Muslims observe Ramadan

The Islamic holy month of Ramadan began with the sighting of the new moon Friday evening.

Ramadan is the month Muslims fast by refraining from eating, drinking and having sexual activity during the day so that they can concentrate on worshipping God, according to Haci Tanis of Red Rose Foundation, an intercultural and educational foundation based in Leola.

Ramadan was instituted during the time of the Prophet Muhammad in the 6th century. Since that time, Muslims have fasted every year during this 29- or 30-day month, the timing of which changes each year because they follow the lunar calendar instead of the solar calendar, Tanis said.

Every Muslim — both men and women — is obligated to fast. The only people exempted from this obligation, Tanis said, are children under the age of puberty, pregnant women, those who are sick and the elderly who are not able to fast.

Those who miss the fasting are given the option to feed the poor every day that was missed to expiate, he said.

Besides fasting, Muslims also have special prayers — called Taraweeh — during Ramadan.

he Taraweeh prayers last on average about an hour, Tanis said, because "you just don't say prayers, but you perform them with certain acts like bowing down in prostration and reading from the Quran. Parts of the Quran are read every night — about 20 pages — so in 29 or 30 days you finish the whole Quran," he said.

Reading the entire Quran is important, he said, because the Quran was first revealed during Ramadan.

The Taraweeh prayer is, for the most part, a congregational prayer, Tanis said. The imam loudly recites the Quran, and the other Muslims listen. Some Muslims will begin to recite the prayer with the imam, but then listen, he said.

The purpose of Ramadan is for a Muslim to become a better person, as well as a better Muslim, Tanis said.

"Not eating, drinking and refraining from sexual activity helps Muslims to concentrate on worship and improves their relationship with Allah," Tanis said.

During the last 10 days of Ramadan, Muslims are encouraged to confine themselves to a room — just like Muhammad did — to isolate themselves and completely focus on worship, the remembrance of Allah and reading the Quran, he said.

The concentrated focus on worship helps to strengthen a Muslim's faith and become a better individual by being able to control your tongue and control your hands so that you don't hurt other people, Tanis said.

Ramadan, especially in America, is a time to get together with other Muslims, Tanis said. People are very busy in America — both men and women work — and the members of the community don't see each other much during the year.

Therefore, during Ramadan, Muslims often get together for their Iftar ("breaking" in Arabic) dinners after the sun sets to break their fast and strengthen their relationships.

Ramadan also is called the month of charity. It is recommended that Muslims give as much as they are able to the poor, their neighborhood and relatives, Tanis said.

Red Rose Foundation will be sending clothing and food to African countries and will be donating to a Lancaster shelter, he said.

"We give charity not only to Muslims, but also to non-Muslims," Tanis said.

Also during Ramadan, Muslims like to reach out to non-Muslim communities in the area, he said. Red RoseFoundation is planning interfaith Iftar programs at Hershey Medical Center, a Harrisburg Episcopal church and, locally, at Stevens College.

At the end of Ramadan is a celebration called Eid al-Fitr. New York City council recently approved a proposal to make the Muslim celebration a holiday so that Muslim children wouldn't have to go to school, Tanis said.

"My hope is that all over America it will be an official holiday so children won't have to miss a school day. I'm hoping that officials in Lancaster consider this, too," Tanis said.

E-mail: lvaningen@lnpnews.com