By Adiza Bawa
Muslims across the country have officially commenced this year’s month of fasting, after the Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu through his Spokesperson, had declared Sunday, April 3, 2022, as the beginning of the month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the holiest month on the Islamic calendar during which period the prophet Muhammad declares the doors of hell firmly sealed and those of heaven, wide open. According to the holy book of Qur’an, the scriptures were first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad during Ramadan.
During the fast spanning the entire month, Muslims have a pre-dawn meal called ‘suhoor’ and also come together at dusk to break the fast with the meal called ‘iftaar’. Ramadan is a period of fasting and spiritual growth, and is one of the five “pillars of Islam”. The others being the declaration of faith, daily prayer, alms-giving, and the pilgrimage to Mecca. Many practicing Muslims also perform additional prayers, especially at night, and attempt to recite the entire Quran. The prevailing belief among Muslims is that it was in the final 10 nights of Ramadan that the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. The Quran states that fasting was prescribed for believers so that they may be conscious of God. By abstaining from things that people tend to take for granted, such as water, it is believed, one may be moved to reflect on the purpose of life and grow closer to the creator and sustainer of all existence.
As such, engaging in wrongdoing effectively undermines the fast. Many Muslims also maintain that fasting allows them to get a feeling of poverty, and this may foster feelings of empathy. All those who are physically limited, for example, because of doctors’ advice not to fast or old age are exempted from the obligation to fast. However, they will have to compensate by feeding the hungry in proportion to the fast they had missed while others like travelers or menstruating women are to make up the missed days at a later time. Each year, billions of Muslims around the world fast during the month of Ramadan. Ramadan begins with the sighting of the moon. Fasting in Ramadan involves abstaining from eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual relations from dawn to sunset. Ramadan for Muslims is a month of reflection, and self-improvement in relation to one’s behavior towards other people, oneself, and Allah. It is also a way to show solidarity with millions of poor people who cannot afford a four-square meal.
After sunset, Muslims participate in iftar, a meal shared with friends and family. Iftar usually begins with dates and some fruits. Prayers are offered up, and a wide mix of foods are enjoyed afterwards. To declare the beginning of Ramadan, Saudi Arabia and other Muslim-majority countries depend on the testimonies of local moon sighters. Ghana usually fast a day after Saudi Arabia has sighted the moon. But this year, it took a slight turn because Ghana did not sight the moon till the evening of Saturday, April 2. Muslims in Ghana however officially began the fast after a national Ramadan conference which saw representatives from the 16 regions of the Country alongside some believers reporting the sighting of the moon. Most Islamic countries however started theirs on Saturday after they saw the moon early.
The actual visibility of the crescent will depend on factors such as atmospheric conditions, cloudiness and the distance between the sun and the moon on the horizon. Lunar months last between 29 and 30 days, depending on the sighting of the new moon on the 29th night of each month. If the new moon is not visible, the month lasts 30 days. In many Muslim-majority countries, working hours are reduced, and many restaurants are closed during fasting hours. “Ramadan Mubarak” and “Ramadan Kareem” are common greetings exchanged in this period, wishing the recipient a blessed and generous month. The end of Ramadan marks the beginning of one of two major Islamic holidays Eid al-Fitr, the “festival of the breaking of the fast.” On this day, many Muslims attend a religious service, visit relatives and friends, and exchange gifts.
As Ghanaian Muslims join their counterparts in other parts of the World to observe this year’s Ramadan, it is the expectation of all that adherents of the fast and indeed all muslim faithful will go through a successful exercise that will make them pure and holy and ultimately grow in the scriptures. Unfortunately, there have been cases where some adherents, after going through all the rigours of the fast, praying to Allah and observing all the other ‘fast’ protocols, will go back into their bad ways, rendering all they observed in the holy month of Ramadan, a waste. Consequently, all are enjoined to make the month a significant one by staying pure and exhibiting positive attributes, even after the Ramadan. We say Ramadan Kareem to all the faithful involved in this year’s Ramadan.