Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and the holy month of fasting, began August 1st at the sighting of the new moon.
Fasting during Ramadan is obligatory for all Muslims who are able; those who are sick, young, or traveling are exempted. The fast, in which Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from the break of dawn until sunset, lasts 30 days.
“Fasting is an action to prove our sincerity to Allah (God), it’s not only about staying away from food and drink, but to guard ourselves from all things that are undesirable,” says San Quentin Imam, Quazi Kawsar Hossain. “If we can stay away from the necessities of life, this proves that we can stay away from those things that Allah has forbidden.”
Fasting during the Holy month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith. In addition to refraining from food and drink during the sunlit hours of the day, Muslims are also forbidden from sex, smoking, uses of foul language or any other acts deemed impure under Islamic jurisprudence. Ramadan is a part of the year when Muslims increasingly spend time in prayer, Quranic recitation and focus on God consciousness and righteousness behavior.
Author Sheik Tajuddin B. Shutib writes in the book Essentials of Ramadan: “the wisdom behind fasting is an annual institution containing all conceivable attributes from human excellence. It is the training for the body and soul, a reward of life, encouraging the spirit of sharing and giving.”
The end of the Holy Month of Ramadan is celebrated by the feast, Eid al Fitr, where the entire world Muslim community feasts in celebration at the end of the fast.
Practitioners of the Islam faith believe that its precepts were revealed through Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon him), the last of a line of prophets, which include Abraham, Moses and Jesus. The Quran, Islam’s Holy Scriptures, are said to be the word of God revealed to Mohammed over the course of 23 years. Islam is a monotheistic faith with 1.6 billion adherents (or one fifth of the global population), in about 200 countries. It is the second largest and fastest growing religion in the world, according to some estimates.
—Aly Tamboura
contributed to this story
