Every year leading up to Ramadan, the women’s association hosts an adopt-a-family program to support underprivileged refugee families. Fasting occurs from dawn until sunset as they refrain from consuming food, liquids, smoking and sexual activities. They believe that during Ramadan the Qu’ran, their holy book, was revealed to mankind by the Prophet Muhammad.
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Ramadan is a Muslim holiday held in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
Anjuman Sunnat ul Jamaat Association (ASJA) president Yacoob Ali said yesterday Muslims would begin a month of prayer and fasting at the first viewing of the moon. “The Ramadan prayer time calendar was calculated accurately per municipality based on the formula given to us by the PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration)”, Mujahid said.
The Ministry said the committees in charge deciding the beginning of the month of Ramadan were able to sight the crescent of the holy month.
RTÉ has turned down calls by a prominent Muslim scholar in Ireland to broadcast a call to prayer for the next month to mark the end of the Ramadan fasting period each day.
Though the exact dates of Ramadan are never uniform around the world, they come pretty close. The greeting during the month is “Ramadan Mubarak” or “Blessed Ramadan”. The observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam along with belief, worship, charitable donations and the pilgrimage to Mecca. It is a time for spiritual reflection, a means to practice patience and self-restraint, and an opportunity to remember those less fortunate. This method is still employed in Saudi Arabia and a number of other countries, but several other Muslim countries use astronomical calculations to verify the claim.
Do all Muslims have to fast?
In a hallmark tradition, the community gathers for Iftar, opening of the fast, at sunset.
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Quoting a saying from the religion, an imam at a mosque in Nasseriyah said: “A day of fasting during this holy month will keep a Muslim away from hell for 70 years”.
