[Faith-talk] Ramadan, an overview.

[Mostafa via Faith-talk]

Oh ye who believed, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become pious.

These are numerable days.

Those of you who witness the month shall fast therein.

Those of you who feel ill or travelling may substitute the same count with other days.

And for those who fast with hardship is to ransom feeding a needy per each day.

Whoever offers to fast with excess is better for him, and to fast is better for you if you just know.

Ramadan is the month during which the Koran was revealed, providing guidance for people, and a clear statute of guidance and criterion.

Those of you who witness the month shall fast therein.

   And those who feel ill or travelling may substitute the count with other days.

Allah wishes for you convenience, and He does not wish hardship for you.

It is that you may fulfill your obligation, to glorify Allah for guiding you, and that you may express your appreciation.

This is how Ramadan is described in the Koran.

Like Jews, Muslims use the Lunar calendar for religious observances.

A Lunar year is about eleven days shorter than a typical Gregorian year.

As a result, dates of events in the Islamic lunar calendar are expected to move forward about eleven days every year. 
    
During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset everyday.

That means to abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk.

For adult couples, they are enjoined to utterly refrain from any marital relations during their fasting period.

The main objective of fasting in Ramadan is to essentially attain piety.

Therefore, those who fast are religiously ordained to discipline themselves, to control their temper, to get over all terrestrial  temptations, to not respond to contempts and not to get offended.

It is primarily an annual exertion of temperateness and self-restraint.

It targets your disposal to overcome your desire either for food consumption or sensuality.

During the nights of Ramadan, Muslims are encouraged to evoke their devotion by praying and reciting the Noble Koran.

Emphatically, the latter is just prefered or recommended, it is not indebted as the fasting.

Muslims today have wrongfully associated worldly customs which indeed has nothing to do with Ramadan.

Such as exhibiting certain types of food and desserts, as well as the radical obsession of watching television series and programs during Ramadan.

Such customs and activities are innovated, and they are inappropriately have been associated with Ramadan, unfortunately. 

This was  a brief overview about Ramadan.

Thank you for reading, and have a pleasant time.