Source: The Washington Post
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is upon us — starting Monday. Fasting during the day throughout Ramadan is one of the five core obligations of observant Muslims, of whom there are about 3.3 million, according to the Pew Research Center. Many are likely to take part in the fast, which falls during some of the longest, hottest days of the year.
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Three American imams are here to explain:
The Koran, which Islam teaches is the word of God, came to the prophet Muhammad over the course of his lifetime, but started during the lunar month of Ramadan.
Over the course of the month, Muslims are told to read the entire Koran — or about one-30th each night. And from dawn until dusk, for the 29 or 30 days of the month, to abstain from eating, drinking “and from the feeding of their passions — whether those passions are road rage or romance,” said Johari Abdul-Malik, an imam and the director of outreach at the Dar al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Va. In other words: You’re supposed to be extra good during this holiest of months.
Many Muslim scholars liken fasting to an almost meditative state or a heightened mindfulness that brings one closer to God.
The obligation is laid out in the Koran in the second Surah: “O you who have attained to faith! Fasting is ordained for you as it was ordained for those before you, so that you might remain conscious of God.”
“I have always wished the U.S. Congress would take up fasting during the month of Ramadan,” Abdul-Malik jokes. “Can you imagine Congress being in session and every member of Congress has to tell the truth before God?”
“The word sowm [the Arabic term for fasting] actually means ‘to stop,’ ” says Suhaib Webb, a popular D.C.-based Imam who fields questions about the religion throughout the year, using a range of social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram.
To Webb, fasting poses an opportunity for broader change. People think, “If I can avoid stuff this month, I can do it the rest of the year,” he said. “You’ll find a lot of people quit smoking in Ramadan.” Others get in shape.
Categories: Fasting, Islam, Ramadan, The Muslim Times