Ramadan is the month during
which the Quran was revealed, providing guidance for the people,
clear teachings, and the statute book. Those of you who witness
this month shall fast therein. Those who are ill or traveling may
substitute the same number of other days. God wishes for you convenience,
not hardship, that you may fulfill your obligations, and to glorify
God for guiding you, and to express your appreciation. (2:185)
…You may eat and drink until the white thread
of light becomes distinguishable from the dark thread of night at
dawn. Then, you shall fast until sunset. Sexual intercourse is prohibited
if you decide to retreat to the masjid (during the last ten days
of Ramadan). These are God’s laws; you shall not transgress
them. God thus clarifies His revelations for the people, that they
may attain salvation. (2:187)
Ramadan is one of the lunar months in the Islamic calendar. A lunar
month is approximately 29.5 days, which is the time it takes for
the moon to orbit the earth. Because a lunar month is, on the average,
one day shorter than a solar month, a lunar year is 10-12 days shorter
than a solar year. Therefore, the Month of Ramadan comes 10-12 days
earlier each year. This way we get to fast when the days are very
warm and long in summer as well as when they are cool and short
in winter. This beautiful design by God is also a test for us to
see if we will fast regardless of the length or temperature of the
days of Ramadan.
The beginning of a new lunar month is the moment, during the |
moon’s orbit around the earth,
when the moon is in conjunction with the sun, with the sun’s
light hitting the side of the moon away from the earth. In this
position, the moon is said to be a “new moon,” with
its dark side turned toward the earth. By definition, a new moon
is not visible from the earth as the sun’s light is shining
only on the side of the moon not facing the earth.
As the moon continues to orbit around the earth, it starts forming
a crescent. This will be minutes after the new moon even though
the crescent will not visible for several hours. In some traditional
Islamic countries, Muslims do not start fasting until they can see
the crescent in the sky. In those countries people who sight the
crescent first may also be rewarded. To get the reward, some people
camp on hilltops where the visibility will be the best.
God gave us scientific knowledge to determine exactly when a lunar
month will begin and end. Any observatory or astronomy center should
have that information for your area. Some almanacs, magazines or
newspapers also report the times for the phases of the moon. To
determine when one should start fasting, compare the time the new
lunar month begins with the time of sunset, the beginning of a day
in the Islamic calendar.
The Islamic day is the same as the Hebrew day. It begins at sunset
and ends at the next sunset. In this system, the night comes before
the day. Therefore, in some traditional Islamic countries, when
they talk about, for instance, Friday night, they are actually referring
to
|
Thursday night as we know it because
that night actually belongs to Friday according to their definition
of a day.
Beginning of Ramadan
To determine when Ramadan (or any lunar month) begins, we need
to know mainly two facts. The first is the time of the “new
moon,” and the second is the time of sunset of the same day
as this new moon. Even though the lunar month theoretically begins
with the new moon, in practice the month begins on the first sunset
following this new moon.
If the new moon time for the month of Ramadan is before the sunset,
one starts fasting the next day at dawn (fajr). However, if the
new moon time is actually past the sunset, then that particular
night is considered to belong to the last day of the previous month
(Sha’ban). Therefore, even if the new moon time may fall before
the dawn, the first day of Ramadan does not start until the next
sunset. Thus one starts fasting at dawn following this sunset.
Ending of Ramadan
One has to use the same system to determine the ending of the month
to be consistent. If the new moon time for the month following Ramadan
(the month of Shawwal) is before the sunset, one ends fasting at
that sunset because the next day will be the first day of Shawwal.
If the new moon time is past the sunset one must fast the next day
also since that day will belong to Ramadan.
Continued on page 4
|