Ramadan Mubarak (Blessed Ramadan)
By Fedwa Wazwaz, Engage Minnesota
“O who believe, fasting is decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you; perchance you will guard yourselves.”
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“The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down, a guidance for the people, and clear verses of guidance and criterion.”
Quran: Chapter 2, 183]
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“The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down, a guidance for the people, and clear verses of guidance and criterion.”
Quran: Chapter 2, 183]
The fourth pillar of Islam is Sawm, or fasting in the month of Ramadan. Fasting is also practiced in many other religions and is mentioned in the Torah and Bible as well as in Hindu scriptures. Observant Christians fast during Lent by giving up a particular food. Hindus fast on certain days of the week or on holidays, and for Jews, the most important day of fasting is on Yom Kippur, which lasts a little over a day.
Ramadan is the 9th month in the Islamic Calendar. Because Ramadan follows the lunar calendar, it rotates through the seasons, moving back around eleven days each year. Last year, Ramadan started on August 1st and this year, the Islamic Society of North America, declared Ramadan to begin on July 20th, 2012.
