FAQ ON RAMADAN AND ISLAMIC FASTING

Q: What is Ramadan?
A: Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. In this month Muslims all over the world fast from dawn to dusk.

Q: When does Ramadan begin?
A: Muslims follow the Islamic lunar calendar which is about eleven days shorter than the Georgian calendar. The beginning of the Islamic lunar months depends on the actual sighting of the new moon. Thus Ramadan begins on a different day each year. This year Ramadan will most likely begin on November 17, 2001 and is expected to end on December 15, 2001.

Q: Is it not an inconvenience to begin the fasting period at different times during a year?
A: No, on the contrary the lunar calendar gives us a chance of fasting during different seasons of the year. Throughout a Muslim's lifetime, Ramadan will fall both during winter and fall months, when the days are short, and spring and summer months, when the days are long and the fast is little more difficult. In this way, the difficulty of the fast is evenly distributed between Muslims living in the northern and southern hemispheres.

Q: What is meant by fasting during Ramadan?
A: In Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food, drink, smoking and other sensual pleasures from dawn to dusk. The fast is performed to obey God’s command with an aim to inculcate discipline, humbleness and self-restraint, to experience what the poor and destitute feel, and to develop the noble habit of generosity.

Q: How did the fast during Ramadan become obligatory for Muslims?
A: The revelations from God to Prophet Muhammad that would eventually be compiled as the Qur’an began in the year 610 CE. The fast of Ramadan did not become a religious obligation for Muslims until the year 624 CE. The obligation to fast is explained in the second chapter of the Qur’an:
"O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may become careful about your duties toward God ... Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting..." (The Qur’an, Chapter 2, verses 183 and 185)

Q: Do Muslims gain anything from fasting?
A: The main benefits of Ramadan are an increased humbleness and compassion for those in need of the necessities of life, a sense of self-purification and reflection, and a renewed focus on spirituality. Muslims also appreciate the feeling of togetherness shared by family and friends throughout the month. Perhaps the greatest practical benefit is the yearly lesson in self-restraint and discipline that is carried forward to other aspects of a Muslim's life.

Q: Can a Muslim fast with an intention to lose weight during Ramadan?
A: The primary intention should always be to fast in obedience to God’s command. Experience show that some people lose weight, but others may not. It is recommended that meals eaten during Ramadan be light, but most people cannot resist sampling special sweets and foods associated with the season of fasting. In the multi-million business of weight losing in North America, many people are anxious of losing weight. There is nothing wrong if one were to achieve this as a secondary objective of fasting (:-

Q: Isn't it difficult to perform the fast in North America?
A: In many ways, fasting in North American society is easier than fasting in areas where the climate is extremely hot. This year at least, the number of daylight hours will be less than when Ramadan occurs during the spring or summer. In Muslim countries, most people are observing the fast, so there are fewer temptations such as luncheon meetings, daytime celebrations and offers of food from friends. Many American Muslims would prefer a daytime work shift during Ramadan so that they may break the fast with their families and attend evening prayers.

Q: Do all Muslims fast in Ramadan?
A: Fasting is compulsory for all Muslims who are mentally and physically fit, past the age of puberty, in a settled situation (not traveling), and are sure that fasting is unlikely to cause real physical or mental injury.

Q: Who are exempted from fasting?
A: The following are exempted from fasting during Ramadan: Children under the age of puberty, the sick, seniors for whom fast causes unbearable hardships, pregnant women for whom fasting is harmful for self or for the fetus, nursing mothers who fear that fasting causes difficulties for the self or the child she nurses, the menstruating women, the travelers on journeys and those who are mentally incapacitated or not responsible for their actions.

Q: What about children, can they fast voluntarily?
A: Muslim children under the age of puberty can fast with the permission and supervision of their parents. The parents will help them develop the practice of fasting gradually so that when the children reach the age of puberty they are mentally and physically prepared to fast in Ramadan. If a child cannot or does not feel like continuing the fast, he/she will be allowed to break the fast before dusk without blame or penalty.

Q: What is the approximate number of Muslims in North America and around the world?
A: Demographers say there are an estimated 600,000 Muslims in Canada, 6 million in the United States and some 1.2 billion worldwide.

Q: How can non-Muslim co-workers and friends help someone who is fasting?
A: Employers, co-workers and teachers can help by understanding the significance of Ramadan and by showing a willingness to make minor allowances for its physical
demands. Special consideration can be given to such things as requests for vacation time, the need for flexible early morning or evening work schedules and lighter homework assignments. It is also very important that Muslim workers and students be given time to attend Eid prayers at the end of Ramadan. Eid is as important to Muslims as Christmas and Yom Kippur are to Christians and Jews. A small token such as a card (there are Eid cards available from Muslim bookstores) or baked goods given to a Muslim co-worker during Eid ul-Fitr would also be greatly appreciated. Hospital workers should be aware that vitamin injections and oral medications break the fast. Patients should be given the opportunity to decide whether or not their condition exempts them from fasting.

Q: What are the traditional practices for the month of Ramadan?
A: Many practices can be seen in various cultures and ethnical groups. However, the following four practices are universal among all Muslims.

• Suhoor, i.e. Waking up before dawn to eat something before the commencement of the fast.
• Futoor, i.e. Breaking the daily fast with a drink of water and dates at dusk.
• Tilaawah, i.e. Qur’an Recitation. Most Muslims recite 1/30th (Juz’ or Sipara) of the Holy Qur’an every night so as to complete reciting the entire Holy Qur’an during the month.
• Social visits and giving of alms and charity are highly recommended during this month.

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