Ramadan Essay, Research Paper

Ramadan

Ramdan, the ninth month of the Islamic year, is a holy month of fasting ordained by

the Koran for all adult Muslims . According to the Koran, the fast of Ramadan has been

instituted so that believers will become more pieous. This particular month was designated

because it was the month during which Muhammad received the first of the Koran’s

revelations.

The fast during Ramadan begins each day at dawn and ends immediately at sunset. During the

fast Muslims are forbidden to eat, drink, or smoke. Before going to sleep each night, special

congregational prayers are offered in which long passages of the Koran are read. The night

between the 26th and 27th days of Ramadan, the night of the first revaltion, is called the Night of

Determination, during which God determines the course of the world for the following year. The

day after the end of Ramadan is called the Fast-Breaking and is celebrated with special prayers

and festivities.