All You Want To Know About Ramadan

[أبوسيف]

Ramadan
What is Ramadan?
Significance of Ramadan?
Fasting: What is it? Who fasts? Why?
Typical Ramadan Activities.
Eid-ul-Fitr: Marking the End of Ramadan.
Working with Muslim Colleagues.
Traveling to Muslim Countries.
Conclusions.

What is Ramadan?

Ninth month of the Hijri calendar (lunar calendar), this is year 1428.Ramadan is an Arabic word; its root “Ar-Ramad” means “dryness/heat.”
The Lunar calendar is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar.Thus, every year, Ramadan arrives 11 days earlier than previous one. It will take 30 more years until Ramadan falls in October again

Can You Spot the New Moon?
Start of Ramadan could differ from a place to another depending on ability to sight the moon

The Significance of
Ramadan

Month in which the Qur’an was
revealed
Special month of: Fasting, Repentance,
Increased prayer, Increased charity,
Soul focusing, and spirituality
Ends with the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr: Day of celebration and gratitude

The Significance of Ramadan
Ramadan is the 4th of the 5 pillars of Islam

1.
Shahadah - Declaration of faith
2.
Salah - Daily (5) prayers
3.
Zakah - Purification of wealth (2.5% of annual
savings go to the poor) Zakah is an Arabic
word, root “zaka” means to grow, to increase,
or to be pure in heart
4.
Siyam - Fasting during Ramadan is obligatory
to all adult Muslims except those who are
exempt
5.
Hajj- Pilgrimage to Makkah - obligatory once
in a lifetime for those who are physically and
financially able

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Fasting - What is it?
Fasting begins at the break of dawn and ends with sunset for a
month
1.
Physical Aspect:
•Refrain from food, drink, and intimacy during fasting hours Depending on ******** and season, it can vary from 12hrs to 17 hrs.
2.
Spiritual Aspect:
• Refrain from blameworthy thoughts and acts e.g. foul ********, vain talk, hurtful behavior, during all hours
Who fasts?
• All able Muslims except: children, unhealthy adults (mentally or physically), adults traveling long distances, and women who are in
post-childbirth care, menstruating, pregnant or breast-feeding

Fasting - Why?
1.
To attain taqwa “God consciousness
self-discipline Taqwa is anArabic word that comes from the root “wiqaya” which means prevention/protection
2.
Fasting person experiences some of the hardships of the poor and hungry
3.
Improves strength, endurance and self
discipline through physical abstentions
4.
Physiological effects include lowering of blood sugar, cholesterol and systolic blood pressure

Fasting - Why?
Spiritual objectives/benefits:
1.
Helps Muslims draw closer to Allah through increased recitation and reflection of the Qur’an and additional prayers/worship
2.
Aids in increase of iman (faith) and ihsan (sincerity and charity-giving)
3.
Aids in purification of the heart/soul and helps to improve one’s character
4.
Trains the person to do praise-worthy acts e.g. charity, kindness, generosity, patience, forgiveness

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The (typical) Activities of Ramadan
• Sahoor: Meal before dawn and the first
prayer of the day.
• Iftar: breaking of the fast at Sunset
(coincides with the 4th prayer).
• Ziarat: Social gatherings e.g. visiting
relatives, sharing food with neighbors,
friends, and the poor.
• Tarawih: Optional Prayers at early
night
• Qiraat: Reading of the Qur’ãn during
free time.
• Qiam: Optional late-night prayers in
the last 10 days.

Eid-ul-Fitr: Marking the End of Ramadan
The Eid-ul-Fitr Marks the end of the Month of Ramadan
Its activities include:
• Eid prayer in the early morning
• Visiting family, friends, neighbors, the sick, elderly etc
• Enjoying festive meals
• Modest gift-giving especially to children
Eid-ul-Fitr is also a time for generosity. Food is shared with those who can not afford it and many make donations to their local mosque
• Greeting: Eid Mubarak

Working with Muslim colleagues
1.
Before inviting Muslim colleagues, please ask if it OK to:
• Go to meetings which include lunch (usually it is OK)
• Stay for meetings extending after 5 p.m
• Participate in department parties during Ramadan
2.
Be understanding that it is the most special month in a Muslim’s calendar
3.
It is common to take vacation during the last week of Ramadan
4.
Eid/Biram Day is off, especially for those with family
5.
Greeting colleagues saying: “Ramadan Mubarak” is a very nice way to cross into a new culture
6.
If invited to share Iftar, try to make it… it will be fun!

Travel (to/from) and Working in Muslim Countries

• Holiday jams (to Muslim countries) begins about a week before end of Ramadan till 3 days after Eid.• It will be difficult to find seats out from Gulf area during 2nd half of Ramadan (people returning from Makkah)
• Traffic jams are common two hours before and after iftar … sometimes gridlocked traffic, e.g., Cairo & KL
• Restaurants are generally closed during daytime, although in tourist hotspots, some will continue to cater to foreigners
There is no law prohibiting non-Muslims to eat, drink or smoke during the day and most will not mind if you
do. On the other hand, they will respect you enormously when you show the courtesy not to do so, at least not in public
• Working hours in some companies end earlier during Ramadan; e.g. Companies in Brunei close after 1200; PDO at 13hrs, SENV at 1330 – Please plan accordingly!
• Eid Holiday: Eid is like Easter…. Muslim countries take 2-4 days off

Conclusions
• Ramadan is a month of fasting.
• Physical abstentions and intensification of acts of worship are a means towards attaining the spiritual objectives of self purification and improvement
• Essentially a month of training used to discipline/prepare oneself for the remainder of the year.
During the Month of Ramadan
• Be considerate of and supportive to the Muslims around you
Ramadan Mubarak TO ALL!

[ღ فجر الأحلام ღ]

thank you very

[قطرات الندى]

Salam Alikom Brother In Islam
Abou Syief
...... good effort
and very important topic to read
thank you so much

May Allah bless you
Ramadan Mubarak for you & your family

[أبوسيف]

المشاركة الأصلية كتبت بواسطة تحت السراج

thank you very

Assalamu alaykom wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatuh

Thanks a lot sister for your kind words and may Allah bless you

Jazaki Allahu Khairan

[silent whisper]

god bless you dear brother
and ramadan karem
good subject
thanks alot

[أبوسيف]

[quote=قطرات الندى;382502]

Assalamu alaykom wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatuh


Thanks a lot sister for your kind words


As a matter of fact, I have found this topic extremely useful to be read by either muslims and non-muslims, as it explains the month of Ramadan in a simple and lovely manner


By the way, this article has been introduced by a very famous oil company, SHELL, which have many staff working in muslim countries

Jazakum Allah Khairan

[أبوسيف]

المشاركة الأصلية كتبت بواسطة silent whisper

god bless you dear brother
and ramadan karem
good subject
thanks alot

Assalamu alaykom wa rahmatu Allah wa brakatuh

Thank you brother for your support and may almighty Allah gives you what you wish for


Jazaka Allahu Khairan

[ashraf3h4]

I was trying to find a good topic about Ramadan
but 1st i searched our forum then I found your great topic about Ramadan
it's really marvellous thanks dear for your effort
may Allah bless you