What is Ramadan? [Part 1]

Ramadan is a name for the 9^th month of the Islamic calendar .and the Islamic calendar follows a lunar calendar which basically means that the calendar uses the moon to count the number of days of the year. The lunar calendar has been in use by prophets and peoples in the past.

It is mentioned on the Holy Quran  

“

It is He Who causes the dawn to split forth, and has ordained the night for repose, and the sun and the moon for measuring time. All this is determined by Allah the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

”

Surah 6 Al-An’am, Ayat 96

The reason i am emphasizing this point is because our brothers and sisters in humanity i.e. Christians, atheist, agnostic and others sometimes without having a proper knowledge about Islam and their own scriptures wrongfully accuse Muslims of  worshiping the moon. And it’s silly since Allah swt destroys this claim in the following verse bellow.

“
And of His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Do not prostrate yourselves before the sun, nor before the moon, but prostrate yourselves before Allah Who created them, if it is Him that you serve.

”

Surah 41 Fussilat, Ayat 37

So it is clear according to the Quran we Muslims don’t worship the moon or any creations for that matter rather we worship the creator of all things Allah swt. I will be writing another article on what Allah mean in details in near future but it just means the creator of everything that exist in Arabic language.

But what’s more ironic about their claim is that we can also find in the Old and New Testament versus which explicitly mention that the moon is created for measuring the days of the year too.  The following versus is from the book of

Ecclesiasticus 43:5-43:8

⁵ Great is the Lord that made it; and at his commandment runneth hastily.

⁶ He made the moon also to serve in her season for a declaration of times, and a sign of the world.

⁷ From the moon is the sign of feasts, a light that decreaseth in her perfection.

⁸ The month is called after her name, increasing wonderfully in her changing, being an instrument of the armies above, and shining in the firmament of heaven;

Going back to our topic Ramadan. For practicing Muslims it is not just one of the month from the calendar. since it is the month that the holy Quran was sent down to earth and revealed to the whole of mankind and Muslims are told to fast on this Holy month.

“

The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur’ān was revealed as guidance for mankind, and as clear signs that show the right way and distinguish between right and wrong. So those of you who witness the month must fast in it. But the one who is sick, or is on a journey (should fast) as much from other days (as he missed). Allah intends (to provide) ease for you and does not intend (to create) hardship for you. All this is so that you may complete the number (of fasts as prescribed) and that you should exalt the greatness of Allah for His having guided you and that you may give thanks.

“

Surah 2 Al-Baqarah, Ayat 185

“

O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous 

“

Surah 2 Al-Baqarah, Ayat 183

And fasting the month of Ramadan is also one of the 5 pillars of Islam there is a famous Hadith and hadith are a saying of prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) recorded in many authentic collections mainly the following 5 books of hadith (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim. Sunan Abu Dawud .Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Sunan al-Nasa’i, Sunan Ibn Majah)

So the hadith that refer to the 5 pillars of Islam is the following:

On the authority of Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar bin al-Khattab, radiyallahu ‘anhuma, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, say:

“Islam is built upon five: to worship Allah and to disbelieve in what is worshiped besides him, to establish prayer, to give charity, to perform Hajj pilgrimage to the house, and to fast the month of Ramadan “

[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Based on this prophetic saying and other versus of the Quran Islam have 5 pillars and fasting the month of Ramadan is one of them. As a Muslim fasting this month more than anything is a means of obeying the creator and following he’s commandment,

But there are many benefits of fasting on this month and there are also do’s and don’ts to follow as a Muslim and in sha Allah(God willing) in the next parts of this article we will be looking at those points and much more.

My intention for writing this article is to give advice and share knowledge to Muslims and specially non-Muslims about this beautiful way of life.

Anything good I have said is from Allah and every mistake is from my own.