{"id":3456,"date":"2015-06-18T00:05:10","date_gmt":"2015-06-18T04:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=3456"},"modified":"2015-06-18T00:05:10","modified_gmt":"2015-06-18T04:05:10","slug":"ramadan-much-more-than-fasting-a-quick-study-for-the-sake-of-your-friends-coworkers-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=3456","title":{"rendered":"Ramadan \u2013 Much More Than Fasting \u2013 A Quick Study for the Sake of Your Friends & Coworkers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"2008270mnj287\"<\/a>From the Archives – June 30, 2014<\/p>\n

\u201cRamadan Kareem!\u201d \u201cRamadan Mabrouk!\u201d \u201cRamadan Mabarak!\u201d may be familiar words to you\u2026or not so much. Around the world, among Muslims, these are greetings of blessing for their holy month of Ramadan. In this month, all Islamic peoples are united in the observance of their religion, more than any other time of the year.<\/p>\n

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar and is considered holy because Muhammad,\u00a0Islam\u2019s most revered prophet,\u00a0reported receiving the Qu\u2019ran during this month. At the sighting of the new moon at the beginning of Ramadan, Muslims begin a month-long\u00a0exercise of six tenets of their faith, consistent, to a large extent, among all of the world\u2019s practicing Muslims.<\/p>\n

Fasting<\/strong>\u00a0[Sawm (Arabic: \u0635\u0648\u0645\u200e<\/span>)]<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0From sunrise to sunset, during Ramadan, devout Muslims fast.\u00a0In some countries, in fact, it\u2019s illegal for a Muslim to be seen eating or drinking during these hours. There are exceptions (young children, the sick, elderly, and others in a few defined temporary situations). However,\u00a0the fast is intended to be complete during the day (no food, drink, smoking, sexual intercourse, or profane speech). At sunset, the fast is broken with a meal together as family and eating can continue\u00a0into the night until just before sunrise the next day. Because of this \u201cflipped day\u201d, Muslims, when possible, sleep during the day\u00a0or spend time in recreation, exercise, or visiting. The women must still cook for that \u201cbreak-fast\u201d meal. School and work hours are shortened during Ramadan because of the fast.<\/p>\n

Tip for you: <\/strong>Be sensitive to your fasting friend or coworker. If possible refrain from eating, drinking, smoking in front of him\/her. Invite them to break their fast with your family (it means a meal later than usual, if Ramadan is in the long summer months). Don\u2019t miss an opportunity to join them if you\u2019re invited to a meal in their home.\"2008270mnj285\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Charity [Sadaqah or Saddka (Arabic<\/strong><\/em>: \u0635\u062f\u0642\u0629\u200e,\u00a0plural \u1e63adaq\u0101t \u0635\u062f\u0642\u0627\u062a)] and\/or Alms-giving [Zak\u0101t (Arabic<\/strong><\/em>: \u0632\u0643\u0627\u0629\u200e )] <\/span><\/span><\/strong> Part of the reason for fasting is to experience the life of one poorer than you. The idea is to eat less and use the money saved to give to the poor during Ramadan. Islam has two types of charity \u2013 one is voluntary charity to the poor that is seen often during Ramadan; the other is the mandatory alms-giving, required by faithful adherents to Islam. Ramadan is sometimes the month when Muslims give their alms through their mosque(s).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Tip for you: <\/strong>You and your Muslim friends\/colleagues may share a concern for the poor of your city or for an oppressed people group somewhere in the world. This\u00a0could open a door for you to act together on behalf of those in need.<\/p>\n

Prayers [\u1e62al\u0101t (Arabic<\/strong><\/em>: \u0635\u0644\u0627\u0629\u200e \u1e63al\u0101t; pl. \u0635\u0644\u0648\u0627\u062a \u1e63alaw\u0101t)] <\/span><\/strong>Prayers are a major tenet of the Muslim faith. During Ramadan, prayers are considered even more powerful to the faithful Muslim. Entry into Paradise can hoped to\u00a0be won by Muslims through the careful attention to religious practices during Ramadan. During the last 10 days of Ramadan, a special Night of Power [Laylat al-Qadr (Arabic<\/strong><\/em>: \u0644\u06cc\u0644\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0642\u062f\u0631\u200e)], is believed to have even greater weight in the practicing Muslim\u2019s pursuit of favor with God.\"Cairo086\"<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Tip for you: <\/strong>Even if you do not usually notice your Muslim friend or coworker\u2019s prayers, during Ramadan, you may see them praying in their homes or at their desks. The mosques in your neighborhood will be much more noticeably busy during Ramadan. Besides the usual Friday service, and the 5 regular prayer-times during the day, there\u00a0are often special opportunities for Muslims to gather to pray and read and discuss the Qu\u2019ran. Pray for them as they pray.\"Cairo100\"<\/a><\/p>\n

God-consciousness or Piety <\/strong>[Taqwa (Arabic<\/em>: \u062a\u0642\u0648\u0649\u200e )] For many devout Muslims, Ramadan may not be so exceptional, except for the fast. Most, however, count on this month for its spiritual focus. Both men and women will have opportunities to learn more about\u00a0their God and the teachings of their prophet Muhammad. The global observance of Ramadan is a galvanizing experience for Muslims, with each other, and with the history of their religion, and, their hope,\u00a0with God.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip for you: <\/strong>Ramadan is an excellent time of the year to increase your own understanding of what your Muslim friends\/co-workers believe. Questions about their faith are usually welcomed. Arguments about faith are not. Do your own homework about the faith issues where you may disagree with Islamic teaching. This type of information is prolific on the internet (especially related to differences in thinking between Christians and Muslims). Then you can ask or discuss the faith issues that matter most to your friends\/colleagues, because during Ramadan, they have been thinking about them.\"Cairo094\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Community [Ummah (Arabic<\/strong><\/em>: \u0623\u0645\u0629\u200e)] <\/span><\/strong>Breaking the fast together and praying together in the mosque are clear signs of the strong bond between Muslims, especially seen during Ramadan. Christians enjoy this experience through similar celebrations (Christmas and Easter, to name two) and through their faith in Christ, bringing them into the larger Family or Kingdom of God. This Muslim observance of Ramadan, in its 30-day\u00a0concentration of focus and universal religious practice, is unique to this religion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip for you: <\/strong>For some, the community of the Islamic world, in their religious practices and political views, can be a little uncomfortable. A good reminder to self is that Islam is a religion, and Muslims are people. Whatever you agree with or disagree with, regarding the religion, needs to be separate from how you engage with the persons who identify with a certain religion. All\u00a0of us\u00a0need community and affiliation. So don\u2019t be put off by the Islamic practices you see in Ramadan. Remember, the people who are fasting, praying, and trying to understand God may share very similar concerns and struggles. AND <\/strong>if your Muslim friend\/colleague is observing Ramadan away from his family\/religious community, he or she is especially isolated and could really use your friendship during this time.<\/p>\n

Ramadan\u2019s Festival Day(s) [Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: \u0639\u064a\u062f \u0627\u0644\u0641\u0637\u0631\u200e)] <\/strong>\u2013 at the end of this month\u2019s fasting and praying \u2013 in a future blog.<\/p>\n

Muslim Website on Getting the Most Benefit Out of Ramadan<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

YouTube Video – Iftar (Breaking the Fast) Ramadan 2015 Around the World<\/a><\/p>\n

YouTube Video – Ramadan | Month of Mercy | Almarai Emotional Commercial<\/a><\/p>\n

Breaking Fast with Family \u2013 English Subtitles \u2013 Coca-Cola Commercial \u2013 Strong Message of Perceived Power of Month of Ramadan in Changes of Heart<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Short Public Service Announcement on Breaking the Fast & Family Time Together After<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Breaking the Fast \u2013 Ramadan Subway\u00a0Commercial \u2013\u00a0You Don\u2019t Have to Know the Language to Appreciate the Message<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

California Muslim Teens Explaining Ramadan<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

A Morality Tale (Ramadan Pepsi\/Lays Potato Chip Commercial) on the pull of society on Muslim Youth & How Ramadan Holds Family Together<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

What Growing Up in a Muslim Country Taught Us About Ramadan \u2013 Another Author\u2019s View<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Glossary of Islamic (Arabic) Terms for the Month of Ramadan<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Arabic Words & English Transliteration<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From the Archives – June 30, 2014 \u201cRamadan Kareem!\u201d \u201cRamadan Mabrouk!\u201d \u201cRamadan Mabarak!\u201d may be familiar words to you\u2026or not so much. Around the world, among Muslims, these are greetings of blessing for their holy month of Ramadan. In this month, all Islamic peoples are united in the observance of their religion, more than any … Continue reading Ramadan \u2013 Much More Than Fasting \u2013 A Quick Study for the Sake of Your Friends & Coworkers<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1067,183,147,249,1265,50,825,109,293,870,433,789,1178,1],"tags":[202,201,193,189,195,190,7,187,191,192,1836,199,194,196,197,200,188,186,198],"class_list":["post-3456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cross-cultural","category-culture-religion","category-family-2","category-food-drink","category-friends","category-god","category-holidays","category-home-2","category-life-skills","category-neighbors","category-pray","category-relationships","category-sacrifice","category-uncategorized","tag-allah","tag-alms-giving","tag-breaking-fast","tag-charity","tag-christianity","tag-community","tag-family","tag-fasting","tag-feast-days","tag-festival","tag-god","tag-god-consciousness","tag-invitation","tag-islam","tag-muslim","tag-piety","tag-prayers","tag-ramadan","tag-ramadan-kareem"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pauPAB-TK","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3456"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3456\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3465,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3456\/revisions\/3465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}