Ramadan 2020- Understanding The Significance Of Ramadan

Ramadan is the holiest month for Muslims. Every year, Muslims around the world fast during daylight hours, but what is it really about?

Lunar months last between 29 to 30 days depending on when the new moon is sighted. If the moon is not seen on the night of the 29th day, then Ramadan lasts for the full 30 days.

The Eid al-Fitr celebration marks the end of the month when Muslims celebrate a successful Ramadan of fasting and worship.

Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. There is also a verse in the Quran that prescribes fasting for all Muslims who are mature and healthy enough to do so for the full day.

So Muslims fast as an act of worship, a chance to get closer to God, and a way to become more compassionate to those in need.

Fasting is also seen as a way to learn patience and break bad habits.Fasting isn't an absolute requirement. Children generally don't participate until they hit puberty, and there are exemptions for people who are unable to fast due to illness, age or pregnancy.All this might sound miserable to non-Muslims, but for followers of Islam, Ramadan is a joyous month of spiritual growth and late night family meals. It ends with a three-day festival called Eid al-Fitr.

The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed as a guidance for mankind and included the criteria between right and wrong.Different cultures have different traditions during Ramadan, whether it is a special food they must cook, or eating iftar with the extended family. Islamic tenets such as generosity inspired most of these traditions, including sharing food and inviting guests over for iftar.

However, this year Ramadan will most certainly be a less festive time, amid the coronavirus pandemic as all nations, including Muslims ones, take precautions to curb the spread of the virus by banning or limiting social gatherings, and closing mosques.

Saudi Arabia's grand mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, the highest religious authority in the kingdom, asserted that prayers during Ramadan, including nightly Tarawee and Eid al-Fitr prayers, should be performed at home as the pandemic rages on around the world.