WHAT RAMADAN IS ALL ABOUT“This is meant to be a brief cultural enlightenment to our non Muslim colleagues about the month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the name of the ninth month of the Higri year (including12 months) which is based on the moon annual rotation. So these are known as lunar year/months. A lunar month is either 29 days or 30 days, but never 28 or 31. Accordingly, it is established that a Higri year is 11 days short from the Calendar year. However, the beginning and end of Ramadan, or any other Higri month, is decided primarily upon the sighting of the moon (crescent) supported by astronomical calculations.The course of process for fixing the beginning/end of Ramadan, for instance, is that an ad hoc Committee of scholars sits on the 29th day of the preceding month specifically to receive and interview on oath individual witnesses who have seen the crescent that very evening (necessarily within the first 30 minutes after sun set because the tiny thread vanishes fast). In addition, another way of taking decision on sighting is through the exchange of information with similar Committees in other Islamic countries. So this practice will be repeated next week on Thursday 11 October in order to announce the end of this Ramadan month.Fasting in Ramadan simply is one of the Five Corners (basic obligations) of Islam that must be performed by any adult Muslim. In every Ramadan He/she is required to withhold eating, drinking and sexual contact during daytime from dawn (nowadays around 4.10 a.m.) up to sun set through the entire month. There are exceptions for those who can not tolerate fasting, i.e. in the cases of sickness, old age and pregnancy & motherhood. According to the teachings of Islam the act of fasting is primarily a matter of faith and submission to the order of Allah, but not because of regarding the act fasting as a good do for health or as an effective dieting regime, as medically established. Ramadan for Moslems is a month of divine rewards and forgiveness of sins (the same meaning as in Christianity, but the concept is different); that is why many people are very keen to observe the fasting ritual.

Scholars interpret that fasting in Ramadan is required so that people cease for a while to consider and remember the suffering of the poor and to share their anguish, pain, deprivation etc. Thus, people in Ramadan are used to hand out big amounts to the poor, and also it is a common place to offer food in the form of feasts and banquet to friends and next of kin. This is the cultural background of our Suhoor get together

“Ramadan Kareem” means it is a month of generosity, graciousness and benevolence; so when you salute a Muslim by saying “Ramadan Kareem” it is as if you are wishing him/her to win the rewards of fasting”
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