Ramadan is not a holy day to Muslims, but a holy month. It is the ninth month of the Islamic year, in which "the Quran was sent down as a guidance for the people" {1}. Ramadan is similar to the Jewish Yom Kippur in that both constitute a period of atonement; Ramadan, however, is seen less as atonement and more as an obedient response to a command from Allah. {2}
During Ramadan, those who are able must abstain from food and drink (including water), evil thoughts and deeds, and sexual intercourse from dawn until dusk for the entire month. Because the holiday cycles through the solar year, this fast can be much more challenging in some years than others. When Ramadan falls in the summer season, the days of fasting are longer and it is a greater hardship to do without water.
Non-Muslims in Islamic countries during Ramadan must be careful not to eat, drink, or smoke in the presence of Muslims during the daytime hours of
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The end of the fast is celebrated with one of two Islamic festivals, 'Id al-Fitr. {4}
Fasting during Ramadan
Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, improvement and increased devotion and worship. Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam. The fast (sawm) begins at dawn and ends at sunset. In addition to abstaining from eating and drinking, Muslims also increase restraint, such as abstaining from sexual relations and generally sinful speech and behavior.
The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the soul by freeing it from harmful impurities. Ramadan also teaches Muslims how to better practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate; thus encouraging actions of generosity and compulsory charity
The holidays celebrated by Lebanese Americans can vary depending on their religious views. Many Lebanese Christians celebrate the feast days of saints, Christmas and Easter. “Muslims celebrate three major holidays: Ramadan (the 30-day period of daytime fasting); 'Eid al Fitr, a five-day holiday that marks the end of Ramadan; and 'Eid al-Adha, the "Feast of the Sacrifice," which commemorates Abraham's agreement with God that he would sacrifice his son Ishmael” (Hajar & Jones, n.d.). The holidays celebrated can affect the food choices of this culture during the celebration period.
Their religion, women, kids, and beliefs play a big role in the culture. Islam is the religion that claims a vast majority of the Iraqi population, the majority of the Iraqi’s identify with the Arab culture. The second-largest cultural group is the Kurds, who are in the highlands and mountain valleys of the north in a politically autonomous settlement. The Kurds occupy the provinces of As Sulaymaniyah, Dahuk and Irbil, the area of which is referred to as Kurdistan. Almost all Iraqi’s speak, read, and write their official language, Arabic. As in Kurdistan, they speak Kurdish so they can distinguish between the Iraqi’s and the Kurds. There are five pillars of Islam: praise of Allah as the only God, with Muhammad as his prophet, prayer five times per day, alms-giving, fasting, and pilgrimage to Mecca. Ramadan falls on the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. This month consists of a period of fasting from all food, drink, and activities such as smoking and sexual intercourse during daylight hours. At nighttime the fasting is no longer required, in other words, you can do what you cannot during the
For example: you can have your last meal of the day at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Next day, you can eat breakfast at 9 in the morning. That’s an easy 16 hours of fasting.
Hajj the Sacred Mosque Islam has two main celebrations. The first is after the completion of Ramadan, the Islamic month during which Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset as part of an effort towards self-purification. This holiday is known as Eid ul-Fitr. The second main celebration takes place during the time of the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Makkah. This week-long event occurs during the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, and it's a holiday known as Eid ul-Adha.
The iconic set of rules that Islam follows are the Five Pillars of Islam. They are a set of rules that are expected of all Muslims, or followers of Islam, in order to achieve eternal glorification. Some of the pillars include the Shahada which is the confession that Allah is the one true God and Muhammad is his trusted prophet, the Salat which are prayers said five times a day facing Mecca, the Zakat which is the giving of alms, the Shawm which is a fast during Ramadan, and the Hajj which is a pilgrimage that all Muslims, that are able, must take to Mecca. The sacred text that Muslims follow is titled the Quran. The Quran consists of teachings that Muhammad wrote while being divinely inspired by Allah.
.... For a Muslim, Friday is the holy day and special services are held in early to mid-afternoon. The Mosque is open seven days a week and available for each of the daily prayers.
In the last fifty or so years, we have turned fasting into a way to lose a few pounds for a big event....or as a way to bounce back after weeks of "splurging". There are fasts (aka cleanses) that range from only drinking water, to drinking water/lemon/cayenne pepper, to only juicing, to now only brothing.
Throughout the day, we concentrate on prayer, repentance, and self-improvement before returning to our usual daily routine after the holiday.” This holiday reflects on Judaism’s teachings because Judaism has a deep regard for life, it is never meant to jeopardize health but is supposed to allow an individual or community to strive to become more caring and more willing to others and the world around them. When fasting, individuals ask for forgiveness and families are at peace. Therefore, holidays are meant not to be done for the sake of God but for the sake of humanity. Specifically, stated by Brodd, these holidays are said to be, “dedicated to the belief that both individual and whole societies are capable of changing their behavior and that through active repentance, they are even capable of drawing closer to each other and to God.”
...ons believe in fasting as stated in the holy books. Both Holy books state that followers should pray to God and Allah for it is considered holy and right (Jaoudi, 7).
It is intended for this to be held on the anniversary of the miracle on the night of the fifteenth of Nissan, but because the fifteenth is Passover, the fast is instead held on the fourteenth so as not to fast on a Festival day. Also, we fast specifically on the fourteenth because of the humbleness of the firstborn Jews. They acknowledged that almighty power and sovereignty were his alone, which contradicted with the Egyptians who were filled with pride and foolishness, and neglected the power of the Lord.
Asad, Khadija J.. "The Muslim Diet." Higgins Counterterrorism Research Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. .
Pinelli, N.R. & Jaber, L.A. (2011). Practices of Arab American patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus during Ramadan. Journal of Pharmacy Practice. 24(2), 211-215.
Some things fasting can help with reduced inflammation, oxidative damage, boost the energy metabolism, and give more cellular protection.