Holy month of Ramadan is marked
Lanarkshire Muslims join millions around the world observing a special time for their religion
Lanarkshire’s Muslim community is currently marking the holy month of Ramadan in what is the world’s biggest act of religious observance.
For two billion Muslims around the globe, including thousands in the West of Scotland, the annual event represents a time to fast and devote a particular focus to prayer, purification and charitable acts.
Among them will be
Muslims at Minhaj-ul-quran in Rutherglen and Central
Mosque Lanarkshire in Bellshill, who will join fellow Muslims around the world in undergoing a period of fasting for 30 days.
At its centre in Rutherglen, Minhaj-ul-quran – which is among the world’s leading humanitarian aid organisations – will, during Ramadan, engage in compassionate projects at local, national and international levels.
Through generating donations from those who pray at the Rutherglen centre during Ramadan, issuing urgent appeals, supporting specific Minhaj-ul-quran welfare projects and receiving testimonials from those who benefit from its work, the organisation is continuing to transform lives and make a real difference to thousands of people.
Acts of benevolence and welfare work at the Rutherglen centre during the holy month include donating food to people who are struggling to make ends meet, providing safer accommodation to those living in difficult conditions, improving education for people in marginalised communities, and holding inter-faith events to promote peace between communities.
As the Islamic calendar is lunar, the date for the beginning of each holy month moves back by a few weeks every year.
In 2021, Ramadan started on April 12 and ended on May 12, while this year, the holy month began at sunset on April 2 and will close on May 1.
During Ramadan, Muslims purify themselves by worshipping and fasting, and do not allow food or drink to pass their lips from dawn to dusk.
Muslims go to work and school during the holy month, and carry on with their daily lives. Some may, however, read the entire Quran – the central religious text of Islam – say special prayers and attend the mosque more frequently during this time.
It’s the belief of Muslims that Prophet Mohammed received a series of revelations from God, which combined to form the Quran, and that the Quran was
first revealed during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan.
After learning that the Quran was to be revealed to him by Angel Jibreel during the month, the Islamic Prophet Mohammed told his followers that the gates to heaven would stay open for the month, while the gates of hell would be closed.
As the holiest month of the year, Ramadan is a crucial period for Muslims and underpins some of the religion’s core values, such as prayer and giving to charity.
Shahid Khan, the general secretary of Scotland for Minhaj-ul-quran, explained: “Fasting, which is one of the five key pillars in the Islamic faith, is regarded as a way to purify yourself spiritually, as well as physically – a time to detach from material pleasures and be closer to God. The act of fasting is also believed to increase Muslims’ piety, and help those who are less fortunate than themselves.”
Dawn-to-dusk fasting – which last around 15 hours – involves refraining from all food and drink, smoking and having sex from sunrise to sunset.
Muslims will wake before sunrise for morning prayer and to eat a pre-dawn meal known as “suhoor” before the day’s fast begins.
“We are stopping ourselves from eating and drinking for the sake of our Lord,” explained Muhammad Shahid Babar, the Rutherglen-based president of Minhaj-ul-quran Scotland and one of the organisation’s scholars and teachers.
Pointing out the physical health benefits of fasting to reduce weight, cleanse the system, and fight disease, he continued: “When you remain in this situation, you feel hunger, you feel thirst. And then, you are able to realise the pain of those people who feel hunger all the time. They do not have clean water to drink. They’re not able to survive. There are brothers and sisters in humanity who are suffering, and we should help them. This is the month of generosity and humanity.”
Fit and able adults are expected to fast during Ramadan. Young children are exempt, as are elderly, sick and mentally ill people, those who are travelling on a journey, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and women who are menstruating. After their period, those women compensate for the missed days, or they feed people in poverty on the days during which they miss fasts.
Children, who appear grown up and express a desire to fast, are encouraged to do so.
Taraweeh, which means rest or relaxation, is an optional prayer, led by the imam – the mosque’s worship leader – during Ramadan. It is believed that those who observe it will have their past sins pardoned.
As Shahid Khan explained, most will break their fast alongside their families at sunset with a communal meal known as “Iftar.” Typically started with plated dates, it’s a time to replenish energy levels and an opportunity to socialise and offer mutual support.
On Tuesday April 19, Rutherglen’s mosque will open its doors to around 200 people of all religions in an inter-faith evening at which guests will be offered the Iftar dinner.
From May 1 to the evening of May 2, Lanarkshire’s Muslim community will celebrate the end of Ramadan and Shawwal – the 10th month of the Islamic calendar – with congregational prayers, social gatherings, giant feasts, charitable giving, and the exchanging of gifts during the religious holiday of Eid al-fitr.