Ramadan Mubarak 2020: Meaning, History, Fasting Rules, Importance, Wishes & Quotes

Ramadan Mubarak 2020: Meaning, History, Fasting Rules, Importance, Wishes & Quotes

Ramadan - What is Ramadan and How long is Ramadan?

With more than 1.8 Billion Muslims gearing up to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan, we wanted to explore its origins and significance. So what is Ramadan? Well, Ramadan is an Islamic festival practiced by all Muslims. They fast from sunrise to sunset, to show their devotion to God, or Allah. Ramadan comes on the ninth month in the lunar based Islamic calendar. This calendar is counted according to the moon and has 29 or 30 days. Ramadan is considered as the most holy month of all. According to Islam, Ramadan is considered to be the month in which the Angel Gabriel manifested the word of God or Allah to the prophet Muhammad. This later became the Quran, and included directives to honor the holy month of Ramadan itself. The Quran says, “The holy month of Ramadan is a guidance for the people and the criterion of right and wrong.” So, when the moon is first sighted on the ninth month, all Muslims who are safe and sound are required to fast during daylight. The fast includes abstention from meal, liquid, sex, rage, smoking and any other peccable conduct. Fasting can be physically and psychologically challenging, but it is supposed to help Muslims grow spiritually and show their devotion to God. In some northern countries such as Finland, or Sweden where there is little or no sunset during the summer months, these fasts can last as long as 19 hours. Fasting is an important part of Islam itself. It is one of the five central pillars of Islam. In some places, like Turkey, or the United States, life during Ramadan reportedly does not change much. However, business may slow down during these days in really hot countries because most are abstaining from water. During Ramadan, restaurants may also stay open till late night to serve the people who can only eat meals during the evening and night time. The last ten days of Ramadan are the most crucial and many choose to worship in seclusion during this time. Any action done on these nights such as praying to God or Allah is better than acting for 1000 months which do not contain the Night of Power. The Night of Power, marks the night in which the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by Allah. However, the exact date is disputed. When Ramadan is completed, there is a three day festival. Islam is the second most popular religion globally, and Ramadan maintains a high profile among the world’s numerous festivals.

True Meaning of Ramadan

Contrary to the popular belief, the holy month of Ramadan is not just about fasting. The spirit of Ramadan is about forgiveness, practicing self-discipline, spreading goodness, taking care of each other, remembering the Almighty, deepening the faith in Allah and cultivating a passion for worship. Also, all kinds of crimes and wrongdoings are avoided. In addition, motivating the work of righteousness, empathizing with the people and instilling a sense of self-control are also part of it.

Ramadan 2020

For the year 2020 the month long celebration of Ramadan will begin in the evening of 23rd April 2020 and ends in the evening of 23rd May 2020. This year for the first time on the occasion of Ramadan, many countries of the world are seen in captivity. There is a situation of lockdown and curfew due to Coronavirus infection across the country. In view of the challenges of Corona, crowd gathering has been banned in all the festivals and social events coming up during this period. Right now the way Muslims are offering namaz in homes, it is believed that in such a situation, they will offer Namaz in their homes only in the holy month of Ramadan too. In such circumstance, the worship of Allah will be done by staying in the house from the prayer of Taraweeh to Roza and Iftar.

Who are excused or exempted from Fasting in Ramadan?

Islamic religious gurus believe that leaving Roza in Islam is considered to be Gunah-e-Kabira. Gunah-e-Kabira means a sin that has no forgiveness. According to the Islamic books, Allah promises his people that Roza is only for me and I myself will give the reward of fasting to my devotee. It is important to note that since the age of 7 in Islam, it is necessary for every Muslim to keep fast. However, children younger than 7 years, individuals who are suffering from any form of physical sickness (temporary or permanent), individuals who are mentally challenged or are victims of any sort of mental illness, pregnant women, women who are going through their monthly period cycles, old age people and one who is traveling are excused from fasting in Ramadan.

The Origins of Ramadan | History of Ramadan

The origins of Ramadan lie in the existence of the prophet of Islam, named, Muhammad, and in the story of his encounter with the divine.

From his childhood, Muhammad was very intelligent and modest. His true heartedness, courage, justice, fortitude, and amity attracted everyone. During his lifetime he never worshiped any idol and he never drank any alcohol. He did not like noisy or crowded places. Whenever he stayed alone, he was in deep thinking about Allah's creation and he tried to know about the creator of everything. When Muhammad was 38 years old, he decided to spend more time alone in Mount Noor, or another name was Mount Hira, which was two miles away from Mecca. There was a cave on the top of that mountain, that was around 4 meters in length and one and a half meter in width. He spent his whole Ramadan in that cave for his deep thinking about who the real God was. After Ramadan ended, he visited the Kabah first and he then went back home. During the next year, he also spent the month of Ramadan in Cave Mount Hira. Day by day he started to go more often to the cave of Mount Hira. In the cave when his dry food was finished, he would go to his wife Khadija, and she would pack more dry food for him, then Muhammad would go back to the quiet place, which was the cave in Mount Hira. Six months before his prophet hood, Allah started to show him several dreams, and later on those dreams would come true! The fact that his dreams would all come true, was one of the signs of his prophet hood. During that time he spent several day and night in that cave, and this habit of his continued to happen until his 3rd year of Ramadan. During the third year of Ramadan in the cave of Mount Hira, he was around 40 years old. On the 21st day of Ramadan just before sunrise, that was the day when Allah selected him as the last and final prophet for all of mankind. In the year of 610, he was in deep thinking in his worship. Suddenly Angel Jibrael, or in English, Gabriel came in front of Muhammad and said to him "Read". Muhammad was so scared that he refused twice before actually asking what it was he was supposed to read. For the third time the Gabriel said read "in the name of your lord and your creator, who created everything in the Universe." When the angel said these words to the prophet that was the moment when the Angel gave the prophet the first five sentence of Surah Alaq. And these were the first verses that had ever been revealed to prophet Muhammad. In Surah Nahl, it explains to us that the Holy Spirit and angel Gabriel are the same. So after seeing the Holy Spirit, Muhammad became very scared and his heart was beating so fast and he was shaking so much. He immediately returned home and told his wife Khadija everything that happened to him. Khadija told him not to worry, she told him, Allah would protect him because he was a very good person. Then Khadija decided to take him to her very old cousin, Waraqa ibn Nawfal. She told her cousin, he did not worship any idol and he was a follower of prophet Jesus and his Holy Book, the Bible. After hearing everything that happened with Muhammad, Waraqa immediately realized the final and last prophet which was mentioned in the Bible, in book Isaiah. He also said that, it was the same Angel that Allah sent to Musa and he warned Muhammad that his own people will start to dislike him since he would be spreading the truth to the world; and because of that, he would have to later on leave his city Mecca. Muhammad was very surprised to hear that. Waraqa became sad that he could not help Muhammad in his hard time because he was very old and blind. Unfortunately, a few days after that day, Waraqa died. Many days passed, and the Angel Gabriel did not return. Muhammad became very worried and sad. But he still continued his deep thinking about Allah. One day after his prayer in the cave of Mount Hira, he was walking towards his home. Suddenly Angel Gabriel called Muhammad by his name and gave him a good news that he was the last prophet from Allah. Muhammad was surprised and saw the Angel who was very, very big. The prophet was very afraid to see him like that and so he ran to his home. Khadija held and covered him tightly with a blanket. After he cooled down, Allah told him to remove the blanket and go to the people to tell about Allah's orders, and this was the first 5 sentences of Surah Mudassir. And it was after this point which was the starting point of spreading Islam.

Allah send the verses of the Quran to prophet Muhammad in 7 different ways:

• Through a dream.
• Angel Gabriel, or the Holy spirit who would come to Muhammad's heart and give some sentences of the Quran.
• Angel Gabriel coming to the prophet as a human form.
• Angel Gabriel coming to Muhammad with the bell or a ringing sound and this way was very difficult for prophet.
• Sometimes Angel Gabriel came in his real form.
• When Allah took prophet Muhammad to the heaven in Meraj, Allah gave some revelation to Muhammad.
• In the Meraj, Allah talked to Muhammad directly like when he talked to prophet Musa.

Ramadan Fasting Rules

During Ramadan, some things have to be taken care of during the fast. There are many rules to be followed during Roza:

• "Suhur" is an important part of Roza. "Suhur" means morning. The rule of roza fasting is to wake up before sunrise and have food and water. After the sun rises, Muslims who keep roza cannot take suhur.
• Like Suhur, "Iftar" is another important part of Roza. After suhur, eating and drinking anything is prohibited till sunset. Roza is broken after the sun sets, which is called Iftar.
• The main rule of Roza is that Muslims who keep Roza should not eat anything from sunrise to sunset.
• Roza does not mean simply to stay hungry and thirsty in the name of Allah. During this, the eyes, ears and tongue are also fasted. This means that one should not see anything bad during this time, one should not listen to bad things and one should not speak bad about anyone or anything.
• During Ramadan, the mind also has to be kept pure. There is no need to bring bad thoughts to anyone in the mind and the five times Namaz and Quran are read.
• According to Islam, on five things fasting is considered broken. These five things are - slander, greed, evil behind the back, lying and swearing false.

Why is Ramadan Important?

Ramadan is the most precious month in the Islamic calendar and it is obligatory for the Muslims to fast in the month of Ramadan.

Here are some enthralling facts that shows the importance of Ramadan in Islam:

• The Holy Quran was first revealed in the month of Ramadan.
• Fasting in the month of Ramadan is the fourth Pillar of Islam among the five.
• There is one night called the "Night of Power" in the month of Ramadan, which is better than a thousand months.
• Ramadan is a month of Blessings, Mercy and Forgiveness.
• In this Holy month of Ramadan, the doors of Heaven are opened, the doors of Hell are closed and the devils are chained up.
• Shorter pilgrimage in Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj.
• It is very rewarding act in Ramadan to offer "Iftar" (sunset meal to break the fast) to those who are fasting.
• Voluntary charity is highly recommended in the holy month of Ramadan.
• It is said that if we fast sincerely in the holy month of Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, we will be forgiven for all our previous flaws, provided that the major misdeed are not committed.

Ramadan Mubarak 2020 Quotes and Wishes

"May the Allah fill your life with eternal joy and never ending happiness in this holy month of Ramadan. I pray to Allah that this Ramadan is full of love and peace for you and your family." Ramadan Mubarak 2020!!!

"May the melody and spirit of the holy month of Ramadan warm your home with love, joy and peace." Ramadan Mubarak 2020!!!

"Let us make this unique Ramadan 2020 beautiful by staying and praying at home and keeping ourselves, our loved ones, our society and our country safe from Corona." Ramadan Mubarak 2020!!!

"May this holy month of Ramadan bring good memories and happiness to the life of all of us." Ramadan Mubarak 2020!!!

"May the holy month of Ramadan 2020 come as blessings for the whole world and give us strength to face problems with courage." Ramadan Mubarak 2020!!!

"May Allah accept our prayers and fasts and shower Ramadan's blessings on all of us." Ramadan Mubarak 2020!!!