As part of Ramadan, our I&C Candidate Relationship Manager, Khalid Iman has kindly shared what a typical day during one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar looks like and what this time of year means to him…
Ramadan is the month when the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by the angel Gabriel from Allah. This Month we get closer to the religion and Allah by doing many good things during this month. We give to charity, we are kind, and we spend time with family among other things.
Since this is the month that the Quran was revealed, we study and learn the Quran. Many people set out a goal of reading the Quran during this month, which is 604 pages long, divided into 114 surahs (chapters) and 6,236 ayats (sentences). Since there are five prayers in the day, people try to read four pages after they pray which will allow them to finish the whole Quran this month (I will try my best to keep up).
A day in the life during this month would be typically better spent since I would have more family members in the house and my mum cooking some very nice food, but this month is slightly different as my mum went back home and it’s just my sister and brother living with me. So, I wake up around 30 minutes before sunrise and have some light food. Just after sunrise, we have our first prayer of the day, Fajr. After I pray, I would read some Quran and then get back into bed to wake up at 7.30 am for work. Around 1 pm, we have our second prayer, Zuhr, during which I use the Goodman Masson Wellbeing room provided to us. Then comes the third prayer, Asr.
When I arrive home from work, I typically take a nap and wake up 30 minutes before sunset. This is when I start making my food. When it’s time to break my fast I have three dates and a cup of water. I then say my fourth prayer of the day, Maghrib. After this, I have my big meal for the day that I have been waiting for. A few hours later around 9.30 pm we would have our fifth prayer, Isha. Typically, after this I spend the rest of the day how I want, but during this month there is an extra payer straight after Isha, called Taraweeh. Taraweeh prayer is one of the specialities of Ramadan nights; for the entire month, Muslims line up at night to observe a number of optional rakats (cycles of movement involved in Islamic prayer) of prayers and listen to and reflect on the recitation of the Quran. This will finish at about 10.30 pm, ending a long day and we move on to the next day. All building up to Eid at the end of the Month.
Eid al-Fitr is an Islamic festival that marks the end of Ramadan. It is the first time we can eat and drink during daylight hours after fasting during Ramadan. The translation of “Eid al-Fitr” from Arabic sums up the holiday as it means “festival of breaking the fast.” Eid al-Fitr is celebrated during the first three days of Shawwal, which is the tenth month in the Muslim (lunar) calendar. This means that the timing of Eid al-Fitr (and Ramadan) is different every year as it is based on the lunar cycle. It does not begin until the new moon is seen, which means it starts at different times for different Muslims around the world. Muslims around the world perform communal prayer at daybreak on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, after cleansing themselves and donning new clothes. They then continue to celebrate for three days.
A common greeting during Eid al-Fitr is “Eid Mubarak,” which means “Blessed Eid.” This greeting is used to wish other Muslims well during Eid. This holiday is also a reminder for Muslims to be grateful for what they have as well as to help the less fortunate. This is known as zakat, which is one of the five pillars of Islam. Zakat is a requirement that all Muslims with the means to do so donate to the less fortunate. Zakat significantly increases during Ramadan and continues as an important part of Eid al-Fitr”
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