Ramadan

Cont’d from page 1

Thus in order to attain salvation, we should refrain from any behavior that may jeopardize the rewards from fasting. We should take advantage of this month to purify our souls further by concentrated worship, reading of the Quran more often, giving charity, and doing good deeds.

Ramadan This Year

The new moon times to be used for determining the beginning and ending of Ramadan are given below for GMT (Greenwich Mean Time, also called Universal Time).

11:12 P.M. November 25, 2000
5:22 P.M. December 25, 2000

This information is taken from U.S. Naval Observatory’s web site under Astronomical Applications at http://aa.usno.navy.mil/AA/data/
The actual time for each time zone is relative to GMT. For example, Tucson is seven hours behind GMT. Thus when, for example, it is 10 P.M. according to GMT, it is 3 P.M. in Tucson.

How do we know when to start fasting?

To determine when fasting in Ramadan begins in your area, adjust the first “new moon” time given above for your time zone (depending on the time difference between your area and GMT). 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.

How do we know when to end fasting?

To determine when fasting in Ramadan ends in your area, adjust the second “new moon” time given above for your time zone. If this 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.

Based on the above information, the first day of Ramadan for Tucson is November 26, the last day is December 25. This will be true for the States in Mountain and Pacific Time Zone, and west of it.

The Night of Power (or Destiny)

The Night of Power (Layl-al-Qadr) is the night in which the Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad. It is the 27th night of Ramadan. God describes this night as better than a thousand months. During that night, the angels and the Spirit descend therein, by God’s leave, to carry out every command (97:1-5).

The Night of Power starts at the sunset of 26th day of Ramadan corresponding to the 27th night. It ends at the down of the following morning.

Note: Like last year, there will be a gathering of Submitters again in (San Francisco) Bay area for the Night of Power to commemorate God all night long (Ed.)