Islamic months: The religious, spiritual, economic, social importance of Ramadhan

The Night of Power or Lailat-ul-Qadr falls on one of the odd nights in the last 10 days of Ramadhan. Muslims spend in prayers all through the night supplicating to the Almighty for peace and blessings on all people and all creatures. Ramadhan is the occasion for Muslims to mend their ways and establish a direct link with the Creator

By Syed Akbar
Ramadhan is the ninth month of the Islamic Higera calendar. Literally 
Ramadhan means "heat" or "something that burns up". The name assumes 
significance as fasting, charity and noble deeds in Ramadhan burns away 
sins, Satanic filth and ego from the hearts and minds of the people, who turn 
to the Almighty during this holy month.
A notable feature of Ramadhan is that fasting during this month had been in 
vogue even before the birth of the Holy Prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (peace 
be upon him). The righteous and pious among the Arabs used to observe 
fasting and pay charity during Ramadhan. The Holy Prophet has streamlined 
the system of fasting and charity and made them mandatory on all Muslims.
Of the 12 lunar Islamic months, Ramadhan is considered holy primarily because the Almighty God had revealed the Holy Quran on Hazrat Muhammad during this month about 15 centuries ago.
The Holy Prophet was deep in meditation in the Cave of Hira in the outskirts of Mecca when he 
received the Divine Message through Archangel Gabriel (Hazrat Jibrail). The 
Message from God continued to be revealed on the Holy Prophet thereafter 
for the next 23 years. This Divine Code is the Holy Quran, the last of the 
Scriptures of God sent to prophets and messengers from time to time to all 
places and to all people.
"Ramadhan is also considered holy because God has prescribed fasting and 
ordained charity. While fasting is obligatory on all Muslims, men and 
women, without exception, charity is enjoined on only those who are 
financially sound. The charity given during Ramadhan is of two types, Zakat 
(compulsory charity) and fitra (alms). Zakat like fasting is one of the five 
pillars of Islam, the other being Kalima (assertion that there is only one God 
and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God), Namaz (five daily prayers) 
and Haj (pilgrimage to Mecca)," says Islamic scholar Hafiz Syed Shujath 
Hussain.

Referring to the importance of Ramadhan, the Holy Quran (2:185) observes, "Ramadhan is the (month) in which the Qur'an was sent down, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgement (between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at home) during that month should spend it in fasting "

The Holy Quran is also specific about the time of revelation during the month 
of Ramadhan. Elsewhere, the Scripture says, "Indeed, We have revealed this 
(Message) in the Night of Power. And what will explain to thee what the 
night of power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months" 
Qur'an (97:1-3).
"The Night of Power or Lailat-ul-Qadr falls on one of the odd nights in the 
last 10 days of Ramadhan. Muslims spend in prayers all through the night 
supplicating to the Almighty for peace and blessings on all people and all 
creatures. Ramadhan is the occasion for Muslims to mend their ways and 
establish a direct link with the Creator," points out Islamic teacher Moulana 
Abdul Kareem.
In commemoration of the revelation of the Holy Quran, special night prayers 
called the Taraveeh are held in all mosques and at select homes and other 
places. Hafiz (those who know the Quran byheart) recite the Holy Quran in 
parts on 30 nights. In Hyderabad and other Indian cities, special 
arrangements are also made for women to offer the Taraveeh prayers.
Referring to the importance of fasting, the Holy Prophet observed: Allah, the 
Almighty has said: "every act of man is for him except fasting, it is done for 
My (Allah's) sake and I will give reward for it. The breath of a person on fast  
is sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk." 
Muslims the world over take to heavy charity work during Ramadhan as they 
believe that Almighty God will reward them 70 fold or even more. According 
to an Hadith (sayings and traditions of the Prophet), "when Ramadhan starts, 
the gates of paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the 
Satan is chained.
The Prophet has also said: The affliction of a person in his property, family  and neighbours is expiated by his prayers, fasting and giving in charity. Whoever fasts the month of Ramadhan out of sincere faith and hoping for a 
reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.
Apart from its religious significance, Ramadhan has social importance too. 
While fasting makes a person understand the pangs of hunger and thirst so 
that he help the poor and the underprivileged. On one hand Ramadhan makes 
Muslims understand the sufferings of the poor and on the other it makes it 
mandatory on every well-to-do Muslim to donate in the cause of the 
Almighty God. Fasting also makes one physically fit and mentally agile.
"The money collected from Zakat and Fitra, if properly utilised, will solve the 
problem of poverty in many countries. In Hyderabad alone Zakat and Fitra 
worth Rs 100 crore is given every Ramadhan. The amount runs into at least 
Rs 2,000 crore for India. Unfortunately, there is no centralised agency to 
collect and spend the Zakat money for the common good of all. We should 
have the concept of Bait-ul-Maal (charitable treasury)," says Moulana 
Rafeeuddin Qasmi.
Muslims end this great month by celebrating the Id-ul-fitr or the festival of 
alms-giving as a gratitude to the Almighty for having Blessed them with the 
opportunity to fast and make amends. Fitra is compulsory before the Id 
prayers so that the have-nots too join the festivities.

Ramadhan Mubarak: A blessing called Ramzan

September 2009

By Syed Akbar

Ramzan is the ninth month of Islamic calendar. Ramzan is an Arabic word, which means intense heat. True to its sense Ramzan with its intense spiritual heat burns away all the sins, ignorance, arrogance, boastfulness and haughtiness and moulds the devout into simple, humble, God-fearing, pious, gentle and caring human beings.
Muslims consider this holy month as a blessing for a number of reasons. The most important reasons are: fasting, prayers, charity and revelation of the Holy Quran.
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam and it is obligatory on all adult Muslims, men and women. Fasting from dawn to dusk makes one understand the pangs of hunger which the poor undergo almost everyday.

It tells us how an empty stomach would bother us and at the same time makes us sit and think over the trouble the poor and the underprivileged suffer from.

Fasting creates a sense of love and responsibility towards the poor and makes us humane and caring.

Ramzan is also the time of devotion to the Almighty God. The best way of showing devotion to the Creator is to pray, beseech His Blessings and invoke peace on all creatures. Like fasting, prayers and supplication make us more concerned towards others, fellow human beings, animals, birds and plants. Muslims spend most part of the day and night in special prayers and supplications.
We fast and understand the pangs of hunger. Our prayers to the Almighty make us humble and caring. The next step is to deliver something to those who are not as blessed as we are. So charity comes into existence. Every Muslim, who has the financial means and capabilities, should donate a fixed part of his or her income towards charity.

Charity is a life long affair, but special emphasis should be paid on the Ramzan charity. Many Muslims prefer to pay their compulsory charity called Zakat during Ramzan.

Zakat can be paid during any part of the year, but some feel that paying Zakat during Ramzan is more rewarding. Zakat is also one of the five pillars of Islam. Zakat is obligatory. Besides Zakat, Muslims also pay another type of charity during Ramzan, but before the Id-ul-fitr. It is called Fitra. The idea behind fitra is to help the poor in the neighbourhood with financial assistance so that they too could join the Id festivities. The purpose of Zakat is to remove social and financial imbalances and help the poor stand on their legs.

Another important feature of Ramzan that separates it from the rest of the 11 months of Islamic calendar is that the Holy Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad through Archangel Gabriel during this month.

Muslims offer special night prayers called Taraveeh. The Holy Quran started revealing to the Prophet on the Lailat-al-Qadr (the night of power), which falls on one of the odd nights of the last 10 days of Ramzan. Many Muslims believe that the Lailat-al-Qadr falls on the 27th night of Ramzan. But as a matter of abundant caution, all Muslims celebrate the odd nights of the last 10 days of the month, so as not to miss the Night of Power.
The significance of Ramzan pre-dates the birth of Prophet Muhammad.
Arabs used to consider Ramzan as a holy month and many of them used to observe special prayers.
In the pre-Islamic Arab calendar too, Ramzan occupied the sloth of ninth month.

Ramadhan Mubarak: Can't we be pious all through the year?

August 29, 2009
By Syed Akbar
Come Ramzan and Muslims gear up for fasting, prayers and charity, shunning all things evil and doing works that are pious. The mosques turn full with the start of the holy Islamic month. Many Muslims lead a disciplined life during the month.
But once the crescent of Shawwal, the 10th month of Islamic Higera calendar is sighted, they return to their old ways, old habits and mosques wear a deserted look. The fasting stops, so also the prayers and charity. Many return to anti-social activities.
Ramzan is a holy month and fasting during this period is obligatory (farz). But there's no bar on voluntary fasting during other months. There are several instances of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) taking up fast at frequent intervals.
Even now there's a tradition in the Arab world to fast on Mondays and Thursdays. Regular fasting keeps us not only hale and healthy but also makes us understand the pangs of hunger and thirst.
Unfortunately many Muslims think that Ramzan is the only period wherein they should show their devotion to God and love to fellow creatures - human beings, animals and plants. There's devotion beyond Ramzan and only when we realise this, we will tend to become better Muslims, better believers and better human beings. The spirit of devotion should not end with Ramzan. It should continue throughout the year. Only then our fasting, charity and prayers offered during Ramzan carry some weight with the Creator.

Ramadhan Mubarak: The economic importance of Zakat, Fitra

October 1, 2008
By Syed Akbar
Ramazan is not just an occasion of fasting, vermicelli and haleem. There’s more to this Islamic holy month than personal devotion and mouth-watering dishes. The compulsory charity collected during this month either in the form of Zakat or Fitra builds the lives of innumerable people.
According to an estimate, Hyderabadis including those living abroad contribute as much as Rs 1000 crore towards compulsory charity during Ramazan. There has always been an increase of eight to 10 per cent in the Zakat collection. But since there’s no umbrella body that oversees the Zakat funds, the money thus collected goes into small charities rather than a major perceptible cause. There are several individuals who donate more than Rs 1 crore towards Zakat every Ramazan while certain Hyderabadi families are known to disburse Zakat anything upward of Rs 5 crore.
Hyderabad stands second in India after Mumbai in Zakat collection. A notable feature this year is that most of the money from Zakat will go towards welfare activities like housing, sanitation, pensions to widows and old people, unlike earlier years when the funds were primarily utilized for educational scholarships.
Thanks to the YS Rajasekhar Reddy government offering free education including professional courses for all Muslim students whose parental income is less than Rs 1 lakh a year, the organizations involved in Zakat collection and distribution have decided to concentrate more on non-educational activities. The government’s scheme has benefited the community to the extent of about Rs 200 crore. This in other words means Zakat money to this extent will go to welfare activities other than educational scholarships.
“Ramazan is in fact the month of human economics, for its benefits the have-nots. But unfortunately in India we do not have a centralized Zakat collection and distribution organization to oversee the flow of Zakat funds. There are thousands of small Zakat bodies all over the country. In Hyderabad itself there are more than 2000 such organizations. As the money is not channelised through a single source, Zakat funds are not able to provide concrete results,” said senior Islamic scholar Moulana Abdul Kareem.
Only a handful of large Zakat bodies like Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust could make an impact on the poor. The Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust alone disbursed about Rs 10 crore in the form of scholarship benefiting 17,000 students, including 2,300 orphans. They take up housing projects for the poor, build schools in remote areas, open hospitals and run specialized training centres for destitute and poor women.
“The concept behind Zakat and Fitra is quite simple. If fasting is made compulsory during Ramazan it is to let the person on fast know what hunger and thirst is. This brings him closer to the poor. Zakat is compulsory on the rich so that they donate a part of their income to the poor. Every Muslim must donate Zakat calculated at 2.5 per cent of his annual savings. Fitra is another form of charity. It should be paid to the poor before the Id prayers so that the have-nots too join the celebrations,” said Moulana Anwar Ahmad.

Sorrow and grief dampens Id festivities in Andhra Pradesh

The bomb blast in the historic Mecca Masjid and the subsequent police firing and the twin blasts at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat have left a sort of fear psychosis in the principal minority community. The blast the historic dargah of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, the greatest Sufi saint of all times in sub-continent, has only heightened this sense of fear. A majority of Muslims in Hyderabad and other parts of the country are devotees of the Sufi saint, who is popularly revered as Gharib Nawaz (benefactor of the poor).

By Syed Akbar


Id-ul-Fitr or the feast of alms-giving is the biggest Islamic festival which every Muslim around the globe would look forward to every year. But the Id this year in Hyderabad, which has the second largest Muslim population in the country, is being celebrated without the usual festivities.
And many Muslim families have decided to make the celebrations a low-key affair as mark of respect to those who lost their lives in the three bomb blasts that hit Hyderabad recently. Others have donated a part of the funds earmarked for the Id festivities to charitable organisations as a mark of solidarity with the downtrodden sections of society. Even schoolchildren have joined their parents in forgoing the festivities in
several parts of the State.
Business figures from the famous Charminar market shows one-third of the minority community did not go for shopping this Id That the Id will be a low-key affair became clear on the Jumat-ul-Vida, the last Friday of
Ramzan, when religious leaders in their congregational sermons called upon the devout not to spend much on festivities but concentrate on charity and service. They also emphasised the need for mass prayers for peace and universal brotherhood of man.
The bomb blast in the historic Mecca Masjid and the subsequent police firing and the twin blasts at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat have left a sort of fear psychosis in the principal minority community. The blast the historic dargah of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, the greatest Sufi saint of all times in sub-continent, has only heightened this sense of fear. A majority of Muslims in Hyderabad and other parts of the country are devotees of the Sufi saint, who is popularly revered as Gharib Nawaz (benefactor of the poor).
"Id is indeed an occasion to celebrate. But how could we celebrate when our brothers and sisters are in trouble. There was so much loss of life in Hyderabad in the last five months. I will go to the Idgah and offer special prayers there. I am dedicating this Id to those killed in the blasts," says SAK Jeelana, a college-goer.
While fear is visible in the lanes and bylanes of old city of Hyderabad, the IB's recent alert of yet another attack on places of worship during the holy month of Ramzan has put the security forces on tenterhooks. This is for the first time that the Id is celebrated under such a heightened atmosphere in the past three decades. The last time Hyderabad witnessed tension during the Id was way back in early 1980s. Says Syed Fazil Hussain Parvez, who edits the popular Urdu weekly Gawah, "that people have decided to make the Id a low-key affair is clear from the low turnout at shops in Charminar. The business this Id season fell down by at least 40 per cent and not many from outside Hyderabad came here for shopping at the famous Charminar-Madina market. The spate of arrests and the police raid on madarasas have also contributed to
the low turnout of shoppers from districts".
Moulvis, who led congregation prayers in mosques, too departed from their usual sermons during Ramzan. Their speeches revolved around peace and the need for the community to extend support to law enforcing agencies to weed out communal and terrorist elements from society. "This is not the time to rejoice at least for we Hyderabadis. Many Muslims in our area have decided to restrict their Id prayers to the local mosque, instead of celebrating the festival at Idgah. This is a good idea and I welcome it. The larger the congregation the greater the security risk," says senior cleric Hafiz MN Rahman.