give special recognition to children who are fasting their first full day or first Ramadan.
Ramadan Traditions
Family Routines
A Muslim family usually rises about 5:00 a.m. before the first of dawn and eats a modest, breakfast-like meal called Suhoor. After the meal, the family performs the morning prayer, and depending on the circumstances, the family goes back to bed or begins the day. Particularly during the long summer months, people often take a nap in the late afternoon after work or school. At sunset, family members break the fast with a few dates and water, and depending on the culture, other light foods such as soup, appetizers or fruit. This is referred to as Iftar which means “breaking the fast.” After performing the sunset prayers, the family eats dinner. Inviting guests to break the fast or going to someone else’s house for Iftar is very common in Ramadan. Many families then go to the mosque for the night prayer and a special Ramadan prayer called Taraweeh. After completing their prayers, the families return home around 11:45 p.m. (All of these times vary depending on the time of year, with shorter days in the winter and longer days in the summer.)
Decorations and Crafts
Ramadan is a time of celebration and preparation. Special meals and gatherings are planned and anticipated. In some Muslim countries, the celebration extends to people decorating their homes with lanterns, lights, paper decorations, and more to welcome the month of Ramadan.
Click Here for other decoration ideas: https://daysofeid.com/collections/ramadan-decorations
Fanous Lantern
The fanous lantern has been a symbol of Ramadan for hundreds of years. For Muslims, it represents the light guiding the way. In Egypt, during the holy month of Ramadan, streets are illuminated at night by colorful fanous lanterns. Some say the tradition began with the Pharaohs.
Moon and Stars
The crescent moon, signifying progress, and the star, signifying the light of knowledge, are associated with Islam. The new moon represents the Muslim calendar and is used to determine the beginning and end of the Muslim’s holiest month, Ramadan.
Lights
The flickering lights, fairy lights, electrical tea lights, and decorative lamps are some of the best decorative items to create a joyful atmosphere at home during festivals like Ramadan. Some families have even adopted the use of neon lights to celebrate.
Food
Although it may seem counterintuitive, Ramadan is quite food-focused. Just under two billion Muslims worldwide wake before sunrise and enjoy Suhoor, a small meal that provides sustenance and energy throughout the day. It typically includes milk and dates, as well as various cultural favorites. Once the sun sets, families break their fast with Iftar, a large feast. Islamic teachings declare that Allah will bless anyone who provides Iftar for others, and they will never experience hunger or thirst again.
Eating dates is the traditional way to end your Ramadan fast, a custom rooted in history and inspired by the Prophet Muhammad. According to Islamic scripture, the Prophet Muhammad would break his fast by eating three dates and a sip of water. Many devout followers follow his example — it makes sense, as dates are high in natural sugars and ideal for regaining energy after fasting. While there are over 200 date varieties, the unique and sweet flavor of medjool dates makes them the most popular.
Soups are very healthy options to start the Iftar as they replenish the body fluids and warm the stomach, hence preparing it to receive other foods. Lentil, vegetable, chicken, and vermicelli soups are usually served during Ramadan, with lentil soup being the most common one in Lebanon.
Recipe: https://www.fufuskitchen.com/middle-eastern-lentil-soup/
Recipe: https://www.alwadi.com/english/recipes/kellaj-ramadan
How Teachers Can Support Students During Ramadan
Rusul Alrubail shares this great information with us:
How schools can be supportive
During this holy month, some Muslim students have expressed the lack of space to pray and fast and lack of understanding of Ramadan. Here are several ways to support students during the month of Ramadan:
- Understanding: One of the vital pillars in creating a safe environment for Muslim students in Ramadan is to educate oneself about the month. Many teachers and classmates do not understand why Muslims fast. It’s important to try to form your own understanding about the month, and to not rely on Muslim students to educate the class.
- Space: Lunchtime is probably one of the most difficult periods to endure while fasting. Many students will tell you that they don’t care if you eat in front of them, and chances are that might be true. However, hunger often worsens when you’re in a room full of people eating. It might help to have a comfortable space for Muslim students to go to instead of the designated lunchroom during lunchtime. The room can have some iPads, books, magazines and other things to keep students busy. Of course, it’s then up to the student whether they choose to go there or not, but having that as an option, even for students who are not fasting, is usually beneficial.
- Physical Education: Some teachers are not very tolerant of Muslim students practicing Ramadan, and therefore are not very understanding when students cannot participate in physical education classes. Some students have grades deducted due to their lack of participation during Ramadan. It is within students’ right to practice their religion, while having the necessary conditions for them to succeed and achieve their best potential. Teachers can make accommodations for practicing students, such as assigning a different task/project for students to complete that does not require them to do any strenuous work while they’re fasting.
- Empathy: This sounds a bit easy, but having empathy requires one to truly understand the other person’s situation and feelings. When planning school activities and events, think about how it’ll impact practicing Muslim students. Will they feel left out? Will they need to break their fast during that time if it’s during Iftar (i.e. sunset)?
Rusul Alrubail is the executive director of the Parkdale Centre for Innovation in Toronto, Canada. Rusul is also a writer, a speaker and social justice activist. For more information visit this resource: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/author/rusul-alrubail
Supporting Staff During Ramadan
It is considerate to avoid scheduling staff social activities or working lunches during Ramadan. Staff meetings and collaborative activities that usually involve food might now involve music, an activity, or decorations. Do not exclude staff celebrating Ramadan, but rather, be educated on the norms and practices of fasting.
Some Muslim staff members may wish to practice their faith more during Ramadan than they might for the remainder of the year. As a consequence of this, Muslim staff might wish to offer prayers during the day. Having an area of the school designated for prayer may be helpful to staff and students alike.
Share greetings and kind works with employees, coworkers, and employers. Wishing someone "Ramadan Kareem" or "Happy Ramadan" can be just the pick me up a person needs at the end of a long day of fasting.
Sharing and Understanding
Eid al-Fitr
What is Eid?
Eid al-Fitr
Eid (Day of Festivity) is celebrated by Muslims twice a year. The first Eid is celebrated after the end of the month of fasting, called Ramadan. The second Eid is celebrated beginning on the tenth day of the twelfth Islamic month.
At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate one of their major holidays called Eid al-Fitr or the “Festival of the Breaking of the Fast.” Children traditionally receive new clothes, money or gifts from parents, relatives and friends. A special prayer and sermon are held the morning of Eid day, followed by a community celebration usually in a park or large hall. Food, games and presents for children are important parts of the festivities, as friends and family spend the day socializing, eating and reuniting with old acquaintances.
Children may receive gifts on Eid as a reward for patience during the month of fasting and to celebrate the joyous occasion of the holiday. Clothes, money, toys, and perfume are all common gifts.
Eid is celebrated with a large, community-wide prayer service in the morning, followed by meals and conversation with friends and family. A mandatory charity called Zakat al-Fitr is collected before the prayer and distributed to the poor and needy to ensure all can participate in the festivities.
Glossary Of Terms
Eid: A day of festivity; major religious holiday.
Halal: Permissible under Islamic law.
Hij’ab: Clothing Muslim women wear in public. It is generally loose-fitting and includes a head covering.
Jum ‘ah: Friday congregational prayer, the Muslim weekly worship service.
Kufi: A cap sometimes worn by Muslim men.
Qur’an: Islam’s scripture, sometimes spelled as Koran.
Ramadan: The month of fasting.
Iftar: The big meal to break the fast after sunset.
Suhoor: is a meal taken just before sunrise, before the day of fasting starts.
Hajj: Pilgrimage to the city of Mecca.
Wudu: The practice of ritual washing by Muslims before daily prayer.
Salah: The ritual prayer of Muslims, performed five times daily.
Taraweeh: Also called Night Ramadhan prayer: is derived from the Arabic word meaning “to rest and relax”. These special prayers involve reading long portions of the Qur’an, as well as performing many rakahs (cycles of movement involved in Islamic prayer).