World Islamic Science-Tech Review,February-March,2025 (Special issue of Holy Romado-n)
Muhammad Sheikh Ramzan Hossain
Chief Editor at Islamic Science-Tech Review
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1. In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
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2. Praise be to Allah, The Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds ;
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"Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’an as a guide to mankind also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong). So everyone of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting but if anyone is ill or on a journey the prescribed period (should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you He does not want to put you to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful."(Source:Sūra 2: Baqara, or the Heifer Verses 286 — Madani; Revealed at Madina — Sections 40, https://quranyusufali.com/2/)
Fasting is the act of refraining from eating, and sometimes drinking. However, from a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (before "breakfast"), or to the metabolic state achieved after complete digestion and absorption of a meal.
In Islam, fasting (known as sawm,["Islam". HISTORY. Retrieved 2020-01-24.]] Arabic: ???; Arabic pronunciation: [s?awm] or siyam, Arabic: ????; Arabic pronunciation: [s?ija?m]) is the practice of abstaining, usually from food, drink, sexual activity and anything which substitutes food and drink. During the holy month of Ramadan, sawm is observed between dawn and sunset when the adhan of the Maghrib prayer is called.[Chittick, William C.; Murata, Sachiko (1994). The vision of Islam. Paragon House. ISBN?9781557785169.] Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar and fasting is a requirement for Muslims as it is the fourth of the five pillars of Islam.["Islam - Prayer". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-01-24.]
Romado-n 1446 Hijrah Congratulations
I send my warmest wishes as Muslims around the world begin observing the Holy Month of Ramadan. Ramadan embodies the values of compassion, empathy and generosity. To all those who will spend this sacred time amid displacement and violence, I wish to express a special message of support. And I join those observing Ramadan to call for peace and mutual respect. In this Holy Month, let us all be uplifted by these values and embrace our common humanity to build a more just and peaceful world for all.
On behalf of the DP World family, I offer heartfelt Ramadan greetings to those celebrating this sacred month. May the light of Ramadan guide you with profound peace, unwavering compassion, and abundant blessings. Ramadan Mubarak. ????? ????? ???????? ????? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ??? ???????? ??????? ???? ??? ????? ???????? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ??????? ?????????? ???????. ??????? ?????
Tufail HussainTufail Hussain ? 1st ? 1stUK Director - Islamic ReliefUK Director - Islamic Relief5h ? 5 hours ago
?? Throughout Ramadan, the impact of your Zakat is even greater. We understand that when you give, you are trusting Allah, and putting your faith in us to carry a sacred duty on your behalf. We know the weight of our responsibilities to those we serve, to you, and ultimately to Allah. Trust in Allah. Give Zakat. Visit: iruk.co/ramadan ?
Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF)Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF)
Ramadan is a time of faith, unity, and strength—virtues that the children and families of Gaza hold dear every day. Despite enduring unimaginable loss and hardship, their courage, smiles and perseverance shine brightly, inspiring all of us. This Ramadan, let's embrace their spirit with love and generosity, bringing light and hope to their lives in every possible way. Ramadan Kareem! Visit pcrf.net/linkinbio to donate or give your ZAKAT this month?
BEAUTIFUL RAMADAN TRADITIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Many Indonesian Muslims engage in a cleansing ritual called “Padusan” to mark the beginning of Ramadan
To spiritually and physically cleanse themselves before the start of the holy month of Ramadan, many Indonesian Muslims from the island of Java will engage in this beautiful tradition.
Meaning?“to bathe” in the Javanese dialect, many Muslims here will soak themselves in natural springs or even lakes – although many today will practice this in their own homes. This remains a symbolic ritual of purification, to prepare themselves mentally and physically for one of the holiest months of the Islamic calendar.
Moroccan town criers mark dawn prayers every morning for neighborhood families
Called “nafar“, the town crier, these men will walk through neighborhoods at dawn prayer to awaken families and let everyone know that prayer will begin soon.
This beautiful tradition brings together the community in a celebration of the special atmosphere of Ramadan, especially around dawn prayers. The melody of the town?nafar?is an often beloved part of Ramadan for everyone in Morocco during this holy and special month.
Roma Muslims in Albania will perform special ballads to mark the beginning and end of each day’s fast
In a unique tradition in Albania, many Roma Muslims will begin and end the day of fasting with special ballads for Ramadan.
Many men in Iraq will gather for the beloved traditional game of “muheibes” after breaking fast each evening
In a tradition dating back beyond memory, many Iraqi men will gather in large groups after breaking fast for a game of “muheibes” – an amusing game of deception where a ring is passed around under a cloth and people must guess who really has the ring based on body language alone.
Muslims in Cameroon engage in the tradition of the opening of the doors to embrace anyone for iftar
In a beautiful act of worship and good deeds, many Muslims in Cameroon will make it a practice of?opening their doors?right before iftar time, to invite anyone from outside who may need to find somewhere to break their fast.
It is common to embrace anyone to break fast together in Cameroon, in a beautiful tradition that makes the month of Ramadan even more special.
In a much-beloved tradition, many neighborhoods across Turkey will have an appointed drummer, with many dressed in traditional Ottoman clothes, tasked with waking up people before dawn prayers.
Muslims in the Maldives will recite beautiful Ramadan poetry called “Raivaru”
The Maldives become an especially beautiful and enlivened country during Ramadan – and one of the ways Ramadan is celebrated is through “raivaru“, a Maldivian form of religious poetry.
An ancient form of poetry with distinct rhythm and line patterns, for many Maldivian Muslims Ramadan is made even the more special with these beautiful forms of poetry recited in worship.
Appointed directly by South Africa’s Muslim Judicial Council, this special tradition marks the end of Ramadan and celebrates the tradition of spotting the first crescent moon with the naked eye.
TIPS FOR WOMEN TO BE RAMADAN-READY WITHOUT BEING ANXIOUS AND OVERWHELMED
Ramadan is fast approaching.
Muslims all across the world have already started the countdown to the holy month by planning, prepping, scheduling, and above all, finetuning and calibrating themselves in order to prepare their mind, body, and soul for welcoming Ramadan. Not to forget the Niyyah, or the intention, which is important to channel one’s thoughts and actions into the path of Allah.
Take a look at every household and in so many cases, you will see it’s the women upon whom all the responsibilities and the burden fall on during Ramadan and at other times.
She has to do meal plans and preps along with the usual chores like cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children and the elderly alongside scheduling tasks and her routine to incorporate time for ibadah all this while fasting. Things get tougher if she’s a working woman.??
It is all about managing time, planning, and perseverance. You may not be able to switch to Ramadan mode after going on a monotonous humdrum every day with the usual tasks and chores. For that, one must prepare mentally and physically with the right Niyyah to do something for the sake of Allah in order to utilise the holy month fully and reap its benefits.?
“There is no blame upon you for that in which you have erred but only for what your hearts intended. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful”. (Sura Al-Ahza 33:5)?
RAMADAN: THE MONTH OF DIVINE INTELLECTION
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic?Hijri?calendar whereby month-long fasting is observed by the Muslim Ummah?worldwide. It is one of the most sacred months for Muslims as the revelation of the Holy Quran upon the Prophet (s.a.w.w) through the agency of the Arch Angel Gabriel happened during this sacred period – more precisely on the?Night?of?Al-Qadar.
It is obligatory upon every mature Muslim to keep fasting all the days from sunrise to sunset for this complete lunar month. Among the important practices during the holy month of Ramadan are recitations of the Quran, offering extra prayers, repentance, charity, and night vigils.
This month stands as the grand opportunity for the servants to return back to God Who Himself has invited all folks of mankind, regardless of their past records, sins, crimes, etc. back on His Divine Table full of facilities and grace.
Now, the question arises why God chooses this particular month for fasting??What is the principal connection between the revelation of the Holy Quran and fasting??And, how should our fasting be like actually?
There are numerous theories piled up throughout our Islamic tradition. The common most position is that fasting in Ramadan is to restrain oneself from eating anything from sunrise to the sunset for a complete month, unless a Muslim is ill or travelling, in order to obtain?Taqwa?( piety, God-consciousness, fear of God).
Fasting cleans not only our body and restricts our greed of our?nafs,?but fasting in Ramadan is very much directed to purify and wash our souls from all ills developed from our carnal self.
The level of our?Taqwa?is directly related to our realization of the higher truths and our level in the way of God. The holy month of Ramadan is itself the month of the Holy Quran, which means our fasting is to train our soul, mind, and intellect so that the Quran is opened upon us; we get to realize the inner core/essence of the message put into the Holy Book.
As the sacred Quran itself says:?“The month of Ramadan is one in which the Quran was sent down as guidance to mankind, with manifest proofs of guidance and the criterion. So let those of you witness it fast (in) it.”
Fasting enhances our understanding of the verses, chapters, stories, laws, etc. as directed by the Divine. The more we gain?Taqwa?in us, there is more guarantees for further revelation of the metaphysical meanings of this sacred text upon our intellect.
When we truly train and develop ourselves along the divine lines which this holy Ramadan is abundantly carrying along, we decode the esoteric aspects of our existence in relation with the Divine Reality ultimately.??
The purpose of the revelation of the Holy Quran during this holy month was to keep us on the divinely guided track,?siratul mustaqeem, perfectly as willed by our Creator. As Allah has mentioned in?Surah Baqrah?verse number 183:?“Believers! Fasting is enjoined upon you, as it was enjoined upon those before you, so that you become God-fearing.”
Taqwa, as is the direct result of our fasting and other virtues, helps us to live a righteous, pious, and God-fearing life that has a direct bearing upon our ceaseless journey towards eternity. Each overt or covert act of life when done in the guidance of the holy scriptures leads us to closer to Allah, the Ultimate Reality which we are striving consciously or unconsciously towards.
The holy month of Ramadan accentuates this spiritual training and guidance of our souls compared to all other months of the year combined. Then, the fasting itself is not exclusively related to our abandoning of eating and drinking. Rather, each and every aspect of our existence are to be on fast, each organ of our body and every streak of our mind and soul should join this divine training. That is when we are set to gain the God-consciousness so as to tread the way of the righteous whom God Himself guides under His Divine Command.
The spiritual rewards of fasting are immense. The guidance of the Holy Quran puts us under the celestial grace which helps us realize heaven here and now. Similarly, Ramadan helps us shun all bad comportments, sinful activities, crimes, hate, greed, and every possible negative activity. This spiritual period throws innumerable opportunities for mankind to gain a blissful life; a master key to get the gates of paradise opened and the gates of hell locked not for only this month but for the rest of life and beyond.
We are very much directed to look around us to find those who are in need, and find out the people who are in the most difficult times so that we can help them in one way or the other in order to realize the Quranic spirit in practice. When God directs us to help those who are in need, it means God gives us an opportunity to experience divinity in these materialistic and agnostic times. We are reminded that we aren’t alone.
No matter how much individualism, devastation to our mutual relationships, and hatred against people have become the order of the day, we are still expected to realize the Divine Light in the middle of this darkness. Ramadan as a whole and fasting, in particular, helps us to forfend ourselves from the habits or doings which harm our soul as well as body. Our test is to keep treading the journey of our lives in the light of the Divinity.?
The ultimate meaning of our life itself in this materialistic world is basically a test of how we live our lives in this world so that the next levels of our existence are decided accordingly. If we do good deeds, we will be rewarded – otherwise, our bad deeds and other rebellious acts would verily result in us tasting a bad life on this earth and the hellfire in the world to come.
Indeed the holy month of Ramadan is the foremost month to amend our deeds and perfect our lives as per the sacred text of the Quran. When we choose to surrender in front of our Lord, every difficulty turns into ease and leads the person to a peaceful journey.?
Thus, the sacred month of Ramadan is the springtime for the dead hearts and rusted souls. No matter how far we have already gone away from the divine centre, no matter how sinful our character has been, we are re-invited to have a fresh bath under the ceaseless ever-flowing cascade of the divine mercy whose origin is God Himself. It is the Almighty, yes, our own Creator who guarantees our forgiveness regardless of our past records. We have to come towards the Divine Feast well before our eyes are closed forever.
Let’s come now and here in this blessed month of Ramadan and open up the holy Quran as is?haq?and gain our grounds back to our primordial origin!
Come, whosoever you are, this is not a house of despair. If you have broken your vow a thousand times, we don’t care Lover of leaving. O doubtful one: Come whoever you are, come and yet again come.
(Sheikh Abu Sa’id Abulkhayr)