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Ramadan: Fasts
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The psychological effect of Ramadan fasting are ... well observed by the description of people who fast. They describe a feeling of inner peace and tranquillity. Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) advised those fasting, "If one slanders you, tell him, I am fasting". Thus personal hostility during the month is minimal. The crime rate in Muslim countries falls during this month.
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During Ramadan, those who are able must abstain from evil thoughts and deeds, food and drink (including water), and sexual intercourse from dawn until dusk for the entire month. Because the holiday cycles through the solar year, this fast can be much more difficult in some years than others. When Ramadan falls in the summer season, the days of fasting are longer and it is a greater hardship to do without water.
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Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which in 2007 occurrs on Oct. 13. Literally the “Festival of Breaking the Fast,” Eid al-Fitr is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations (the other occurs after the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca). At Eid al-Fitr people dress in their finest clothes, adorn their homes with lights and decorations, give treats to children, and enjoy visits with friends and family.
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The beginning and end of Ramadan are announced when one trustworthy witness testifies before the authorities that the new moon has been sighted; a cloudy sky may, therefore, delay or prolong the fast. The end of the fast is celebrated with one of two Islamic festivals, 'Id al-Fitr. {4}
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A festival called Eid al-Fitr (Feast of Fast-Breaking) marks the end of Ramadan. It begins with the sighting of the new crescent moon on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month in the Islamic calendar, and generally lasts for three days. Muslims take part in communal prayers, either in a mosque or an open space outside the city, and everyone must offer charity to the poor. The celebration has an important social dimension as well. Cities and villages take on a festive look, and people put on new clothes. Friends, relatives, and neighbors meet in mosques and on streets, or visit one another, exchanging congratulations and embracing each other.
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While voluntary fasting is recommended for Muslims, during Ramadan fasting becomes obligatory. Sick people, travelers, and women in certain conditions are exempted from the fast but must make it up as they are able. Perhaps fasting in Ramadan is the most widely practiced of all the Muslim forms of worship.
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