Ramadan of Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ramadan of Islam - Essay Example This is an annual tradition and is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam (Hedayetullah 84). As such, it can be said to be considered one of the most important aspects of being a Muslim and one cannot claim to be of this religion if they do not practice this act every year. Failing to do so is considered to be a sin of immense proportions and unthinkable for a devout Muslim. The length of this month is not set in stone but lasts between 29 and 30 days based upon the visual sightings of the crescent moon which signifies its close (Hedayetullah 88). Though this practice has to be upheld by all adult Muslims, there are certain exceptions that for various individuals whereby they may be excluded from participating in the fasting. These exceptions are in relation to an individual’s physical condition at the time of Ramadan such as if one is ill or a diabetic, in cases of women they are excepted if they are pregnant or happen to be going through their menstrual cycle at that p oint in time (Esposito 61). One is also allowed to be excluded from the fast if they are traveling as the Islam religion recognizes that one should eat to maintain their energies when involved in such an activity. Apart from the cases that have been mentioned above, every other Muslim is expected to uphold the practice of Ramadan when the time comes. Fasting during the time of Ramadan involves refraining form a number of things from a particular time of day (dawn) until a certain time (sunset) that is usually decided after calculations are done (Esposito 65). The time of the opening and closing of the fast during Ramadan may differ from region to region, but the period length remains the same everywhere. This is to say that, for example, individuals in a certain area that have began fasting at an earlier time than others in a different area will stop their fast before those who started after them (Tuner 43). During this period, one is to refrain from eating foodstuffs, drinking liqu ids, smoking, sexual relations and in some interpretations of the Quran, even swearing during this time is prohibited. Once the period of fast has closed, an individual is permitted to eat and drink again until the opening of the fast the next day. According to the Islam religion, it is believed that fasting brings about a lot of rewards (known as Sawab) from Allah and that during Ramadan, these rewards are multiplied and come in even more quantity for those who uphold the practice of Ramadan. Apart from refraining from the items and activities that have been mentioned, an individual is also expected to increase the number of times that they pray (known as salat) as well as their recitation of the Quran (Esposito 67). This is to note the devout nature of this time and indicate the fact that this period has been dedicated to Allah instead of the satisfaction of human desires. According to the Quran, Ramadan is considered to be the most sacred of all months as this is the time when th e Islamic prophet Muhammad first received revelations form Allah and thus as a result the Muslim faithful are to maintain its sacredness through fasting and prayer during this period of time. The beginning of Ramadan occurs with the Hilal and is usually a day or more after the appearance of the new moon. As the new moon is a sign of the beginning of the new month, one can safely