News

Ramadan a month of prayer, purity

  • Published
  • By Chaplain (Capt.) James Claggett
  • 55th Wing Chapel
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. This year, it will begin Aug. 11 with Hilāl, the appearance of the crescent moon which occurs a day or two after the new moon.

Muslims believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind, being the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Two things set this time apart for the Muslim faith: fasting and prayer.

During fasting, Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk. This is intended to teach patience, humility and spirituality. By the denial of physical needs, Muslims purify their bodies and cleanse themselves spiritually.

Additionally, prayer during this time allows them to ask for forgiveness of past sins, guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and purity through self-restraint and good deeds.

During Ramadan, Muslims wake before dawn to the fajr (call for prayer) in order to eat Sahoor (the morning meal). They then break their fast at Maghrib (sunset) with a meal called Iftar. Muslims may continue to eat and drink after sunset until the next morning's fajr.

Confusion sometimes exists as to when Ramadan begins. As with other major religions (Christian Easter and Jewish Passover), the holy days of Ramadan are based on a lunar calendar. This means on the Muslim calendar it will always fall during the ninth month of the year.

However the Gregorian calendar (which is based on solar cycles) causes the date to shift as much as 11 or 12 days earlier each year. Many believe the month of Ramadan takes place in the fall. Instead, with the movement each year, Ramadan actually takes place during the month of July in the year 2015.

This year the month of Ramadan draws to a close on Sept. 9 with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, Eid (festivity), and Fiṭr (breakfast), to end the month-long fast.