an essay about ramadan

Essay on Ramadan

Introduction.

Do you remember how we used to look up the list of holidays in the calendar or school diary, the first thing when the school reopens after the summer break? The thrill of counting the number of holidays and looking at whether the holidays fall on weekdays was the greatest pastime. We may not have celebrated all the festivals of India listed in the calendar, but this essay on Ramadan for kids will be beneficial to know how it is celebrated.

Children of this age, too, might have come across many important national festivals in their school diaries. But do they know the significance of each festival? This short essay on Ramadan in English is an attempt to make our kids understand the history and importance of one such festival.

History of Ramadan

This essay on Ramadan in English will help kids to know more about Ramadan. Ramadan is mainly celebrated by Muslims all over the world between the months of April and May. According to the Islamic Calendar, Ramadan is the ninth month, which is considered to be holy.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims observe fasting and refrain from eating or drinking from dawn to dusk. They eat one meal before the daybreak and continue their fast till sunset. They further break their fast before the sunset. This ritual of fasting has great importance in their culture as it is believed that fasting teaches them how to be patient, modest and spiritual.

We will also see the history of Ramadan in this essay on Ramadan. People consider Ramadan to be a holy month because it was in this month that Allah passed down the first verses of the Quran to Prophet Muhammad. So, during Ramadan, people pray for Allah’s blessings and spend the day in prayers.

Importance of Ramadan

In this part of the importance of Ramadan essay, we will learn what Muslims do in the month of Ramadan. As children will get an idea about the importance of Ramadan, it will be easy for them to write a short essay on Ramadan.

Ramadan is a special time of the year for Muslims, which is allocated for praying and forgiving. The true essence of Ramadan lies in the fact that people pray for forgiveness of all their past sins by practising self-control through fasting and purifying themselves by doing good deeds. If the kids have become familiar with the importance of the Ramadan essay, let us also teach them how Muslims mark the end of Ramadan through this short essay on Ramadan in English.

People greet each other with ‘Ramadan Mubarak’ or ‘Ramadan Kareem’ when the month of Ramadan begins. The last few days of Ramadan are special, and they call it the night of power or the night of measures as they believe that Allah sends his blessings on this night. Further, they celebrate the end of Ramadan with a great feast and celebration with friends and family, which is called Eid-ul-Fitr .

This essay on Ramadan offered by BYJU’S is simple to read and grasp, so there would be no trouble writing a Ramadan essay for kids. You can check out more interesting essays on other festivals of India on our website.

Frequently Asked Questions on Essay on Ramadan

When is ramadan.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and it usually falls between April and May. This year, Ramadan is observed between 2 April 2022 and 2 May 2022.

What is the significance of the essay on Ramadan?

The essay on Ramadan will help kids to know more about it, thus enabling them to appreciate and respect the different cultural practices in India. Through this, they will know the unique traditions followed by people.

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Let your rizq raise a voice for the ummah

How Muslims Feel About Ramadan 2020: A Report

Published: April 28, 2020 • Updated: March 30, 2021

Author s : Hajer Nakua and Dr. Osman Umarji

How Muslims Feel About Ramadan 2020: A Report

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

For more on this topic, see Faith in the Time of COVID-19

Introduction.

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Who is optimistic this Ramadan?

Ramadan tips

Tip 1: reflect on the qur’an regularly.

We have not revealed the Qur’an to cause you distress. 5

Tip 2: Have an intimate conversation with Allah

And when My servants ask you [O Muhammad] about Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [in obedience] and believe in Me so that they may be guided. 7

Tip 3: Practice gratitude journaling and letter writing

And remember when your Lord proclaimed, “If you are grateful, I will surely increase you in favor.” 9

Tip 4: Create a virtual community to feel connected

Disclaimer: The views, opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in these papers and articles are strictly those of the authors. Furthermore, Yaqeen does not endorse any of the personal views of the authors on any platform. Our team is diverse on all fronts, allowing for constant, enriching dialogue that helps us produce high-quality research.

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What is Ramadan and why is it so important to the Islamic faith?

Ramadan is the holiest month of the year in Islamic culture. For Muslims, it’s a time for spiritual reflection and growth, to help those in need, and to spend time with loved ones. It’s also a time when Muslims around the world fast during daylight hours for the whole month of Ramadan. Read on to find out more about Ramadan traditions and customs, and why it’s so important to the Islamic faith.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Muslim lunar calendar. Muslims observe this sacred month of Ramadan to mark when Allah sent an angel to Prophet Muhammad to reveal the Quran, the Islamic holy book, in 610 AD. This revelation is known as the “night of power” or ‘Laylat Al Qadar’ in Arabic.

When is Ramadan?

The beginning and end of Ramadan change every year as it’s based on the Islamic lunar calendar and the moon cycles. The start of Ramadan is determined by the sighting of the new crescent moon by religious leaders. Although Muslim’s wait for the new moon’s appearance before announcing the first day of Ramadan, they can estimate the arrival. Ramadan is predicted to begin on 12 April this year (2021) and end on 12 May with the Eid al-Fitr celebration. The month of Ramadan usually lasts between 29 to 30 days, depending on when the new crescent moon is sighted.

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What is the main purpose of Ramadan?

During Ramadan, Muslims aim to grow spiritually and become closer to Allah and their loved ones. They do this by fasting and abstaining from pleasures like smoking, drinking and sexual intercourse between sunrise and sunset each day. Ramadan is also a time for unity and spiritual reflection and Muslims spend time praying, reciting the Quran and doing good deeds. They donate to charity, spend time with loved ones, and avoid lying, gossiping and fighting.

Why do Muslims fast during Ramadan?

Fasting is important during Ramadan as it allows Muslim to devote themselves to their faith, get closer to Allah and learn patience and compassion. It’s about nourishing your soul, rather than only focusing on your physical body. It’s also one of the Five Pillars of Islam which are the foundation of how Muslims live their lives (the others are faith, prayer, charity and pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca).

Fasting is usually done by all Muslims except those who are sick, pregnant, lactating, menstruating, elderly or travelling. If you miss fasting days you can make up for them throughout the year.

Can you drink water during Ramadan?

The fasting is done between sunrise and sunset. During this time, practicing Muslims are not allowed to drink water. Muslims usually wake up before dawn and eat a light meal known as suhoor. They drink plenty of water at this time to see them through the day. After the sun fully sets, the fast is typically broken with water and dates, followed by prayers and a meal called iftar.

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What happens at the end of Ramadan?

A special three-day festival called Eid al-Fitr (the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast) marks the end of Ramadan. It begins when the first sight of the new moon is seen in the sky. It’s a joyous occasion, with Muslims celebrating the end of fasting and giving thanks to Allah.

During the three days, Muslims attend prayers in the morning and visit loved ones and neighbours. Then they enjoy a delicious traditional feast with friends and family. Children are often given presents, and it’s custom to donate to those in need. As a symbol of unity, Ramadan is a time when Muslims from all over the world come together to celebrate their faith.

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Essay on Middle East

Ramadan Essay Example

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Middle East , Muslim , Islam , Ramadan , Church , World , Israel , Religion

Words: 1300

Published: 07/15/2021

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The Western world continues to have misunderstandings and misgivings about the religion of Islam. Marred by increasingly violent global politics against Islamic extremist groups and nativist fears against Islam at home, the world have increasingly viewed even Islam’s benign activities through a lens of trepidation. While it is hard to argue that Islamic terrorism should be viewed negative, even more typical Muslim activities, such as the celebration of Ramadan can be met with mixed reactions. The following essay will look at what aspects of Ramadan major news carriers focus on and how they present Islam’s holy month.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed as holy by Muslims around the world. It is considered one of the “Five Pillars of Islam” and is used to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran experienced by Muhammad. The celebration month can last anywhere from 29-30 days depending on when the sight of the crescent moon is first experienced. One really important aspect of celebrating the month is that they must fast from until sunset for the duration of the month, which includes no liquids, food, smoking or sexual relations. It is a very important and holy Muslim occasion and is covered in depth every year by many media outlets.

One way that the media covers Ramadan is by drawing links between the Muslim holy month and the ongoing terrorist epidemic throughout the Middle East. In an article entitled “ISIS enforces Ramadan fast by crucifying two children,” in Syria, the title itself provocatively forges links between the holy month and the most feared group by westerners. According to the article the children were caught doing the rather petty “crime” of eating and were then executed by militants. The technique of the lead sentence of the headline makes sure that the reader is struck by provocative details of the story. Those being killed are none other than children, an innocent class of people, and their crime is eating. They were executed, according to the story, on the streets because they failed to obey a law of Islam. The story says that this is not an isolated incident and links it to other times that ISIS has crucified people for failing to obey Islamic law. They then transition into other egregious acts of ISIS saying that they “urged its followers to escalate attacks on Christians,” and notes that the group is continuing to gain followers in places like Iraq.

The publication of the above article is the Jerusalem Post. It is easy to see how they would have a vested interest in not only making Islam a fear worth being afraid of in the Middle East, but also in expanding it to Christians to make sure that it hits home for the western world. The state of Israel continues to fight against Muslim groups in the Gaza strip and therefore would be well served to have the Western world, its major ally, to stay invested and worried about the spread of Islamic groups. While the facts of the case of ISIS executing children may very well be true and should rightfully be rallied against, its linking of it to Christianity and the spread of ISIS is not immediately related to the content of the story itself and would have obvious intentions in spreading the fear of Islam.

In a more critical tone toward Israel and groups against Islam, The New York Times contained an article entitled “Israel cancels Gaza residents’ access to Al Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.” In this article it says that Israel has cancelled previously granted permission of Muslims to enter a Mosque in Jerusalem. It includes quotes from critics that it is likened to a punishment and another example of how Israeli authorities were trying to limit the freedom and movement of Palestinians. It does also quote Israeli rationale that the decision was made after rockets had been fired into Gaza recently and it was done as a safety measure. It says that ISIS had taken credit for the rocket launches, but that Israel pronounced it was done by Hamas, the democratically elected party in Palestine. It says that the Palestinians who have family in Gaza will still be allowed to visit them. It finally ends with a quote on how this is another example of the unprecedented control that Israeli authorities have over the lives of Palestinians in being able to block their movements during their most holy holiday.

Overall, this article is very balanced compared to the one written by the Jerusalem Post. It gives both sides, how it affects and hurts the Palestinians, but also the rationale by the Israeli authorities that were doing it not out of just wanting to control Palestinians but because there were recent activities that made them think the area was in danger. However, it should be noted they include a part of the story that the recent dangerous activities against Israel were done by ISIS and not Hamas, and that this had been admitted in the open. Israel still punished Hamas, though, by going against the Palestinian people. This is sort of implying that Israel is using the recent attacks as an excuse to tighten its security group on forces it sees in its midst and shows how Ramadan can become entangled in the messy politics of the Middle East.

Finally, since Ramadan happens all over the Muslim world, another article in Al-arabiya, shows that Ramadan is much more than just a religious holiday and they focus on how it affects and is intertwined with economics. The article entitled, “Saudi Arabia, Egypt stocks slip as Ramadan thins trade,” focuses on how Ramadan affects the global economics. According to the article the stock markets in both Saudi Arabia and Egypt dipped because many investors had left their positions at the market to follow Ramadan. They then give the economic statistics and how much the month had cause the dip. The article is generally pretty terse and gives only the economic facts. In this way, it is not necessarily promoting any one view or another by saying that it is a good or bad thing but rather just showing that Ramadan has great and lasting affects throughout the world. It also implies the diligence and dedication of those involved that they are moving away from basic activities like money making in order to pursue greater, more spiritual ends. As a Middle Eastern based publication they would not be as adamant about drawing any sensationalist claims about what is happening surrounding Ramadan. It is not interested in showing how its related to ISIS or how it can be implied to be a danger to Christians as the first article based in Jerusalem shows.

In all, it can be seen that even benign holidays can be wrapped up in the greater context of the issues of terrorism and international politics. Rather than just reporting on the many people peacefully practicing the holiday as they do every year, many mainstream media wings still tend emphasize the negative aspects and focus on how the holiday is part of the greater conversation on the role of Islam and terrorism in world politics.

Works Cited

"Saudi Arabia, Egypt Stocks Slip as Ramadan Thins Trade." June 22, 2015. Accessed June 24, 2015. http://english.alarabiya.net/en/business/economy/2015/06/22/Saudi-Arabia-Egypt-stocks-slip-as-Ramadan-thins-trade.html. Hadid, Diaa. "Israel Cancels Some Gazans’ Access to Al Aqsa Mosque During Ramadan." The New York Times. June 24, 2015. Accessed June 24, 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/world/middleeast/israel-palestinians-gaza-ramadan.html?_r=0. "'ISIS Enforces Ramadan Fast by Crucifying Two Children'" The Jerusalem Post. June 23, 2015. Accessed June 24, 2015. http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/ISIS-enforces-Ramadan-fast-by-crucifying-two-children-406876.

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General English
Magazine zone

Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims. What happens during Ramadan and what does it mean to millions of Muslims worldwide?

Do the preparation task first. Then read the article and do the exercises.

Preparation

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What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is a very special time for Muslims all over the world. Observing Ramadan is one of the five 'pillars' of Islam. During Ramadan, all Muslims over the age of about 12, with some exceptions, are expected to fast between dawn and sunset.

When does it take place?

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which follows the phases of the moon. This means the dates of Ramadan change each year. The month starts when the new crescent moon is first visible in the night sky. Fasting ends with the arrival of the next lunar month, which starts with the first glimpse of the new crescent moon.

How do people fast?

During Ramadan, the day starts early so that people can eat a pre-fast meal before dawn. This meal, called Suhoor, is important as it will keep them going through the day. During daylight hours, fasting Muslims cannot eat food or drink water or any other drinks. In late spring or early summer, this is particularly difficult as the day can be very long. People who live in polar regions, where daylight can last 22 hours or more, can choose to follow the dawn and sunset times in Mecca or a nearby country where the sky is dark at night.

Are all Muslims expected to fast?

Not all Muslims are expected to fast. Children under the age of 12, people who are travelling, elderly people, pregnant women and others where it may affect their health are exempt. Those who can't fast for any reason can offer to feed poor people for each day they miss during Ramadan.

What happens at sunset?

People can eat and drink again once the sun has set. The traditional way to break the fast is by eating dates and drinking a glass of water. Then, the evening meal, Iftar, is a social event that can go on for hours. It is common for people to eat together in large groups of family and friends. Special foods are prepared and shared, and desserts are particularly popular. Muslims often include charity in Iftar as well, sharing Iftar with members of the community who cannot buy or make their own food. Across the Muslim world, mosques and aid organisations set up tents and tables for the public in poorer communities to eat free Iftar meals every night of Ramadan.

Why do people fast?

Muslims fast during Ramadan to bring them closer to God and to remind them of the suffering of people who are less fortunate than themselves. Fasting is an exercise in self-control. As well as not eating, drinking or smoking, Muslims try to avoid bad actions, like talking about people behind their backs or using bad language. Ramadan is a time for people to work on being more patient, more tolerant and more mindful of the people around them. It is a moment to reflect and work on being better people.

Many Muslims also donate money to charities during the month, and a lot of Islamic charities organise food packs for people in poorer countries or refugee camps. Giving donations to charity, known as Zakat, is particularly important during the holy month, and so is prayer, meditation and reading the Qur'an.

How is the end of Ramadan celebrated?

Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of the month of fasting. There are many Eid traditions, mainly centred around family, food, generosity and festivities. On Eid ul-Fitr, Muslims wake up early and dress in their finest clothes to attend the Eid prayers. After prayers, they wish each other a happy Eid ('Eid Mubarak' in Arabic) before spending the rest of the day with their extended families, enjoying good food and sharing gifts with children and loved ones.

TrueOrFalse_MjM0NDA=.xml

MultipleChoice_MjM0Mzk=.xml

Do you observe Ramadan?

Language level

salam alakom!

as a muslim i observe Ramadan every year , it's a month of religious worship wich makes you in front of spiritual moment and reinforced the positive energy on you .

happy ramadan

i'm very happy for learn about this culture. So great!

me as a muslim of indonesia i really like ramadhan especially when ramadhan comes i can meet my family and fasting together.

Do you observe Ramadan ? yes I do . I am Muslim.

As a Muslim, I observe Ramadan as a sacred month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and self-discipline. It is a time when I join millions of Muslims around the world in abstaining from food, drink, and other physical needs from dawn until sunset. Ramadan holds great significance in our faith, as it is believed to be the month when the Quran was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is a time of spiritual purification, increased devotion, and a chance to deepen our connection with Allah. Throughout Ramadan, I strive to engage in acts of charity, seek forgiveness, and spend time in prayer and contemplation.

I really like Ramadan because it has special customs and traditions, you see people do good things like quiting smooking, help poor people and forgive others also when Eid Elfeter comes you see people happy and combined with their families

Actually, I observed ramadan every year's also observed crescent moon in the started month and I am very happy to fast .

Hello 👋 everyone. I'm observe Ramadan every year. It's very important in our life. Ramadan teaches us only good things. it teaches you to go the right way.

do you observe? yes,because i'm a muslim and i observe,and think that this month is very special,cause people in this moth is very kind,fasting is not difficult, I have been fasting since I was 14.

hello everyone my name is islam I observe fast becouse i am a muslim I have to do it I have very good health

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Essay on Ramadan in English – Find out some sample essays of 100, 200 words as well as long essays here!

Essay on ramadan in English: Ramadan is a holy month in the Islamic calendar, which is observed by Muslims around the world as a time of fasting, prayer, and spiritual reflection. The word Ramadan comes from the Arabic root word ‘ramida’, which means scorching heat or dryness. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn until sunset, abstaining from food, drink, smoking, and other physical needs. Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is seen as a way of purifying the soul and demonstrating devotion to God. In addition to fasting, Muslims also increase their prayers during Ramadan and spend time reading the Quran. It is believed that the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Prophet Muhammad during the month of Ramadan.

Table of Contents

100-Word Essay on Ramadan in English

Ramadan is the Islamic calendar’s ninth month. Ramadan is the Islamic fasting month, during which Muslims refrain from eating or drinking from dawn to sunset. Ramadan was the name of the ninth month in Arabian culture even before Islam arrived. Fasting has been written down (as necessary) upon you, as it was upon those before you,” according to the Qur’an, referring to the Jewish practise of fasting on Yom Kippur. Fasting is intended to instill in Muslims patience, modesty, and spirituality.

For the sake of God, Muslims fast during Ramadan and pray more frequently than usual. Muslims seek forgiveness for previous transgressions throughout Ramadan, pray for direction and assistance in avoiding common vices, and work to purify oneself via self-control and charitable gestures.

200-Word Essay on Ramadan in English

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is considered a holy month by Muslims around the world. It is a time of fasting, prayer, and spiritual reflection. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn until sunset, abstaining from food, drink, smoking, and other physical needs. Fasting is a way of purifying the soul, demonstrating devotion to God, and focusing on acts of charity and kindness.

Muslims also increase their prayer and worship during Ramadan and spend time reading the Quran. It is believed that the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Prophet Muhammad during the month of Ramadan. The end of Ramadan is marked by the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which is a time of celebration, feasting, and generosity.

Ramadan is a time for self-discipline and self-reflection, as well as a time to strengthen one’s faith and connection with God. It is an important part of Islamic culture and is celebrated by millions of Muslims around the world. The observance of Ramadan encourages Muslims to focus on the principles of charity, compassion, and humility, and to strive towards being the best versions of themselves.

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Long Essay on Ramadan in English

Ramadan is a month-long observance in the Islamic faith that holds great significance to Muslims around the world. The month of Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and is considered a time for fasting, prayer, and spiritual reflection. The word Ramadan is derived from the Arabic root word “ramida,” which means “scorching heat” or “dryness.”

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, along with the declaration of faith, prayer, charity, and the pilgrimage to Mecca. Fasting during Ramadan involves abstaining from food, drink, smoking, and other physical needs from dawn until sunset. Muslims are encouraged to use the time they would usually spend eating and drinking to focus on prayer, worship, and reflection on their faith.

In addition to fasting, Muslims also increase their prayer and worship during Ramadan. Many mosques offer extended prayers called Taraweeh, which are performed every night during the month of Ramadan. Muslims also spend time reading the Quran, which is believed to be the word of God revealed to Prophet Muhammad over 1,400 years ago. The Quran teaches Muslims about their faith, spirituality, and morality.

The major goals of Ramadan are to strengthen one’s faith, develop morally, analyse one’s own way of life, comprehend one’s own priorities, and reorder these priorities. In order to reflect on true essential values, assess one’s life, and unwind, a person has the option to escape city life and retreat to a quiet, warm spot. Humans are sinners, and Ramadan gives people a chance to examine their lives and misdeeds, draw some conclusions, and make some changes in their way of living.

Ramadan is also a time for charity and kindness. Muslims are encouraged to be generous during Ramadan and to give to those in need. Many Muslims give Zakat, which is a form of charity given to those in need. In addition, Muslims are encouraged to perform acts of kindness, such as volunteering at food banks or helping their neighbors.

The end of Ramadan is marked by the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which is a time of celebration and feasting with family and friends. Muslims wear new clothes, give gifts, and prepare special meals to mark the end of the month-long fast. Eid al-Fitr is a time for generosity, forgiveness, and happiness.

FAQs on Essay on Ramadan in English

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community.

Ramadan is a time for Muslims to deepen their faith, strengthen their relationships with God, and cultivate self-discipline and empathy for others. It is believed to be the month in which the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

Muslims observe Ramadan by abstaining from food, drink, and other physical needs from dawn until sunset, performing extra prayers and charitable acts, and seeking forgiveness and guidance through spiritual reflection and reading of the Quran.

Ramadan typically lasts 29-30 days, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon marking the start of the new lunar month.

Children will learn more about Ramadan from the essay, which will help them understand and appreciate India’s various cultural customs. They will learn about the various customs that individuals observe through this.

By Gauri Malik

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Spirituality, Growth and Ramadan

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Professor Amtul Razzaq Carmichael, UK

Spirituality means knowing that our lives have significance in a context beyond a mundane everyday existence at the level of biological needs; and appreciating that we are a significant part of a purposeful unfolding of Life. [1] Spiritual development entails the exploration of the human experience beyond the physical realm and acknowledging the existence of the soul and the afterlife. Spirituality is recognised as an important part of human well-being as it leads to inner peace, personal growth and a deeper understanding of the self and the world around us.

Currently, Muslims are fasting during the month of Ramadan . Spiritual progress, in the religious sense, means to purify, hone, and consolidate one’s relationship with the Superior Being identified as God. Spiritual progress is a unique individual experience that enhances a believer’s understanding of God through the lens of personal experience. This in turn consolidates the connection with God to a higher, stronger and deeper level.

Spiritual progress is the process of seeking inner peace, energy, and healing along with a sense of purpose. Philosophy, social sciences, and medical sciences have all tried to develop a greater understanding of spirituality and spiritual progress. Islam provides a clear framework to facilitate the spiritual progress of an individual by offering structure, support, knowledge, and a practical blueprint to personalise the plan of spiritual progress. The Holy Qur’an mentions six levels of spiritual progress.

First Level of Spiritual Progress

The first level of spirituality is the commitment to Salat (the daily prayers). Allah Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an, ‘ Surely, success does come to the believers, Who are humble in their Prayers, ‘. [2] This verse gives the prerequisites that a believer must fulfil when embarking on the journey of spiritual progress. This involves turning to God in total humility and appreciating the grandeur of Divine majesty with complete dedication and commitment. Salat is the first milestone in the journey of spiritual progress and provides an opportunity to carve a personal bond of devoted connection with God. With increasing perseverance, the tenderness of heart facilitates a stronger connection with God, diminishing all other bonds that may stand in the way of spiritual progress.

Second Level of Spiritual Progress

The second level of spirituality is to aspire to shun all evil. As described in the verse of the Holy Qur’an, ‘ And who shun all that which is vain ‘[3]. A strong bond and clear connection with God empower one to forsake all useless, evil, and immoral actions. At the second level of spirituality, a believer develops a clear understanding that vain and useless pursuits hinder one’s personal and spiritual progress. This understanding, grounded in the strength of a true bond with God, empowers a believer to simply forsake any sinful and evil acts.

Third Level of Spiritual Progress

The third level of spiritual progress entails that a believer spends his pure earnings in the cause of God. As the Holy Qur’an says, ‘And who are active in paying the Zakat ‘. [4] Spending money for the cause of God is the litmus test for the purity of one’s soul. Earnings are the outcome of one’s hard work on which one’s livelihood depends. At the third rung of the spiritual ladder, a believer employs all his abilities and capabilities for the sake of God. Spending one’s hard-earned money, in the pursuit of purity of soul, is a practical expression of true faith in God and gives a believer a pleasure that is unmatched by any other spending.

Fourth Level of Spiritual Progress

The fourth level of spiritual progress is to safeguard one’s chastity. It is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, ‘And who guard their chastity ‘. [5] At this very high stage of spiritual attainment, a believer displays impeccable moral practices in all aspects of life particularly in sexual conduct. It seems that the love of physical and sensory pleasures can be even greater than the love for money. Therefore, safeguarding their chastity is one of the most sacred duties of believers that elevates their spiritual progress.

Fifth Level of Spiritual Progress

The fifth level of spiritual progress is to honour one’s promises and pledges while adhering to the finer ways of God-fearing righteousness. In the Holy Qur’an, Allah the Exalted says, ‘And who are watchful of their trusts and their covenants ‘. [6] Believers, at the fifth stage of spiritual development, go to great lengths to ensure that they do not overlook even the minutest act of goodness and become scrupulous in honouring their pledges and promises. At the fifth level of spiritual progress, believers have attained absolute purity of intent, commitment and integrity.

Sixth Level of Spiritual Progress

The sixth level of spiritual progress is that when a believer develops an unbreakably strong bond with God, they spend all their life connecting and consolidating this bond with God. As the Holy Qur’an says, ‘And who are strict in the observance of their Prayers. ‘ [7] Their pleasures and delights lie in the remembrance of God, and they safeguard this connection like a treasured possession. They nurture their bond with God so that this is the only bond, the only connection and the only relationship that matters. This connection overarches all other relationships.

The month of Ramadan is an excellent opportunity to review our spiritual progress as a deeply personal and subjective experience. We must take this opportunity to appraise our own unique understanding and expression of spiritual standards against the commended levels of spirituality. This will facilitate for us to formulate a clear plan of progress on the path of spirituality. May Allah the Exalted enable us to do so. Ameen

About the Author: Professor Amtul Razzaq Carmichael MD, M Ed, FRCS (Gen Surg.), MBBS, is a consultant. She qualified in 1987 with gold medals for academic Excellence and undertook her surgical training at major teaching hospitals in London, Edinburgh and Philadelphia. She has authored many articles for major peer-reviewed scientific journals. She is a senior member of The Review of Religions Editorial Board as well as the Assistant Manager.

[1] https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/members/sigs/spirituality-spsig/what-is-spirituality-maya-spencer-x.pdf?sfvrsn=f28df052_2

[2] The Holy Quran. Chapter 23: verses 2 and 3

[3] The Holy Quran. Chapter 23: verse 4.

[4] The Holy Quran. Chapter 23: verse 5.

[5] The Holy Quran. Chapter 23: verse 6

[6] The Holy Quran. Chapter 23: verse 9

[7] The Holy Quran. Chapter 23: verse 10

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Why I Fasted For Ramadan This Year

I’m turning to my faith and cultural foods in order to connect with my people.

Nadin Burqan

As the adhan, or call to prayer, blares from my mom’s phone, I gather with her and my dad at the dinner table. I whisper a quick “Bismillah” to myself before taking my first sip of water since 6 a.m., followed by a medjool date. We then commence our iftar with our usual: a tomato soup with freekeh along with sambusas, crispy fried hand-held meat pies stuffed with cinnamon-spiced ground beef. These are just a few of the recipes my family has saved exclusively for Ramadan since I was little.

While this holy month and its foods are deeply familiar to me, it had been a while since I'd experienced the hunger, thirst, and eventual relief after each day's fasting. That's because, prior to this year, I hadn't fasted since 2020. What brought me back to Ramadan this year is also the first thing that has filled my mind each night for the past month just as I'm about to take my first bite: Gaza and its people.

When I was young, Ramadan had always felt more like an obligation than a joyous practice, especially since I never found myself gravitating to the Muslim community in my area. Not having any friends who practiced the same religion as me made me feel like an outcast amongst my own social circle, and left me with a deep sense of insecurity about both my faith and culture.

The only aspect of my culture that didn’t bring me shame was the foods I was brought up with. I relished being raised in a house full of flavor, where home cooked meals were second nature, as was gathering to eat dinner as a family. Biting into sfeeha, individual pizza-like rounds topped with yogurt-marinated beef, or scooping up a bit of ful medames with pita bread after a long day of fasting comforted me when I felt otherwise unsettled by the aspects of myself that were so different from others. I can’t remember a day when I didn’t come home from school and open the front door to the scent of warm spices filling the air, pots clamoring against each other, and my mom working hard to get a fresh meal on the table for dinner, especially during Ramadan; her emphasis on cooking and feeding the family is one of the ways she has always expressed her love for us.

As much as I loved the food we ate during Ramadan, I was less convinced about the fasting part, and I would complain regularly as both a teenager and a young adult. “Fasting has to come from your heart and soul,” my mom always responded. “If you’re not fully into it, not fully committed, then your fast has no meaning.”

I continued to grapple with the religious requirement, often seeing it as more of an inconvenience and unable to connect to the deeper meaning of the holy month. So eventually I took her message to heart and quit observing the holiday. Despite feeling a strong connection to my culture and religion as an adult, I didn't feel compelled to fast. The only option that made sense to me was to opt out completely.

But this year is different. Ever since the attacks on Gaza began after the events of October 7th, I’ve found myself looking to my faith more and more. I've been in a near constant state of fear and helplessness as I've watched the news and learned of the killings of more than 40 of my very own family members in Gaza, and worried for the lives of my remaining family there, not to mention millions of innocent civilians.

As it became clear quite early on that this would not end anytime soon, I began thinking ahead to Ramadan. How would the people of Gaza fare during the holy month in these conditions? And for the first time, I felt something inside of me that I hadn't felt before: a profound obligation to participate in the fast. Perhaps, through the act of fasting, I could feel connected to my people during a time of such complete devastation. And maybe reconnecting with my faith in this way could help me feel hope when hope was all but otherwise lost.

I tried my best to immerse myself in the spirit of Ramadan this year, paying close attention to my Palestinian mother as she prepared the pre- and post-fast meals for suhoor and iftar. Every day, she'd gather simple ingredients Palestinians have used for centuries—cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, chickpeas, and, of course, olives and their oil—to make traditional recipes like salata falahiyeh (farmers salad) and hummus. Almost every night, I would help her roll dough for sambusas and fill them with meat before my dad fried them. I hovered close to her, making note of how she prepared dishes like sumac-heavy msakhan , one of my personal favorites, and sweet qatayef, semolina pancakes folded and stuffed with cream or nuts, fried, and dunked in simple syrup.

Along the way, I sensed something different in her compared to all the times I've watched her in the kitchen before. Her duty to cook for her family seemed heightened, strengthened by the knowledge that many mothers in Gaza no longer have the same privilege. Cooking these recipes that are so close to her heart and passing them down to me also took on a new dimension—a defiant attempt to keep her culture alive while others are attempting to erase it.

Our Ramadan this year changed in another important way, too. In all the years before, our meals to break our daily fast were private—shared by my family, never with my friends. I felt compelled to invite others outside of the community to share what I could about both my Palestinian heritage and my religion. I hosted an iftar for a few of my close non-Muslim friends from college and graduate school in hopes that opening up our doors and inviting them to join in on this practice would build a more intimate understanding of both our religious traditions and the wider Palestinian community, strengthening both as a result.

My mom and I spent all day cooking together, with maqlubeh as the centerpiece of the meal. While I worried the evening might be awkward, especially given the weight of the war that hovered over it, my friends moved through the night as if they were at home, connecting with my parents and going for seconds, even thirds. The evening was a success, but also left me feeling conflicted. Layered on top of the fulfillment and a sense of purpose that the dinner created for me was a lingering sense of guilt for being able to cook this feast and gather with friends simply because I live here and not in Gaza.

It’s a strange feeling to use food in this way, to actively set out to make what those in Gaza can no longer enjoy. I’ve long struggled with the knowledge that while I’m Palestinian by blood, I grew up an American and was therefore spared my Gazan family's suffering. No matter how bad it gets, they never seem to give up. And if they can remain committed to a holy month of fasting even in the face of starvation—and many of them have—then there’s no reason I can’t do the same with all that I have.

My decision to fast this year is not worthy of any sort of praise; after all, fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam that most Muslims participate in every year without even thinking twice about. But looking back on this month of Ramadan, my fasts have acted as a symbolic reminder of the unrelenting suffering Palestinians have been experiencing day after day. At the same time, the breaking of those fasts each night with ample plates of food has been a painful reminder that my choice to observe Ramadan this year will not save a single soul in Gaza. To fast, to cook with my mother, and to sit down with family and friends over the foods of my culture is not a resolution, but a small yet sincere way to honor the Palestinian people—the tens of thousands that have been killed, those that remain, my family—and keep them in my heart and soul, committed and with meaning. With that, I hold on to hope that someday soon they’ll see freedom.

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The Holy Month of Ramadan in Islam Essay

Introduction, origins and spiritual meaning, activities and daily routines, exemptions and health considerations, lessons learned and personal opinion.

While there is an almost uncountable number of religions in the world, not each of them is equally prominent. Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, comprise billions of believers and have a great impact on the culture of their respective peoples and countries. As a result, studying the most prominent religions in the world, even if the person does not believe in wither, is a useful and even crucial way to understanding the people of other cultures. Thus, understanding Islam as a religion practiced by hundreds of millions all over the world and particularly prominent in such important yet turbulent regions as the Middle East and Central Asia is undoubtedly crucial. The obvious point to begin this understanding is the Five Pillars of Islam – the religion’s core tenets, including the Muslim creed, charity, pilgrimage to Mecca, prayer, and fasting on the holy month of Ramadan. This paper will cover the latter to stress Ramadan’s significance in Islam, the religious and social practices associated with it, and the lessons that people may mean from studying this pillar of the Muslim faith.

Before discussing what people do during Ramadan, it is necessary to explain what the holy month is first and how it came to be. Ramadan is the eleventh month in the Muslim religious calendar – and since this calendar is lunar, Ramadan’s beginning moves 11 days every year (“Information Sheet,” 2021). As mentioned above, observing the monthly fast from sunrise to sunset is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which constitute the most sacred requirements a Muslim believer needs to follow. The reason why the month of Ramadan is considered so sacred is the tradition stating that the Prophet Muhammad received his revelations during this month. Accordingly, the Quran (n.d.) states: “The month of Ramazan is that in which the Quran was revealed… therefore whoever of you is present in the month, he shall fast therein” (2:185). Thus, fasting throughout Ramadan is meant to remind the believers about the origins of their faith and prompt them to contemplate it more thoroughly. Fasting should promote this contemplation of life and faith in several ways at once.

To begin with, restricting one’s intake of food means training in self-discipline and endurance, at the core of maintaining the fast lies the ability to resist temptations and use one’s will to persist with the right choice. The fasting requirements are quite strict – throughout the daylight, Muslims have to refrain from partaking in both food and drinks, including water (Elnakib, 2021). Yet the training in self-control that the person receives by fasting has importance beyond eating and drinking itself. A person who can resist the temptations of hunger and thirst for the attainment of a spiritual goal is also quite likely a person who will overcome other basic bodily urges for the sake of decent behavior.

Another purpose of fasting during Ramadan is to make people more conscious of things they often take for granted. In fact, achieving spiritual self-improvement by becoming more conscious of God’s all-permeating presence in the world is the main goal of all the practices associated with the Holy Month. While fasting may be its most notable element to an external observer, Ramadan is about much more than not eating and drinking during daylight. Just as Muslims are expected to abstain from food and water throughout the month, they should also not gossip, argue, and commit any other offensive actions. Muslim scholars point out that and God “has no use for the one who refrains from food but not from false speech, or lying and gossip” (Suleiman, 2021, para. 11). The purpose of all these restrictions is to make people more mindful of things they otherwise do not think about. Abstention from food, water, and indecent speech, which may otherwise be consumed or uttered mindlessly, makes people more aware of things that really matter. This contemplation of God’s blessings and the increased consciousness of God in one’s life is the ultimate goal of Ramadan.

Speaking of awareness, Ramadan teaches people to be mindful not only of God’s presence in the world but of other people as well. One of the foremost goals of Ramadan is to remind those who can easily afford their daily substance about the less fortunate. As Imam Ibn Rajab, a Muslim scholar and philosopher has said, fasting is necessary “so that the rich will taste hunger and thus will not forget the hungry” (Suleiman, 2021, para. 14). This awareness of those who are less lucky in their lives ties fasting to another essential aspect of Ramadan – charity.

Apart from refraining from food and drinks throughout the daytime, Ramadan prompts believers to participate in various pious activities, the first and foremost of which is charity. Charity for the poor, or zakat , as it is known in Arabic, is a full-fledged Pillar of Islam in its own right, just like fasting on Ramadan. These two obligations intertwine closely during Ramadan, encouraging Muslims to help those in need. As mentioned above, refraining from food, not vile speech, would mean performing rituals without following the spirit of faith. Similarly, remembering the hardships of those in need but doing nothing to help them would amount to the same shallow ritualism. This is why, for many Muslims, Ramadan is not only the time of fasting but also that of charity. Charitable organizations, such as Islamic Relief USA (2021), urge Muslims to donate to support their less fortunate brothers and sisters. Hus, apart from personal reflection and spiritual self-improvement, Ramadan becomes the time for helping others around the world.

International charitable organizations in the manner of Islamic Relief USA may be a relatively recent development, but it is worth noting that the spirit of charity is firmly ingrained in Ramadan. Not every Muslim is physically able to maintain the fast during the entire month – or at all – and religion accounts for that. If old age, illness, or both prevent a person from fasting, Islamic tradition absolves them from doing so but requires that they feed a person in need for the missed days (Islamic Relief USA, 2021). Feeding does not necessarily mean the manual preparation and distribution of food – instead, many Muslims who cannot fats pay the special donation called fidya . It is used to provide the neediest community members with the sustenance they need and also provide a way for the old or ill to partake in the spiritual renewal of Ramadan.

To give a better idea of what Ramadan is like, it would be useful to cover an average daily routine for a Muslim during the holy month. The person fasting will usually rise before sunrise to partake in a light breakfast, which is called suhur (“Information Sheet,” 2021). Throughout the day, while abstaining from food and drinks, Muslims read Quran and contemplate the presence of God in the world and their lives. After the sun sets, people break their fast – most often with dates and water or milk, to commemorate Muhammad’s breaking of his original fast in a meal called iftar (Elnakib, 2021). After the evening prayers, people eat dinner, which typically includes one or more main meals as well as desserts. Most will also participate in the special night prayers called taraweeh which recite the entire Quran over the course of the month (“Information Sheet,” 2021). After that, people will usually go to sleep to awake for their next suhur , although there is no prohibition against eating at night before it, and hydration is actively encouraged.

It should be evident by this point that Ramadan is not merely about personal improvement and spiritual journey but also places a heavy emphasis on community. It is very common to invite friends to break the fast at iftar together. Moreover, many mosques start their own local fundraisers to provide community dinners (“Information Sheet,” 2021). These are not merely a part of the charity effort described above but also a way for the people to experience their religious community by breaking the fast together with their fellow believers. Ramadan ends with Eid al-Fitr, and this day – one of the three principal holidays in Islam – is a celebration of community and social ties as much as a display of gratitude toward God. Muslims begin Eid al-Fitr with a special prayer and then continue the day socializing, giving presents to children, and spending time with friends and acquaintances (“Information Sheet,” 2021). Thus, the religiously prescribed activities of the holy month not only promote individual spiritual self-improvement but also serve to forge and maintain social ties and reinvigorate the sense of community.

Ramadan also has its own culinary traditions that are worth mentioning. It was already noted that dates and water are symbolically important nourishment because the Prophet Muhammad broke his original fast with them. However, they are far from the only foods Muslims associate with Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr. In Middle Eastern cuisine, Eid al-Fitr meals will often include salads, typically made of fresh vegetables and yogurt, lentil soups, and lamb kebab, and various desserts (Tyler, 2020). Moroccan recipes Muslims often cook roasted turkey and fig pastries (Tyler, 2020). Speaking of pastries, desserts have a special place in Ramadan meals, and sugary sweets are a particularly prominent culinary tradition (Elnakib, 2021). Overall, fasting and eating during Ramadan coexist in dualistic unity, and the act of partaking in foods and drinks may have as much symbolical importance as abstaining from them during the day.

While the regimen of not eating during the day and only sustaining oneself with food at night may be harsh, it does not make Ramadan an uncaring test of endurance that does not consider the believers’ health. As noted above, the sick and the elderly are exempt from fasting., and they are not the only group. Pregnant and menstruating women and children who have not reached puberty yet are also spared the stress of fasting (“Information Sheet,” 2021). In the case of children, adults usually train them gradually to abstain from food for longer periods during the day instead, which allows their organisms to adapt to the requirement of Ramadan gradually by the time they reach puberty. Those who cannot fast due to a temporary condition can make up for it later, and those who are old or suffering from chronic illness can feed a poor person instead.

When performed by a healthy grown-up, Ramadan fasting is not harmful in any noticeable way. Quran (n.d.) openly states that God “desires ease for you, and He does not desire for you difficulty” (2:185). Medical science largely corroborates this testament: for example, Faris et al. (2020) demonstrate that the total sleep time decreases slightly during Ramadan, but not nearly to the point where it could threaten physical health. Abstinence from food and drinks does not seem to be harmful either. Numerous studies on the subject have not found any meaningful correlation between fasting during Ramadan and the development of eating disorders (Düzçeker et al., 2019; Hasan et al., 2020). If anything, fasting is useful for one’s health, as demonstrated by its increasing prominence as a health trend throughout recent decades (Hasan et al., 2020). To begin with, it helps with lowering cholesterol levels and is also useful for weight loss and obesity prevention (“Information Sheet,” 2021). Moreover, the increased discipline and self-control promoted by fasting may contribute to the development of healthier eating habits and, thus, impact one’s health in the long term, even beyond Ramadan.

The main lesson to be learned from studying Ramadan is that one should always look at religious practices trying to discern the spiritual meaning behind the rituals. On a surface level, Ramadan may seem like a simple practice of physical self-discipline. However, learning more about the Muslims’ holy month allows understanding that fasting is merely a means to an end, which is appreciating things that can otherwise be taken for granted (Suleiman, 2021). Being more aware of the bodily and spiritual boons makes one appreciate the complexity and diversity of the universe more, and being mindful of the plight of those less fortunate should prevent arrogance and haughtiness. At the end of the day, Ramadan promotes universally accepted human values of self-control, community, and appreciation of fellow human beings. In my personal opinion, one can share these values regardless of being a Muslim – meaning that the values promoted by Ramadan can provide common grounds for people regardless of their religious views or lack thereof.

To summarize, Ramadan is the holy month in the Islamic lunar calendar, during which the believers fast from dawn till dusk. Its holiness comes from the fact that Muslims consider Ramadan to be the month during which Prophet Muhammad received his revelation. Ramadan’s spiritual significance is in developing better consciousness of God’s presence by appreciating and contemplating His creations as well as helping those less fortunate. Activities associated with the holy month range from prayer and recitation of the Quran to charity and community-building and end with the holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Fasting requirements are not excessively strict and make exemptions for those who cannot fast due to reasons of age or medical condition. Overall, the religious requirements of Ramadan seem to be beneficial for the body and soul when executed by a healthy adult. Moreover, the values that Ramadan fasting aims to promote are largely universal and, as such, may contribute to better understanding between people of different religious backgrounds.

Düzçeker, Y., Akgül, S., Durmaz, Y., Yaman, M., ¨Ors, S., Tüzün, Z., Büyüktuncer, Z., & Kanbur, N. (2021). Is Ramadan fasting correlated with disordered eating behaviors in adolescents? Eating Disorders, 29 (1), 74-87. Web.

Elnakib, S. (2021). Ramadan: The practice of fasting . Eat right. Web.

Faris, M. A. I., Jahrami. H. A., Alhayki, F. A., Alkhawaja, N. A., Ali, A. M., Aljeeb, S. H., Abdulghani, I. H., & BaHammam, A. S. (2020). Effect of diurnal fasting on sleep during Ramadan: a systematic review and meta-analysis . Sleep and Breathing, 24 (2), 771-782. Web.

Hasan. F., Latzer, Y., Diedrichs, P. C., & Lewis-Smith, H. (2021). A qualitative exploration of motivations for fasting and the impact of Ramadan on eating behaviors and body image among young adult Muslim women in the United Kingdom . Eating Behaviors, 42 , 101545. Web.

Islamic Relief USA (2021). Ramadan . Web.

The Quran, sura 2, verse 185 . (N.d.). (M. H. Shakir, Trans.) Web.

Ramadan information sheet . (2021). Islamic Networks Group. Web.

Suleiman, O. (2021). Religion News Service: Ramadan fasting isn’t about hunger. It’s about living mindfully . Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. Web.

Tyler, V. (2020). 88 Ramadan recipes: The highest rated Ramadan cookbook you should read . Self-published.

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IvyPanda . 2022. "The Holy Month of Ramadan in Islam." November 26, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-holy-month-of-ramadan-in-islam/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Holy Month of Ramadan in Islam." November 26, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-holy-month-of-ramadan-in-islam/.

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Fasting for Ramadan While Gaza Goes Hungry

By Zaina Arafat

A large group of people seated at a table among rubble.

On the evening of February 28th, thousands of people gathered on Al-Rashid Street, in Gaza City, in hopes that a convoy of aid trucks would bring them desperately needed food. The trucks arrived early the next morning, at around a quarter to five. When a large crowd encircled them in an effort to obtain food, Israeli forces, who were standing by, opened fire. More than a hundred people were killed, and hundreds more were injured. Later, the Israeli Army said that its troops had felt threatened, and that some Palestinians died in a stampede . The day has become known as the “flour massacre.”

After I saw the news, I called my father to check on him. I’m in New York and he lives in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., but much of our family is in Gaza and the West Bank. He’d heard about what had happened but didn’t know many details. “I can hardly stand to watch the news anymore,” he told me.

I pointed out that in ten days many Muslims would start fasting for Ramadan. I was struggling to imagine the holy month in Gaza, where the World Food Program has been warning of mass starvation.

“Do you think people will still fast?”

“Of course they will still fast,” my father said. “They are fasting already.”

He forwarded me a WhatsApp voice message from my cousin Jinan, in northern Gaza. In December, Israeli forces attacked the U.N. school where Jinan was taking shelter with her husband and two children. A blast broke her jaw, and she could no longer eat solid food. Her daughter, Nouran, who loved to draw anime, lost her right eye, part of her cheek, and the use of both hands. They waited three days for the Palestinian Red Crescent to take them to Al-Shifa hospital, and have been there ever since, waiting for surgeries. Lately, Al-Shifa has also been treating survivors of the flour massacre.

I was amazed to hear levity and humility in Jinan’s voice. “Our situation is better than many others,” she said. “But what can we do—this is our fate written by God. All we have is the Day of Judgment.”

I messaged Jinan to ask how she was doing, and what she was planning for Ramadan. A day passed before she was able to respond. “Do you believe that we haven’t tasted eggs or chicken for months,” she wrote back. She has been surviving on pre-cooked rice, sometimes with lentils, hummus, and fava beans. Her family can’t find fresh fruits or vegetables. “As for Ramadan, we’re going to fast as we can . . . Inshallah we will manage.”

Lately, images from Gaza have been filling my Instagram feed. I keep seeing photographs of Yazan al-Kafarneh, one of at least sixteen children who have reportedly died from malnutrition or dehydration in Gaza. In old photos of him, he looks like a ten-year-old boy. In more recent photos, his skin appears wrinkled and yellow, his open eyes look hollow, and his skeleton is clearly visible. I feel sick and sad and scared. How could anyone allow this to happen to a child? In another post, I see a photo of a refugee tent decorated with Ramadan lanterns.

As I read the news from Gaza, I think about the special cruelty of killing hungry people. Death ends their misery, but forever denies them the relief that they were seeking. Part of Ramadan’s joy is the act of looking forward: to iftar, the meal that breaks the fast every evening; to Laylat al-Qadr, the night when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad; to the feast of Eid, which marks the end of daily sacrifice. How do you celebrate the holy month when you fear the suffering will not end?

My parents grew up in the West Bank, and their entire city, Nablus, transformed for Ramadan: you could arrive late to work, businesses closed early, and shops and restaurants reopened in the evenings for souq nazel, a nightly descent into the Old Town market. My father, ten years older than my mother, remembers the days before the Israeli occupation. At his grandfather’s house, his family made dough and then brought it to a public oven, to bake it into bread. Homemade lentil soup and fattoush salad were always on the table, along with qamar al-deen , a juice made from dried apricot. They waited to eat until they heard the call to prayer from the local mosque. At night, in the Old Town, he and his friends sang, walked, flirted, smoked argileh , and poured cups of mint tea or sous , a licorice drink, from copper pitchers. Sometimes people would stay out until suhoor , the predawn meal, and only then head home to sleep.

My mother was a child when the Israeli occupation began. Not all of her four siblings fasted, and she found it too difficult. But she loved the evening rituals. One of the kids would carry a plate to the local market, ten minutes away, and spend a shilling, or about five cents, on hummus. If there hadn’t been any incidents with Israeli forces that day, they could go to the playground, but outings were often cut short by curfews. Each morning, before sunrise, someone walked through the neighborhood banging a drum, to let people know it was time to get up for the morning meal. On Laylat al-Qadr, when the late-night sky is said to open for God to answer all prayers, and angels are said to descend to earth, she and her siblings would sit on their balcony and ask for money, clothes, or toys.

When the crescent-shaped moon appeared in the sky, Eid arrived. “We’ve put a man on the moon, we used to say,” my mom told me, laughing, “but we still can’t tell when Eid will be until the day before.” In preparation, she laid her outfit on her bed as her mother chased one of her younger brothers around the house, trying to wrangle him into his Eid clothes. My father’s Eid was different: he’d wake up early for morning prayer, then head to the cemetery to read verses from the Quran at family graves. They’d give meals and sweets—often date-filled ma’mool or cheesy, syrupy knafeh —to people who couldn’t afford it, or who had lost spouses or parents. (According to the Hadith—the teachings of the Prophet—anyone who supports an orphan goes to Heaven.) After breakfast, they visited family; children kissed the hands of elders and received a few coins. In my dad’s memories, Christian and Jewish neighbors were the first to come over to wish them happy Eid.

My parents did their best to hand down these traditions to my brother and me. In the D.C. suburbs, Ramadan was one of my favorite times of the year. When I was old enough to fast, my father started waking me up for suhoor with a bowl of cinnamon Life cereal, which I slurped down before falling back asleep. At school, I couldn’t eat or drink, so I dipped cafeteria French fries in ketchup and fed them to my friends. At birthday parties, I took a piece of cake home with me to enjoy after dark. We watched Al Jazeera’s recorded broadcast from the Kaaba, in Mecca, until the sun went down. The certainty that Ramadan would end, and so would the hunger, made the days easier. So did the iftars we spent with friends, which sometimes doubled as fund-raisers for Palestinians in need.

I always loved to eat—as a baby, I once scampered off my changing table to snatch a falafel sandwich from my mother’s friend—but food never tasted more delicious than after a day of longing. My favorite dish was bazella : chopped carrots, green peas, tomato sauce, and cubes of lamb served over basmati rice. For dessert, we ate atayief —little pancakes that were folded over sweet cheese or walnuts, and then fried and doused in syrup—and watched Syrian sitcoms on TV.

I believed in God and loved Islam, but my fasting was less about religion than about ritual. In the diaspora, with its handed-down stories and its longing to be elsewhere, Ramadan helped us connect with our heritage. It offered belonging. The act of sacrifice taught me to appreciate whatever I had—itself a Palestinian tradition, given how much the vagaries of history had shaped our lives. So much depended on when and where you were born: were you Forty-eighters or Sixty-seveners? Displaced or occupied? I could endure the hunger because I was part of something, and we were together.

One aspect of Ramadan, for my parents, is remembering better days. Even as a child, my mother wished that she could have celebrated like her mother did before the occupation. My father misses Ramadan during his college days, in Egypt, when the Nile glowed with lights and theatres played movies from the fifties, Cairo’s golden age of cinema. Too often, these stories are followed by talk of how much has changed. Two years ago, my mother and her brother drove through a town near Nablus on their way to an iftar. Israeli soldiers seemed to be everywhere, carrying guns. “I’m scared,” she told him.

“Why?” he said. “It’s always like this now.”

It’s difficult to imagine Ramadan in Gaza this year. I want to imagine that, even at a time of devastation and deprivation, a personal act of sacrifice can still lend purpose to senselessness. Maybe it can give powerless people a small sense of control. When you fast, you can think, I chose this hunger; it was not forced on me. But maybe that’s wishful thinking. Hunger is painful. It is one of our most primal desires, and the most human; inflicting it on someone else can seem inhuman. The only antidote is to eat. And in the same way that food brings people together I wonder whether its absence keeps us apart. Hunger makes us weak, and not only physically. It cuts us off from the strength that comes from being together.

In Islam, Ramadan is the month during which the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity. God prescribes fasting as a means of self-discipline, a way to show Muslims what they’re capable of and to protect themselves from hellfire. But He is merciful; not everyone is called on to fast, especially if doing so causes harm. The Quran grants exceptions to those who are pregnant, breast-feeding, or menstruating, and to people who are travelling, elderly, or ill. Starvation or P.T.S.D. would count as illnesses; fleeing your home would count as travel. These exemptions seem almost absurd, and maybe they won’t matter. Some will choose to fast regardless. Sometimes the best way to forget one pain is to focus on another.

I stopped fasting in college, mostly because I was away from home, but I went to iftars hosted by my classmates, and I often returned to D.C. for Eid. My uncle, the one who hated Eid clothes, always brings his five kids to brunch at the Silver Diner, in Tysons, Virginia, and we order pancakes for dessert. In the afternoon, we visit my mother’s cousin and his wife, where we eat more. My uncle plays the piano, and my mother’s cousin sings on the guitar.

In November, 2022, I gave birth to my first daughter, Nour. Motherhood has made Ramadan more important to me. I want to give Nour what I had—a heritage that’s being erased, and one that’s become increasingly dangerous to inhabit, both here and in Palestine. During Nour’s first-ever Ramadan, my mother came to visit and spent many mornings playing Arabic songs for her, particularly one by the legendary Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez. During Nour’s tummy time, my mother told her that she’s not only American but also Palestinian. And when Eid came, a couple weeks later, my wife and I took Nour to a Moroccan restaurant, and then to the bucket swings at the playground. I missed the Silver Diner, but there was something special about forming our own Ramadan traditions.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about mothers in Gaza. I read in the news that, at one Gaza clinic, one in five pregnant women are malnourished, which makes it difficult to produce breast milk; eighty per cent of mothers have been skipping meals to feed their children. Jinan told me that mothers have been feeding their children green leaves cooked with tomato paste and a pinch of rice. Others try to quiet their desperately hungry children by giving them chewing gum. These stories make me think of my pregnancy, when I often woke up ravenous—not only for myself but for Nour. After she was born, her most painful and guttural cries came when she was hungry. I cannot imagine hearing them with nothing to offer her.

This year, my mother will spend the last week of Ramadan with us in Brooklyn. If all goes well, a few days before Eid, my wife will give birth to our second child—one more reason to try to celebrate. I sometimes think about how I will explain their first Ramadans to them when they’re older: how important it was to find slivers of joy in times of grief and despair, especially as a parent; how sometimes, for Palestinians, the only thing that keeps you going is the hope that things will get better.

The other day, I sent a Facebook voice note to my uncle’s wife, Reda. She lives in Jordan, but she spent most of her life in Gaza, and her immediate family is still there. In December, her brother walked ten miles with his eight-month-old daughter on his back, breathing in dust and keeping his arms in the air, in hopes that soldiers would not shoot him. “I don’t know what Ramadan in Gaza will be like this year, during the war,” Reda wrote to me in Arabic. “But I can tell you how it used to be.”

She sent me an Instagram reel, which was filmed during Ramadan in 2023. I could hardly believe that I was looking at Gaza. A lantern, decorated with a moon and star, was hanging in a store with fully stocked shelves. Outside, lights had been dangled over the street and wrapped around trees. I saw plastic bins of pickled vegetables, buckets of candy, and barrels that practically spilled over with fruit. Cars drove through the streets; young people hung out at a lit café. She also sent the photograph I’d seen earlier, of the refugee tent strung with lights. The juxtaposition said what she perhaps couldn’t.

I watched the video while sitting on my bed. I felt heartbroken, and also proud of what Gaza was, of who Gazans are, of what Palestine means. My wife put her hand on my shoulder. Then I played it again, trying to remember better days. ♦

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Ramadan Essay Examples

Exploring the main facts and importance of ramadan month.

Here Ramadan, in this essay, presented as the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, observed by millions of Muslims worldwide. During this month, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, abstaining from food, drink, and other physical needs, in a practice known as sawm. Ramadan is...

How I Spent My Ramadan: Reflections on Spiritual Renewal

Ramadan, a sacred month in the Islamic calendar, is a time of spiritual reflection, self-discipline, and devotion. This essay recounts how I spent my Ramadan, embracing the rituals and practices that define this holiest of months. It sheds light on the personal growth, inner reflections,...

Islam and Christianity: a Comparison of Faith and Practice

This is similarities between Islam and Christianity essay in which this topic is considered. within the concept of fasting. Both Islam and Christianity share in practices of fasting and self-denial as guided by sacred texts in order to gain spiritual progression. Islamic tradition holds a...

Ramadan During Visiting Dubai in May

Dubai weather is on the rise and so is the excitement for summer vacations. But, the most important month for Muslims, Ramadan is also starting. Those who were planning in visiting Dubai in May would be coinciding with the most sacred month for Muslims. This...

Examination of Rituals of the Ramadan in Muslim's Culture

Rituals are a traditional ceremony or an action that are performed in a particular way according to a specific religion (Goldburg et al.,2010). There are two main types of rituals; life cycle rituals and calendrical rituals. Calendrical rituals mark passages of time following the natural...

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How Muslims Feel About Ramadan 2020: A Report

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Facing Our Fear: Reflecting on Modern Society's Death Anxiety

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Coping with Grief: A Spiritual and Psychological Guide

The Qur’an’s Engagement with Christian and Jewish Literature

Islam and the LGBT Question: Reframing the Narrative

Who is optimistic this Ramadan?

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Unlocking Opportunities: BSSC Inter-Level Vacancy, Salary, and Job Profile

Spirituality, Growth and Ramadan

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How I Spent My Ramadan: Reflections on Spiritual Renewal

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