fasting and nightly feasts. Here's a look at some questions and answers about Islam's holiest month:
WHY DO MUSLIMS FAST?
The
fast is intended to bring the faithful closer to God and to remind them
of the suffering of those less fortunate. Muslims often donate to
charities during the month and feed the hungry.
Fasting
is an exercise in self-restraint. It's seen as a way to physically and
spiritually detoxify by kicking impulses like morning coffee, smoking
and midday snacking.
Ramadan
is a time to detach from worldly pleasures and focus on one's prayers.
Many Muslims dress more conservatively during Ramadan and spend more
time at the mosque than at any other time of the year.
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with
the Muslim declaration of faith, daily prayer, charity, and performing
the hajj pilgrimage in Mecca.
HOW DO MUSLIMS FAST?
Observant
Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk for the
entire month of Ramadan, with a single sip of water or a puff of a
cigarette considered enough to invalidate the fast.
Muslim
scholars say it's not enough to just avoid food and drinks during the
day, though. Spouses must abstain for sexual intercourse during the day,
and Muslims should not engage in road rage, cursing, fighting or
gossiping.
Muslims are also encouraged to
observe the five daily prayers on time and to use their downtime just
before breaking their fast at sunset to recite Quran and intensify
remembrance of God.
To
prepare for the fast, Muslims eat what is commonly called "suhoor," a
pre-dawn meal of power foods to get them through the day.
HOW DO MUSLIMS BREAK THEIR FAST?
Muslims
traditionally break their fast like the Prophet Muhammad did some 1,400
years ago, with a sip of water and some dates at sunset. That first sip
of water is by far the most anticipated moment of the day.
After a sunset prayer, a large
feast known as "iftar" is shared with family and friends. Iftar is a
social event as much as it is a gastronomical adventure. Across the Arab
world, juices made from apricots are a staple at Ramadan iftars. In
South Asia and Turkey, yogurt-based drinks are popular.
Across
the Muslim world, mosques and aid organizations set up tents and tables
for the public to eat free iftar meals every night of Ramadan.
CAN MUSLIMS BE EXEMPTED FROM FASTING?
Yes.
There are exceptions for children, the elderly, the sick, women who are
pregnant or menstruating and people traveling, which could include
athletes during tournaments.
Many Muslims, particularly those
who live in the U.S. and Europe, are accepting and welcoming of others
around them who are not observing Ramadan. They also are not expecting
shorter work hours, as is the case in the public sector across much of
the Arab world during Ramadan.
However,
non-Muslims or adult Muslims who eat in public during the day can be
fined or even jailed in some Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, home to large Western expat
populations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile,
minority Chinese Uighur Muslims complain of heavy restrictions by the
Communist Party, such as bans on fasting by party members, civil
servants, teachers and students during Ramadan, as well as generally
enforced bans on children attending mosques, women wearing veils and
young men growing beards.
WHAT ARE SOME RAMADAN TRADITIONS?
Typically, the start of the
month is welcomed with greetings such as "Ramadan mubarak!" Another
hallmark of Ramadan is nightly prayer at the mosque among Sunni Muslims
called "taraweeh."
In Egypt, a
common sight during Ramadan is a lantern called the "fanoos," which is
often the centerpiece at an iftar table and can be seen hanging in
window shops and balconies.
In
the Arabian Gulf countries, wealthy sheikhs hold "majlises" where they
open their doors for people to pass by all hours of the night for food,
tea, coffee and conversation.
Increasingly
common are Ramadan tents in five-star hotels that offer lavish and
pricey meals from sunset to sunrise. While Ramadan is a boon for
retailers in the Middle East and South Asia, critics say the holy month
is increasingly becoming commercialized.
Scholars
are also disturbed by the proliferation of evening television shows
during Ramadan. In Pakistan, live game shows give away gifts promoting
their sponsors. In the Arab world, monthlong soap operas starring
Egypt's top actors rake in millions of dollars in advertising.
HOW DO MUSLIMS MARK THE END OF RAMADAN?
The
end of Ramadan is marked by intense worship as Muslims seek to have
their prayers answered during "Laylat al-Qadr" or "the Night of
Destiny." It is on this night, which falls during the last 10 nights of
Ramadan, that Muslims believe that God sent the Angel Gabriel to the
Prophet Muhammad and revealed the first versus of the Quran.
Some devout Muslims go into reclusion those final days, spending all of their time in the mosque.
The end of Ramadan is celebrated by a three-day holiday called Eid al-Fitr. Children often receive new clothes, gifts and cash.
Muslims attend early morning Eid prayers the day after Ramadan. Families
usually spend the day at parks and eating — now during the day.
Source:AP
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