Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. This year, Ramadan started on the evening of March 22 and will end April 20.
Vice president of the Muslim Student Association, Mohammed Alshemary, weighed in on what the holiday means to the Muslim community.
“Ramadan is the month of blessing and fasting. It is also the month when all the devils and demons are chained up away from us. It is the month where the holy Quran descended upon the prophet Muhammad,” Alshemary said.
“For me, it’s the month where I let go of my desires and temptations like eating and getting angry and focus more on worshiping God and supplicating to him.”
Ramadan is considered one of the holiest months for Muslims and is marked by a period of fasting, considered one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
The five pillars consist of the declaration of faith (Shahada), prayer (Salah), alms-giving (Zakat), fasting (Sawm) and pilgrimage (Hajj) – which constitute the basic norms of Islamic practice.
Before Ramadan begins, Muslims make an intention as a way to become closer to their God, Allah. The most important intention to make is to fast for Allah every day before dawn.
During Ramadan, fasting not only consists of abstaining from eating and drinking, but is also the action of not indulging in any desires and temptations.
There are, however, exceptions to breaking your fast and making it up later when you are able, such as traveling, a person who is sick, a pregnant woman or a person that is in dire need of food and drink.
The intention, or niyyah, may be made during the night before going to sleep, or it can also be made at the time of Suhoor before dawn. Suhoor is a meal that Muslims eat before fasting. It should be as close to Fajr, the daily morning prayer time, as possible.
“Next, we eat a decent meal in a short time before dawn or Suhoor. Once dawn breaks, we begin fasting until dusk. During the day, we have to make an effort not to break our fast, like indulging in our desires or eating and drinking anything,” Alshemary said.
“When I’m fasting, sure, I’m hungry and a little groggy, but I have the energy and the power to start my day to complete any tasks or work that I have. During the day, I just distract myself with anything to get my mind off of hunger.”
Muslims break their fast at dusk at the same time as the fourth prayer begins. When they hear the call for prayer, or Adhan, Muslims make a supplication before breaking their fast, usually with dates and water.
“Breaking our fast with dates is considered Sunnah or what the prophet Muhammad used to do. He used to break his fast with dates. Afterward, we all sit down with our family and friends for fatoor or the meal that we eat after we break our fast,” Alshemary said.
“Then we go to the mosque to perform our fifth and last prayer, known as ish’a, following it with a longer prayer which is not mandatory but recommended, known as Taraweeh.”
During the last ten days of Ramadan, there is a night called Qadr, or the Night of Decree. It is the night when the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammed.
“Ramadan is not just about not eating or drinking. It’s the month when we try to fix and correct ourselves for the better. It’s the month where your supplication gets answered more than any day or month in the year,” Alshemary said.
“It’s the month of change or purifying oneself for the better. It’s the month when we let go of our desires. It’s the month of forgiveness, mercy and protection. It’s the month of giving and acceptance.”
For more information about the Islam religion or Muslim community at UW, contact the Muslim Student Association.
