CAIRO (AP) – Muslims the world over will soon be united in a ritual of daily fasting from dawn to sunset as the Islamic holy month of Ramadhan starts.
For Muslims, it’s a time of increased worship, charity and good deeds. Socially, it often brings families and friends together in festive gatherings around meals to break their fast. Ramadhan is followed by the Islamic holiday of Aidilfitri.
This year, Ramadhan comes as the latest Israel-Hamas war has killed thousands of Palestinians, left much of Gaza in ruins and created a humanitarian catastrophe, with many Palestinians there, especially in the devastated northern region, scrambling for food to survive.
Muslims have been brainstorming how to remain mindful of the Palestinians’ plight during Ramadhan, including through making donations, saying prayers or incorporating Palestinian traditional symbols in how they mark the holy month.
WHEN IS RAMADHAN?
Ramadhan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar; the month cycles through the seasons. The start of the month traditionally depends on the sighting of the crescent moon; this year, the first day is expected to be on or around March 11.
Muslim communities may start Ramadhan on different days, due to declarations by multiple Islamic authorities around the globe on whether the crescent has been sighted or different methodologies used to determine the start of the month.
WHY AND HOW DO MUSLIMS FAST?
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the profession of faith, prayer, almsgiving, and pilgrimage.
Muslims see various meanings and lessons in observing the fast.
It’s regarded as an act of worship to attain piety and one of submission to Allah the Almighty. The devout see benefits including practicing self-restraint, cultivating gratitude, growing closer to Allah the Almighty, and feeling for the poor and hungry.
The daily fast in Ramadhan includes abstaining from all food and drink; not even a sip of water is allowed from dawn to sunset before breaking the fast in a meal known as iftar in Arabic. Those fasting are expected to also refrain from bad deeds, such as gossiping, and increase good deeds.
Muslims typically stream into mosques for congregational prayers and dedicate more time for religious contemplation and the reading of Al-Quran.
Charity is a hallmark of Ramadhan. Among other ways of giving, many seek to provide iftar for the needy, distributing Ramadhan boxes filled with pantry staples, handing out warm meals alongside such things as dates and juice or helping hold free communal meals.
Muslims eat a pre-dawn meal, called sahur, to hydrate and nurture their bodies ahead of the daily fast.
ARE THERE EXEMPTIONS FROM FASTING?
Yes. There are certain exemptions from fasting, such as for those who are unable to because of illness or travel. Those unable to fast due to being temporarily ill or travelling need to make up for the missed days of fasting later.
WHAT ARE SOME CULTURAL AND SOCIAL TRADITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH RAMADHAN?
Muslims are ethnically and racially diverse and not all Ramadhan traditions are rooted in religion. Some customs may transcend borders, while others can differ across cultures.
Many social rituals centre on gathering and socialising after the daily fast. Some Muslims decorate their homes, put out Ramadhan-themed tableware and centrepieces or throng to markets and Ramadhan bazaars.
In Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country, Ramadhan is typically a festive time.
Colourful lanterns, in different shapes and sizes, dangle from children’s hands and adorn homes or the entrances of buildings and stores. Ramadhan songs may be played to welcome the month. So-called Ramadhan tents, featuring food and entertainment, pop up to cater to gatherings.
Ramadhan’s soundscape in Egypt has traditionally included the pre-dawn banging on drums by a mesaharati who roams neighbourhoods, calling out to the faithful, sometimes by name, to awake them for the suhoor meal.
NEW TV SHOWS, COMMUNAL MEALS
A line-up of new television shows is another fixture of the month in some countries, and advertisers compete for the attention of viewers.
Some Muslims worry that the month is being commercialised, and that an emphasis on decorations, TV shows, outings or lavish iftar banquets, especially in the social media era, can detract from Ramadhan’s religious essence. Others feel that a balance can be struck and that, done in moderation, such rituals are part of the month’s festive spirit.
In Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country, Ramadhan rituals vary across regions, with some influenced by local cultures or other traditions.
Thousands of villagers who live on the slopes of Mount Merapi in Central Java welcome Ramadhan with Nyadran, a Javanese ritual influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism that includes visiting, cleaning and decorating ancestors’ graves.
People in Indonesia’s deeply conservative Aceh province slaughter animals during Meugang festivities. The meat is cooked and shared in a communal feast with family, friends, the poor and orphans.
Hundreds of residents in Tangerang, a city just outside the capital of Jakarta, flock to the Cisadane River to wash their hair with rice straw shampoo and welcome the fasting month with a symbolic spiritual cleansing.
After evening prayers, many boys and girls across Sumatra island parade through the streets. They carry torches and play Islamic songs.
In India, home to more than 200 million Muslims making up a large minority group in the country, stalls lining many streets sell such things as dates, sweets and freshly cooked food. At night, some New Delhi neighbourhoods become lively as Muslims head to mosques to attend prayers.
Some Indian Muslims also visit holy shrines dedicated to Sufi saints, which are decorated with lights and colourful flowers.
In the United States (US), home to a diverse, small but growing Muslim population, gathering at mosques and Islamic centres when possible for iftar meals and prayers provides many Muslim families with a sense of community. Some Muslims also organise or attend interfaith iftar meals.
Some big US retailers have started catering to Ramadhan shoppers, selling such things as Ramadhan-themed decor.
