Exploring the Spiritual Significance of Ramadan

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Ramadan is a special time of the year for Muslims, which is allocated for praying and forgiving. The true essence of Ramadan lies in the fact that people pray for forgiveness of all their past sins by practising self-control through fasting and purifying themselves by doing good deeds.

People greet each other with ‘Ramadan Mubarak’ or ‘Ramadan Kareem’ when the month of Ramadan begins. The last few days of Ramadan are special, and they call it the night of power or the night of measures as they believe that god all mighty sends his blessings on this night. Further, they celebrate the end of Ramadan with a great feast and celebration with friends and family, which is called Eid-ul-Fitr. Since its origin in the 7th century, Ramadan has been a time for growing the bond with god. During Ramadan, Muslims do this through fasting, reciting the Qur'an and doing selfless good deeds. To celebrate Ramadan, communities will use colourful decorations and lanterns to decorate and illuminate buildings and their homes.

Being the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, the exact dates of Ramadan are different every year. The dates are different, as the Islamic calendar is based on the cycles of the Moon.Instead, the way to know when Ramadan starts is by observing the phases of the Moon. The New Moon signals the end of an Islamic month, and so Muslims look to see the first signs of the growing Moon to know when to begin fasting. Throughout the history of Ramadan, fasting between sunrise and sunset serves the purpose of demonstrating one's devotion to god and belief in the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Ramadan is a time for fasting (sawm), prayer, reflection and community.

As Ramadan provides a period of reflection and self-improvement, many Muslims attempt giving up poor habits and will read the holy book of the Qur'an. Alongside this, Ramadan is a time for family and community, and people will spend time with loved ones and help those in need. The self-discipline of fasting also reminds those taking part in Ramadan of the suffering of the poor and less fortunate. Throughout the history of Ramadan, it has been common practice to give to the less fortunate and donate to charity (Zakat) is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan with a celebration, the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. Mosques hold special services to mark the end of the fasting and families and friends come together to eat food, share gifts and give to charity.