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Ramadan: Months
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Ramadan is a time for self-examination and increased religious devotion. The fast ends when the new moon is again sighted and the month of Shawwal begins. It is followed by the Id Al-Fitr feasting and the exchange of gifts. The festive activities in the streets goes from an hour or so after sundown until early hours of the next morning. During Ramadan, Muslims continue with their prayers five times a day, but after the night prayer is performed, a special prayer called Taraweeh is performed. This is a voluntary prayer that consists of reading the Quran during the time of Ramadan.
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Ramadan is a month that follows the lunar calendar, the basis of the Islamic (or Hijri) calendar. With an eleven-day offset from the Gregorian (western) calendar, the exact timing of Ramadan during the year is variable, sometimes falling in summer and sometimes in winter. The first day of Ramadan too is variable, since "Sha’aban", the preceding month, sometimes has 29 days and sometimes 30 days. Astronomical calculations are utilized to detect the birth of the new moon, yet the cornerstone remains to be its visualization after sunset. Ramadan lasts for 29 or 30 days, as do most lunar months.
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Muslims believe that during the month of Ramadan, Allah revealed the first verses of the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. Around 610 A.D., a caravan trader named Muhammad took to wandering the desert near Mecca (in today's Saudi Arabia) while thinking about his faith. One night a voice called to him from the night sky. It was the angel Gabriel, who told Muhammad he had been chosen to receive the word of Allah. In the days that followed, Muhammad found himself speaking the verses that would be transcribed as the Qur'an.
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The exact dates of Ramadan change every year because Islam uses a lunar calendar, which means that each month begins with the sighting of a new moon. Because lunar months are shorter than the solar months used elsewhere, Islamic holidays begin on different days each year. The start of Ramadan comes around 11 days earlier each year according to the western Gregorian calendar, and consequently is not associated with any particular western month. For Muslims living in Britain, the fast may therefore be comparatively short if Ramadan falls during the winter months, or much longer if it occurs during the summer.
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After 30 days of fasting, the end of the month of Ramadan is observed with a day of celebration, called Eid-ul-Fitr. On this day, Muslims gather in one place to offer a prayer of thanks. It is traditional to wear new clothes, visit friends and relatives, exchange gifts, eat delicious dishes prepared for this occasion, and wait patiently for the next year.
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The holy month of Ramadan is divided into three parts:Rahmat, Maghfirat and Nijat. While Rahmat means "mercy of God, Maghfirat means "forgiveness of God" and Nijat means "salvation". As their meaning suggest, Muslims (followers of the holy Quran), ask for Allah's blessings to make their life meaningful. There in lies the significance of Ramadan.
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