Five Things To Know About Ramadan 2012

The holiest month in the Islamic faith — Ramadan — takes place from July 20 through Aug. 18, according to the Fiqh Council of North America.

The month of Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar,  is recognized and practiced all around the world for 28 to 30 days every  year.

It is one of the five pillars of Islam and is known to be month of  reflection and complete submission to Allah (God). Despite the number of  historic events that took place in this holy month, here are five  things everyone should know about Ramadan.

1. Ramadan is recognized to be the month in which the first  verses of the holy Quran were revealed to the Islamic prophet,  Muhammad. Layalat Al-Qadir is said to be the anniversary of the  actual day when the Quran was presented to Muhammad and in English it is  known as “the night of power”. Layalat al-Qadir usually falls within  the last 10 days of Ramadan. On this night, thousands of Muslims gather  together–usually in a mosque–to pray, recite Quran and worship until  sunrise. Recitation of the entire Quran is also important to achieve  throughout this month.

2. Throughout this month, Muslims do not eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset. Fasting in Arabic is called sawm, and in English that means refrain.  Fasting is supposed to teach self-descipline, patience and spirituality.  However, participating in Ramadan is much more than not eating and  drinking. People are encouraged to restrain themselves from any type of  haram (sin). That includes backbiting, gossip, looking at unlawful  things and using obscene words.

3. When Muslims break their fast it is called “Iftar." But  Muslims don’t break their fast on just any food. Most take their first  bite of the day from a fresh or dry date. This is preferred because the  prophet Muhammad used to break his fast on these middle-eastern fruits.  If dates cannot be found, water is a good second choice.

4. Family bonding time is cherished and looked forward to in the month of Ramadan.  Everyone’s busy schedules are put on hold as they get together around  the dinner table to share the first and most important meal of the day.  Typically, large amounts of food are prepared for iftar that include  soup, salad, appetizers, a main course and dessert.

5. Eid Al-Fatur is the day that follows the last day of Ramadan.  It is the Muslim holiday that is celebrated after a new moon is  sighted. People celebrate the Eid beginning with Salat al-Eid, a  specific prayer for the day and visit family and close friends. Similar  to Christmas or other religious holidays, Muslims tend to decorate their  homes with lights and banners and exchange gifts that are usually  clothes or money.

Ramadan Mubarak (Have a blessed Ramadan)!