25 Interesting Facts You Need To Know About #Ramadan—Ramadan is the holiest month of all. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim, Islamic calendar, a religious annual observance and month of fasting observed by Muslims worldwide It is considered to be one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
The Genius Media Nigeria gathered that During the month of Ramadan, adult Muslims fast from dusk until dawn, unless they are ill, pregnant, or diabetic, breastfeeding, or traveling.
This time spent fasting is meant to be used for prayer, charity, spirituality, and for purifying the mind and body. The actual beginning of Ramadan is determined by the sighting of the new moon, or astronomical calculations.
Because of this, the actual date when Ramadan begins each year differs from year to year
Here are some Facts About #Ramadan
1 It is believed that Muhammad received the first revelation during Ramadan
2 Because Ramadan is based on the lunar calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar, the holiday starts 11–12 days earlier than it did the previous year. It takes about 33 Islamic years for Ramadan to return to the same place on the Gregorian calendar
3 During Ramadan, Muslim-majority countries often shorten work days to allow for additional prayer time each day
4 In order to declare the beginning of Ramadan, Muslim-majority countries, such as Saudi Arabia, depend on the moon sighters. When these moon sighters see a crescent moon, Ramadan can begin
5 During Ramadan Muslims are obligated to give to charity through Sadaqa (voluntary giving), or Zakat (mandatory giving).
6 The Five Pillars of Islam include Sawm: Fasting during Ramadan, Hajj: a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life, Zakat: giving to the poor, Salat: five-time daily prayer, facing Mecca, including absolution prior to prayer, Shalada: declaration of belief in one true God.
7 During Ramadan, Muslims cannot eat or drink during daylight hours. Sexual relations, smoking, and anything indecent or excessive are also prohibited
8 All adults are required to fast during Ramadan, except those who are elderly, ill, traveling, pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic, chronically ill, or menstruating
9 Children are not required to fast during Ramadan until they reach puberty
10 If someone is sick during Ramadan and is unable to fast, he or she can make up the fast when they recover
11 If someone deliberately breaks their fast during Ramadan for no legitimate reason, they are required to make up the missed day later
12 If a person dies during Ramadan and hasn’t completed his or her fast, whoever is in charge of their affairs is required to continue the fast on their behalf, usually after they’ve completed their own fast
13 During the month of Ramadan, productivity of workers declines by 35–50% due to both shorter working hours and loss of efficiency
14 After Ramadan is over, Muslims have a three-day celebration called Eid al-Fitr, or “festival of the breaking of the fast,” where people come together to eat, enjoy family and friends, and exchange gifts
15 If someone has sexual intercourse during Ramadan, they must fast continuously for 60 more days or feed 60 poor people
16 While Ramadan calls for a month of fasting, the demand for food actually increases. After Iftar (the meal after sundown), people flock to cafes to eat and meet friends
17 If a non-Muslim meets a Muslim during the month of Ramadan, the appropriate greeting for good wishes is “Ramadan Mubarak” which means “Have a blessed Ramadan.”
18 Ramadan is also called the “month of the Quran
19 Of the 7 billion people in the world, 22% (1.6 billion) fast during Ramadan
20 Muslims are not allowed to chew gum during Ramadan
21 The two main branches of Islam, the Sunnis and Shiites, break their Ramadan fasts differently. Sunnis typically break their fast when the sun is no longer on the horizon, but the sky is still light. Shiites break their fast when the last ray of light has gone
22 Fasting predates Islam. Abstaining from food and drink is mentioned in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, both of which predate Muhammad (who was born in 570 AD)
23 Around the world, many Muslims often break their Ramadan fast with the homeless, in what has been dubbed “feed it forward
24 The need to correctly identify the beginning of Ramadan by sighting the hilal (crescent moon) led Muslim scholars to study astronomy
25 In 1805, U.S. President Thomas Jefferson held the first White House dinner with a Muslim, Sidi Soliman Mellimelliin, a Muslim. Jefferson. He adjusted the timing of the meal to “precisely at sunset” to accommodate for Ramadan
CREDIT: factretriever And softschools
