About Ramzan Eid, Ramadan, Ramzaan, Ramadhaan

Coming with the new moon, the festival marks the end of 'Ramadan' - a month when Muslims fast throughout the day and eat only at night Prayers, feasts and family get- together are the major highlights of the celebrations. It was during this month that the holy Koran was revealed. Eid means recurring happiness or festivity. Eid is celebrated in India with much enthusiasm and fervor and Muslims from all strata of life can be seen adorned in beautiful new clothes, visiting the mosques to attend Salatul Eid (Eid prayers). Greetings of "Eid-Mubarak" or "a blessed Eid" are exchanged.

A very important aspect of eid is the charity, which all the Muslims are expected to extend to the needy. Earlier, this was in the form of gifts in kind but now cash is given to the needy. The first Eid of the year is known as "Eid Al Fitr". Al Fitr literally means breaking of fast. Thus Eid Al Fitr is celebrated on the first day of Shawaal, the tenth month in the Muslim calendar, to mark the end of a month long fast during the month of Ramadan. As the third "pillar" or religious obligation of Islam, fasting has many special benefits. Among these, the most important is that it is a means of learning self-control. Due to the lack of preoccupation with the satisfaction of bodily appetites during the daylight hours of fasting, a measure of ascendancy is given to one's spiritual nature, which becomes a means of coming closer to Allah. Ramadan is also a time of concentrated worship, reading of the Quran, purifying one's behavior, giving charity and doing virtuous deeds.

The secondary objective of fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing compassion for the less fortunate, and learn to be thankful and appreciative for all of God's bounties. Fasting is also advantageous to the health and provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits.

Eid Al Fitr is a day of joy and thanksgiving. On this day, Muslims show their joy for the health, strength and opportunities of life, which Allah has given them to fulfill their obligations of fasting and other good deeds during the month of Ramadan. It is considered unholy to fast on this day. It is also a day of forgetting old grudges and ill feelings towards other fellow men. The second important Eid celebration is called "Eid Al-Adha".

Although only the pilgrims in Makkah can participate in the Hajj fully, all the other Muslims in the world join with them by celebrating Eid Al-Adha, or "Celebration of Sacrifice." On the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims around the world celebrate this feast of commitment, obedience and self-sacrifice to Allah. They wear their nicest clothing and attend Salatul-Eid (Eid Prayer) in the morning. This is followed by a short sermon, after which everyone socializes. Next, people visit each other's homes and partake in festive meals with special dishes, beverages, and desserts. Children receive gifts and sweets on this happy occasion. In addition, like the pilgrims in Makkah, the Muslims, who can afford to do so, offer domestic animals, usually sheep, as a symbol of Ibrahim's sacrifice. The meat is distributed for consumption to family, friends, and to the poor and needy. Prayers are offered in mosques and Idgahs and elaborate festivities are held.

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Who Must Fast? - Ramadan

• Fasting is obligatory upon every adult Muslim who is sane, is able to perform it, and is not travelling. If he cannot meet any one of these conditions, he is excused from the fast without any penalty.
• Those who convert to Islam are not required to make up the fasts that they missed while they were still non-Muslims.
• Children are not required to fast until they reach a certain age. However, they should be encouraged as much as possible while they are still young to practice fasting by gradually expanding the time that they can observe it.
• Those who are insane, retarded, or somehow mentally impaired so that they do not (or cannot) function like normal people do not have to fast. They are not penalized in any way. The same is true for those who are very elderly and feel that they are unable to fast.
• Invalids such as very elderly persons or persons suffering from incurable illnesses are not required to fast. However they must compensate for this by feeding one needy person for every day of fasting that they miss.
• Those who fall ill unexpectedly and feel that their condition would worsen if they observed the fast are excused. After they recover, they must make up the fast by fasting the number of days that they missed.
• Pregnant and nursing mothers do not have to fast if they believe that it would cause them undue and unnecessary hardship or that it might harm the unborn child or the nursing infant. After this period of danger has passed, they must fast the number of days that they missed.
• Women who are having their menstrual period or experiencing bleeding due to recent child birth are not required to fast. They must make up the days that they have missed when their period or bleeding has finished.
• People who need to break the fast in order to save the life of someone else (i.e. being caught in a fire or drowning) are allowed to break their fast and to make it up at a later date.
• Those who are travelling are given the option of fasting or not. Those who choose not to fast during their journey must make it up after reaching their destination. This applies to all types of travel; for business, for personal reasons, or due to one's job (i.e. long distance haulers).

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Rules Of Fasting - Roza - Ramadan

• Rules Of The Fast - Roza
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• A person can state his intention to fast while he is ritually impure. After he has performed the necessary aboutions, he may begin his fast for the day. This must all be done before daybreak, when the daily fast starts.
• A woman coming out of her menses or child-birth bleeding before dawn must fast, even if she washes herself after dawn.
• It is permissible for a fasting person to apply ornaments, lotions, perfumes, and similar items to his head or body while he is fasting. However, he should avoid inhaling the smoke given off by burning incense. The use of ointments or medicine for medical reasons (i.e. tooth extraction, eye-drops, ear-drops) is also allowed, even if they can be tasted.
• Brushing one's teeth a siwak ( this is a twig from a certain kind of tree found in the Middle East and widely available in Muslim communities). The prophet said that it is desirable to use a siwak while fasting.
• A fasting person can cool himself with water, an air conditioner, or similar methods.
• It is permissible to use sprays designed to relive the pressure of asthma or similar afflications that cause difficulty in breathing.
• It is allowed to wet one's lips or rinse the inside of one's mouth with water without gargling.
• It is desirable to delay slightly the pre-dawn meal and to hasten to break the fast at sunset. This is in accordance with the practice of the Prophet, whose actions serve as models for the pious Muslims to imitate. The fast is usually ended by eating several dates or, if dates are not available, by drinking some water. If no permitted food or drinks is available, the individual should simply make intention to break the fast and then actually do so as soon as he finds something that is permissible to eat or drink. For example, he cannot break his fast by eating pork or drinking alcohol, as these foods are prohibited in all circumstances, with the exception of those that are life-threatening.
• While he is fasting, he should make a greater effort to draw closer to Allah by increasing his level of adherence to what Allah has asked of him.
• One who is fasting should also perform his obligations and abstain from that which is prohibited. He should offer his daily prayers on time and in congregation (if it is obligatory upon him) and avoid lying, backbiting, deceiving someone, dealing in interest(usury), or indulging, either mentally or physically, in that which is prohibited. The prophet said:"One who does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink."

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