Today there are lots of different religions so that people can easily find the one to follow. The new ones are not very popular, and some of them are even unknown to the majority of the general public, which cannot be said about those that are accepted by millions of individuals. Islam1 is one of them, as it is said to have more than a billion of followers.
A monotheistic worldview that is created by this religion proves it to be similar to others including Christianity; still they should not be discussed as familiar ones. Islam became known as a religion with numerous followers at the beginning of the 7th century, and its occurrence cannot be described without the connection to Muhammad2.
According to Islamic tradition, this man is a non-direct descendant of Adam. He lived an ordinary life till he turned 40 years of age. At this period, Muhammad saw a vision from the angel Gabriel, and this event changes his life greatly, as with the course of time he turned into a prophet. The first vision was received during the month of Ramadan, which is exceptional for Muslims3 (Anderson 10).
Ramadan is the 9th month in the Islamic year, which is based on the changing moons, so the time when it occurs and its duration (29-30 days) differ. It is a sacred period of time for Muslims, and for many years already they devote it to fasting and praying (Murray 6). This month is given to people to show their devotion to Allah.
However, currently Muslims tend to observe only the third pillar4 of their religion (fasting) and forget about prayers and charity. Today they are changed for parties and shopping, which resembles a holiday more than the act that should prove people’s belief in Allah (Blackwell 2). During this month, Muslims take suhur5 before the sunrise and end the day with iftar6 (“Ramadan, the Month of Fasting” par. 6). Ramadan reaches its decline with the holiday that is called Eid al-Fitr, during which Muslims are not permitted to fast.
Nowadays many people are allowed to change their religion to the one they find the most appropriate and lots of individuals are immigrants who changed their location, Ramadan is celebrated not only in the Muhammad’s native country but also in the US, New Zealand and other places. Ramadan unites all followers of Islam giving them the time they can use to focus on their faith and families. Thousands of people gather in one place to pray in Arabic even if it is not their native language, as the Quran7 is written in it.
The reason Ramadan is still celebrated by all Muslims lies in the fact that the followers of Islam believe that during this month the gates to heaven are open while those that lead to hell are closed. It means that Allah looks at people and rewards their good deeds that can be easily conducted as the devil cannot influence them.
As a consequence, many believers try to give up their bad habits and pray more. This is the time when the least disagreements occur and when people develop their positive qualities that are likely to make them closer to God. Among the customs that are considered to enhance spirituality is charity. Muslims tend to help poor people. They gather food, clothes and money to give it those who are in need. They also read the Quran and try to look through it till the end before Ramadan ends (Sievert 8).
According to the Quran, people who are not able to conduct some of the expected actions during Ramadan can substitute them by different ones: “If one volunteers (more righteous works), it is better; but fasting is the best for you, if you only knew” (Tucson par. 3).
In this way, more Muslims can keep to their religion and its rules, which allows Islam remain extremely popular among the population of the world. The followers also believe that the things they are to do are all beneficial for them, as Allah would never ask them to do something bad. They have proved this theory by proving the positive effects of fasting, which also reduces the number of non-believers.
In some countries, the individuals who fail to follow the rules of Ramadan are treated as criminals and can be even put in prison for several years. There are also some other ways of punishment that include fines and physical punishment. In this way, the crime rates decrease greatly.
Thus, Ramadan is extremely important for all followers of Islam regardless their location and nationality. This is the month when people become highly religious and act according to the accepted norms. Ramadan is not only the way to show the devotion to God but also a thing that make people less aggressive and more generous.
Works Cited
Anderson, Kerby. A Biblical Point of View on Islam, Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2007. Print.
Blackwell, Amy. Ramadan, New York: Infobase Publishing, 2009. Print.
Murray, Julie. Ramadan. Edina: ABDO, 2011. Print.
Ramadan, the Month of Fasting n.d. Web.
Sievert, Terri. Ramadan: Islamic Holy Month, Mankato: Capstone, 2006. Print.
Tucson, Masjid. Blessings of Ramadan. 2006. Web.
References
- The Abrahamic religion according to which the aim of the human’s existence is worshipping to Allah (God); the second largest religion.
- Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdullāh is the messenger sent by Allah to direct people.
- People who follow Islam.
- The acts that Muslims are to conduct being believers. There are 5 pillars in total.
- The pre-dawn meal during Ramadan.
- The evening meal during Ramadan.
- The main text of Islamic religion, which reveals the Allah’s messages.