The holy month of Ramadan is just a week away, and the Muslim community across the globe have started their preparations, especially a mental drill to make the best of this month.
By stating ‘make the most of this month,’ it is meant to do as many good deeds as possible, such as giving charity, making special prayers, fasting, asking for forgiveness for past sins and persevering to come closer to God.
Ramadan is a month to practice not just abstinence from food and water but also purify ones’ soul, clear the conscience and do deeds that bring oneself a little closer to God. The abstinence is also for the eyes, tongue, ears, mind and heart- to not to say poor words to others or hurt people with words or actions.
It is also a month to bring the practice of five-times prayers in ones’ life and recite and understand the message of the Quran as much as possible. It is the month to invite non-practising Muslims and showcase the teachings of Islam and show the richness of Islamic traditions.
Elements and practices of Ramadan:
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar (1440 Hijri), and it starts with the sighting of the moon and is expected to begin from Tuesday, May 7 in New Zealand. The month will end after 29 or 30 days depending on the sigting of the moon and with that Muslims will observe Eid-ul-Fitr.
It is compulsory for every Muslim individual to fast, that is, a person fasting cannot eat or drink between dawn and dusk- until the adhaan (call to prayer) is made at sunset.
Sehri: It is advised to have a small meal before dawn or call of adhaan at dawn so that one does not feel weak while fasting during the day. Sehri can include as light as a date and a glass of water before the adhaan is made for the Fajr prayers.
Iftaar: People fasting during the day can open their fast at the call of adhaan at sunset. People usually prepare ethnic food, snacks and juices along with fruits to open their fast. It is also advisable to the observers to open with a light meal and proceed to the Maghrib prayers straight after iftaar.
Taraweeh: In the month of Ramadan, a special prayer is made during the fifth-time prayer of the day called Taraweeh. During this Taraweeh, the Imam leads the prayer reciting verses and chapters of the Holy Quran in sequence. Taraweeh is usually of 20 rakats and different Imams or mosques complete the recitation of the whole Quran at different intervals of the month. People who are unable to attend the congregational Taraweeh prayers are advised to offer the same at their homes or in private reciting short chapters of the Quran.
Lailatul Qadr: Ramadan is the month in which the Holy Quran was sent to earth, and it is said that it was one of last five odd nights when the Quran was dawned upon humanity. These last five odd nights are called ‘Lailatul Qadr’, the importance of which is mentioned in several hadiths and parts of the Quran. It is said that praying on each of these five nights is equal to praying for a thousand months and Muslims are said to observe these nights by making special prayers and ask for forgiveness.
Zakat: Like five-time daily prayers, Zakat is also one of the five pillars of Islam. It is obligatory for a person to pay charity on their assets and wealth calculated in a lunar year. The Zakat is to be paid to the needy and deserving people and within the month of Ramadan.
Ittiqaaf: Ittiqaf means to be in isolation in order to completely devote one’s time and energy towards the worship of Allah. Ramadan is divided in a three ashurahs (parts), and it is a Sunnah to go into Ittiqaf in the last ten days of Ramadan. Men can go to masjid and women can observe the same in the house by taking seclusion in a particular corner of their home dedicated only for worship.
Five-time obligatory prayers: The five times obligatory prayers are a must for every individual beside fasting, charity and making special prayers.
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