The holy month of Ramadan is a special time for Muslims. In this month, many years ago, the Qur'an was revealed to people, the teaching about guidance on the right path and the difference between truth and falsehood. It is customary to fast during the Ramadan period, but it is important to cleanse not only the body, but also the soul. Muslims devote this time to spiritual enlightenment, learning tolerance, forgiveness and compassion.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar calendar. According to legend, at this time, many years ago, Allah revealed to mankind his teachings, the holy book of the Koran. This message was transmitted through the Arab preacher Muhammad from the hands of the archangel Jabrail. In honor of this significant event, the Night of Power holiday is celebrated, which falls on the 27th day of Ramadan.
On the first day of Ramadan, the gates of Paradise open and the gates of Hell closed. The evil spirits of the shaitan do not disturb the devout Muslims, since they are chained in iron chains. And those demons that remained in the people themselves and grind their souls from the inside are expelled during the fast of Oraz. It lasts as long as the sacred month itself and imposes several strict restrictions. The fast of Oraz is one of the five unshakable pillars of Islam.
During Ramadan, Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink during daylight hours. In addition, it is not allowed to have any contact with persons of the opposite sex that could be regarded as affection. Fasting should be observed by all people who have reached puberty. Boys reach it at 12 years old, girls at 9. Children under this age are exempted from the Oraz fast, as are the elderly and the mentally ill, as well as pregnant and lactating women.
Every Muslim is punished for breaking fast. If there are no valid reasons for this, then for one missed day of Oraz, the faithful must make up for it with any additional day after Ramadan, as well as make a donation or feed one in need. For sexual intercourse in the daytime of Ramadan, Islam punishes the offender with 60 days of fasting or helping 60 beggars.
Body cleansing during the Oraza fast is the basis for spiritual cleansing. During this month, Muslims try to spend a lot of time reading the Koran and praying. They do good deeds, give alms, learn compassion and forgiveness. Muslims spend the Night of Power in wakefulness. It is believed that miracles happen on this night: believers turn to God with requests for mercy and receive it. In addition, at this time, signs from above come, signs about the fate of the world in general and its individual representatives in particular. Whether they are good or bad, no one can change them.
After the end of Ramadan, the three-day Oraza Ait begins, the holiday of breaking the fast. On these days, families try to gather all their relatives under one roof, prepare traditional dishes and treat them to their neighbors. Families of the deceased over the past year invite the mullah and perform memorial ceremonies.
The month of Ramadan often does not coincide with the calendar month. This is due to the discrepancy between the Islamic lunar and Gregorian calendars. For this reason, each year of the beginning of Ramadan is shifted back by about 11 days. So, in 2012, the sacred month begins on July 20. However, it should be borne in mind that in some Muslim countries, the dates of Ramadan may differ from the generally accepted ones. This is due to differences in calculations or weather conditions.
