As March has finally made its way around the corner, many Muslims have begun their yearly fasts. On March 1, many Muslims awoke for an early dawn on the first day of Ramadan, which will last until March 29.
In the Muslim faith, Ramadan is a holy month of fasting and prayer and is a time for reflection about self-discipline and empathy. Fasting should teach one to empathize with those who may have less than they, and, of course, it’s a time when Muslims strengthen their religion through community as well. It is important to mention that since one is refraining from being hurtful to others, it is a time to reflect on one’s past actions and understand how one can better him/herself.
An often-asked question is who can and who should refrain from fasting? An elder who needs medication to maintain their proper health can be excused from fasting because they need medication to survive. This also applies to pregnant women who need to eat food to support themselves and their child, as well as women during their time of the month as it may interfere with the women’s health.
Another commonly asked question is what does and doesn’t break your fast? The answer would be as long as you don’t eat or drink until the said time, then you will be okay. Some other things that might break your fast are smoking, blasphemy, profanity, intentional vomiting, and inappropriate activities.
There are many foods eaten during this month in order to break the fast. Many countries and cultures fast during this month and everyone knows each culture has its traditional foods. As long as the food does not contain anything pig or alcohol related, it’s okay to eat. However, many Muslims break their fast by drinking water and eating a date before they eat their iftar. Iftar is the meal that accompanies the end of the fast for the day.
A commonly eaten dessert during this time is baklava, which is a flaky dough pastry filled with almonds or pistachio and that is soaked with sherbet, which is boiled water with sugar and lemon.
Visiting family is a main part of this month, as Ramadan is viewed as a time to reconnect with friends and family. One of the many things Muslims do during this month is to give gifts with genuinely good intentions, whether that is gifting a child a gift, donating to the homeless, or to children’s orphanages, the gifting is done with true intentions.
Hopefully this overview leaves the reader with a better understanding of the holy month of Ramadan and some of the traditions of the Muslim faith. Whether you or someone you know is fasting remember to be kind and respectful to everyone.
