A Time for Prayer and Fasting: Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan Begins
Muslims across the world are preparing for Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, in which they fast during the daylight hours from dawn to sunset. Ramadan is also the month during which the Quran was revealed and sent down to the lowest heaven, consequently being prepared for revelation by Jibreel to the Prophet Muhammad. As a result, Muhammad told his followers that the gates of heaven would be open for the entire month, while the gates of hell would be closed. Earlier today, we visited the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at where Imam Naveed Mangla spoke of activities that will be held in commemoration of Ramadan.
Naveed Mangla
Imam Naveed Mangla, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at
“The month of fasting comes for Muslims once a year and it is prescribed to all the Muslims who are healthy, have the age to do it, you know, which is around fifteen and sixteen and can afford it. So this for Muslims starts tomorrow. It is usually in the morning before the sunrise, about an hour or so and we open the fast at sunset. The reason to do it, it is mentioned in the Holy Quran that all Muslims, all those of you that believe should fast. It is obligatory upon you as it was mandatory upon the people before you. And what is the reason? The reason is so that you become righteous. The sole purpose of fasting is to improve or even further enhance our relationship, our communication with God Almighty.”
Isani Cayetano
“What are some of the activities that will be taking place here in Belize during this month?”
Imam Naveed Mangla
“Some of the activities are that we have our members coming in later in the afternoon, around three or four o’clock. We’ll have some activities that are for the kids. For the elders we have, right after breaking the fast, at around six-thirty. We have our nightly prayers, the Maghrib prayers, then we have dinner together because obviously we have not eaten all day and all of us are hungry so we get together for that. And then, we have Dhuhr which is the different teachings from the Holy Quran and from the sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and then we finish off the day with the nightly prayers, the last prayers called Isha prayers and then all of us go home source of worships.”
Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The first day of the next month, Shawwal, is spent in celebration and is observed as the Festival of Breaking Fast.
