Kerala   

Harmonising the world

Muslims all over the world observe Ramzan during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It was during this holy month that the Holy Quran was revealed. This festival is also called Ramadan after the name of this month, which in Arabic means intense heat, scorched ground and famine. This month is considered the most blessed month of the Islamic year.

The highlight of this month is daytime fasting, which is practiced by most Muslims all round the world. The fasting is so intense that they don’t even swallow their oral fluids during the day. Every day during the Ramadan month, Muslims get up before dawn to eat and perform prayers.

They break their fast when the fourth prayer of the day is due.

This happens generally in the evening after sunset. The first food, breaking the fast, is generally taken at the mosque, after the prayers.

During Ramadan, Muslims indulge in activities benefiting the society and refrain from lying, stealing, cheating, anger, envy, greed, etc. Purity of thought and action is important.

Fasting is done as a self-sacrifice, which the Muslims believe brings them closer to God. It also keeps their minds away from worldly activities, cleansing their soul and keeping it at bay from harm.

Through this annual fasting, Muslims practice self-discipline, sacrifice and sympathy for the down-trodden. Ramadan is also a time when Muslims are supposed to slow down from their worldly affairs and focus on self reformation, spiritual cleansing and enlightenment and establish the link between God and themselves through prayer, charity and showing kindness and helping others. Like the Ramayan month of the Hindus, during the Ramadan month, Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Quran.

Being a festival of giving and sharing, Muslims prepare special food and buy gifts for the family and friends. They break the fast in the evenings by preparing sumptuous food, and enjoy it with the whole family assembling around one table. Ramadan is a time for shopping too.

This is the time Muslims buy new clothes, shoes, jewellery, etc.

Iftar parties are arranged to mark the end of the Ramadan month. This day is observed as Eid Al Fitr, when family and friends meet up and enjoy. It is considered unholy to fast on this day. It is also a day of forgetting old grudges and ill feelings towards other fellow beings.

In many Muslim and non Muslim countries with large Muslim populations, markets close down in the evening to enable people to perform prayer.

They reopen in the night and stay open for a good part of the night, to enable Muslims to do shopping, eat and spend time with their friends and family during the evening hours.

This brotherhood is looked upon as an example of social harmony, which could be practiced by all, irrespective of caste or creed.

Ambika Varma

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Two more vessels from Cochin shipyard
Harbingers of Navaratri
Applying celebration colours
Bharatanatyam performance today
In a world with no locks or crutches
Out comes slush
Piety rules
6 hurt as petrol tanker catches fire
Harmonising the world
Offence under BRA non-cognizable: court
Seminar series
Id today; festive mood in State
Muriyad: another leader on fast
Dharna in front of island office
DYFI plea to doctors
Value addition
Thiruvananthapuram Today
Plachimada stir completes 2,000 days
Not so happy days for KC(J)
Ragging: police raid hostel

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu