What is Ramadhan?
Ramadhan is known as the holy month of Islam and the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The exact date of Ramadhan changes every year due to the moon cycle-based determination. During this month, all Muslims neither eat nor drink at daylight which is called ‘fasting’. Every Muslim is supposed to fast from dawn to dusk. At dawn, Muslims consume a super early meal (suhoor) then breaking their fasting (iftar) at dusk.
Fasting allows Muslims to devote themselves to their faith. It teaches self-control, self-discipline, as well as the reminder for suffering of the poor. However, fasting is not expected to be done by children, pregnant women, elderly people, and those who are ill or during travel. Most people suppose to fast, while the aforementioned people above allows to replace it in the following months before the next Ramadhan occur except for the children.
“One who fasts has two joys: joy upon breaking the fast and joy on meeting God” — Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
During this month of endless mercy and love, almost all Muslims try to close to God and avoid bad habits since it is the special time for Muslims to focus on prayers and do good deeds. Most Muslims will spend time with families and friends as well as helping people in need. They will attempt to read the whole of Quran at least once during Ramadhan.
What is interesting about this holy month is that every country has it own culture for celebrating Ramadhan. The time of fasting also differs from one country to another. It makes this holy month, Ramadhan, incredibly beautiful. Every Muslim has his/her colours in undergoing this time.
The end of Ramadhan is symbolized by a big celebration of Eid al-Fitr. Muslims are not only celebrating the end of fasting, but also thanking Allah for the strength He gave Muslims to pass the previous month. Another amazing moment during this celebration is every Muslim does Silaturrahim, which is to gather around with their whole big family and friends. — Amelia Nur Abidah, Human Resource and Development Department, ILC HMP-UGM
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