Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic hijri calendar. It was during the month of Ramadan that the Holy Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in the cave of Hira in Mecca. Muslims all over the world, observe this month by fasting, praying, giving charity or zakat, reciting the Holy Quran and abstaining from food and drink from dawn to dusk with the intention of doing so as an act of worship.
It is stated in the Quran: "O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may gain Taqwa (piety)." (2: 183)
~Those who are exempt from fasting:
Fasting in Ramadan is obligatory upon every Muslim who has reached the age of puberty, is mentally and physically healthy and who is able to fast without fasting being hazardous to his health due to illness. The sick, the travelers and young children are not obliged to fast. Pregnant women and breast feeding mothers can also miss the fast but must compensate for the missed days afterwards.
~The prohibited acts during fasting
"Whoever does not abandon evil speech and acting upon it, then Allah is in no need for him to leave off his food and drink."(Agreed upon)
A fasting person abstains from food, drink, and physical relationship with the spouse. In addition to this, he must also abstain from all unlawful things which can nullify his fast. He must refrain from backbiting, quarreling, slander, swearing and using offensive language. All day long, he should try to stop himself from all acts of sins and transgression otherwise he will not gain any blessings from his fasting.
~The pre-dawn meal (Suhoor):
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Take up your suhoor, for verily in the suhoor, there is a blessing."(Bukhari)
Some people do not get up for the pre dawn meal and prefer to sleep which is not a good thing. Eating a good, nutritious meal at dawn makes sure we have enough energy for school and work during the day. If we really want to enjoy the spirit of Ramadan, then we should get up before dawn and then say our fajr prayers in mosque or at home.
~A Special Time:
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "He who fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven."(Bukhari)
Just before the azaan for the maghrib prayers echoes through the air, millions of people raise their hands to say special prayers for health, prosperity, good fortune and happiness of their family, country and the entire Muslim Ummah. It is a time when prayers are accepted most by Allah. People ask for forgiveness for their sins and mistakes. We must always try to finish our preparations for iftaar sometime before the maghrib prayers and use these last minutes to pray fervently.
~Breaking the fast ( Iftaar):
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "My nation would continue to be on my Sunnah as long as they do not wait for the stars to come out before breaking the fast." [Ibn Hibbaan] It is important to hasten breaking the fast as soon as the sun sets because this was the practice of the Allah's Messenger and his companions.
It is best to break the fast in accordance with traditions of Prophet Muhammad who used to eat an odd number of fresh dates in iftaar. If they are unavailable, dry dates would do. If there are no dates at hand then the tradition is to drink water to break the fast. (Abu Dawud)
Muslims can say this du'a or supplication at the time of breaking the fast:
"The thirst has been quenched, the veins have been nourished, and the reward has been fixed, by the will of Allah."
During iftaar, we must remember to eat slowly and not stuff ourselves with a lot of food at once. Neighbors send iftaar food to each other while most Muslims prefer to feed the poor. It is not uncommon to see rows and rows of hungry people being handed iftaar at mosques, busy markets, roadside and shrines in Muslim countries. Feeding the poor is considered a great act of charity and more so during Ramadan.
~Feeding a fasting person:
Ramadan is a time to do righteous deeds. From among these good and preferred deeds is the feeding of the fasting person because of the numerous rewards for this act.
The Prophet said: "Whoever gives someone something to break the fast with, he would have the same blessings as the fasting person and this would not reduce the blessings of the fasting person in any way." [Ahmad and Tirmidhee]
If someone is invited for iftaar, then he should accept to the invitation. It is also recommended for the guest to pray for his host after finishing eating his food as this was the practice of Allah's Messenger
~Reading the Quran:
Ramadan is the month in which Allah revealed the final scripture, the Holy Quran to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). One the best ways a Muslim can observe Ramadan is to recite, revise, memorize and act upon the verses of the Holy Quran. Many Muslims strive to read the Qur'an in Arabic at least once during this month.
~Taraweeh Prayers:
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever stands up in night prayers during Ramadan out of faith, and seeking reward from Allah, his previous sins will be forgiven." (Muslim)
Another unique feature of Ramadan is the Taraweeh prayers. After the Isha prayers in mosques, people say special prayers in which a section of the Quran is read each day. This way the entire Holy Quran is recited in the course of the whole month. Taraweeh prayers can be offered at home as well but it is best to perform them at the mosque with other worshippers.
~Aitikaaf
One of the best actions a Muslim can observe during these blessed days is to detach oneself from all worldly affairs and spending all their time in the mosque, engaging in worship of Allah. This form of worship is called "aitika'af". The worshipping Muslims remain in mosques and come out after the Shawaal moon is sighted, announcing the Eid-ul-Fitr.
~The last ten days of Ramadan:
The last ten nights of Ramadan are very important for the Muslims. They should engage in great deal of worship because of Laylatul Qadar (The Eve of Decree), which falls on one of the evenings of the odd days of the last ten days of Ramadan. Muslims should increase their reading of the Quran, night prayer, zikr (words of remembrance of Allah), charity, and other virtuous deeds. It is stated in Surah Al Qad'r that Allah has deemed this night of peace better than a thousand months of prayers and worship. Muslims should pray throughout this night asking for forgiveness and blessings from Allah.
~Thinking of those in need:
The reward of doing good deeds in Ramadan is multiplied many times. People pay their zakat, fitrana and other charity during Ramadan. We must make special efforts to help those struck by natural disasters like earthquake or floods or displaced by war.
Ramadan is not a month to be spent watching movies or sleeping all day and behaving as if we have no energy to do anything. It is a time to do good deeds and think of those less fortunate. It is a month to fast and pray and thank our Creator for the blessings He has bestowed upon us. The real test of success in Ramadan is whether or not one continues the good deeds he did during Ramadan, throughout the remaining year.
Have a blessed Ramadan!