Michigan State University
1. Why is Ramadan called Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and lasts either 29 or 30 days, depending on when the new crescent moon is, or should be, visible.
The Arabic term Ramadan connotes intense heat. It seems that in pre-Islamic Arabia, Ramadan was the name of a scorching hot summer month. In the Islamic calendar, however, the timing of Ramadan varies from year to year. This year Ramadan will begin at sunset on March 11, give or take a day depending on when the new moon is sighted. An Islamic year is roughly 11 days shorter than a Gregorian year.
2. What is the significance of Ramadan?
Ramadan is a period of fasting and spiritual growth and is one of the five “pillars of Islam” – the others being the declaration of faith, daily prayer, alms-giving and the pilgrimage to Mecca. Able-bodied Muslims are expected to abstain from eating, drinking and sexual relations from dawn to sunset each day of the month. Many practicing Muslims also perform additional prayers, especially at night, and attempt to recite the entire Quran. The prevailing belief among Muslims is that it was in the final 10 nights of Ramadan that the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
3. What is the connection between soul and body that the observance of Ramadan seeks to explain?
The Quran states that fasting was prescribed for believers so that they may be conscious of God. By abstaining from things that people tend to take for granted (such as water), it is believed, one may be moved to reflect on the purpose of life and grow closer to the creator and sustainer of all existence. As such, engaging in wrongdoing effectively undermines the fast. Many Muslims also maintain that fasting allows them to get a feeling of poverty and this may foster feelings of empathy.
4. Can Muslims skip fasting under certain conditions? If so, do they make up missed days?
All those who are physically limited (for example, because of an illness or old age) are exempt from the obligation to fast; the same is true for anyone who is traveling. Those who are able to do so are expected to make up the missed days at a later time. One could potentially make up all of the missed days in the month immediately following Ramadan, the month of Shawwal. Those unable to fast at all, if they are financially able, are expected to provide meals to the needy as an alternative course of action.
5. What is the significance of 29 or 30 days of fasting?
By fasting over an extended period of time, practicing Muslims aim to foster certain attitudes and values that they would be able to cultivate over the course of an entire year. Ramadan is often likened to a spiritual training camp.
Besides experiencing feelings of hunger and thirst, believers often have to deal with fatigue because of late-night prayers and pre-dawn meals. This is especially true during the final 10 nights of the month. In addition to being the period in which the Quran was believed to have been first revealed, this is a time when divine rewards are believed to be multiplied. Many Muslims will offer additional prayers during this period.
6. Do Muslims celebrate the completion of Ramadan?
The end of Ramadan marks the beginning of one of two major Islamic holidays Eid al-Fitr, the “festival of the breaking of the fast.” On this day, many Muslims attend a religious service, visit relatives and friends and exchange gifts.
This is an updated version of an article originally published on May 22, 2017.
We live and we learn if we are fortunate enough to live. Sadly, too many obituaries are of young adults who were barely starting life. Some young adults don't think that much about the past because so much of life is in front of them – they hope. Most of us believe life is in front of us. It’s difficult to imagine not existing, but as we all know, life ends.
If you live long enough you’ll make enough mistakes that will embarrass you, worry you, frighten you or simply make you wonder if God is mad enough to assign you to an everlasting hell. Usually, the pain or aggravation of life’s past problems, valleys, hurts and pain is enough hell for all of us. If hell is any worse than the weight of life’s regrets, sorrows and foul-ups then it surely is more than a terrible place.
People who live long lives typically remember fifty years ago like it’s today. Throughout all of life, sadly, what we often are weighted down by are our transgressions or mistakes. Often it may not be some egregious sin but simply something we wish we could do one more time because we know if we could try again we could do it better. Unfortunately we don’t get a second chance.
We have one opportunity to raise our children. We have one span of time to be good to our parents. We have one brief work career that we both work hard and do well or fiddle diddle away. Hind sight is always 20/20 but at the time we can’t stop long enough to see what we are doing.
Most of the time our lives are filled with good deeds, lots of good events and lots of good memorable occasions that we should dwell more upon. We forget most of these but the bad stuff always rises to the top. Bad stuff is like bad news. Bad news travels fast. Good news may or may not get around. The bad stuff is typically what climbs its way to the top of our minds and camps there to torment us.
The work of the Devil is surely to imprison us if possible. The work of Jesus is to set us free. I heard a parable about Jesus seeing the Devil with a cage. Inside the cage the Devil had a man.
Jesus said, “Old Devil, what are you going to do with that man?”
The Devil replied, “Hurt him, torture him and make his life hell.”
Jesus then asked, “Old Devil, what would you take to set that man free?”
With a hiss of hate the Devil looked at Jesus with a sinister stare and said, “Every ounce of your blood.”
Keep in mind this day that Jesus has paid the price for your freedom. Don’t worry about it anymore.
