Ramadan begins on a different date every year. Ramadan occurs on the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, which begins and ends with the sighting of the new moon. Ramadan shaves off 11 +/- days each year. For example, last year Ramadan began on 1 September...this year 22 August...next year 11 August, give or take a day. Again, Ramadan depends on the evolution of the moon's phases. Muslims believe that the essence of Ramadan brings awareness and nearness to God, because it was during the lunar month of Ramadan that "the light of the Creator" was revealed through the discovery of the Qu'ran (holy book):
"Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of faith in Islam, and commemorates the month in which the first verses of the Holy Qu'ran were revealed to the Prophet Mohammed. (The other four pillars are belief in one God and his Messengers, prayer, charity to the poor, and making the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca). Ramadan is a time of worship and contemplation, and when the concerns of temporal existence recede."
After prayers at sunset, Iftar or the evening meal that breaks the fast, will commence and Muslims will spend the entire night through the wee hours past midnight eating communally with family and friends. At these gatherings people will set aside their differences and express thankfulness for what they've been given. It is not unlike our concept of Thanksgiving, except Muslims will conduct 30 days of it! At about 4:30 am Muslims will awake for Suhoor or pre-dawn prayers and meals, before sunrise finds them repeating the rituals from the day before.
Yesterday, daylight savings ended and we pushed our clocks back 1 hour early in readiness for Ramadan. To be frank, I'm not ready for it. I'm a little nervous actually. Think about it. 90% of the population will be hungry, dehydrated, hypoglycemic, chemically withdrawn, and sleep-deprived for about 12 hours x 30 days. And have I mentioned that all of these things are going on during the hottest month of the year? Sheesh! Needless to say my unease has validity. Granted abstinence of earthly pleasures is supposed to bring Muslims spiritual enlightenment by suffering the plight of the poor. I just hope they channel this while they're driving around in rush hour traffic. Inshallah! (In God's Will)
Ramadan Kareem (May Your Ramadan Be Blessed)
