Added: 09/28/2007 |
Spending a Ramadan HolidayThe ninth month of the Muslim calendar, Ramadan, is considered holy by Muslims in the sense that, according to their belief, their holy book Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammad. Following their religious tradition, Muslims observe Ramadan by fasting through the day and abstaining from all sins. A Ramadan holiday assures more time for religious and spiritual practices than other days of the year.
Ramadan days are not official holidays and people go about their usual work. However, the working hours in many countries are reduced by an hour or two so as to allow more time for rest and prayer. A Ramadan holiday usually falls on Friday in most Arab countries (where Friday is officially off) and on Sunday in other countries like Pakistan.
For many people, spending a Ramadan holiday means lots of sleeping, late rising in the morning, and waiting the time out till Iftar (the time of the call for the evening prayer) when eating is allowed by religious law. As per custom, eating is allowed from dusk till dawn and all normal (both physically and mentally), grownup Muslims rise about an hour before dawn to get their final meal (called Sehri) before starting the fasting day. For them, a Ramadan holiday assures sleep restoration.
Since Friday is the holy day of the week for Muslims and Muslim men are supposed to offer congregational prayer in the noon at the nearest mosque, Ramadan holiday is spent comparatively at ease in Arab countries. With the whole day left to them, people have ample time to take sufficient rest and prepare for the collective prayer. In Pakistan and other countries, where Sunday is the official holiday, working men follow a hectic schedule in meeting job responsibilities and making it to the mosque in time with full preparation.
A typical Ramadan holiday means different to both genders. While it is a relief to both, women are usually burdened with doing the house chores and so they usually rise earlier than men of the family. However, they also have the advantage of suffering from less boredom than men on holiday. This is because women, especially those of sub-urban and rural areas, are more tuned to the household than men who have to wait a whole lot of the free time out in gossip, watching TV, or reading newspapers. Unlike women, many of them won’t stay indoors throughout the day. Rather they go out to spend some time in chatting with friends or other social activities.
The night of 27th Ramadan is observed as Laylat-al-Qadr i.e. the ‘night of power’. According to Muslim belief, Prophet Mohammad of Mecca received the first revelation on this night and the first verses of the Quran were read to him by the angel Gabriel. Muslims observe this night by waking late till night and reciting verses from the Holy Quran.
The end of Ramadan is marked by a three-day festival called Eid-ul-Fitar (falling on Shawal 1st to 3rd). It is time to celebrate the end of Ramadan and Muslims enjoy themselves with rich food, confectionary, new dresses, and gifts for family and friends. The last Ramadan holiday of the month is specially awaited for this occasion. Unlike the rest of the month, shops remain open from early in the morning till late in the night. Families love to spend generously on food and clothing items. And life returns to the old routine after the 3 days of Eid.
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