Once again, nearly two billion Muslims are observing the Holy Month of Ramadan through fasting in a world plagued by conflict, hardship, and mass killings.
This year, the ninth month of the lunar calendar was expected to commence on the evening of February 28, contingent upon the sighting of the new crescent moon, with fasting set to begin on March 1.
Throughout the month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, and engaging in marital intimacy from dawn to dusk for a period of 30 days.
This sacred month commemorates the time when the angel Jibril appeared to Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him), and conveyed the divine words of Allah (God) that would eventually form the Holy Qur’an.
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has noted that for Muslims, Ramadan is a very special month.
“During this month of Ramadan, each day we are to read one-thirtieth (1/30) of the Qur’an so that by the end of Ramadan, we shall have completed the reading of the whole of the Holy Qur’an.
This is a very special month of prayer and fasting and sacrifice that is prescribed by Allah to give us the discipline necessary by forsaking the things that are natural: food, water, and sexual relations with our spouses during the daylight hours,” Minister Farrakhan said in a 2010 message titled “Blessed Ramadan.”
“Surely, if we can master hunger, and thirst, and the drive for sexual co-habitation throughout the hot days of summer, then it will be easier for us to leave off lying and stealing, gambling, the use of drugs, or anything that is unnatural that takes us away from the pure service and worship of Allah.
So this Ramadan will be the Ramadan to break bad habits, and start to making new, good ones. Breaking the grip on those things that we thought had a hold on us that we couldn’t stop,” he added.
In a world fraught with chaos and confusion, Ramadan serves as an opportunity for Muslims and even non-Muslims who participate, a chance to recharge, recalibrate and strengthen their faith.
“This year is again, significant in a world where there’s always some turmoil,” New Jersey’s Imam Qasim Amin Nathari, author and Islamic scholar, told The Final Call. “As I contemplate this year, I’m reminded of how many pivotal conflicts in Islamic history occurred during Ramadan.
Examining the major engagements and triumphs, we see that Muslims participated in these battles while fasting and striving to keep Allah (God) in their thoughts,” he said.
“Given the current global challenges, I believe it’s crucial for Muslims to consider both the international situation and their individual connection with Allah.
We often become so engrossed in world events that we neglect to nurture our personal spiritual relationship. However, it’s important to recognize that these two aspects are not mutually exclusive—we can address both simultaneously,” said Imam Nathari.
The Battle of Badr, also referred to as the Battle of Separation, was a crucial conflict in the early period of Islam. This confrontation took place on 17 Ramadan 2 AH (March 17, 624 CE), pitting a formidable Quraysh force of over 1,000 soldiers against a mere 313 Muslims.
The unexpected triumph of the Muslims in this engagement marked a pivotal moment for their fledgling community, demonstrating the might of Allah (God) and reinforcing their faith.
“In that particular year, during the migration of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, this was the first year that fasting and charity were made obligatory upon the community,” explained Islamic scholar Ieasha Prime.
“What’s significant about the battle of Badr being fought during Ramadan is that the believers were fighting while they were fasting. It means that in the intense heat during this month, this was something that they were enduring.”
and Sheik Misbahudeen Ahmed Rufai pray
during the Night of Power in 2024 at Mosque
Maryam in Chicago. Photo: Final Call File
The Malê Rebellion stands out as another significant Muslim conflict during Ramadan. This slave insurrection occurred in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, in the last 10 days of Ramadan in January 1835.
While Hausa and Yoruba Muslims spearheaded the revolt, historians note that participants included non-Muslim Africans from various ethnic backgrounds as well.
Ramadan starts approximately 11 days earlier each year as the lunar calendar follows the moon’s phases. The moon’s sighting marks the official start of Ramadan. Muslims believe the Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad, (peace be upon him,) in 610 A.D.
That revelation from Angel Jibril occurred on Laylat Al-Qadar, or the “Night of Power,” during Ramadan’s last 10 days. Muslims commemorate God’s revelation this month by praying and reading the Qur’an. They also strive to be better Muslims by refraining from gossiping, lying, fighting or arguing.
Fasting from sunup to sundown is obligatory for Muslims, except for the sick, pregnant, nursing mothers, travelers, elderly, or menstruating women. Missed fasting days can be made up throughout the year, either all at once or one day at a time.
The fast is not meant to be a hardship. Muslims may eat a pre-dawn meal called suhoor, before the first prayer, fajr. The evening meal to break the fast, called iftar, is eaten after the sunset prayer, Maghrib.
The fast is often broken with dates and water, as Prophet Muhammad, (peace be upon him) did. However, any permissible food or drink may be consumed to break the fast.
call to prayer. Photos: Abdul K. Muhammad
“For Muslims, Ramadan should be a time of peace. Muslims are strengthening their resolve to make the fast from sunup to sundown. This is what we know Ramadan to be about.
We ask our Lord to bless our families and our loved ones, and those who are sick and burdened by anything. We ask Allah to bless us to be charitable during Ramadan, to give to those who don’t have, and to comfort the sick.
Those that are shut in and to stand by those in struggle around the world,” Minister Abdul Akbar Muhammad, International Representative of the Nation of Islam, told The Final Call.
While many around the world are focused on the suffering in Palestine, Sudan, the Congo and often in their own communities, Muslims are also focused on looking beyond the daily struggles to an ability to attain inner peace.
“The Holy Month of Ramadan is a most important time for the righteous of all diverse backgrounds, schools of thought, and cultures because this is the month of fasting in which the Holy Qur’an was revealed. Therefore, the month first spiritually roots the Believer in the Divine Word of Allah (God) as a nourishment to the mind, heart, and spirit.
We collectively strive every Ramadan each year to elevate ourselves through its universal moral injunctions and spiritual guidance,” Nation of Islam National Student Imam Sultan Rahman Muhammad, told The Final Call in a previous interview.
“We are rooted in our shared struggle to overcome the carnal realities of self that are represented in our abstention from wrongdoing, food, drink, and intimate relations during the daylight with our husbands and wives.
As we collectively abstain from these natural universal hungers, the shared reality of our struggle for balance to overcome excess by cultivating righteous virtues.
We deepen our relationship with Allah (God) and one another in all aspects of life to free ourselves from the tyranny of the evils of ‘self’ and others for the advancement of unlimited progress, peace, joy and contentment of mind to establish a new reality through self-purification,” he said.
For nearly 20 years an observance of Ramadan, a Ramadan Prayer Line, was established, which has evolved into a global morning podcast for Muslims. “Ramadan:
The Ummah Reflects” has been recognized by FeedSpot as the sixth-best Ramadan podcast out of 15, selected from thousands based on web traffic, social media following, and content freshness.
This podcast brings together Muslims worldwide, offering inspiration from diverse speakers who motivate listeners to commence their fasts with clear purpose and intent.
The podcast is accessible on all podcast platforms. New episodes are automatically downloaded each morning during Ramadan, ready for listeners to enjoy. Those who wish to tune in live at 5:00 A.M. Eastern Time can install the Podbean application on their mobile devices and look up “Ramadan:
The Ummah Reflects.” Featured speakers on the daily program have included notable figures such as the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, Imam Siraj Wahhaj, Imam Zaid Shakir, Dr. Aminah Al Deen, and Dr. Safiyya Shabazz.
The conclusion of Ramadan is followed by Eid al-Fitr, known as the “festival of breaking the fast.” This occasion typically begins with group prayers in the morning for numerous Muslims.
In some communities, the celebration extends over several days, featuring prayer sessions, elaborate feasts, and the exchange of presents while people visit their relatives and friends.
