RE coursework: Islam

  1. Describe what happens at the fast of Ramadan.

In the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast for thirty days and nights. The word fast means, to stay away from eating and drinking. Muslims are also excluded from indulging in pleasures, sexual activity, thinking evil thoughts and doing something sinful. Ramadan starts on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.  Muslims will know when to start fasting; they may hear it on the TV, radio, from the mosque or from an Islamic calendar.

Ramadan may take place in the summer or winter. In Britain, summer days may not be hot but they may be long, this makes it harder to fast. Muslims fast in the month of Ramadan because it is one of the pillars of Islam. All Muslims will have to fast from the age of ten. Children should not be encouraged to fast and should not be forced to complete the fast up to sunset, if they are unable to bear the hunger or thirst.

In the Qur’an it says that Muslims who believe in Allah, the angels, the prophets and the Day of Judgement will fast in the month of Ramadan. In the Qur’an it says, "O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you..."(2:183) and "...whoever witnesses the month of Ramadan should fast through it..." (2:185) Muslims will read the Qur’an and pray five times a day.

Things that do not break the fast are, to eat or drink something unintentionally, a mosquito, fly or any other object going down the throat unintentionally, water entering the ears, dust or dirt going down the throat, swallowing one’s own saliva, taking an injection, taking a bath to keep cool, rubbing oil onto the body or hair and to vomit unintentionally. The things Muslims should not do during Ramadan are, smoke, chew gum, complain of hunger or thirst, collect one’s own saliva in the mouth and then to swallow it by trying to quench thirst, shouldn’t tell lies, backbite, fight, swear, eat doubtful food at Iftar this is the time when you break your fast, looking at undesirable things, listening to objectionable speech, gossiping and committing any sin. Things that break your fast are, keeping a fast then breaking it intentionally or fasting for someone else. If Muslims break a fast deliberately they will have to keep it for sixty days or feed sixty people.

Muslims that do not have to fast are pregnant women, the ill, women menstruating, soldiers and travelers. When a sick person recovers they should make up for the loss. Muslims do not have to fast when traveling long distances; this is because if you are traveling on a plane, the times will change in whatever country you land in, sometimes the time to break your fast has not come in other countries it may have already gone.

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A typical fast day will begin very early in the morning. My Muslim friends experience this and find it really hard to wake up in the morning everyday, but at the end of Ramadan it gets easier. Muslims will need to get up and have something to eat and drink before the fast begins. In the winter the early meal is quite important, but in the summer it might be eaten a few hours later after the night meal. High energy foods will need to be eaten such as yogurt, cheese and honey. Spicy foods are avoided because ...

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