If you ask me what my favorite month of the year is, Ramadan will always be my answer.
Growing up in Pakistan, I have beautiful memories of Ramadan and how it is observed in a Muslim society.
Ramadan is a time of spiritual reformation and revival of faith.
It is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar and the holiest time of the year for Muslims worldwide.
During this month, all healthy adult Muslim men and women are required to fast every day from dawn till dusk. During this time, they must refrain from eating, drinking water, and having sexual relations with their spouses.
In this detailed article, I’ll briefly introduce the Holy Month of Ramadan and why it is so important in Islam.
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What Is The Purpose & Goal Of Fasting In Ramadan
Ramadan is a training camp for the spiritual development of Muslims. Allah SWT has made fasting in Ramadan mandatory for Muslims because He wants them to purify their souls and get closer to Him.
In the Holy Quran, Allah SWT describes the purpose of Ramadan fasts in these words.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ (Baqarah, No.2, Āyat 183)
Translation: O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may gain Taqwa (God-conscious).
So, the purpose of Ramadan, according to Quran, is to develop Taqwa.
What is Taqwa? Becoming God-conscious and developing the ability to suppress your unlawful desires by not acting upon them (despite having the power to do so) to please Allah SWT.
Read: What breaks your fast in Islam
The Virtues And Fazilat Of Ramadan In Islam
To make fasting easier for Muslims and to encourage them to strive for self-reformation, Allah SWT has granted the month of Ramadan numerous virtues and immense fazilat over other months. Allah’s blessings and mercy is like continuous rain during Ramadan.
Here are some of the virtues of Ramadan.
- The first Ayahs of the Holy Quran were revealed to Prophet Muhammadﷺ in Ramadan.
- Allah SWT increases the reward for every fardh act 70 times during this month. So, if a person performs Fajr Fardh prayer, they’ll be rewarded for offering 70 fajr prayers.
- The reward for Nafl (optional) acts becomes equal to Fardh acts.
- Allah SWT has a dedicated section of Jannah (paradise) only for those who fast in Ramadan.
- Allah SWT directs all angels to leave their worship and say Aameen to the prayers of those fasting.
- Performing Umrah in Ramadan has the same reward as performing Hajj.
These are just some of the blessings and virtues of Ramadan. In reality, every moment of this month is priceless.
What Happens During Ramadan?
Ramadan is a month of worship, supplication, charity, and brotherhood.
To be specific, here are the additional things Muslims are required to do in Ramadan.
- Fasting: Muslims fast from dawn till dusk for the whole month of Ramadan. During fasting, they cannot eat, drink, or have sexual relations with their spouses. Violating any of these restrictions invalidates the fast. However, these restrictions are lifted once they open their fast at sunset (till the following dawn).
- Taraweeh: Muslims are required to offer 20 rakat of additional Taraweeh prayers after Isha namaz every night in Ramadan. The Imam of Taraweeh prayers should ideally be a Hafiz (who has memorized the entire Quran).
- Suhoor (Sehri): This is the meal Muslims are encouraged to have before dawn to stay energized during their fasts. Sehri can be eaten any time of the night but must be finished before Fajr time starts.
- Iftar: This is the meal Muslims have when they open their fast after sunset. For 30 days of Ramadan, Iftar is the most happening time of the day because everyone is ready to break their fast after a long day of fasting. Allah SWT gives the people who fast a special happiness at the time of Iftar that only they can feel. It doesn’t matter what they eat in Iftar, it makes them appreciate Allah’s blessings and be thankful.
- Itikaf: This is a unique act of worship that takes place in the final ten days of Ramadan. On top of everything Muslims do during this month, at least some of them are required to spend the final ten days of Ramadan in a mosque. Why? So that they can fully dedicate themselves to worship and spend every second in Allah’s remembrance. The other reason is to find Laylatul Qadr (Shab e Qadr) – a night that’s more virtuous than the worship of a thousand nights.
- Laylatul Qadr (Shab e Qadr): This is the most virtuous night of the Islamic calendar, and worshipping in it is worth more than the worship of a thousand months. However, nobody knows its exact date. But Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that it is somewhere in the ten nights of Ramadan. This is why Muslims are encouraged to spend the last ten days of Ramadan in Itikaf so that they can fully dedicate themselves to finding this night by worshipping every night.
- Tahajjud: After Taraweeh, Tahajjud is another critical act of worship, especially during Ramadan. While you should offer it throughout the year, its significance increases in Ramadan because Allah SWT accepts prayers and rewards anyone who spends some portion of the night standing in worship.
- Reduced Working Hours: Prophet Muhammad ﷺ encouraged Muslims to reduce the working hours of their employees so that they can spend more time worshipping and do not get exhausted while fasting. This is why most Muslim countries have special working hours for the government and private sectors during Ramadan.
- Additional Charity: Ramadan is the month of charity and wherever you go in the Muslim world, you can see it with your own eyes. On the streets, in masjids, markets, workplaces, everywhere, people distribute food, invite each other for Iftar, and spend more money than usual on charity, helping poor families have a better time.
- Recitation of the Holy Quran: Ramadan is the month of Quran which is why most scholars recommend spending all your time reciting the Arabic scripture of the Holy Quran and reading its translation and explanation to understand its message.
What Are Ashras Of Ramadan?
Ramadan is distributed in three Ashras – 10 day sets.
- The first 10 days of Ramadan are called the Ashra of Blessings (Rehmat)
- The following 10 days are the Ashra of Allah’s Forgiveness (maghfirat)
- And the final 9 or 10 days (depending on moonsighting) are the Ashra of Escaping Hellfire.
These are the themes of the three segments of Ramadan to help Muslims focus on different goals. For example, in the Ashra, Muslims seek Allah’s mercy and blessings. They continue to do so in the rest of the month as well, but focus more on seeking Allah’s forgiveness during the second Ashra. And in the final Ashra they beg Allah SWT to protect them from hellfire and grant them a place in Jannah after death.
What Happens After Ramadan?
Ramadan lasts for 29 or 30 days (depending on moonsighting). Once the month of Ramadan is over, the following day is Eid ul Fitr, the day of celebration and thankfulness.
On this day, Muslims thank Allah SWT for granting them the month of Ramadan and enabling them to worship during its priceless moments.
There’s no fasting on Eid day. In fact, Muslims are encouraged to wear new clothes, meet relatives, eat and drink their favorite meals, and enjoy within the boundaries of Shariah (the life rules laid out by Islam).