Worshippers perform a night prayer called ‘Tarawih’ during the eve of the first day of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Turkey at the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, File)
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is highly revered by Muslims as a period of fasting and as one of their holiest months.
It starts and ends with the sighting of the crescent moon. On Tuesday, March 12, 2024, marked the beginning of Ramadan.
The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos announced the start of Ramadan on March 12 instead of March 11, based on reports that the New Moon (Hilal), which marks the official start of Ramadan, was not sighted.
During Ramadan, Muslims like Jamel Ismael from Kalubihan 2 Pajac Lapu-Lapu City fast from dawn to sunset, refraining from food, drink, and even swallowing saliva.
They also avoid sleeping next to their spouse, using mobile phones, and watching television.
Instead, they focus on doing good deeds and refrain from gossiping or speaking ill of others.
“Ang amo ra gyud buhaton kay mag basa og Qur’an ug magsalah,” he added.
[All we need to do is read the Qur’an and attend the mosque.]
For him, Ramadan is a month of sacrifice, offering the chance to repent sins to al-Ilāh, the God in Islam.
“Sa usa ka tuig mao ni among (chance) ni Allah nga mangayo (pasaylo) sa among sala ba, tanang dautan gi buhat nimo sauna limpyohon niya,” he told CDN Digital.
[In a year, this is our sole opportunity to seek forgiveness from Allah for all our past sins and bad deeds, as he will cleanse them.]
There are many good reasons for this fast, including obeying God, learning self-discipline, becoming spiritually stronger, appreciating God’s gifts to us, and haring the sufferings of the poor and developing sympathy for them.
Muslims consider it crucial to participate in fasting on the first and last days every year, as it spares them from significant self-sacrifice after death.
The conclusion of the Ramadan fast is marked by Eid al-Fitr, also called the “Feast of Fast-Breaking,” one of the two major religious holidays in the Muslim calendar. /clorenciana
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