Muslims pray Saturday 23 September 2006, at a mosque in Sta. Barbara village in the southern Philippine port city of Zamboanga. Muslims are required to fast and abstain from sexual activity during the daylight hours of Ramadan. Determined according to the lunar calendar, Ramadan can fall in any season of the year. The Ramadan fast is considered one of the Five Pillars of Islam and the end of the fast is celebrated as one of the important religious holidays of Islam. (Mindanao Examiner)
Ramadan or Ramadhan (رمضان), the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is the holiest month in Islam.
Ramadan or Ramadhan (رمضان), the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is the holiest month in Islam.
The word Ramadan is derived from the word ramd "to burn". The entire month is spent fasting from dawn to dusk. The name came from the time before the Islamic calendar, when the month of Ramadan fell in the summer. Fasting during this month is often thought to figuratively burn away all sins. Muslims believe that the Quo’ran was sent down to the earth during this month. Furthermore, the Prophet Muhammad told his followers that the gates of Heaven would be open all the month and the gates of Hell would be closed. The first day of the next month is spent in great celebrations and rejoicings and is observed as the ‘Festival of Breaking Fast’ or Id al-Fitr.
The Mindanao Examiner joins the Muslim world in the observance of the holy month of Ramadan.
No comments:
Post a Comment